Gallowgate Toon

Just don't see him as a CM, like. With a decent left back or a second striker willing to work channels more (preferably both), he'd be fine in his left position.

Mitro is on his heels a bit, tbh. Couple of Thauvin's crosses were crying out for him to attack but he didn't time runs very well.

It'd be madness to write him off, he's going to need time to get used to the league, but he doesn't deserve to start the next one after today. He was tidy and linked up decently at times, but we need more urgency there.

Thought he actually did really well for a situation that totally wasn't suited to his strengths. Should've had an assist, at the very least.

He's getting there. Was afforded some space and made positive moves.

Not taken his chance. Should be Ayoze back in, now.

We're so crap at linking play, like. When we speed it up, we can't control it. Mitro was poor which didn't help when we needed an alternative outlet.

The weaknesses we've got have been massively on show today. Lack of a clinical striker, lack of a proper centre half, poor CM options.

Missed far too many chances today. Conditions don't help but no excuse.

Genuinely excited to see de Jong in this. If there was ever a game for his style then this should be it. Villa will most likely try and frustrate and break, he could be a difference maker. Keeps it simple but plays it quick.

Sure he'd have managed it under Pardew as well. Mahrez that is. He's hardly playing under a great manager, atm. He's just a very good player.

We played well all second half, tbf. Cisse should've levelled within minutes of the second half.

Whilst I doubt Mitro and Perez would've performed as well starting as they did coming off the bench last week, I would've started at least one of them for this. It only works as a motivational technique if they feel they have a legitimate chance of starting because of their sub performances. They'll probably be fine coming on today but it won't last long. Reckon SMC is taking no risks here and thinks starting experience should see us have a better team attitude from the off.

Mahrez's run of form beats anything HBA put together here, imo. He looks a better player overall, some of his decision-making is just mint.

Mahrez, man.

de Jong is clearly a very technically talented player, as well as very intelligent, and his style of play is probably the most suited in our squad to breaking through teams that sit deep and get bodies behind the ball (which is what I expect Villa will do). I'd prefer to see us trying to pass through opposition like that rather than dribbling. So let's pick a guy who's done f*** all for us creatively as opposed to the guy who's got us goals and assists this season, reducing his contribution to 'dribbling?' Who said anything about dropping Perez? I'd play both, I just think you're being incredibly dismissive about de Jong's ability as a footballer. Your argument was about skill and trickery, not scoring goals, so you reduced his skillet yourself

de Jong is clearly a very technically talented player, as well as very intelligent, and his style of play is probably the most suited in our squad to breaking through teams that sit deep and get bodies behind the ball (which is what I expect Villa will do). I'd prefer to see us trying to pass through opposition like that rather than dribbling.

If you keep Mitro and Perez on the bench after their performances, you take away some of the motivation to put their all in. At least one should start next weekend.

The pass that set up the infamous Cisse save was mint. Didn't even look, just pinged it right in Papiss' path first time. I really hope he starts against Villa, I think he could make a massive difference as his one-touch play is just so quick, it should open up spaces for us much better around the box.

Gini, man

Maybe not a bad idea in theory. The fear with that plan is that Thauvin isn't in any way proven as a creative force for us yet Of course, but I've been slightly more encouraged by his recent (sporadic) cameos for some reason. If there's a game in the league for him, this is the one to start. I think de Jong could be a massive asset for times like this too. Some of his one-touch stuff today was the exact type of play we'll need, especially with Gini ghosting in.

Villa will probably come to sit deep and I don't think there'll be enough space to dribble through from the off. Thauvin's a good technical player and this is the exact sort of game you'd expect his best qualities to come through: slower pace, more emphasis on shorter passing combinations, need for tighter control. Same with de Jong.

Controversial, perhaps, but I wouldn't start him next week. I think we need to try something different for these sorts of games and would go for something more technical that somehow revolves around de Jong, Perez, Wijnaldum & Thauvin.

Head coach McClaren has previously admitted that his team are too quiet – on and off the pitch. But the players finally had something to say as they attempted to reorganise after a challenging first half. “Half-time was a big, big test for this team,” said McClaren. “I thought we’d competed well and were really disappointed and angry with the goal. The players at half time were great. It was a win for the players, this. They were terrific at half-time. “I’ve come in at half time before and the dressing room has been quiet and disappointed. “But it was so vocal, and there was such a determination amongst the players not to lead down the normal path of losing the game. “The response in the second half was fantastic. I think we grew, got stronger and deserved the win.” Asked who the “big voices” were in the dressing room, McClaren added: “To be fair, there was so much going on. “Robbie Elliot, (Fabricio) Coloccini – to be fair all of them, all of them. It was a question before of we couldn’t get anything from them, (but yesterday) we couldn’t shut them up. “Everybody took it on board, and that is the pleasing thing for me. “We’ve not won back-to-back games for over a year, and not had a comeback win for about a year, so to do was immense. Encouraging, actually. About time this lot started to show more desire and general balls.