Gallowgate Toon

The best thing about him is his touch on the ball. He shows some outstanding close control - so aware of everything around him.

Loved seeing him back. Great sight to see him flying up and down, like. He'll be a massive asset this year.

Shelvey's a better overall passer, no doubt. He can do it all. Merino is good at it but he's less creative.

More than half of this league is s**** though. We'll be fine Aye. 4 of the 5 teams we've faced have been 'shit' and we've been pretty comfortable in and have deserved to win 3 of those, should've drawn the other. There's plenty more in this league just like it. Also, Stoke finished top 9 three years on the bounce until last year. They're hardly shit; they're average.

Have always felt with Rafa in charge we won't go down. There is quality in this squad, they simply need to be managed correctly.

Hard work and some genuine quality. Top result. Should've been 4-3!

They're definitely better at 'keeper and CB but they've been playing Diouf and Pieters at wing back, neither of which would strike me with confidence. They've got Fletcher and Allen central, I honestly think our options there are a lot better. Attacking, Shaqiri is very talented but it'll be whether he's in the mood on the day. Jese and Moting are a bit 'meh'. They're better overall but I really don't think by much of a margin. I don't think we'll lose but I don't think we'll win. 1-1.

Murphy's runs off the ball will be an asset against them, if they do come and sit back. He's picked up good positions with good movement in his limited minutes. I wouldn't mind him starting but best for his confidence if he's a sub; his brain is a second behind PL football at the minute. I'd be quite tempted to play Shelvey-Merino, tbh, but I think Rafa will wait to see how they set up before bringing Shelvey in. If they're deep and trying to counter, he's a great weapon to have, especially if he can't be marked out with Merino next to him.

It's good to have some goal scoring defenders again.

Even though he was/is such a dick, I really like Remy. Think he's probably the player I enjoyed watching most for us since our 'good' days - plays with so much style.

He's not really playing like a traditional 10 which is helping him. I think he's doing OK but it's a massive shame we didn't buy someone for the position that could absolutely own it.

Absolute Rafa performance and it was bloody great - we'll see this quite a bit this season, I'm sure. We were so disciplined and well drilled. Merino was excellent again and Lascelles had a stormer, but I was so impressed with Ritchie. Absolute leader in this squad, in terms of leading by example, with his doggedness and determination. Got some decent quality in him as well, like I thought the team selection was just about bang on. Sent the perfect message to the squad - you have to play well to be in this side, nobody is bigger than the team.

He's still adjusting (and young). He'll eventually be a consistently good Prem player, he's going to be learning a lot this season though.

He'll be fine. He reminded me a little of Merino vs Huddersfield - simply caught out by the pace, a little nervous. He has the tools to succeed long term but it's going to be his brain that gets him some short-term success for this season. Once his head 'gets' the tempo & how to cover his limitations, he'll be very useful.

In a team that's not got loads of quality, surely keeping competition for places legitimate is the most important piece in us maximizing performance? Unless there's a great tactical reason for an inclusion, I don't see why the team should change at all from West Ham.

He'll get loads of time this season. He's been brought in as a long term starter but an immediate short term option for competition that adds a different dynamic. Atsu and Ritchie will dip in and out of form, regardless of injuries, and we'll have an exciting player ready to step in that could make the position his own. Rafa, as always, is going with something a little more experienced first. He'll get lots of sub action too, mind. Next year, I expect he'll make the position his own.

A sad end to his time. Not really been a big fan of the way he's been treated, he deserved better than this, IMO. The timing is probably right, though.

I don't think he'll walk yet. He absolutely should, no doubt, because he's been fucked around twice now. His stance will be what he said the other week, we're no longer a long term project. I expect he'll be gone by next summer after doing his utmost for this campaign. Mike fucking Ashley, man. The bloke will just never get it.

He's an important tactical piece for us, like. Of our 3 strikers, he's the only one with mobility and the ability to stretch. Ayoze can perform that role to an extent but he's not athletic enough. If we've found an upgrade, fair enough, but if this is to fund other positions then it's not worth it. This year will only work with competition for places and tactical options for Benitez, unless our transfer strategy changes drastically for the last couple of days of the window. Gayle's not had a chance to settle this season. He's absolutely worth a shot but shouldn't come into the XI for Swansea unless there's a big tactical reason for it.

He's a solid defender that's playing well in a structured, settled and well-protected defence. Happy for him because he seems like a good lad and a bit of a leader for us.

The media I listened to and read last week seemed absolutely sure that we're going down. It sounded like we were the new Derby, after only 180 minutes of football. No chance that we might improve as games go on or that mixed bag results are pretty common in the first few games of the campaign. Nope, going down. Fucking thick. Coming back to the league, I've not missed this bollocks at all. If it weren't for us, I wouldn't ever bother watching the Prem.

#negativetactics #hatesgoals #play442 That play 442 thing is unfair. People just want a plan B if it's not working. Nobody says it has to be every game like. Did we not play 4-4-2 today ? If not 4-4-1-1. The normal "2" being much more fluid (by which I mean Merino). Going off the heat maps, we were closer to 4-4-2 last week than this week (presumably to have someone closer to Gayle for counters because he needs it). Today seemed a fairly standard 4-2-3-1 with Merino actually sitting deeper of the two & Perez certainly not playing like an orthodox 10. Anyway, it's really more about how you approach the game than anything else, IMO, we were very purposeful today compared to last week.

Looked much more up-to-speed. Because his game lacks athleticism, he needs that mental edge. He was much more direct today which suits him more when Yedlin is out.

Why? Merino isn't a soft touch, it'd be just like playing Hayden and Shelvey together but with someone who can pass better than Hayden (not a slight on Hayden, he's a good player). There are definitely matches where Shelvey/Merino could be brilliant for us, but I wouldn't break up the current partnership yet.

You'd think with the emphasis now being placed so much us needing to use our squad, nobody will walk back into the side if the team is playing well. As much as I like Lejeune and think he's very likely to be head and shoulders above our other defenders, he should start on the bench for the next one, unless there's a big tactical reason to play him. Same goes for Shelvey, Gayle etc.