I was encouraged by that.

We need points and dropping two more at home to a prompted side ain't great but Watford are a good settled side in good form.

Matic gave a ludicrous pen away but played better than he has otherwise, on another day Oscar scores and the deflection doesn't go in. Generally the performance was good and especially pleasing was the reaction when we went behind. In the last two games we've looked like a team.

Avoid defeat at United and I believe this will be our longest run unbeaten in the league this season.

Edited December 26, 201510 yr by g3.7

Thought Mikel did well when he came on, we didn't play too badly I didn't think just 2 ridiculous goals to concede stupid handball from Matic who was sh*t again and a freak deflection and with Oscar slipping with the peno any other day would be an easy win.

Funny how much better we looked with Mikel on the field wasn't it?

Well played to Guus for bringing him on. I think that could be the beginning of a move to 433 for us. Just looked more solid with that dedicated holder. For me a 10 is great when you're pressing high up but we don't. Given the immense issues we've had with teams finding space around our weak as piss press, it makes far more sense to move that player to sit deeper.

Now whether that player is Mikel or even Matic I'm not sure but it is the right idea.

I've calmed down now, thinking about it wasn't THAT bad. Watford are in great form and the goals we conceded were just stupid, especially that ludicrous handball. Then we get onto the Oscar penalty.....

 

We need a CB, a CM, a number 10 and a striker.

I've calmed down now, thinking about it wasn't THAT bad. Watford are in great form and the goals we conceded were just stupid, especially that ludicrous handball. Then we get onto the Oscar penalty.....

 

We need a CB, a CM, a number 10 and a striker.

I think we need two centre backs personally one to replace terry and one to replace ivanovic

I think we need two centre backs personally one to replace terry and one to replace ivanovic

 

Courtois, Azpilicueta, Willian, Hazard and Zouma are among the few players I would want to keep atm. Finding replacement for Ivanovic and Terry would be a good start, followed up with a quality central midfielder.

We should have won this game. 

 

Unbelievable we were outdone by our sloppiness in the Matic penalty (particularly) and Oscar's miss at the spot (although it can happen to anyone).

 

Again, where will we be without Willian. He is one player who gives his full.

 

I don't know what it is about us, but our inconsistencies, or sloppiness, always gets the better of us.

 

Having Mou gone has done little for us. United are up next and I don't think this game will have given us the lift we needed.

I think it was better and shows the ongoing improvements in our performances.

 

But Cahill should no longer be starting over Zouma in any match and for the love of god I hope we haven't taken a backwards step and will start actually thinking Mikel is useful again.

In hard to imagine him sticking around with no cl football next season.

I question which players will take that attitude.

Their own fault isnt it?

We should have won this game. 

 

Unbelievable we were outdone by our sloppiness in the Matic penalty (particularly) and Oscar's miss at the spot (although it can happen to anyone).

 

Again, where will we be without Willian. He is one player who gives his full.

 

I don't know what it is about us, but our inconsistencies, or sloppiness, always gets the better of us.

 

Having Mou gone has done little for us. United are up next and I don't think this game will have given us the lift we needed.

 

He's only been gone for two games jeeez. I'm reserving judgement for at least a month .There were good signs today - particularity in attack. 

Edited December 27, 201510 yr by gussy122

Its been almost 4 months and we've been cr@p. This isnt a Jose non Josr problem.

We really should have won that but we could easily have lost it too(a couple of weeks back we probably would have).

Thats the Costa I want to see playing for my club, none of that faux hardman stuff just leading the line concentrating on the footy.

Very enjoyable game to watch, been a while since i could say that. Enjoying the more attacking style.

Can't blame Oscar to much for the miss as he just slipped and it happens to everyone(Terry:()

We were unlucky yesterday despite what the commentators said about Watford deserving a point. THEY DID'NT. They got a gift of a penalty handed to them by the idiot Matic and then scored the a deflected fluke. Hardly impressive. We would have won were it not for Oscar slipping before the penalty. Costa misses the Man Utd game because of his temprament and it's getting a little tiring now watching this numbskull ruining our chances. He doesn't score for ages but when a new manager comes in he scores two goals. Many players need to be shipped in January and replaced like Fabregas, Matic, Ivanovic,, Pedro,Falcao, to name but a few. We are a team of misfits and we need to build a team that plays for each other and never gives up and plays as a team. All we have now is a bunch of mercanaries.

We should have won it comfortably ( by our standard), but some terrible individual errors and lack of precision upfront. We created enough to win the game, forget about the penalty, there were a couple of teasing low cross begging to be put away, Costa just couldn't get near them ( although he was probably the best player on the field). Willian is driving me a bit crazy with his wonderful team work, he just have to take a shot in open play, especially around 6 yard box with only 1 defender and GK ahead of him. Ivanovic is back to his usual standard, couldn't handle pace. Cesc is at his usually standard, good call by Hiddink to call him off despite the 1:1 score line. Hazard was ok, took a bad challenge for nothing because Oscar decided to try some crazy part trick penalty attempt at 2:2. I know he scored one like this the week before, but that was 2 up with no pressure. You go f* hit the ball into one of those corners, it's no rocket science, stop trying to fool the GK with the stop/start and make an ass of yourself. How the hell did that guy didn't get a yellow for challenge on Hazard was beyond me, he should have been sent off few minutes later with the second yellow.

 

With the rotten luck Jose had, we probably would lost the game 1:3 yesterday 

I think cahill got too much stick for that deflected goal.. most defenders could have suffered the same fate, it's just unfortunate.. Costa might have scored 2 goals but his overall performance is still not much difference from the previous games, I'm actually quite pleased that remy would get the chance next game.. With hazard also coming back in, it's looking good.. The most obvious change now is that we look like a team once more and that always is positive.. 

We had our chances to win it especially with Oscar's missed penalty but we also looked fragile enough down back that we could have easily lost the game with one or two more mistakes than what we had demonstrated already.

 

I had a bad feeling about Oscar taking the penalty as soon as he stuttered during his kick. What happened to a strong run up and a powerful kick towards the goal? I really long for the days when guys like Frank Lampard would have buried that kick nine times out of ten.

 

The squad needs a major rebuild and I think Guus will realise how extensive the problems are here. About time Diego Costa did something good for once but you have to wonder where this goalscoring form had been since the start of the season?

 

We're playing Manchester United next so I think we've encountered them at a good time. I thought they would respond against Stoke but Van Gaal looks completely clueless with his squad of players so I fancy us here despite our own problems.