The College Dropout

It does feel like people are waiting to turn ok certain players Gordon is playing himself out of the hate. Elanga is in deep. Wolte, Wissa, Ramsey and any GK is next. Tonali can misplace passes to his Hearts content mind.

Aye he’s a ‘top level footballer’ but he’s also just a 24-yo lad from Sweden. I’ve seen grown men with 20 years experience in their fields melt in front of 6 fat people on Video conferences. Imagine behind 24 and having 50,000 people sigh at every mistake you make at work. I get why people do it and I’ve done it. Honestly part of the theatre of going to football is the moaning. But we have to know when to do better.

we’ve become entitled very very quickly

He’s always had poor take-on stats - it’s obviously worse now but it was always bad. Push and run players dont tend to be in the top 20% of take-ons. It’s the ones with a trick or shoulder drop that lead. If players are backing off you’ll at least have good progressive carries stats. He doesn’t havs those either is he’s not attempting them or just getting tackled early. His problems are simple. Lack of ability x low confidence. If he was full of confidence his game would be better in every way. Touch would be better. He would beat more players. Put more quality in the box. Confidence is massive. Marcus Rashford is a talented player. Can jink past a player. Strong fast. Lovely striking technique. When his confidence is low he’s absolutely awful. The best players tend to be less mentally fragile but they can also lean on their ability more. See Isak when he got injured. Low on confidence. But the goal was down to ability - his coordination, technique ability to quickly make the right decision. Players like Elanga can’t do that.

Thought he did well enough at crosses.

What does this even mean? What are you trying to say?

Thought he had a good game.

If Eddie puts him on the pitch I trust that Eddie thinks he’s trained well enough and will put a shift in. Unless I have evidence of the contrary. On that basis Elanga needs to be supported. I’ve said many times here. This is an Antony like transfer that should lead to a change in transfer policy. But the transfer itself is spilled milk and we have to make the best we can of it. This is it. He had one great moment early and I thought ‘here we go’. But then he played a poor ball to Tonali and the crowd was irked. He didn’t do anything else positive. He’s playing awfully aye. But if the crowd get on to him at every turn there’s no hope for him at all. I don’t think he’s ever going to be the answer. But the lad does have some qualities. Unless Forest break us even on PSR, we are stuck with him. So we need to find a way to Jacob Murphy him.

Haway man he’s only 29. Not played a crazy amount of football. Not had a lot of injuries. Could have another 4 years at the top.

We also generate high Xg chances. Wilson and Isak had Xg of roughly .7-.58 per game through their time here under Howe (when playing regularly and before the legs failed for Wilson). Wissa will get chances which is why I’m not majorly concerned.

Oh. That didn’t matter. We were desperate. The summer transfer window was a mess.

I agree. But at some point. As a fan. Looking at a player that is trying. Shouldn’t we make an even bigger effort to support him? First match I saw him play for us shook me. Didn’t look a player at all. Every game since he’s further proved it. Consistently poor first touch and short passing. Can’t beat a man. So it’s established he’s shit. Cool. Now let’s try and get the bed version of him. He’s not the answer. But he’s all we have. When I think I’ve clocked a players level. I just accept it if they are trying their best.

18 months left before what? Wissa is just missing that final finish. He’s done it before regularly enough. I have faith.

The the crowd thing is so bad and a bad look on the SJP crowd.

Reminds me a bit of Cisse tbh. The offsides. Great movement when not offside. Snatching. So he’s due a crazy purple patch.

Aye it was poor play don’t disagree with that. But not a massive error. And he didn’t do it numerous times today either.

Because Haaland is holding him? Preventing Thiaw making an attempt. The spirit of the law is that if a non interfering offside player had disappeared - everything would remain the same. That’s not the case here

He gave away a throw in poorly aye. They played a short throw in which we had ample opportunity to defend. A short throw in from that position isn’t dangerous. If it was a corner, I could hear it. But not a throw in that is taken like that.

With top strikers you can almost see them take a second - a pause - steady themselves - almost exhale before they shoot. Aguero would stamp his standing leg firmly down. Kane sometimes pauses or takes small steps. Isak has the uncanny ability to sort his feet out. Mbappe does a pause too. Tonight Wissa rushed everything.

I don’t think it’s a foul. It’s a normal penalty box situation. But it’s offside because he’s interfering with an opponent by preventing him playing the ball. If it was 2 metres further away from the shot. Thiaw couldn’t impact the play and it’s a goal.

The offside itself isn’t particularly close. There’s a gap between him and Pope. Upon review for me it’s a clear infraction. He’s factually offside. And he’s preventing Thiaw making an attempt to block the ball so he’s clearly interfering. No goal.

Aye keeps snatching. It’s that bit of class and composure we would see from Isak and Wilson. I do like Wissa. But I’m not sure he’s Wilson or Ba level which is not great considering the money spent. Let’s see. I do like him. He will score for us. Today we just needed that bit of quality you hope you get for £55m.

This I agree with as a lone 9. It’s an awkward fit for sure.

Agreed.

Great performance. Think he turned that pervert Pep on