Kanji

No one is expecting us to attack city, but I expect more than 15% possession after 35 mins of a football match. Our ball retention was absolutely disgusting that 1st half, thankfully we fixed it 2nd half. Right I get that - so how is that Rafa's issue? Unless I'm just not following your argument right - to me I saw our players making these stupid and simple mistakes due to their lack of concentration, talent, etc. I saw numerous times Joselu, Aarons, Shelvey, Diame, etc get the ball and lose it or poorly placed passes. etc.

HTT - with all due respect, I'm certain that most if not everyone on here would rather see us have a right go of it man and would rather not have us put every single person behind the ball for 30+ minutes and let them attack us at will. You're a fantastic poster, you've seen far more football than I have and know more about this club than me... 1) However, Pardew and Stevie Mc teams had FAR better talent - you can't compare what prior managers did or didn't do and how they would stack up against what we did last night. 2) Surely you can see past your desire for attacking football to realize that the gameplan was to defend and counter; however, please tell me how Rafa's tactics can influence a player's inability to control a ball, pass the ball, and keep the ball? 3) Better teams had a right go at City and got wrecked. 4) Again, we're a fine margin team who has paper thin confidence, you know that 100% - how does getting 5-0 massacred by City boost our team's morale for Saturday, where that's the real match in front us? 5) Again, surely you realize we've literally never done this under Rafa before and we went out attacked other teams?

Elliot Yedlin Lascelles Clark Dummett Merino Saivet Ritchie Ayoze Atsu Gayle

the levels of criticism of our players after last night's match is fucking weird as hell man. To be clear, if not for one of the top CBs in the league running back to his line sensing danger, he'd have scored and we'd have leveled in the first half. FFS.

Was one towards the end where he let the ball run across him to his left and then ran backwards a bit to set up a hoofed ball that we didn't win he could have just trapped it and played the ball with his left to left wing or same area too...

Sooner he's back playing LB for us the better - hopefully he starts this weekend. He still is very odd with the ball, but I'd rather count on him tackling and marking which he'll get more comfortable with, being out for so long.

I had no issue with how Rafa set the gameplan versus the best team in the league and while I'll still replay the "what-if" chances we could have scored in my head, I'm very happy with how our players fought through the match and esp in the final 20 minutes. Our team looks committed and hungry and hopefully we bring that same level of concentration, intensity and desire to limit our mistakes and maximize our goal chances versus Brighton.

Gayle dive was worthless, close with his header but damn if that fell to Merino man...

I love our crowd

Omg if he left it for Merino

Have a go for 90 and we’d be down by 5

This crowd when they are up for it. By god.

Why didn’t he just shoot

Only us man lol.

Not a better crowd in the PL At home when yelling “go on” when we counter or someone is bursting down the pitch in attack.

What a lineup lol

Sissoko had a storming match that night just behind the striker iirc. I've posted it loads before but I'll never forget Louise Taylor's match report of the game: joey. watched highlights after the post and forgot Cisse hit crossbar, Anita scored from RB, Sissoko was storming all over the pitch, and Aguero had that offside header goal.

Even the season we went down, I thought we'd get wrecked by them and we nearly won it. Recall Gini should have buried his chance... Anyway, looking forward to this - leaving my office early to catch this at home.

Shelvey is a sub for me going forward. Rather sell him.

Aye time to end city’s run

Right just draw now ffs

Wow

Play Saivet and Merino?

aint a fucking clue what match to watch today ... all seem kinda meh

Makes Mapou look normal