KaKa

He's not going to take people on and whip crosses in like that. He's certainly not Hall going forward. But he will overlap and will put in a decent cross, and had we managed to do anything with the ball first half, we would have seen that today. He's much better than Burn is in that position.

I let that cross my mind for one second before I snapped out of it. I think it's very unlikely, but if there's a team crazy enough to do something so ridiculous, it would be them.

I understand the frustration. The best of Joelinton will be in a team with quality around him. Off the ball, you just want him to press like crazy and win the ball back. When we have the ball, just play it simple to the better ball players around him and when the ball goes wide, crash the box and be an aerial target and threat. Having him in the team with the likes of Longstaff and Murphy, where we are then struggling to build up and he starts trying to do too much, and it gets ugly quickly. On their goal when he loses the ball, he first receives it and looks to that right side. Longstaff is stuck behind a defender and doesn't make himself available, and for some reason Murphy is all the way back beside Tino at right back. He then delays things and tries to carry the ball or something ridiculous and gives it away. Tonali constantly looks to get on the ball, and we need a right winger that is the same, so they are screaming for it off him early and often.

Even if we do that. One little tweak to either and we're back to square one. They need to get someone else in by the time the window closes.

Watching Madueke finish confidently with his right foot on that side, not once but twice, was really triggering. A really sick joke having both games on at the same time today, and having the right winger we were supposedly looking at over there, score a hat trick, while Murphy was fumbling around with Longstaff.

I mean, the way that half was going, where were the opportunities to get forward, especially with the threat in behind from Semenyo? Even Tino was unable to get forward much on the other side that half. It was ridiculous really.

For some reason it seems we've decided we need extraordinary players to make a difference. We are not at that kind of level yet at all, when we're still using the likes of Murphy, Almiron and Longstaff.

The next few days will give us a much clearer idea of exactly what has been going on behind the scenes. Once the window closes things will be much clearer. It is actually embarrassing and pretty inexcusable using some of these players, because it really isn't difficult to upgrade them.

He turned down their contract offer, and is highly rated there. And he is a good player, who you've obviously never seen previously, but here you are making wild assertions.

Wouldn't even take that kind of outlay to upgrade there. It's infuriating. Really really is. The level of play down that side to start today was pitiful.

I really admire the honesty.

I was watching that sequence thinking to myself, what is the point of having Isak, if this calibre of player is on the pitch with him? If we screw up the next few days we will have to start preparing ourselves to lose him next summer.

Man ... I'm just waiting till the window closes. Then you might need to make some room for me.

Bought from the Championship for around £10 million. I'm actually starting to to get angry about the players we are using in the team still. I fear I am being dragged over to the dark side ...

I've changed my mind on our priority this window. That right side is a tragedy when we have the ball and ruins our build up, and also exposes us defensively when things break down as well. Right winger as a priority please. We genuinely have the worst options down the right in the whole league. Two wingers that barely dribble and often don't know what to do with the ball.

We were much better when Longstaff and Murphy went off.

It's funny because last week, we also started Longstaff and Murphy, started the game terribly and we never got going, Hall was then also guilty of giving the ball away a number of times and almost costing us. Howe had better stop with the Longstaff and Almiron/Murphy combo, or we are going to end up in big trouble. It's putting us up on the back foot and taking the team out of rhythm completely. If Hall is up against Semenyo that first half, I'm not certain we're still in the game at all.

Georgeous goal.

In hindsight I really wish he had started the game today. I really want to see how he would have dealt with that kind of pressure defensively.

It's so frustrating because their poor play emboldens the opposition and at the same time unsettles their team mates. It's a terrible mix and it is ruining all aspects of our play.

And even then, when they do feature, please not on the same side!

He's not as gifted as Trippier with the ball. However, he can be devastating on the overlap. Playing with that pair on his side though, they were incapable of any kind of possession or play to then allow him to get forward. And so if Howe is going to keep using that pair, then Trippier absolutely has to start without question.

I'll keep beating this drum to death. People really underestimate how ordinary Longstaff, Murphy and Almiron are. And they play on the same side to combine for a real horror show. Without Trippier to take all the responsibility going forward today, it was even worse!!!

Both Tino and Kelly had to play in front of a crap midfield that invited pressure due to Longstaff and Murphy. Trippier and Hall had the luxury of coming on with a better functioning team further up the pitch, with Barnes and Willock coming on. Very different circumstances.

Man ... If Hall had started today and had to deal with Semenyo that first half, when we kept surrendering possession in midfield. And Semenyo was getting opportunities to run at us. But whatever. As always, time will tell.