The College Dropout

That’s how you mitigate slow defenders though. That’s how we finished 4th and 5th playing a high aggressive line with Schar & Burn/Botman. If you knock it in behind the pass needed to be perfect otherwise Pope would jank it into the stands 99 times out of 100.

Just shy of a perfect pen is a bad pen that misses the target

The goal is 50:50 between them both. Botman should never give Tavernier an opportunity to shoot. He should command the entire sequence and clear it at the worst. Ramsdale should be sweeping that up easy. It’s typical of how hesitant he is off his line. The goal is scored near the 6 yard box ffs. He won’t even domnate that area even if he got there at the last it’s a sign of the lack of command he has in general. Pope looks to get that ball as soon as the pass is made. Biggest factor is 2 players not used to playing with each other

Don’t think he’s been good all season. But he needs minutes to get sharp.

Are we winning?

My stream is awful. Giving up. Bruno just missed.

The goal. A big thing is a lack of understanding between players that haven’t played much together. Botman should sort it. Ramsdale should be proactive so we have the ball and it’s not a corner. It’s shit from the both of them.

Yeh that’s the difference between Gordon and Barnes. Both can deliver a good cross. Only one of them can finish consistently.

Oh Ramsdale

Great cross and header.

Big save Ramsdale

I didn’t watch this game because I was hoping Howe would play boys and we would probably lose.

Aye let him get his fitness man. It will take time.

Ffs.

What happened to Tino?

Hall is the better baller by far. But for our team Tino is more crucial. We don’t play through Hall the way we played through Trippier

Think Tino x Barnes is our best left hand partnership. See League Cup winner of nice play between them

Very few youngsters are ‘natural fullbacks’. It’s still a position of players who were wingers, CMs or CBs in yesteryear

So is Hall

Anything less than a world record fee for a fullback we’ve done poorly?

With a bit of luck Ole could've won a title in a season like this or last

I wasn't thinking of "pass to Ramsey" tbh. There's no hindsight

Great article in the athletic on Semenyo. His rise through the pyramid, his attitude and physicality is extremely Howe-coded. Surprised we weren’t after him earlier.

Like Ramsey can't do it. I don't see how Tonali - Bruno - Ramsey works in enough games. Ramsey isn't impactful enough on the ball nor physical enough. I guess Ramsey is the Willock replacement.

IMO if you have Bruno & Tonali as your other CMs you would want someone who is primarily a ball player. Either a Zubimendi/Norgaard type from deep or a more attacking creative/playmaking type like Odegaard or Szlob who is an 8/10 hybrid. So you don't have a flat 3 that all have similar roles. Either one that allows the other 2 to push on, or one where the other 2 try to platform more. But I think Howe needs a physical beast in there. McTominay, Gallagher, Ederson, Onana. Think Ederson & McTominay are the most similar in profiles (athletic, win headers, impactful in the final third). I'm sure there are loads more, but these are some we've been linked too in the past, which I think are similar to big Joe. I would want more football in there but I don't think that's the direction Howe wants or needs.