Costa’s first start

[Scallywolf]

Well, after yet another no show in front of goal today, should Diego be unleashed from the start against West Ham?

Yes, he will have been with us for only 3 weeks but we offer nothing in the 18 yard box, absolutely nothing!

We are becoming a joke up front and we have nothing to lose imo. Raul is struggling and we have no one else.

What have we to lose?

Bruno is very much on borrowed time imo and it is embarrassing now.

We simply cannot carry on as we are with nothing changing. International break coming up and time to get Diego up to speed.

 

[SuperGran]

Yes, he said it’ll take two to three weeks, I’m sure he’ll take part in the West Ham game.

 

[Alex Rae The Substitute]

Think his first appearance will be off the bench.

 

[WolfLing]

He has to play. We don’t have any other option really.

I’d rest Moutinho and try Neves and Nunes as a two.

Then have Neto, Guedes and Podence buzzing off Costa.

Something has to change.

 

[Scallywolf]

Think his first appearance will be off the bench.

After 5 minutes!

 

[Matt]

I’m sure Bruno said he will hopefully be fit enough for 15 minutes at West Ham.

 

[Fenrir_]

Ease. Him. In.

Last thing we want is for him to get any muscle injuries through being played too soon. I'd be looking at the Forest game for a potential first start

 

[Northampton_wolf]

I’m sure Bruno said he will hopefully be fit enough for 15 minutes at West Ham.

15 mins, after three weeks of training we need far more than 15 mins from him

We will see a 20 min cameo I expect with more time against chelsse and maybe start against forest

 

[SuperGran]

15 mins, after three weeks of training we need far more than 15 mins from him

He’s 33 and hasn’t played for 6 months

 

[Northampton_wolf]

He’s 33 and hasn’t played for 6 months

Not debating that, but he will have more than 15 mins in him, his aim to sit between the posts.

He needs to be eased in and not start but if he's coming on at 75 likely we have already lost the ****ing game at this point right now

 

[Scallywolf]

He has to play. We don’t have any other option really.

I’d rest Moutinho and try Neves and Nunes as a two.

Then have Neto, Guedes and Podence buzzing off Costa.

Something has to change.

With Collins likely to be banned for 3 matches we may need 3 in midfield to protect a back 2 of Kilman and (probably) still learning Toti.

Boubacar, Nunes and Neves in midfield for me with Costa from the start. That leaves 2 from Neto, Pod, Hwang, Adama or Guedes to work with him (Raul will be given more time imo). No idea what system or who Bruno will choose from those 5 to get us scoring, but he has options and something has to change pretty quick or he will be gone!

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

I'd put Costa on at the start even if he was on crutches. I'm assuming Jimenez is still fatigued or his groin in playing up so what other choice is there? 3 goals in 7 games and hardly tested the gk in any of those games. It's inevitable.

 

[TriumphWolf]

I’m sure Bruno will be guided by the physios, how he performs in training and his stats while training - then make his choice.

 

[chignalwolf]

Well, after yet another no show in front of goal today, should Diego be unleashed from the start against West Ham?

Yes, he will have been with us for only 3 weeks but we offer nothing in the 18 yard box, absolutely nothing!

We are becoming a joke up front and we have nothing to lose imo. Raul is struggling and we have no one else.

What have we to lose?

Bruno is very much on borrowed time imo and it is embarrassing now.

We simply cannot carry on as we are with nothing changing. International break coming up and time to get Diego up to speed.

the true class of strikers like Costa don't need to run 100 miles in a match or training, they can score goals sitting in a deck chair eating an ice cream. get him on the pitch for the whole 90 mins v West Ham,

 

[arctic rime]

Had to start

 

[OLDGOLD]

I’m sure Bruno will be guided by the physios, how he performs in training and his stats while training - then make his choice.

Or...will pick his faves regardless

 

[OLDGOLD]

the true class of strikers like Costa don't need to run 100 miles in a match or training, they can score goals sitting in a deck chair eating an ice cream. get him on the pitch for the whole 90 mins v West Ham,

Yep, and to be honest if he spends most of the match in said deck chair 20yds from goal, but gets off it to score 2 goals in a comfortable win, that would be fine with me.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

Like many on here I expect, I've been mulling over/fretting about our woeful start to the season. There are several causes (poor set pieces, late substitutions etc etc) but the main one obviously is the lack of a striker. If we had had say Ivan Toney or Callum Wilson or even Danny Welbeck up top this season imo we would be on at least 11/12 points now, which would have us top 6. We can whinge on about Lage but his having no recognised striker is killing us. I have no belief that Jimenez will offer anything in the box again so the reality is we are now putting all our faith in Costa to save/resurrect our failing season. Imv he has to start at WHU (even if only 70/80% fit), either as a 3 or on his own with Neto and Guedes/Podence behind. It doesn't bear thinking about that he isn't up to it any more; he has to be - it's as simple as that. If we can't score we will be in a relegation scrap and with the players we have that is a disgrace.

 

[Netherton Wolf]

MOTD highlited it perfectly last night, said how good we were on the ball, play some good football, they showed 3 instances where we ran down wing looked up and nobody busting a gut to get in box, if everyone else can see it why can't Lage !!

