HawK

In a nutshell

Burn great reading and interception there

Burn with the accidental worldy of a cross-field pass

Lucky Bruno

-----Thiaw - Botman - Burn----- -Murpy-Willock-Guimares-Hall-- -----Ramsey--Woltemade------- -------------Osula----- ?

Miley is our closest, it's where he played in the youth teams and also for England youth.

Yeah, big siberian tigers don't run around helping the team that's for sure. Mindset mate

My retinas have burn-in, I close my eyes and I see Tonali, Bruno and Joelinton sitting 15 yards in front of Botman and Thiaw just shuffling left to right as the ball is played between the lines

Forgot this one ! https://www.skysports.com/football/video/36394/13530956/goal-w-osula-43-crystal-palace-0-1-newcastle Fuck it, I'm all in, gonna leave the atmosphere now

I hope this is the blossoming of a very good striker rather than just a purple patch. I'd love to see some scrappy goals in the box where he's half-falling over and gets it in off his knee while be battered from 2 defenders after he's grafted to get in that position - the hall mark of a proper PL finisher to show that grit and determination. You need some of that about you imo.

Of all our recent players he reminds me most of Kieron Dyer I think.

He definitely benefited from having more technicians on the pitch around him, e.g. Ramsey for Joelinton and Hall for Dan Burn. No point having a silky player who's going to lay off these lovely little passes if there are comparative cart-horses running around him. Loved the interplay between Bruno, Wolte and Ramsey. Our performance was like night and day after he went off as we settled into end-to-end hoof-ball as we took him and Barnes off. I think we need to do more tactically to be patient in the build-up, it looks like we're trying to force a transitional phase when there isn't one. Saw it a couple of times with Bruno yesterday where he'd have space after receiving the ball in a 6 position, and his only thought is the quick over-the-top through to Osula/Barnes when he had all the time to walk it up the pitch and get us up the field. He didn't do this every time, mind, but was noticeable.

Disagree with absolutely no one, but it wouldn't have been many. If you check my post history you'll see I was all in on Anderson from his Bristol Rovers loan and was devastated he went. Minteh looked great from what he was doing under Slott in Holland, about as well as anyone you'd bring over for a decent fee from that leagues he was tearing it up. However not everything always pans out how you expect though so it could have just as easily gone the other way with Gordon going from strength to strength.

Turned it on when it suited him, occasions of which became fewer and fewer as time went on, and we could see which games they would be coming a mile off. Not the player we signed who after a hard first few months would be the epitomy of hard work, now throws himself to the ground and waves his arms about after a misplaced pass. I still can't believe how long he persisted with that stupidly long haircut, probably thought he was the second coming of Steve McManaman. He literally scored and assisted zero goals as soon as he started growing that, and any time he didn't have the ball his hands were in his hair rather than looking at where the opposition was. The ego has just got too big there and it's a shame because he was definitely good enough and a good fit for us at one point.

Imagine being a West Ham fan seeing your team not manage to break down the lineup we had on at the end

Not even the crowd thought Wissa could have got to that

A right side of Elanga and Murphy screams control, patience and possession when you're trying to keep the lead

Would give my left nut to see that 'fight'

Is Wissa in midfield or is just just that slow he never makes it to the front of play?

Another angle of Murphy defending just now

All good, Wissa on to worry them for the last 5-10

Burn on for Wolte means Bruno's the only player apart from Hall that can trap a ball on the pitch. Oh well.

Thiaw, Botman, Osula in there and we're still trying the tricky shit on corners. Annoying sometimes.