TRon

Even if he didn't he'd look 15% quicker at least!

I mean just about all of our players including Isak have been guilty of this at some point. The way we play trying to keep possession will mean we lose the ball a few times. I think Osula has a good half a season of working with our coaching team now, you would like to think he should be ready to pitch in a bit more now for the res of this one. The only thing which I'm not sure about so far is his goals instinct, but I assume we must have scouted him pretty thoroughly before spending potentially £15m on him. If he's not a finisher we shouldn't have bought him in the first place.

He's getting all the sitters out of his system in games which we are winning anyway. Saving all the killer instinct for the second half of the season.

Don't think it's the bald head which is putting years on, it's that combined with the santa claus beard. Shave the beard off and you shave a few years off IMO. I would make his signing conditional on him agreeing to take the Gillette to that man fluff.

I think this is what Howe wanted all along tbf, both of them switching positions on the pitch as and when needed. It just seems to have clicked better once Sandro was given the starting role in the deeper position.

I think that's because he's very dynamic and it's a lot harder to make the passes when you are slaloming between players. If he was just stationary and passing sideways I'm sure he'd make every pass. Love how fast he is at closing players down as well, he rarely gets done for pace.

Agree with this. While his stats are great, the football does get patchy on his flank because his touch and close control are inconsistent. While he's pulling out goals and assists it doesn't really matter, but it would be hard to reproduce that for another half a season. But at least it won't be a disaster if we don't sign a right winger this month.

Can't count it out.

Aye, despite the goal he was pretty fucking solid for the rest of the game.

Spot on. I was actually quite impressed with them, their pace and pressing made us work for that win. The whinging was misplaced as well considering they definitely got away with one when their lad smashed Gordon's nose in the penalty area.

In the end this was the perfect comeback game. Got his rust out of the system and the goal he got done for didn't cost us anything.

100%

I thought he actually stepped it up in the second half, was trying to cover for others who were struggling with the pace of the game.

Well that's the thing. I can understand he's pissed about our goal, but I genuinely think we'd have scored if their lad hadn't blocked off Gordon and bust his nose in the process. Swings and roundabouts.

Didn't realise BT switched after match coverage to a different channel after full time. Bastards.

It's an important point tbh. Even though we didn't click in the second half going forward, defensively it was an immense performance right across the back four. Botman struggled a bit early on, but still made some crucial stops when it mattered. They played almost 100 mins after their goal and didn't really manage to break us.

Couldn't have argued with a draw tbh, but I'll take the win.

Felt like as a team we struggled with their pace and quick passing generally, other than this guy who turned out to be a more powerful athlete than the best of their lads.

He was outstanding today.

Not up to the standards of the last few weeks but our defending was magnificent. Fantastic result despite losing control of the midfield for most of the second half.

Wish they wouldn't.

Aye.

This ref is bent as fuck

Fantastic work Burn and Tonali!

Dear lord....