TRon

One clarification here: I absolutely hate it when a player gets the ball 35 yards out and the whole crowd shouts "SHOOOT!!" It's not that I want us to be taking hopeful potshots from anywhere and seeing 90% of them sailing 10ft over the bar. It's more that I'm not seeing that many of our players actually have much shooting quality from anywhere. I think that is highlighted by how few of them step up and want to take a free kick 25 yards out.

The two he scored against Liverpool on his debut were hardly worldies though. He was put through and he finished clinically one on one. I don't really recall him playing that much in his first season as he was alternating with Wilson so not really sure I would make a judgement that he wasn't there for the tap-ins. We just might not have seen him doing it early on because he was adapting to how we play.

If his goals get us into Europe. Even then you could argue anything less than CL would be bad value, but if we miss out altogether we might as well have used Osula and Neave as back up to Woltemade.

Was going to post the exact same thing when I read it. Isak showed fantastic finishing ability literally from his first game. I do find it funny when people try to make out that Howe taught him how to score goals. If he made him a better player it would have been by getting him to press as part of a team effort. Even that might already been part of his game but I am willing to give Howe credit for it.

Said this right at the start of the window. I didn't think we would bring in defenders to provide cover for a few weeks, and I still don't. I doubt we'll make any signings at all, and that was my view back in December. Maybe if some really promising youngster like Kees Smit becomes available we'll move, but I think that one's already been ruled out.

It's a legitimate concern, especially when Bruno's defensive recovery is so weak. Tonali has been poor with the ball this season, but he is still making a lot of important contributions tracking back. In most games anyway.

Those have all scored the odd one, but how many of them would you bet on regularly? Come to think of it, we've probably left one of the main contenders out in Schar, he's probably the only one who really fancies himself to hit a free kick as well. That is something I would like us to reflect on. Why do so few of our players fancy themselves to hit a free kick other than Trippier?

How many of our current squad can actually hit a decent strike? Beyond Harvey Barnes I struggle to think of anyone. If you think this is an exaggeration, then consider what our options are if we get a free kick 25 yards out. Trippier was one but it's been years since he's pinged one in. Yesterday Buendia hit a scorcher, but if he hadn't then Rogers might have done it instead. Villa can score from distance and they've picked up a lot of points from those efforts. Isak was also someone who could hit the odd screamer, even if it wasn't a regular occurrence. I only mention that because I don't really see much evidence that either Wolt or Wissa are really good strikers of the ball, one pen which flew into the top corner withstanding.

He's a great finisher, but up against a pacy fullback, he's not going to beat them one on one. Needs someone overlapping to get the best out of him.

That's my point really. It's easier in the UCL than in the PL, our results reflect that. Yeah just look at Spurs results for more confirmation of that.

While I thought he had a great game generally, he should have closed down Buendia faster for that first goal.

Don't think we've managed the rotation well at all. We have plenty of midfielders, that should be one area where no one is getting overworked.

Not sure we will do enough to get into Europe at all. We are in there pitching, but so are a dozen other teams without much to separate them.

There's been a general shift in tactics in the PL where teams are all counterpressing very effectively. They might employ a low block or a mid block, either way it disrupts our possession badly. There's a reason we look much better in the UCL but look very ordinary in the PL. We can blow teams away in Europe with our intensity, in the PL they just give us it back in spades. We don't really look much better than Fulham or Bournemouth at the moment.

I think it's mostly because he doesn't go past players, at best he'll give himself some space to get a cross in, and that works as well. Gordon has got more pace so he can get beyond the full backs. Neither of them are that tricky as an ASM would be, but both are more intelligent when it comes to releasing the ball.

Still think he is a top player, just not convinced he's a good fit for us with our current formation.

PIF are treating us as an investment because that is their purpose, and they will play by the rules accordingly. I still believe that if the rules were the same as they were at the time buyers from Qatar and Russia invested, they would be going all out to build a team to win the CL by now.

I think the criticism of Wissa has been mostly poor first touch and not hitting the ball cleanly, both of which could maybe just be put down to rust after a long lay off. Cole and Haaland both scored a few bangers to go with the tap ins, but iirc, Wissa scored a few last couple of seasons as well.

A rest would do him some good, but a week or so is more than enough thanks.

Think I would prefer to see Tripps at RB and Miley replacing Bruno personally. I think Miley is the natural replacement for Bruno in the middle, he's more than capable of doing the job. I think Trippier is still good enough at RB as well, what he lacks in pace these days he more than makes up for in positioning and just general football intelligence.

Even without the leg sweep, it's not tussling for the ball if you are on the wrong side and you have to barge the forward to stop him getting his head on it.

Looked like he barged Wissa without being anywhere near the ball. But no one ever seems to give those so not much point in making too much of it.

Seen he still got some criticism from some quarters but I thought he was really important in closing them down quickly. Might not be back to his best with the forward passing, but his distribution was definitely better than it has been.

McGinn looks like a brickie but he's a tricky player every time I watch him. Big bonus him being out, he's a pest.

We haven't seen him strike the ball cleanly yet he's still scored 3 goals in open play. I'm hoping that's just rust from the layoff and we'll see him hitting a few pearlers as the season progresses.