[Albion] “Great” game of football or “Exciting” game of football

[Guinness Boy]

As @Bozza can’t do the two points dropped poll I thought I’d try this one.

I heard the phrase “great game” a few times on the way home, but, for me, it was an exciting game but with some very serious flaws. I’d just call it an “exciting game”, or as one of my fellow mods said, “great fun”.

I’m a big RDZ fanboy but even I can realise there were mistakes last night that you’d despair of in under 11s. If we get more coaches like Ange in the Premier League it’ll end up more like the NBA than Serie A.

For context, I thought the Man City home game last season was a great game. Two points and four goals less but a much better technical game of football.

 

[Richy_Seagull]

After seeing team after team come to the amex and completely kill the game after 2 minutes, time wasting, feigning head injuries to stop the game while sticking 11 players behind the ball I’m all for more Ange like coaches.

The above evidently works and is a tactic we struggle with, but last night was all the better for two teams actually going for it.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I went with exciting. On more than three occasions, I was wowed by some of the play to the point of actually saying "Wow!" out loud, which instantly led to one of them giving it away needlessly! Tiredness, nerves, inexperience, I'm not sure. But I agree there were too many mistakes.

Spuds played their part in the excitement but, clearly, they weren't great either.

 

[Hotchilidog]

It was exciting. A complete thrill ride made possible by the risk taking from both sides. Misplaced passes were often met with ruthless counters played at a breathless speed that made the game compulsive viewing for all of its 105 minutes.

 

[Flounce]

Both, the mistakes were made but when you play such high risk football it’s inevitable. Some of the inter passing was heads in the hands and through the fingers stuff but utterly sublime when it worked, which was most of the time.

Spurs continuing to play the high line when it was ruthlessly exposed so many times did surprise and delight me though.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Anybody else watching a re-run of the full match on Amazon Prime this morning? Looks as exciting second time around as it did in real time. EPL football at its very best

 

[Bodian]

Exactly what I was discussing with my Spurs co-viewer. Also agreed that it was great as in 'exciting' rather than 'quality'. But I'll settle for that.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Exciting.

This seems like an appropriate thread to express my main worry from last night - our inability to completely control a game when leading. By ‘control’ I mean to dictate the tempo, stifle the opposition, play keep ball in their half, slow the game down, win free kicks/throw-ins/corners. At 3 or 4 up this should be a comfortable task as the game is effectively dead (though credit to Spurs they didn’t fold like other teams have done when we go 2/3/4 ahead). We still looked good going forward - as we usually do - but it wasn’t necessarily with control; it was frenzied counter attacking transitional stuff.

I was hoping Lallana might come on and give some control but he was running through treacle and couldn’t get to grips with the game. It’s probably an area where we miss Macallister as he was very good at dictating the tempo once we were ahead in matches.

 

[GT49er]

A great game of football, but not a game of great football.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Strikes me now as it struck me then, it was also a supremely honest game. Neither side with very much interest in trying to constantly con the match officials. So rare as to be noteworthy

 

[Sheebo]

Great game but admittedly way too many holes in both teams’ defence. Was clear from the off that there were silly amounts of goals to be had. Fantastic to take some of our chances. Throw in the Welbeck miss, the Pedro miss and the Milner post hit and we could’ve been laughing. They had chances too but only half chances for the first 70 mins or so. We did defend well but the formation and injuries left gaps we had to work hard to close off.

 

[birthofanorange]

To me, if it's exciting, it's also great - and it was.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Strikes me now as it struck me then, it was also a supremely honest game. Neither side with very much interest in trying to constantly con the match officials. So rare as to be noteworthy

Apart from Son.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Apart from Son.

Never really noticed

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Never really noticed

He was the one laying down arms in the air or berating the ref when he overcame gravity

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Spurs were always going to score at some stage.

We can even feel safe when 4 nil up these days.

 

[MJsGhost]

To be honest, I couldn't care less about the technical merits if we beat Spurs 4-2.
That's going to be a f***ing brilliant game every time!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Spurs were always going to score at some stage.

We can't even feel safe when 4 nil up these days.

Club must be saving an absolute mint on never having to pay out on that clean sheet bonus

 

[Simster]

A fun game to watch. At times, both teams looked like scoring every time they came forward. The fact "only" 6 went in is testament to the lack of finishing quality and two make-shift defences.

Over all, it made me think we'll overhaul their six point lead over us and finish above them again. Both teams decimated by injury, suspension and call ups in the coming weeks, but we look far better equipped to cope.

 

[Bodian]

The fact "only" 6 went in is testament to the lack of finishing quality and two make-shift defences.

And their keeper. That save from Pedro towards the end of the first half felt like, at the time, keeping them in it.