It's not Sherwood!

[supertom]

I think Gil could be good in the role Zog played last night - but then Zog did OK before tiring and Grealish did really well.

That was the best I'd seen Zogbia play in ages. He also made a bit of a difference when he came on against Newcastle.

Interesting to see if Grealish gets a start now though, as he really did have a good impact.

[silhillvilla]

Gil isn't fully fit.
Sanchez is too slow and languid and needs to really up his tempo.

[supertom]

Dare I say it, but it almost seems like we've got options now.

[He wears a magic hat]

I'm not having this ' It's just confidence'

No way - we played last night with an intensity that we haven't seen down VP for a long time. Yes confidence plays a part but look at the midfield. The effort, the commitment when we didn't have the ball and the desire to get forward. That isn't confidence it's carrying out the instructions of how you are expected to play. I thought Cleverley, Delph and Westwood set the tone for our performance last night

Anyone really surprised by Gabby's performance cuz I wasn't. The guy has spent 3 years playing deep, out wide and in positions that are totally alien to him. He ain't the greatest footballer but put him on the shoulder of the last man, running the channels etc and he is a totally different player.

Simple things maybe but Sherwood has changed things and they are changes that give us a great chance of getting out of mess

[OCD]

Dare I say it, but it almost seems like we've got options now.

He's also quickly found what works. In Lambert's first season, it took him two-thirds of the season before he found a system and line-up that worked.

[OCD]

Gil in his last game was knocked off the ball very easily but it was against a team that plays it hard, horses for courses.

So he goes with Charles N'Zogbia instead? I mean, the guy played fine last night, but he was then replaced by Jack 'The Muscles' Grealish. No, I can't understand it, but let's hope Gil can force his way back in because he has real ability.

He might just think that it's a difficult situation to throw someone into who's new to the Premier League. The first thing to do is to find a system and line-up that works and then after getting some results, you can make small modifications and bring players back in who had been left out. Doing that, they suddenly look a lot better. Interesting that Sinclair was left out too.

[Monty]

But the same might be said of Grealish. In every instance, the same might be said of Grealish. Now, I'm pleased to see Jack getting a chance (and incidentally, I think the more central role he played in yesterday will be his position long-term, not the wing position in which Lambert gave him his cameos), but I'd much rather see Gil come on, as he's got more experience as a professional footballer in general and has been in good form for us.

[aev]

But the same might be said of Grealish. In every instance, the same might be said of Grealish. Now, I'm pleased to see Jack getting a chance (and incidentally, I think the more central role he played in yesterday will be his position long-term, not the wing position in which Lambert gave him his cameos), but I'd much rather see Gil come on, as he's got more experience as a professional footballer in general and has been in good form for us.

I think Gil is the better player from the limited stuff I have seen but maybe he isn't fully fit. And to be truthful, even if he is Sherwood's choices worked yesterday.

[andyh]

I will join you at the Cleverely table. I thought Westwood played well too tonight, and was at times the calmest head in the midfield for us, just wish he was taken off set pieces!

Cleverley has shown a massive improvement in every game since TSM2 left.
It seems simple to me as to why.

He has had the shackles taken off, no more, no less.

[paul_e]

I'm not having this ' It's just confidence'

No way - we played last night with an intensity that we haven't seen down VP for a long time. Yes confidence plays a part but look at the midfield. The effort, the commitment when we didn't have the ball and the desire to get forward. That isn't confidence it's carrying out the instructions of how you are expected to play. I thought Cleverley, Delph and Westwood set the tone for our performance last night

Anyone really surprised by Gabby's performance cuz I wasn't. The guy has spent 3 years playing deep, out wide and in positions that are totally alien to him. He ain't the greatest footballer but put him on the shoulder of the last man, running the channels etc and he is a totally different player.

Simple things maybe but Sherwood has changed things and they are changes that give us a great chance of getting out of mess

It's confidence in what we're doing.  As I've said on here numerous times, if you train properly and have a simple plan based on that training it only needs a few minutes at the beginning of the game of things going well to move a performance from the nervy rubbish in the last few months to a confident swagger like last night.  This isn't down to telling players how great they are or how much this means to the fans and it's not down to having the players wanting to run through walls (as the English press so often portray performances like that), it's about the players knowing what the game plan was, seeing that it was working, and buying in to it.  As I said all along Lambert's problem was coaching, I have no idea what they did in training which shows that it just didn't work.  A couple of weeks down the line with Sherwood and his new coaches and you can see what they've been working on (I put a lot of it on KMac as they style reminded me of the reserve sides from a few years back), specifically we were trying to change our tempo around and add some unpredictability, so sometimes we slowed things down and kept the ball for a while, other times we went direct and tried to isolate defenders, it meant their midfield couldn't dominate us because they didn't know whether to sit or press the ball.

