Shak

Much needed win today, didn't think we looked great but the result was the key today. Feel right up for the Milan game now, Tuesday is gonna be class

Kind of fixture I'm expecting plenty of this year. We've got such little quality on the ball in our front line, lots of industry and effort but nobody who looks like they're going to do anything with a bit of quality to unlock a defense. Then we also have a big lumbering trying to provide a bit of width down one flank and you have a team that isn't really hard to set up to defend against. We really needed to add a creative midfield player in the summer or else sign a DM and push Bruno further forward. We did neither and I'm not entirely sure how we're gonna rectify it this season without significantly changing the shape of the team... something I don't think Howe wants to do Hopefully we can nick a goal out of somewhere second half.

Absolutely useless ref.

Was such a shite pass it almost turned into a half decent shot on goal

Well I for one am shocked that dropping out best player hasn't solved all of our issues.

Pleased to see Anderson getting a start, feel like he'll do a good job linking midfield and attack. Excited to see Barnes from the start and watch how Gordon and Trippier do linking up down the right.

I do think tomorrow is a big game for him. He should have a very long leash in terms of time to get it right if we have an extended bad patch but after two weeks if we put out another poor performance tomorrow I will find it a bit concerning. Particularly interested to see how we do in terms of linking our midfield to attack and avoid the CF being isolated. Do wonder if he's toyed with the idea of going more of a 4-2-3-1 and playing either Isak off Wilson or else playing Gordon or Almiron as a #10. Will be an interesting starting lineup.

I mean, I personally think he should have started at least a couple of games for us so far. Not meant as a knock on him, more just the immense quality England have in their squad. Be delighted if he proves me wrong and become a top player. I'd also be fine with England's talent drying up and him getting a game down the road that way

Aye, he can't get a game for us with Willock injured and Joelinton hobbling around the place. Think he'll become a decent top flight player but I'll be amazed if he ever plays more than a couple of friendlies for England considering the depth of quality you have.

We should take Joelinton off and go 4-2-3-1. Probably with Isak as the #10 off Wilson Tonali and Bruno in a double pivot should be good. Right now we have none of our midfielders who can bridge the gap between midfield and attack and then we've two wingers who are full of energy but have very little in the way of quality on the ball. It's definitely a real cause for concern that we look so devoid of quality on the ball, hard to see where a goal is coming from.

I mean, I'll stand next to you and run into battle on that one. Just feels like there's nothing really happening on the RW front... I think it's a mistake but Ashworth and Howe have thought about this more than me.

Would love another option on the RW. Miggy gets too much grief on here but our options for the left are so much better than what we have on the right, another left footed RW would be a massive addition IMO. Hasn't been much indication that it's a priority for us though, seems it'll be a CB if we make any more moves.

Anyone maybe seeing why some people really wanted the Maddison thing to happen? Big concern for the rest of the season is that once Liverpool basically decided to sit back and invite us to break them down we were pretty clueless. A Liverpool team who were without one starting CB and had the other sent off, no less. And who are generally not thought as being very good defensively, anyway. It's the big concern I have with the team we've built. There's a real lack of quality final ball in our team and I do worry we're in for a few frustrating afternoons. Our group of wingers are all high energy and direct but is there much in the way of craft there? Joelinton and Willock both offer a lot as LCMs but neither of them are who you want getting on the ball in the final third and trying to unpick a well organised deep defense.

He'll be furious with himself looking back on this, I think. Approach in the second half was exactly what Liverpool would have wanted, and then his subs were terrible. I'd generally never support Isak being taken off but he wasn't really firing today so fair enough. But Gordon was absolutely on one today, taking him off was mental. And Tonali off for Longstaff was arguably worse. Perhaps it's a fitness issue, those two are still Tonali is new and Gordon had the Euros, maybe he doesn't feel they can do 90 minutes yet? Given we had so little chasing to do though I can't imagine either was spent physically, Gordon still looked full of burst. Feels a bit like once we were a goal and a man up we basically bottled it today Today was bad from him, anyone getting aggro with people pointing that out are as tedious as the people saying we need to start thinking about a new manager IMO. All that said, Eddie has earned a very long leash. He'll know today was bad and will want to learn from it and ensure we're more ruthless the next time we find ourselves in this situation. I have every faith in him.

Useless. Absolutely useless.

ACL a real fear there, awkward landing and you could hear him screaming

We've been complete wank since the red, fucking shite. At least we took off our best player today though.

Barnes so indecisive there, very poor.

Fucking mental going off before Almiron, absolutely mental

Wake the fuck up, lads.

Will be fucking fuming if we don't see this out, we've not really threatened enough.

I mean, if it's a guy who has shown they can shoot it makes sense We don't really have any great threats from range IMO. Maybe Schar?

Isak looking sluggish today, just a bit off it.

Man, Miggy stands out like a sore thumb in terms of quality today. Wouldn't mind seeing Barnes on for him, Gordon on the right perhaps.

We've been quite poor since the goal. Christ Tonali is the ejaculate of God himself.