Gallowgate Toon

Don't panic, lads.

I don't really get the hate against it. Seems to get a bad rap for being 'negative' but any formation can be defensive, it depends on how the manager sets up within the framework.

He sounded disgusted

Some of their results against the lesser sides have been surprising - provides an extra ray of hope. I expect Rafa will know they best way to combat them is sit deep and counter, they're not the most creative of teams. We'll get bummed if we stretch the game. The only big worry then is Mahrez - I expect to see some quick doubling up on him from the off.

We've won 6 league games in the last 18, IIRC. I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility to suggest we could win 4 in 10 under RB, maybe even 5. It's imperative we start to at least turn some losses into draws, though; starting tonight! Feeling cautiously optimistic about Benitez, now. My concerns about McClaren were from a man management point of view and I still have doubts as to whether RB has the charisma to get this lot going (obviously to a much better standard than SMC). His 'follow you' quote sounds good but I'm worried he might be looking at it a bit simplistically. He is used to dealing with proper professionals, after all. I think this challenge might bring a different side out of him, mind, he's probably not had to rely on man management too much in his career because of the calibre of player he's generally dealt with but this could see the other side to him. The big hope is that his calmness and plan allows the players to be less anxious and naturally more up-for-it. All we need is a bounce, at this point, and I hope his name alone provides that and negates any potential issues that might come if he's not the best at motivating difficult players. If we stay up, he'll get us a cup in the next 2 years, I'm sure of it.

If Mitro's up for it - which might be down to the state of his ankle, to be fair - he might give them a bit of a game. He's done well up against some physical opponents, when he's really gone for it.

Hardy wrote in another article that the player shouting at Goodison was a defender. Probably Janmaat, possibly Dummett?

My feeling is he'll target a point here with the hope of nicking a goal on the break. Be really interesting to see how players react. Have a faint glimmer we might nick a draw.

I think we'll still go down, even if Rafa comes in. He's very good, tactically, aye, but that always takes time to get into players. He's not got the short-term motivational abilities to get this lot going as quickly as we need, IMO. Only hope is they respect him enough, off the bat, to take notice and put in the effort necessary. Cracking appointment if it comes off, but miles too late.

The difference in him compared to others on Saturday was very obvious, IMO. He wanted the ball, tried to take players on, made tackles, passed the ball forwards (quickly) and always tried to be positive. Wijanldum and Sissoko were patently hiding at various points in the match, Bournemouth were quite physical and pressed in numbers and they both wilted. The fighting thing might be a cliché but it's not wrong. You do need it in this league when you're so deficient of quality in other areas. It was the most captain-like performance I've seen from one of our lot in years, and he was hardly spectacular

Perez and Mitro definitely played as a 2. Doesn't matter how bastardised our wingers were, it was still not one up top.

No idea. Moyes would be a success here, longer term, but it's going to take a while for a defensive manager to iron our awful defence out and he's not going to provide much motivational input to counterbalance that in the short term. We need someone with presence but nobody really springs to mind that would actually want to work here.

4-3-3 has been used sporadically, aye, but we had a pretty decent run of playing Gini left, Sissoko right and Perez & Mitro up top towards the back end of last year. Edit: not arguing it's not due another shot with Townsend, btw. That'd be a possible way for us to go for the foreseeable, with Gini now looking so rubbish.

I think you can blame McLaren for his part in this. We look bigger losers than ever and he has persisted with a terrible formation all season. We have no width, midfield is overran too frequently and 1 up front has been killing us. A reluctance to dump players like Sissoko, Colo and Wini away from home and not realising Mitro probably needs a partner up front To be fair to SMC, we've tried quite a few different formations and there are a real lack of options within the squad. 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, 4-3-3 and 3 at the back. His selections are what's killed us so badly recently, along with his inability to motivate some key players.

Down and I don't really care. Just hope we keep a good core of players and can rebuild properly. Starting with that cunt selling the club.

Some of his selection choices have been very, very poor, recently. He also didn't need to change the home formula from the last game, and it was imperative we had a good start yesterday - we did try to start quick but the likes of Riviere stunted it. Far too panicky with some of those choices. He should go. I do think he's made some progress on the footballing front in his time here but that's ultimately nowhere near enough. This squad's doomed, though, so much shite running through it and still a huge lack of mental strength. Craig Hope can fuck off too. His article about that press conference is an absolute disgrace, reads like a fucking awful Sun exclusive. Calls himself a fan, man.

Sissoko's biggest problem is a lack of resolve. He's a very decent footballer (if inconsistent), in most aspects, but a man of his stature should be raging around the pitch and taking hold of games. Instead, he's an absolute sack of shit when things aren't going his way and fannies out of anything that isn't a one-to-one shoulder barge. The 'fighting' thing is a cliche, but you could see it in Shelvey yesterday, he wanted it and was going at it even against the odds. Although I hated his performance, I still don't think Sissoko deserved the boos and jeers when taken off. He generally puts in more of a shift than most (still could be better on that front) and actually tries things.

Terrible decision to start him.

Terrible, terrible decision to bring him back in.

Shelvey put so much of that lot to shame, today. Not necessarily in terms of quality, just actually caring and doing the minimum - he wasn't bottling tackles and was actually showing desire on and off the ball.

Normally stick up for him but today was abject. Him and Wijnaldum looked the definition of couldn't be arsed. Actually furious with Wijnaldum, tbh, thought he was a much better character than what he's shown in the last few games.

So true. He looked lively, to be fair. Showed a knack of getting onto the end of something, at least, which Mitro really can struggle with. Should've been on much earlier.

It's unabidable (if that's even a word). What happened was entirely predictable and when we finally did give it a go they suddenly looked vulnerable. We could have got a point or even a win if the manager had some cojones. Tbh, I'm past the point of caring now. I don't think it's objectively bad, we've tried attacking this season and tried defending and been poor at both.

Sigh. Can abide keeping it tight at this point in the season but his team selection was poor.

We're awful defensively and need to start picking up away points. If there's a time of the season to forget pretty football and just do what needs doing, this is it. Sorry mate, but if your idea of fun is to hope for more of this crap in the hope that we may survive to get even more of it next year I don't know what to say. We're beyond s***. The results are s*** and the football is s***. We are the turd that won't flush from this league. If rather than giving it a real go and trying to play some decent football we are resigned to hoping Sunderland don't beat Palace and we can draw at Stoke playing hoofball with 10 men behind the ball this club is in a far worse state than I ever imagined. Why would this be my idea of fun? We need to pick up some away points, in the short term. This isn't what I'd ever want for NUFC proper, this is simply what we need to do now to see this season out.