Gallowgate Toon

McClaren has actually won a couple of things in the game, that automatically makes him better.

Errr. In modern football. Lots of teams have a midfielder coming deep, with the centre backs splitting and the full backs pushing on. I actually quite like it. The problem is, we don't really have any movement further up the pitch, or players that are confident enough to actually try and work the ball, or pass and move. Too often last night. You would see Mbemba asking players to come short and looking for the pass. Only to have to hoof it long, as there was nothing on. Or we just pass it sideways for ages, then give it to Krul, who invariably boots it straight off the pitch. Played off the park by West Ham and raped by a chubby looking Payet. Embarrassing. EDIT - TL:DR. See AY's post above. This is where we're still a massive work in porgress. Would be a big help if he picked more suitable players for the 3 central roles, obviously. It's like the most key area of his plan too, so he needs to sort it ASAP.

Thought he looked a little sharper and surprisingly agile, last night. Has a big role to play on the weekend. Watford are going to play as West Ham did, let us have the ball and hit us on the break, we'll need someone to move around and make smart choices in the final 3rd. He also has some form of physicality about him so should hopefully link up with the likes of Perez and Wijnaldum well.

The tactic itself is pretty common, isn't it? Split the centre halves, stick a DM between and push the full backs up to try and stretch narrow teams? You're right about our own shape being too stretched, though, massive hole in the middle that Colback and Wijnaldum needed to help fill.

Wijnaldum was playing too high as an AM, for me. Colback was a massive hindrance in us building from the back, as he hid far too often, but Wijnaldum was staying closer to Cisse than really necessary, at times, when we could've done with someone dropping into a pocket to link play more. Possibly because he's not a true 10, tbf, but I can't imagine that's how the role is being coached.

Neither of them deserve to be in the side.

de Jong is a player with presence and a bit of movement and can link play, would genuinely consider putting him up front for the next 2 and playing Perez behind. Perez would be the real threat but would be allowed much more space and can dictate things, rather than getting double-marked all game.

Let's hope so. I'm still reserving judgement but last night was awful, soundly beaten by an average team with one player. Team selection needs a rethink as plenty of others have said. It was so annoying seeing Mbemba constantly calling for someone to pass to along the floor whilst we've got players like Perez and Aarons on the bench. And when we did actually manage to find some decent penetrating passes through the middle, we kept on losing it when trying to build up play (usually because of Cisse's first touch).

Reckon it's because he doesn't quite fit the wider system SMC has tried, and the mistake was made of trusting Cisse to do a job up top in Mitrovic's absence. I agree, though, would like to see him in the team for the weekend.

Spot on. It's a bit harsh on Wijnaldum, to a degree, but he was quite passive in his play, probably because neither of the central 2 came up to support the striker so he ended up going backwards a lot. And, amazingly, we still managed to get broken on on a consistent basis. I just hope SMC's not as stubborn as Pardew and can see what needs to change.

That's called disinterest. That was one of the two points I was making. I took that a bit literally, when you posted

That's called disinterest.

f*** off man. He can't pass 5 yards. He's shockingly bad, runs in constant straight lines and has absolutely no awareness, first touch or class No He's been a part of the best play we've seen over the last couple of years and, on his day, is a real force. He's not shit in any way, shape or form and to suggest he is is pure, unadulterated hyperbole.

Sissoko patently isn't shit.

I really don't think he's that far off to finding a decent recipe for us and I don't think he's trying to be defensive, either, it's just the key final execution isn't there. He simply has to see the CM issue, now. I can take Anita doing the short passing thing but having a partner who's unwilling to really come and collect the ball in a meaningful way is a killer, and because he has no guile, he doesn't open any space for forwards and then attacking players are dragged deeper and it all becomes very slow and methodical and we lose shape and focus.

Krul Janmaat Taylor Mbemba Haidara Anita Sissoko Wijnaldum Thauvin de Jong Perez

He was doing his best not to come and link play from the centre halves too which was infuriating.

Then he deserves pelters.

I'd even try de Jong as a striker with Perez in behind, tbh.

A couple of games?! He's usually average/mediocre. He's been putting in some absolute stinkers for the last couple of matches.

Don't like him as a ST at all but he's better than a disinterested Cisse.

He's been crap for a couple of games, now. Time for the bench.

Isn't this his second game in the league? Howay, man.

Probably taken a huff because of Mitrovic, tbh. Massive shame.