Given a lesson at Watford, Newcastle up next

Here was me thinking we'd get nine points in August. Now the worry is that if the manager doesn't fix things we could end August with nothing. This isn't an over the top reaction because for most of yesterday we didn't look like we knew what we were doing and we had too much of that last season. It baffles me.

If Watford could look like they knew what they were doing and Manchester United also (the other match I watched yesterday) then it stands to reason that we have had enough time to look like we know what we are doing. We didn't.

Yes, we sent out 11 players to play and yes, they looked fit and they could control the ball, but other than that we were fairly clueless. We only scored because Watford were three up and they decided to take their foot off.

We went into the first game of the season unprepared and I don't think many would disagree or say that we're happy about it. It's also not about the players that played, so there is no blame there.

I'm a big fan of a side having a set formation and approach to a game. The reason for this is because everyone then knows what they are supposed to do and things are fairly straightforward. You see, football players for the most part are not the sharpest tools and things need to be easy for them to understand. The minute you try to change things or have too many options, it can confuse them and then things don't go as you'd like.

So if 4-2-3-1 is our formation then the players that played yesterday, should know what to do. And those that started yesterday are not far from our starting eleven. However, is that going to be our formation with Ings and Watkins? If it is, I'm very surprised. If it isn't, why did we play a different formation then?

Every game is massive in this league and yesterday, we didn't approach it the right way. But we know we can because we have seen it and it usually starts with us chasing balls from kick off and putting the other side under pressure. My stomach sank a little yesterday when we didn't start that way.

And when you don't know what you're going to get, it either means the players don't know or they're not good enough and those that started yesterday are good enough so if they don't know, that points to the manager and his team and if whatever they are saying and doing isn't working, then that has to be fixed.

I'm oversimplifying it but it isn't rocket science. I'll be back tomorrow with the winner of the competition.

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