[supertom]

I'm not having this ' It's just confidence'

No way - we played last night with an intensity that we haven't seen down VP for a long time. Yes confidence plays a part but look at the midfield. The effort, the commitment when we didn't have the ball and the desire to get forward. That isn't confidence it's carrying out the instructions of how you are expected to play. I thought Cleverley, Delph and Westwood set the tone for our performance last night

Anyone really surprised by Gabby's performance cuz I wasn't. The guy has spent 3 years playing deep, out wide and in positions that are totally alien to him. He ain't the greatest footballer but put him on the shoulder of the last man, running the channels etc and he is a totally different player.

Simple things maybe but Sherwood has changed things and they are changes that give us a great chance of getting out of mess

It's confidence in what we're doing.  As I've said on here numerous times, if you train properly and have a simple plan based on that training it only needs a few minutes at the beginning of the game of things going well to move a performance from the nervy rubbish in the last few months to a confident swagger like last night.  This isn't down to telling players how great they are or how much this means to the fans and it's not down to having the players wanting to run through walls (as the English press so often portray performances like that), it's about the players knowing what the game plan was, seeing that it was working, and buying in to it.  As I said all along Lambert's problem was coaching, I have no idea what they did in training which shows that it just didn't work.  A couple of weeks down the line with Sherwood and his new coaches and you can see what they've been working on (I put a lot of it on KMac as they style reminded me of the reserve sides from a few years back), specifically we were trying to change our tempo around and add some unpredictability, so sometimes we slowed things down and kept the ball for a while, other times we went direct and tried to isolate defenders, it meant their midfield couldn't dominate us because they didn't know whether to sit or press the ball.

Sherwood is pretty hands on in training. Lambert never was. Even when he had to be out of necessity (when Karsey and Shithouse got turfed out) it was probably alien to him. I think that helps. Plus there's nothing lost in translation with Sherwood. He'll tell it how it is, and the players will know exactly what he expects.

[supertom]

I will join you at the Cleverely table. I thought Westwood played well too tonight, and was at times the calmest head in the midfield for us, just wish he was taken off set pieces!

Cleverley has shown a massive improvement in every game since TSM2 left.
It seems simple to me as to why.

He has had the shackles taken off, no more, no less.

I also think Sherwood is someone who won't stand for a lot of limp football. Lots of sideways and backwards passing. We're quite direct going forward, and it's encouraging our midfielders to be a bit braver. It doesn't seem acceptable to just aimlessley pass the ball around our back four without it going anywhere, whereas there rarely seemed an urgency to get it forward in Lamberts "new style."

[Rodders]

Just watched highlights and Timmy's interview. I have to say that I am developing a real soft spot for this twinkly-eyed, passionate, erudite man. He's also clearly stark staring bonkers, which actually endears him to me that little bit more.

I was one of those who weren't convinced his appointment was wise, but if last night's game was an indication of what we can expect in times to come then I shan't be complaining. More than a bit of John Gregory about him; I don't think that we'll ever be bored...

[itbrvilla]

Just watched highlights and Timmy's interview. I have to say that I am developing a real soft spot for this twinkly-eyed, passionate, erudite man. He's also clearly stark staring bonkers, which actually endears him to me that little bit more.

I was one of those who weren't convinced his appointment was wise, but if last night's game was an indication of what we can expect in times to come then I shan't be complaining. More than a bit of John Gregory about him; I don't think that we'll ever be bored...

Where did you watch that?

[Monty]

But the same might be said of Grealish. In every instance, the same might be said of Grealish. Now, I'm pleased to see Jack getting a chance (and incidentally, I think the more central role he played in yesterday will be his position long-term, not the wing position in which Lambert gave him his cameos), but I'd much rather see Gil come on, as he's got more experience as a professional footballer in general and has been in good form for us.

I think Gil is the better player from the limited stuff I have seen but maybe he isn't fully fit. And to be truthful, even if he is Sherwood's choices worked yesterday.

Maybe, maybe. If he's not fit, though, why have him on the bench? That's what confuses me. Yes Sherwood's choices worked, but in the last minute from a penalty (though yes, we were unlucky not to have scored more by then). No reason it can't work better.

In fact, I give Sherwood a lot of credit for dropping Sinclair yesterday. Sinclair's been one of our better players, but Sherwood wanted numbers in the centre of midfield and a number 10 to help link with the strikers, and Sinclair couldn't have done that. I disagree about the exact selection, but I can see the logic and the system worked well.