 

[Contrarian]

I’m sure Bruno will be guided by the physios, how he performs in training and his stats while training - then make his choice.

Moutinho for the full 90 it is, then. Hwang on at 75 minutes. Costa on at around 85 minutes. That is the Law.

 

[Banks's Mild]

Let's hope he hasn't signed a 14 day cooling off notice on his contract after realising that he is coming into a potential relegation battle rather than challenging for Europe.
In all seriousness we need to start getting as many minutes out of him as possible asap as we are so shot shy it's ridiculous.

 

[Contrarian]

MOTD highlited it perfectly last night, said how good we were on the ball, play some good football, they showed 3 instances where we ran down wing looked up and nobody busting a gut to get in box, if everyone else can see it why can't Lage !!

Why can't the players see it? Do they really need to be told to run? Or are they being instructed to stay back and never support attacks else get dropped? The players need to take some responsibility themselves. Are they not fit enough? It's another pattern that's been around ages and hasn't changed. We generally don't look as fit as our opponents, backed up by the stats of us covering the least ground in the league.

Seems an attitude of doing "just enough" - which was understandable at times in the past couple of years, but is unforgivable now, given that amount of effort and money the club has just spent to reenergise the squad.

 

[waveney wolf]

Yep, and to be honest if he spends most of the match in said deck chair 20yds from goal, but gets off it to score 2 goals in a comfortable win, that would be fine with me.

Sadly , in the hardest league in the world , you can't have the luxury of leaving your striker high up the pitch waiting for the ball ( apart from man city )

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

With Collins likely to be banned for 3 matches we may need 3 in midfield to protect a back 2 of Kilman and (probably) still learning Toti.

No we don't. We wonder why we don't score goals and we have three dm protecting our defence. Let's find out if there good enough rather than assuming they aren't.
Incidentally it's a defence that is barely any less experienced than the current one. Collins has played less than 30 games at this level.

 

[MasWolf]

I don't think the personnel makes too much of a difference at the moment, I think the system is more important. We don't have any players in the box because they're busy doing other roles. We need to change this and make one of the players (probably Guedes) get into the box as their primary task.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Why can't the players see it? Do they really need to be told to run? Or are they being instructed to stay back and never support attacks else get dropped? The players need to take some responsibility themselves. Are they not fit enough? It's another pattern that's been around ages and hasn't changed. We generally don't look as fit as our opponents, backed up by the stats of us covering the least ground in the league.

Seems an attitude of doing "just enough" - which was understandable at times in the past couple of years, but is unforgivable now, given that amount of effort and money the club has just spent to reenergise the squad.

Nobody gets in the box because we have Nunes Neves and Moutinho in midfield and Podence playing as a false 9. Plus a man sent off.
Moutinho has never got in the box for most of his career. Neves same, and given how deep his current position is i don't see that changing. Nunes might be that guy, but I can't help feel we are doing a dendonker by asking him to get further forward.
Which leaves Neto and Guedes to do it, and usually one of them is they guy out wide in the first place.
I can't see how you blame players for playing how they have consistently played throughout their careers. The reason we don't get men in the box is because we pick an absolutely stupidly negative line up every game, and have done every game under Bruno.

 

[Scallywolf]

No we don't. We wonder why we don't score goals and we have three dm protecting our defence. Let's find out if there good enough rather than assuming they aren't.
Incidentally it's a defence that is barely any less experienced than the current one. Collins has played less than 30 games at this level.

Nunes is not a dm. Boubacar maybe and Ruben definitely.

With Costa up front and 2 others that should make us better

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Nunes is not a dm. Boubacar maybe and Ruben definitely.

With Costa up front and 2 others that should make us better

Well he is certainly not an attacking midfielder. He got 3 goals last season. His best work has been done from deep.
Why should we need more than Neves and Nunes in midfield? Why are we overpacking one area of the field to the detriment of everything else?

 

[Wednesbury Wolf]

Well he is certainly not an attacking midfielder. He got 3 goals last season. His best work has been done from deep.
Why should we need more than Neves and Nunes in midfield? Why are we overpacking one area of the field to the detriment of everything else?

Probably because we have Lage in charge.

 

[Contrarian]

Nobody gets in the box because we have Nunes Neves and Moutinho in midfield and Podence playing as a false 9. Plus a man sent off.
Moutinho has never got in the box for most of his career. Neves same, and given how deep his current position is i don't see that changing. Nunes might be that guy, but I can't help feel we are doing a dendonker by asking him to get further forward.
Which leaves Neto and Guedes to do it, and usually one of them is they guy out wide in the first place.
I can't see how you blame players for playing how they have consistently played throughout their careers. The reason we don't get men in the box is because we pick an absolutely stupidly negative line up every game, and have done every game under Bruno.

Yep, can't argue with that. Could add the wing-backs/full backs into it. In Nunos's first 3 seasons, they provided the width. Also were fundamental to much of our attacking. Not since then, though. Ait-Nouri flatters to deceive and I know he has fans on here, but I'm not impressed by him this season. He's got pace, but his brain works in super-slow motion. Semedo and Jonny, good players too, but not delivering, for some reason. How we could do with the Premier League level equivalent of Barry Douglas. For the set -pieces, too.

