Football Forum | Ticket Forum | Off-Topic Forum | All

Crassus 4:27 Fri May 12
AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

My lad and I bumped into three AZ fans in a Euston queue last night - good knowledgeable lads and had a proper chat, so I thought I would share their perception separate from the match thread

Interesting where opinions and perceptions vary

THE RESULT
Fair result and one that they could be happy with under the circumstances whilst being disappointed for not getting more

THE REF
'Schiet' for both sides- nuff said

HOW DID THEY PLAY
Well when you consider the relative spend, (pointed out Paq' cost us 3x the amount spent upon their entire squad) age, experience of their youngsters and tactics - they did their best against a big club with top players
They hate their manager, the fans almost universally against him. He sets up far too defensively, not the AZ way. He is corrupting their 'DNA' of fast attacking interplay with home grown youngsters
Arne Slot is their hero, left under a boardroom cloud when moving to Feyenoord and went on to say he would be perfect for us when I pointed out we had similar Moyes based issues - which they know of

DO THEY ALWAYS PLAY THE CLOCK
No, they disapproved but indicative of the manager. Wasted time better spent attacking us
They do use that bloody goal kick routine, but that is to draw a press which they by pass with width from the FB's not to fuck about like last night

WHAT DID THEY THINK OF THE STADIUM
Impressive, marvelous, huge, colourful and intimidating for clubs used to small grounds

WHAT DID THEY THINK OF THE ATMOSPHERE
Incredible but everyone knows about West Ham fans support, so much noise

WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF WEST HAM
Some excellent attacking players, strong, powerful and very skillful. They did well to hold on to them

WHICH PLAYER PLAYED THE BEST AND WHO WORRIED YOU THE MOST
Benny the best and fear Antonio, Micky terrified them every time he got the ball. All the pre match talk was about his power and strength and how could they stop him

HOW DO THEY SEE THE NEXT GAME AND HOW WILL IT BE PLAYED
West Ham will go through but if they attack they could win because our defence is 'Schiet'
When we pointed out theirs was not too hot they agreed - 'fucking Schiet', this is why they worry

WHAT OF THEIR RETURNING PLAYERS
The LB is the boy that would/could destroy us, can't defend but fast and creative, very direct, our defence will not be able to hold him if they attack us

FOOTNOTE
They hate Ajax, for obvious reason and loved it when we beat the Mancs for similar, plus they don't want us to go down, we are a great club and should not be at the bottom of the league

Oh and they like many of us, are going to Prague irrespective of the semis

Moncurs Putting Iron 4:35 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Good read Crassus, Thank you.

ironsofcanada 4:38 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Cheers for that.

I did get the impression they were trying to draw us in but there was no bite there when they did, last night at least.

Interesting about the left back.

Crassus 4:41 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Of their LB I went on to say that could well be their undoing on the basis that whilst they will now be directly aware of Benny and have to make provision, Bowen had an off night and if their FB pulls a Trent, then he if on his game, will destroy them in behind

Wils 4:54 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Crassus, top post. Thank you!

Have to agree with the others, they didn't seem to be able exploit drawing us in for the press. If anything it looked like a risky strategy as they sometimes struggled to keep possession.

Russ of the BML 5:05 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Enjoyed that. Thanks for posting.

Leonard Hatred 5:23 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

👍

bruuuno 5:24 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Great post fella reminded me of the view from the opposition threads

Crassus 5:31 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Bru

Mate, I've had a mare
Had I thought I would have asked their favourite crisp

Alwaysaniron 5:42 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Spoke to a couple of their fans afterwards too, nice blokes and loved coming over to play against us.

They spoke of their LB in glowing terms (perhaps we should have a look ourselves if he's that good) but they're worried that their usual game 'counter attack' has been foiled and they're going to have to come at us.

I told them not to worry too much as we're shite at counter attack football (in the vain hope it'll lull their fans into some false sense of security).

