madras

He's 100% about one formation and that worries me. For me the better managers have flexability and his only flexability seems to be which full back should push on more. FWIW I've never said play 2 up, it doesn't work that way, most teams have a 4-5-1 when out of possession and various ideas when in possession. A worrying thing for me is how often Gayle isn't the furthest forward.....it so rarely happens He is one of the better managers though. He's proven that. I think at the minute he looks inflexible because he's not happy with his bench. There's no chance he wants Perez, Mitrovic and Atsu to be 10 minute cameos every now and then. I just don't think he looks as them and expects them to change anything/do better than the players already on the pitch. Do you think he could get better out of the current squad if we wereent so 4-2-3-1 ?

He's 100% about one formation and that worries me. For me the better managers have flexability and his only flexability seems to be which full back should push on more. FWIW I've never said play 2 up, it doesn't work that way, most teams have a 4-5-1 when out of possession and various ideas when in possession. A worrying thing for me is how often Gayle isn't the furthest forward.....it so rarely happens

Could he have maybe freshened things up by formation/tactics as much as personnel ? I've known other managers do it.

Mitrovic has scored for him when he's started but rotation doesn't happen for him. You'd think over christmas, games every 3 days or so he'd get a start. FWIW I don't believe the rotation thing about keeping players in top shape etc, it's about minor changes to try and keep the opposition guessing which can work for you as much as bite you on the arse.

Alright Charnley. What do you mean by that? We sold all of our best players and made a profit of over £30m. It has to be factored in. Of course we should be doing better with the players we have, but I expected our squad to be far stronger at the start of September and we're paying the price a bit now for the lack of genuine quality in several positions. We have a better squad than everyone in this league (I'll say better team aswell) which aren't helped by tactics that don't get the best from the personnel. I think that notation of us having the best squad is coming under serious fire. The midfield minus 2-3 players is awful. Colback man, I wouldn't wish him onto my enemies. Because other teams would adapt their tactics to losing a player or so. Central midfield we have Shelvey, Hayden , Anita, Colback and Diame. Can other teams in this division lose 2 or 3 in a position and still be playing near first choices ?

Alright Charnley. What do you mean by that? We sold all of our best players and made a profit of over £30m. It has to be factored in. Of course we should be doing better with the players we have, but I expected our squad to be far stronger at the start of September and we're paying the price a bit now for the lack of genuine quality in several positions. We have a better squad than everyone in this league (I'll say better team aswell) which aren't helped by tactics that don't get the best from the personnel.

Ah of course. The game where subs were made sooner rather than later and we were forced to play two strikers. Amost makes sense to try this more when we are behind. We were losing when we made the first sub. The second,third? No, it's only once we've come from behind to win.

Thought Gayle was OK today, the physicality wasn't a problem and we had a good few chances. Just think in general we'd get more from playing both, not necessarily as a front 2. Most of the time the problem is it's Gayle in the box and no one else.

Oh, I thought it may have been who spent the most.

In real terms ?

Sums it up for me.

Rafa spends most of the game telling us to be more narrow. Probably smart considering they can't cross for s*** and when they happen to get the ball past the first man it's Gayle vs two tall center backs. Getting to the crossing positions out wide isn't a problem. Ritchie could at Bournemouth, I wonder why he can't now ? He's our joint top assister this season. At least pick on a player befitting of your relentless agenda. Did you see the post to which I was responding ? Did you read yourself the player saying he hasn't been playing well ? Yes and yes, it makes no difference. If you say so, Ritchie has been playing well because the stats say he our joint top assister. Happy now ?

It's poor from him. Not sure like, cute free kick, always expect it go for the other corner. Maybe criticism for setting uo a poor wall ?

Rafa spends most of the game telling us to be more narrow. Probably smart considering they can't cross for s*** and when they happen to get the ball past the first man it's Gayle vs two tall center backs. Getting to the crossing positions out wide isn't a problem. Ritchie could at Bournemouth, I wonder why he can't now ? He's our joint top assister this season. At least pick on a player befitting of your relentless agenda. Did you see the post to which I was responding ? Did you read yourself the player saying he hasn't been playing well ?

I don't think what he's asking us to do is beyond most of these players, it's the likes of Colback and Dummet who don't have the technical ability to play on the ball. If you try to dominate the ball but don't have 11 players who are comfortable on the ball it will break down. Also don't think he'd persist with instructions that players can't understand. He should be playing a system that gets the best out of the players from his disposal, it's clear our midfielders aren't suited to his 4231 formation without Shelvey. We don't have the wider players in the 3, we don't need 2 defensive midfielders (unless Hayden puts in Reading/Birmingham style performances), we don't have any midfielders who can/attempt to get alongside/beyond the forward. We are very formulaic and so far our superior quality has got us where we are, should that confidence go then we'll struggle.

I agree that there is a Gouffran problem but when we go behind it's a team problem.

Rafa spends most of the game telling us to be more narrow. Probably smart considering they can't cross for s*** and when they happen to get the ball past the first man it's Gayle vs two tall center backs. Getting to the crossing positions out wide isn't a problem. Ritchie could at Bournemouth, I wonder why he can't now ?

Not the line up I'd have chosen but it seemed to be working, on another day we'd have won comfortably. My concerns are that in response to going behind.... Perez! And I think teams know what we are about now and we don't have a plan B.

Many say had we had Benitez earlier he'd have kept us up. That defence would have had Dummett and Janmaat (though Anita looked better there when he filled in) and Colo. How come Anita looked decent when takinjg over from Janmaat , if not better than, and Dummett held his own............maybe it's the tactics ?

Yes, I believe we do. (Personally I think the personnel is better suited to 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1, 5-2-3, 5-3-2, 3-5-2, 3-4-3 than it is 4-2-3-1 at this level).

No probs, I get you...................well now I do!

Well yeah they are similar, the circumstances are massively different. I thought the smiley face was meant to signify something almost sarcastic ?

Did you see my second sentence ? I can understand if the circumstances were similar but they really aren't. That was a team who had just been promoted with a manager some thought didn't have much control over the playing side (senior players controlling things etc)and many thought would struggle, this is by all accounts the best squad in the division with a manager who shouldn't be in theis division.

What are the similarities beyond on both occasions we have a better away record than home ? We currently have a better squad than our opposition, we didn't back then and that sways everything.

Are faith and trust the same thing on this occasion ?