The wing backs were a crucial part of being able to have 2 very defensive midfielders stay deep and protect the defence, while giving us a wide, pacey presence in attack. The forwards didn't need to go out wide because the wing backs were there. Was strange how on his return, Jonny immediately had exactly this kind of impact. But seems to have regressed to looking as lacking in confidence and as clueless as the rest of them.

 

[Scallywolf]

Well he is certainly not an attacking midfielder. He got 3 goals last season. His best work has been done from deep.
Why should we need more than Neves and Nunes in midfield? Why are we overpacking one area of the field to the detriment of everything else?

Fair enough although we are not overpacking midfield by playing 3 in there. Bruno has played 3 in midfield for every game so far.

Probably won’t score anyway whatever we do!

 

[Gold Flag Flying High]

Well, after yet another no show in front of goal today, should Diego be unleashed from the start against West Ham?

Yes, he will have been with us for only 3 weeks but we offer nothing in the 18 yard box, absolutely nothing!

We are becoming a joke up front and we have nothing to lose imo. Raul is struggling and we have no one else.

What have we to lose?

Bruno is very much on borrowed time imo and it is embarrassing now.

We simply cannot carry on as we are with nothing changing. International break coming up and time to get Diego up to speed.

Don’t think Costa will be ready for West Ham by the sound of what Bruno and Costa have been saying, however Podence is the weak link he needs swapping out for the next game. Who replaces him? Anyone willing to run into the box when a winger is likely to cross the ball, preferably tall.

 

[old wittonian]

Don’t think Costa will be ready for West Ham by the sound of what Bruno and Costa have been saying, however Podence is the weak link he needs swapping out for the next game. Who replaces him? Anyone willing to run into the box when a winger is likely to cross the ball, preferably tall.

Do we do tall apart from Kilman.

 

[YouGottaRaulWithIt]

He’s 33 and hasn’t played for 6 months

If we doesn't play next Saturday he will be 34 before he starts for us.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

If we doesn't play next Saturday he will be 34 before he starts for us.

As I keep saying he has to play, even if not 100 fit. We're not asking him to do a Dendonker and run up and down, even a Jimenez and drop deep, just stay in the box and provide a presence and if/when that chance comes along, swing your foot and stick the ****ing ball in the net. If he has to come off at 65/70 mins so be it. He's all we've got.

 

[Darvo]

As I keep saying he has to play, even if not 100 fit. We're not asking him to do a Dendonker and run up and down, even a Jimenez and drop deep, just stay in the box and provide a presence and if/when that chance comes along, swing your foot and stick the ****ing ball in the net. If he has to come off at 65/70 mins so be it. He's all we've got.

I hope to god I’m wrong but, in the few clips from the training ground so far, he looked miles off being premier league fit. But, we desperately need some presence up top.

The games pretty simple. If we don’t find goals from somewhere then wim ****ed.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

I hope to god I’m wrong but, in the few clips from the training ground so far, he looked miles off being premier league fit. But, we desperately need some presence up top.

The games pretty simple. If we don’t find goals from somewhere then wim ****ed.

I don't think he's looked too bad tbh. At least he's running and boy, from the interviews, he oozes confidence, which must rub off on his team-mates. Whatever we may think of his failings, age, weight, whatever, he's all we've got, at least until the next window. What a ****ing farce.

 

[Gold Flag Flying High]

Do we do tall apart from Kilman.

No it was noticeable against Man City as well.

 

[jrpb-3]

At least if he plays we will have someone in the box. Even an unfit Costa in the box has to be better than no one in the box.
MOTD analysis of our attack was spot on, get the ball into a good attacking position but no one making runs into box mean we then have no real options, play the wrong ball or take a shot from a difficult angle


One move against city highlighted exactly why we can’t score at the moment Guedes plays a great ball in to Neto then stops just outside the box Neto has to take the shot on (which he could have done better with) and it goes across the goal and wide. If Guedes had continued into the box then there would have been some options

1 Option for Neto to cut back/ cross to him
2 he could have got on the end of Netos shot and diverted it in
3 If Netos shot had been on target and the keeper parried it out then Guedes could have got on the end of it.

An out and out forward even an unfit one would get in the box and be alive to those options

 

[Jd132]

I definitely want to see Costa start but the problem is goals don't just come from having a centre forward on the pitch.

They come from patterns of play, triangles round the box, overlapping runs, third man runners- none of which we have. Goals come from set pieces, penalties, corners, free kicks, quick throw ins- none of which we use well. Goals come from bodies in the box- wingers, strikers, attacking midfielders busting a gut to get in the box- none of which happens. Goals come from passing quickly forwards, one touch passing, a cute slide rule ball, shooting on sight- none of which we ever do. Goals come from pressing teams in their own half, forcing mistakes, hunting in packs to get the ball back- none of which we do.

Just having a Centre forward in there isn't going to help until we start seeing all of these things happening.