TRon

I've felt that all season. I'm not that fussed about results, against teams like Brighton or Man City there's no guarantees of coming away with anything, but I just don't feel we have done enough ourselves performance wise. If you recall I said I hoped we didn't underestimate Milan because they got beat 5-1 in their derby, but that was partly because I'm not that happy how we are gelling as a team. Milan might not have a team full of superstars now, but they still played like a CL team in all aspects other than finishing. They zipped the ball around well and shut down our threat relatively easily. I'm just seeing other teams, even those not in the top 4 of the PL playing more fluent football.

How do these set up? I was going to predict a relatively easy win, but then I thought back to games against Bournemouth and Leeds where they just parked the bus and we couldn't really get behind them.

I've probably said on this thread a couple of times already, but the white shorts and preferably white socks as well is a look I really like. I think Juve used those colours traditionally, not sure what they are wearing these days.

Neither of them are 6's in my book, at best you might call them stop-gap 6's. They just don't have the defensive discipline or recovery pace which a natural 6 would have. I would say they are more no 8's by nature, both seem happier breaking forward.

Honestly think it's just a case of these guys learning each other's game, and it will improve. I also think getting a left back who can progress the ball will help the overall football in general, it's a team game and we still look like we play with three different sections. Defence, then midfield, then strikers. There's not that much fluidity between those areas at the moment.

He hasn't been here that long, maybe it's just a case of getting used to how we set up. Right now he seems to be more effective bombing forward than sitting in or chasing back.

Top four will depend on whether we can raise our game and find an effective way to implement our game. We had spells where we looked similarly lost last season, then we switched up a gear and looked a different beast altogether. I'm hoping that's all it is, because there's no doubt our football isn't where you would want at this stage of the season, regardless of results. The midfield's not clicked, the wide right area's still a problem, and as a team we still look disjointed. The two areas I'm not really that concerned about are left wing and up front. I think if we can get the football going across the other areas of the pitch, we have good strikers who'll score goals.

He doesn't, but he does a lot of running and can do a job defensively. It's a tricky one to solve, because it's probably the other way round for Tonali, who has a bit more quality but maybe not quite as effective at closing down.

Fabulous game all round.

Feels like the parts are greater than the sum at the moment. I've felt it all season, and becomes more apparent when we play teams who play at a higher level and the best players can make the pitch seem much bigger. But Eddie is still new to this level, and he's an intelligent bloke. He's still learning and getting better.

Milan were nowhere near as bad as some of our more arrogant fans were expecting. Respected posters were poo-pooing their players on the basis of a freak result in the weekend derby.

He was. Along with Bruno he was capable of taking a moment and breaking the lines by stepping out with the ball. He's a different player when he's got Botman next to him mind.

I'm sorry like, but that's just fucking insane. It seemed like he was stopping our entire strike force by himself tonight.

Did you think it was going in?

He wasn't. He did put a shift in though, no complaints from me.

He wasn't terrible but didn't really look like he believed he was going to do anything significant. Almiron was worse if anything, looked petrified to carry the ball any distance.

Which is fine if you are parking the bus Bruce style. Going the other way, he's a liability.

Worst game he's played for us I reckon, but he's had a few similar last season as well. I'm not worried, just need to get more going on around him to get the best of him, he's not great when he's isolated.

Games like these are where the players who can step up a gear stand out. He thought a yard quicker than everyone else, and was one of our few players who managed to get past their press with some cute turns and bursts of acceleration.

Not the right time or place, but that is something which will need to be addressed.

It wasn't great going forward, but defensively it was a good performance. Great point all things considered. Well done lads.

Bruno has grown into the game, looked our best player I'd say.

Fuck me they seem determined not to score.

Glad he's took Gordon off rather than Isak, feel he's not quite had the finesse tonight.

Tonali needs to be careful here, he's heading for a booking if he keeps puling players down.