I dish Willian a lot so I also have to say he was a beast today. He is better suited to be a sub. Also, well done Michy.
Or even today. Super sub is a role every team can use Overall it's unconvincing once again. Bakayoko I just don't get. Shows some good flashes but so inconsistent. His first two touches were straight to Watford inside a minute, you can't control games like that. He's like the anti-kante (hey, rhyme ). Fair play to Willian off the bench but that's the only place he should occupy for a while, Pedro has well earned a regular start. Watford were good, impressed to see how much they've improved and will cause problems the rest of the way. Phew, a win. PS for anyone watching in the US was it me or was the co-commentary particularly bad today? Calling the gaffer Antonio Costa at one point shows where they wanted to go with the comments.
Just got back from the game. We have to sort out things at the back both personnel and tactics. We need to ditch the two full backs at goal kicks and get the ball up the pitch as we are just playing ourselves into trouble. Tebo always looks like a startled deer when he gets a back pass he always takes one touch too many and today he was playing the ball to Luiz when he had a man on him. Luckily Luiz is a football player. Our tactics in attack seem to be pass it about at the back and then lob it up front in hope. We always look better when we run at the opposition whether is it Hazard, Pedro or Willian.
Again not very convincing, again you can't just simply blame Cahill! To be fair to Watford they are a LONG way from the 'lump it up to the big guys upfront' team they perhaps recently were. Yes it wasn't great, yes it was a bit of a struggle, but as people often point out these days there really isn't any easy games in this league (Huddersfield have just beaten Utd for one of many examples) and I do believe that Watford are going to cause many teams much trouble, just ask Arsenal! I think they (Watford) actually look half decent. As for us, we look woefully short on confidence for some strange reason, the substitutes turned this game on its head.
Also as a side note; what a wonderfully entertaining game of football that was (for a neutral), the Premier League really has served up some wonderful entertainment once again. The Spanish may well keep on about having two of the 'best' teams in world football but their league suffers from it, its a bit of a shame that Man City are so far ahead really, they seem to be the 'outlier' or else I reckon this season would have been one hell of a ride.
Rough stretches where Watford was definitely the better team. Maybe the 3 CB look that was so successful for us last season needs to evolve. We were embarrassingly out of shape on the second Watford goal. Richarlison is a menace. Get off the damn ground. I love that the ref called the foul on Fab...but then called over Richarlison to tell him to knock it off. Other than the header that led to the last goal, I’m just missing the value of Bakayoko. He seems sloppy and temperamental. Agree with someone else who said that as good as Fab's passing is, he's probably better off the bench. Wants: More Zappacosta, Christensen. Less: Cahill, Willian/Fab in the starting XI. Agree with (one of the Robbies) that Morata got bullied today. Didn’t love his sulking around the pitch. I thought he was the real lynchpin of our early success, but clearly it's Kante. It’s amazing that a defensive midfielder could have such an influence on the game.
Another ref would've called a lot of the fouls Morata pleaded for today (many of which, rightfully so). But that's part of the learning process in this league. The same pundits were lauding Morata for being a physical menace not two weeks ago. It's not black and white. It's a learning process. I'm still happy with Morata over Costa.
Difference between this lot and the “Mourinho season” is they can actually come back from being down... not all is lost but there is so much work to be done. Agreed KDB, commentary was extremely awkward... one moment they were like “amazing call!” because he got a throwin decision right
I really liked the fight/spirit we showed today. You're bang on in saying we lacked that in that final Jose season when he'd lost the players. Conte has them still despite the negative press trying to twist the knife. But clearly all is not well despite the Costa situation being resolved. Work to do for everyone on and off the pitch.