Gallowgate Toon

Class goal.

Colo is 6" dead on, isn't he? Mitro's definitely bigger. He's about 6"2 and a big unit, he should be getting more change out of a 33 year old Lescott.

Gestede is about 4ft taller than Mitrovic like. 4cm

He also played, IIRC, everyone's choice of team against Watford and we still got ripped.

I know we've got weak-as-piss centre halves but I'd have liked to see Mitrovic show the same desire as Gestede (a no-mark player, IMO) to win more aerial 50/50s. Some of his link up on the deck was good but I felt we needed more from him when we went longer.

Really hope we sign a proper CM in January so we can shift the balance of the team better and see this pleb out the side. Sick of his dawdling. Takes 3 touches too many, every time.

Would consider giving him a run out at 10 and popping Perez on the left against Everton. Perez tends to move a bit wider anyway and looks more comfortable trying to beat a player in those areas. Then again, Gini's goal threat seems to largely be because he ghosts in from the left so who knows

Of course there was enough there today to win that, we had 3/4 gilt-edged chances to do it and didn't. It's not like the other alternatives really are much better, Perez aside - don't start saying Wijnaldum as a CM either, we're piss weak in the defensive spine of the team as it is. Hasn't someone already pointed out Anita was injured? We're not exactly in a position to start fannying about with tactics, we did that at the beginning of the season and were getting stuffed. He's found something that works better in the only shape we've got results and has stuck with it, hardly sacrilege.

I thought it was OK dropping him to switch things up a few weeks back, but he really should've been back in after Spurs. He should definitely be on from the off, next week.

The team he selected was only on the pitch for 30 minutes. Personally, I thought he made a mistake not starting one of Mitrovic or Perez, especially the latter, and wanted to see Thauvin start, but there was still enough there to put this side to the sword. We had the opportunities but didn't take them and that's because we're not very good.

And yet we were the ones to have consistently good chances...

He's the only one to blame? Not the players that missed, and I mean totally fluffed, easy chances? Yes but a good manager makes all the difference in how well they perform on the pitch. Bar 15 poor minutes, the performance was fine. Not the most exciting but we are what we are: not a great side missing key components. We still had more than enough opportunities to finish that game off and didn't, that one falls at the doors of those who missed.

Seemingly, like a lot of sides in the league, we're a bit useless when the onus is on us to create chances. Would be interesting to see home/away win ratios compared to 10 years ago.

He's the only one to blame? Not the players that missed, and I mean totally fluffed, easy chances?

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.