Gallowgate Toon

Not defending these two but part of this is due to the tactics - two deep centre mids almost on the toes of the central defenders every f***ing game gives the opposition midfield free reign to do as they please in the middle of the park. We didn't start deep, though. We tried to push higher and were getting absolutely torn through. We only looked vaguely competent when the team moved deeper, closer together and tightened gaps. It's obviously hard for a midfield 2 to play against a 3, but especially hard when your two aren't even good in the first place. Central midfield is our absolute achilles, it effects how we defend and attack so much. The two central midfielders were deep and on the toes of the centre half from the first minute, as they have been almost every game this season. They weren't at all. That's why Everton were finding so many gaps in the first 20. We were playing quite a wide, relatively high shape and they were playing triangles through us with the extra man in the middle with massive ease.

He's finding it harder and harder to find space as we have no width to exploit, teams are getting men on him and Sissoko and we're not stretching play well enough. Probably knackered too. He was great for a 10 minute spell in the first half, fell off the map after that. Any momentum going forward seemed to stop after Anita went off, he'd actually played some good forward passes that got us opening them up a bit with one-touch moves. For the great dribbler he is, he's very conservative when up against the full back one-on-one. He should just try and do them.

I do have sympathy for him in that the players, on the whole, aren't good enough and are totally ill-suited, but he needs to do something different now. It's all become stale bar the odd spell.

Not managed these last 2 games well at all - the lack of well-timed subs has been really poor. Needs to give something else a run out now as this shape's just stagnated.

Far too late with subs. Poor.

Anita played some nice forward passes. We've missed him since he went off.

Played alright in patches. Some nice one touch play, for once. Could go a bit more direct at times, though. Thauvin on after 60 mins, please.

This. Why do we always need the 2 DM's on? Didn't McClaren come with a reputation of decent football at Derby? Because our defence is shit and we got broken on with massive ease? Might also want to keep Wijnaldum and Sissoko from doing loads of defensive work?

Yeah. Shelvey-Tiote is probably the right balance, if you seriously limit Tiote's remit on the ball. Of course, Cheik's not good enough either. What we need is the type of big, athletic f***ers that Allardyce always seems to find with the ability to run box to box and compete physically in the right areas. Forget the name of the lad he had at west ham but someone like that. Diame or Kouyate? You're right, though, we need 2 CMs. Capoue would've been perfect.

Would maybe give Wijnaldum behind Mitro a try with one of Perez/Thauvin on the left.

Yeah. Shelvey-Tiote is probably the right balance, if you seriously limit Tiote's remit on the ball. Of course, Cheik's not good enough either.

A good centre mid, centre back and centre forward and we'll be fine. Continue with this crop as they are and it'll be very, very tight.

I'm not really sure how it wasn't cleared by one of the post markers. We had Colo and Anita within a foot of the ball and neither went for it?

And drop Colback? Seriously though, I would have thought he'd have tried this by now if it was seriously being considered at all. It has been tried. Looked woeful but probably worth another go. When? Not doubting you, I've genuinely overwritten it in my memory of this w*** season. Sorry, missed this last night. Watford (start) and Leicester second half are the two that spring to mind. Positive we've tried it as a Plan B in two other games but I'l have to have a dig.

Not defending these two but part of this is due to the tactics - two deep centre mids almost on the toes of the central defenders every f***ing game gives the opposition midfield free reign to do as they please in the middle of the park. We didn't start deep, though. We tried to push higher and were getting absolutely torn through. We only looked vaguely competent when the team moved deeper, closer together and tightened gaps. It's obviously hard for a midfield 2 to play against a 3, but especially hard when your two aren't even good in the first place. Central midfield is our absolute achilles, it effects how we defend and attack so much.

Shelvey would be great, like.

Just seen our two big chances back. The clearest cut of the day, imo. Mitro's header in the first was an excellent one too.

And drop Colback? Seriously though, I would have thought he'd have tried this by now if it was seriously being considered at all. It has been tried. Looked woeful but probably worth another go.

His finishing has been very hit and miss. He's on his heels too much too, sometimes. Great ball in in the first half that he attacked but was late to because he didn't anticipate it well enough.

They played the extra man in midfield so well for the first quarter. Sliced us open very impressively. Midfield were absolutely lost.

Elliot made 2 really good saves. The rest were pretty routine, weren't they?

Thought it was an even game after the first 20 and we looked to have more ideas towards the end. Our weaknesses really showed in the opening period mind, tried to play higher and the midfield were exposed terribly. Perez and Mitro are very green, in that instance, always leaving the spare man and going towards the ball rather than the space - much better when they dropped in. Everton had a fair few pot shots, like, not arsed about that one stat. Possession was poor but we play a direct game now (short term, I imagine) and it's where we look at our best. Didnt think we deserved to lose. Another game where we've missed some good openings.

Wijnaldum and Sissoko are absolutely useless at doing anything physical and with our rubbish defence we simply can't afford to have people in there that won't compete in physical duels in a crucial area of the pitch. Anita and Colback might be utter shite but they get involved in that side of the game and offer something (even though it's still not good enough), whilst allowing Wijnaldum and Sissoko (two of our best players this year) more freedom to attack. We're also not in a position to piss about with formations any more, we've only looked remotely solid playing this shape, this season, everything else has been crap (and it's not like a few different formations have been tried). Of course, he's a 'disgusting' 'coward' for going for the only thing that's ever looked decent for us in the last year with this lot of players and trying to allow his attacking players more freedom... The thing he does deserve stick for was still sticking with Cisse and de Jong up top for Villa. One of them should've been dropped, IMO, but I have no qualms about how he handled the situation a few weeks ago. We needed a change and he freshened up the one area we have competition in.

If this is the case then why persist with it game after game? We could play a midfield three of Anita, Sissoko and Wijnaldum with Anita holding and Sissoko going box to box but over and over again we play this stupid 4-2-3-1 with Colback playing hide and don't seek in the middle. We've tried 4-3-3 a couple of times this season, with Gini and Sissoko in midfield, and it's looked awful. Watford being a prime example.