Mex Martillo 5:44 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

I think most supporters are like this. It's the entitled pricks supporting big teams because they mostly win that let the side down.
Thanks Crassus

North Bank 5:56 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Nice one Crassus, I think the gme at AZ will be harder than many think

Far Cough 6:03 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Favourite crisps? Ganja flavoured, this is Holland you're speaking to.

swindon hammer 6:22 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Thanks Crassus. Interesting take.

It will be a really tough game next week and I still can’t understand some of our fan base thinking we would and should put them away with ease.

Yes we spent some money last summer for the first time in a few years but that doesn’t suddenly make us Real Madrid. We have no history of expecting to just roll over teams especially in a semi final.

Fiorentina lost at home to Basel last night, Alkmaar beat Lazio Home and Away and Arsenal got knocked out of the Europa League by Sporting Lisbon. All those clubs that lost had/has much more money than the opposition.

It’s interesting that they said they feared Antonio the most. Although there is a lot of split opinion amongst our own fan base on the worth of Antonio, It does seem quite apparent from a lot of opposition fans when you talk to them that he is the danger and I bet a lot of the opposition players think the same.

Crassus 6:24 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Ganga and Gouda Sensations

Crassus 6:36 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Swindon

Antonio, yes agreed

Having heard what they said about the mood music over there in the run up it goes a way to explain how they tried to deal with him - sure, he did his share of diving but they were touch tight, desperately trying to prevent the turn and doubling up too with no lack of 'housery' going on

As it happens, I maintain my stance that we should be taking these lads

Game, technical and capable but a correctly prepared, deployed and up for it West Ham beat them every day of the week and twice on Sunday

Lacking any of those elements and we make it increasingly more difficult - they can't beat us, West Ham can beat West Ham

BRANDED 6:41 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

I would suggest their impression of us was based mostly upon the experience of last night and not 40 years of hurt. In that case I saw it how they saw it too. As far as their team was concerned I was amazed at how average they were but their comments explain that more clearly to me.

Finally, if the returning player can make a goal we need to score one too.

swindon hammer 6:54 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

Crassus,

We are definitely favourites and it will be disappointing if we don’t go through but a lot of comments beforehand suggesting that we should blow them away in the first leg etc seemed a bit ignorant and delusional.

We have never in our history been a team that just blows away other teams which is why we haven’t won anything in 43 years. One summer of spending doesn’t change that particularly when we haven’t spent it wisely for the most part.

As the examples I gave of other teams with a financial advantage, it’s still never easy especially when you get to this stage of competition’s.

The Italian league isn’t as strong as it used to be but its still is one of the strongest leagues in Europe and the amount of clubs they still have left in European competitions is proof of that. So beating Lazio (Currently 3rd in Serie A) Home and Away proves Alkmaar are no mugs and we shouldn’t be expecting to blow them away.

Any here’s hoping we get through and have a massive occasion in Praque to look forward to.

El Scorchio 7:07 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

A fully fit Antonio is a bit of a nightmare for the continental centre backs. None of them have handled him particularly well without fouling him (punished or unpunished) Last night no exception, even though he didn't seem to have a lot of gas in the tank after Sunday.

A couple of occasions every game he will successfully turn or beat his man and be away. It's just key that when he does, he makes the right decision, executes the right pass or shot, and that other players are in the right supporting positions to help or receive the ball without the attack stalling. The problem is that it doesn't happen much.

Rest him for Burnley, and he/we will get a couple of chances in the away game. We just have to take them better than we have been.

Manuel 7:15 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

In this Moyes's system Antonio is our most important player by a country mile, don't even bother debating it. Who else could do his job? That's right, nobody. We can replace anyone except him, even Rice at a push.

swindon hammer 7:17 Fri May 12
Re: AZ view - had a chat with fans last night

I said it at the time and said it a few times since but if Southgate had picked Antonio for the Euro’s 2 years ago when he was at his peak and had put him on as sub against Italy in the final instead of Calvert Lewin then things could have turned out differently.

The Italians wouldn’t have known what to make of him.

Page 1 - Next