Gallowgate Toon

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.

Joselu was great, btw. He looks very reliable in his play, gets into good positions, challenges consistently, solid link up play. Think he's a really good squad option for us.

Excellent performance, like. There is attacking quality in this team to put lower teams to the sword, I've not doubted that. West Ham were crap but there are plenty of others like them, and we're good foil for this style of team. Certainly didn't look out of place in the league today. Let's keep taking a game at a time and hope to fuck the Rafa situation works itself out (obvs unlikely).

Does better with more space, as we saw that last season. He's looked sharp this year, his dribbling has been a good outlet for us.

Expecting this sort of performance a lot this season, too. Solid, patient, picking counters. West Ham were crap but I think there's more teams like them in the league, style-wise, than Huddersfield, which will suit us.

Masterplan. Always had confidence we'd get a win sooner rather than later.

What a performance.

This one's got some potential.

Solid. Again, look generally fine at the back. Joselu has made a difference for our midfielders, no doubt. Merino has been everywhere.

I think he'll stay on for the season out of duty to fans and players, but he won't continue on after that, whatever happens. Sad. So deflating. I was really looking forward to the season and now this shite, and there's absolutely no way that this won't transmit to our lot tomorrow. Mike Ashley, man. I honestly don't give a toss about him putting his own money in or whatever, I just really don't get what there was to gain from lying to a manager about a budget that the club apparently has on its own. I always feel like there's some tactical purpose to his thought process but he's just taking the piss.

Loved Remy, tbh, even though he was a total dick. Legs haven't gone but his head has which is worse.

We pretty much played 4-4-2 against Huddersfield, tbh. Don't think he's as rigid as many think. Edit: Tonight wasn't a good selection. Deserves flak for it.

Gayle and Ritchie need to start. This should be their chance to get themselves into a groove and their fitness up. If they can't, they can drop to the bench for West Ham.

Ritchie had a disrupted preseason, tbf. He doesn't look completely fit and needs to play into a bit of form. He's not a top Premier League wide man but he is better than he's shown so far this season and is good enough for a midtable/lower midtable outfit.

With Shelvey out, and Gayle not really in top shape, it makes more sense to have some kind of target up front to help us away from home.

I imagine the learning comment is because he's been focusing on defence first and the attacking training side is taking a secondary focus, at the moment, especially with makeshift players at the back. Privately, I imagine he's looked at simply getting some points from the first 2 games, be solid, get the shape right and get going in a pretty low key manner. Not necessarily wins but some points. These first 2 games have felt a lot like the first 2 games of last season. Feeling things out, some experimenting, laboured play, attacking seeming a bit disjointed. I do expect we will improve, but he needs to settle more on the game plans pretty quickly, IMO. Setting up for the counter and then leaving out your quickest players doesn't seem very smart, on the face of it.

Honestly, I know people think we're terrible but there really are some not good teams in the league, like. I look at West Brom and they have some utter crap playing for them, yet they'll be comfortable. Refuse to believe a manager as good as Rafa can't get close to matching their position.

Burnley, Bournemouth and Swansea are the 3 outside of the promoted who'll be in the mix, IMO.

Strongest team. Need to get confidence going and some key players need minutes, by the looks.

For the media furore, they all need to take some blame. Ashley the most, obviously. Fucking ridiculous that we've got ourselves into this situation. Absolutely nobody has come out of it looking good, IMO.

New 'keeper please. Watching this knob repeatedly launching the ball out is painful.