Gallowgate Toon

The corner at the end was annoying but we were really struggling under pressure. I didn't like it but when we were desperate to take something from the game, I could understand it. Chelsea were always going to start the second with more gusto, they tired us out well, tbh.

I am pretty gutted but I think it'll provide a decent shot in the arm for us - the first half should be our standard in intensity. Team was really done for after an hour or so, Simpson was screaming for them to push out but the legs weren't there.

To be fair today was the first time in weeks they've actually tried. They're out of practice. Probably bang on I was surprised at Perez, he was really struggling on the defensive to cover the midfield. Hate to say it but I think we missed Colback's energy in the middle after he went off, Wijnaldum's still struggling a bit with the pace off the ball.

Fought from the front - always a massive help, as was his ability to link play and open up gaps. Shagged after an hour, as you'd expect.

Team was knackered so we sagged back. Makes you wonder what they're doing for fitness training, too many were gassed after an hour or so.

Plenty of pace behind Mitrovic, at least. Just hope we can hold out at the back and have some genuine counters.

It's all on you, big man.

Sissoko right, Gini left That's how NUFC twitter claim it'll be, but Ayoze will end up LM in a 4-5-1 with Mitrovic isolated as f***, probably frustrated and sent off They always get it wrong, the fucking plebs.

That fucking bench, man. Disgusting.

Think he's hoping for a Man U-er with that lot. Looks like we'll be playing on the break. Scared for Mbabu

They've got a history of looking mint in the opening games of the season, don't they?

Howay man GT, I get what you're saying with the rest, but we'll never know this if he doesn't play. It's the same sort of argument that was used when Mbiwa, Ben Arfa and Marveaux weren't playing, Abeid too. I think it's pretty obvious he's better than Obertan too. I agree and think that's a pretty unlikely scenario, like, and he does need more time. I'm just sure there's some genuine justification for him not playing and am putting a few ideas out there. He probably is better than Obertan, much better, but I imagine after so long out they didn't want to chuck him in at the beginning of the season and chose to build him back up, instead, just like what we're doing with de Jong.

I think we all understand that but these decisions only become validated if we win football matches, which we've not done. I always think back to him saying he spoke to fans so he knows what people are saying about the players. Wonder who he spoke to about Colo, Colback, Gouffran, Obertan etc.? It was probably f***ing Carver. Well he's tried other options and dropped Obertan pretty sharp, plus I'm sure the new multimillion pound winger they've signed will have had to be played. If he chopped and changed too much, there'd be no chance to get continuity and he'd be criticised for that. There's also the option that Aarons might not be any good. James McClean looked great for 6 games and was quickly found out. I'm sure if he was brilliant, we'd have seen him more.

Aarons has just come back from a serious injury (they don't seem to want to rush players, like de Jong) and something appears to be amiss behind the scenes.

He used Obertan for genuine width in the system, tbf, and we don't know what fitness was like at the beginning of the season. I think he also came in and tried to foster a culture of belief and a clean slate, probably rewarding the best trainers at first. Like Yorkie said a while back, I could understand Colback-Anita as a tactic to allow fullbacks to get forward more and protect our central defence. He'll have seen the final game of last season and thought they could handle it but has now probably seen their real level. The build up is an issue but I don't think it's something purely tactical. More a confidence thing and something that wouldn't come as quickly. I think he wants to keep the ball and be intelligent when we need to speed play up, in part to somewhat protect us.

Messi-esque.

Lethal.

Really like watching Fernandinho. Proper all-action midfielder.

Spurs looking more confident now.

here here. Basically play Hoof ball up to Mitro with Perez playing off him. Not really, there isn't just slow based possession football and hoof ball and no in between.

I'd be amazed if he was sent off. He'll put in a Man U-esque performance, IMO.

Asking him to control games and make dribbles sounds exactly what he's all about, along with arriving in the box. Odd comments, considering he didn't play as a true 10 for PSV.

He's not alone in this mind but yeah for the most part this is fairly true. We need a serious upgrade in January if there is any hope of staying up. Might be over by then tbf mind. It's a symptom of so many of our players, I'm convinced this was a Pardew 'tactic'. Never make an actual tackle (or even physical shoulder to shoulder!) as we always had so many players behind the ball to block the shot/eventually bore the opposition to tears. The second part of this post is probably true, tbh. So many of our players don't challenge, they may well have forgotten they need to

Good read, that

I think they could if we actually pressed as a team, but coaching that into the players would take time and even if the coaches had the nous to pull it off it's something you teach the players during pre season and not after an abysmal start bordering on crisis. Don't really think we've got the players to press high at all. Too weak at the back and susceptible to longer balls. I think they could play together, if they showed any defensive appetite for the game. Sissoko defends selectively and Wijnaldum is adapting. We don't press at all though. The only player pressing and tackling back last night was frigging Obertan!! We have pressed at times this season and got absolutely shredded because our centre is so weak and slow - I don't think it's bad coaching either because I know Cathro worked with them on it in preseason. Tracking men is a problem, aye, but that's a commitment issue from players that don't seem to fancy getting stuck in for a whole game. Our defence hampers us a lot, the only 'success' we seem to have with it is deeper unit defending, but that restricts us going forward.