Gallowgate Toon

I don't think either are CMs in this league, tbh. Gini for no. 10 for the rest of the season is a must.

I hope the thinking isn't to have one exclusive position for one and one for the other, something more even. Saivet seems decent defensively but obviously has some attacking edge to his game too.

Sounds like we'd be looking to use him as the more attacking CM, he's well suited to that, IMO. Saivet appears to be a solid athlete with good technique and the appetite for a tackle, could be a nice partnership with a simple remit. Get a LW and a good striker and I'll feel more confident about the attacking half of the pitch. Let's keep Gini as 10, with Perez and Mitro for competition.

Was this lad ever a striker? I thought he was a winger turned box-to-box mid?

Stats really aren't a true barometer for anything but his tackling and stuff seems pretty decent, like. Certainly doesn't seem to be a classic 10, in that regard.

That's a worry. We need an anchor man and it looks like Shelvey is some way from the perfect fit. My fear is that he would improve our midfield but not by as much as is needed. We dont need an Anchor Man at all. we need less defensive midfielders not more. We need midfielders that can do both. Our defence is minging and does need a lot of protection, just as much as the attackers need better service.

I get the argument that he'd be an underwhelming signing, but you have to take the position we're in into context. Our central midfield is just about the worst part of what isn't a very good side - we need some immediate improvement on the worst players in their position in the league in Colback and Anita (IMO). He doesn't strike me as a very Swansea player, tbh, they're a pretty beige club and I've never found their football particularly exciting, bar the odd spell. Shelvey seems like someone who's more suited to a place like here (or at least what we used to be): impatient, someone looking to get to goal the quickest way possible etc.

If we can just get centre mids that are mobile and can contribute something at both ends of the pitch, just a bit, that would be a massive improvement. Shelvey is a flawed player, but, when I saw him in form, he didn't shirk challenges, could dribble past a player and was always looking to get things moving forward quickly. Lightyears ahead of Anita and Colback.

I reckon we'll sign 4 this window, tbh. We'll move super slow but I think we'll bring them in. The quality, I'm not so sure about though

Knowing nothing about Saivet other than some basic journo tweets, the partnership would be infinitely better than Anita-Colback, I'm sure. I'm pretty happy to keep Sissoko as a wider player, I think he's more useful there tbh, but want a winger and to move Gini into 10 permanently.

Shelvey and Saivet as our new central partnership? The latter certainly sounds like he has an athletic, defensive edge.

Genuine question - isn't that what Sissoko is supposed to bring? I haven't watched enough of you this year to say. Not really a subtle enough player to be so consistent in the middle, tbh. Doesn't really like the dirty work side of the game, either.

Perez isn't a natural fit for the left but he's more natural out wide than Wijnaldum. He's a much more aggressive dribbler, is probably better picking it up in less congested areas (he's been caught overdoing it in central areas, recently, IMO) and has a decent cross on him - his left isn't bad either. It'd be great to see Thauvin get a run there with the remit of getting early balls into Mitrovic, though.

That's our best chance, IMO - it can't happen with Anita. If one of, if not both, Sissoko or Wijnaldum plays as a CM, they need a proper defensively-minded player with them.

Good to hear. I think the LM experiment worked for a bit but he's a prime player to work off a target man and, at present, our best goal threat so keep him there and use less of a drifter on the left. Who was playing where by the end?

Wijnaldum looked more involved in the middle, how did he do? I think playing Perez/Thauvin out there would be better for the team's balance; good to see a cross from the left set up a chance...

Have to disagree, I don't see much style. Flores doesn't really have much of a good reputation, either, I'm sure VI mentioned he was a pretty uninspiring, pragmatic manager, for example.

I don't think Watford play good football, btw. They seem to be strong and disciplined and get it up to the front 2 quickly who do plenty of damage on their own. Ighalo is class.

They have two strikers bang in form and a solid, strong team apart from that They also just got promoted. They happen to have a very well organised and forward thinking manager. And bought a lot of players in the Summer. They're a strong, athletic side with a pretty solid core and obvious strengths to play to. We have soft centre halves, weak midfielders, a lack of creativity and no obvious goalscorer. This team's no better than 15th.

Awful. Rest in peace, Pav.

Read the other day he's not abandoned the possession-based stuff, that's still the long term plan but he just doesn't think it's in this lot and is trying to play to their strengths on the counter. Gone way too far, obviously, as the whole set up is based on transitions now whereas we seemed to be mixing it up more before that dreaded international break. I don't actually think his selections are negatively-minded, he just keeps his 4 best attacking players higher up the pitch for opportunities to break as he thinks that's our best chance of getting in on goal while trying to keep our defensive unit more solid. You'd like to think with our coaching knowledge they'd now realise we have to start changing things...

Ozil Get a winger on the pitch and get early balls in so Mertesacker is on the turn. No need for a steelier midfield, here, so Wijnaldum in centre mid alongside Tiote (even if Gini and Perez swap, that'd be better). We can't carry on with this left side - a left back who can't kick and a winger that doesn't stay wide or ever tries to beat his man.

His continued existence is really annoying. I could see why McClaren plays him and Anita, considering our massive defensive deficiencies, but I'm at the point now where I just want to see a change. Get Wijnaldum back somewhere central and a winger on the left.

Interesting that the pen incident came from a cross from the left. You'd like to think that gets noticed...

Some of his one-touch stuff, again, was great in the first half. Such a shame we don't have a good crosser in the squad that can beat a man and then play in a good ball or two per game. He's obviously not the best finisher, at the moment, and he shouldn't be let off the hook for some frankly awful misses that a professional footballer shouldn't be making, but we'll need to play to his strengths if we're going to see him improve. Really hope Thauvin can break into the team soon or we sign a proper winger. Hopefully Aarons can stay fit for a week and manages to get a look in.