timnufc22

I agree it did work with Bruno the first half of last season and there’s definitely an upside to it in an attacking sense. But looking at the second half of last season when our defensive record declined, it may well have been due in part to teams working us out and targeting Bruno to give the ball away in dangerous positions. I do think Willock is a massive miss and I said at the start of the season he’d be in the first eleven for me. it’s not to say Bruno’s useless or anything when deeper, I know it works sometimes and he can be great in right areas but ultimately I think we’re more vulnerable than solid. If Tonali can’t play as a holding 6 then I do find it a slightly strange buy. Again I agree with Hope that performances can dictate future results and when you look at the defensive record slide during second half of last season, I would have thought it pointed towards bringing in that midfielder who can suss out danger when teams break on us. it just looks an obvious vulnerability for us. We’ve done amazing the last two years and everyone deserves immense credit, I’m just talking about this aspect in isolation. i think Bruno and Tonali are mentioned because they’re the star, go-to names for the starting line up, so it’s looked upon as a key combination with a +1 out of Longstaff, Joelinton, Willock & Anderson.

I don’t think Bruno & Tonali are clicking though? Don’t see anything wrong with that assessment. For me it’s as much the system as individuals; without a designated & disciplined number 6, the midfield are played through and split open as a result. Especially on the counter. if it was me I’d be telling Tonali to sit, end of. No rotating positions, he’s playing deep, getting the ball off centre backs, picking passes, being sensible and reading the play in front of him when we don’t have it. Instead he’s playing higher up and keeps getting balls played in behind in and Loftus Cheek had the pace to beat him in a race. Bruno dosent have the discipline or nous to snuff out the danger and we are then left exposed. Let Bruno & Longstaff make runs to support the forwards safe in the knowledge Tonali is sitting if we lose the ball.

That’s normally the case re fitness yet Joelinton hadn’t trained all week but was still selected. Why betray your own fitness stipulations when the player in question has had a poor couple of games and has an able deputy - Longstaff - ready and raring to go?

Whether he's on his own or with Tonali, I'd rather not see Bruno sitting deep and like to see him on the ball further up the pitch instead. Surely Tonali has/will have through game time the nous to sit deeper and be efficient with the ball in those area's? Seems like a no-brainer to me to at least try. Get Longstaff in there too.

Joelinton didn't train much this week apparently and is off-form. It has seemed like he's always picked to start regardless of form or fitness. I know he's been very good the last 18 months and I'm not taking that away from him, but I dont like this aura of players being undroppable. Longstaff was also very good last season and is seemingly fully fit, yet to have a crack this season. I don't understand why you wouldn't start hum over Joelinton today, considering the circumstances. Its no major slight on Joelinton, we're all human, but we need a more solid midfield at the moment and I think Longstaff would provide a better chance of that with his workrate and I'd say more sensible play as a more all-round midfielder. When we bought Tonali I thought it was with a view of releasing Bruno further up, especially after the second half of last season where we were less solid defensively. Again I've been surprised to instead see him playing higher up rather than Bruno, who gets caught out sitting deep quite a bit. He had a better set up with Shelvey sitting deeper behind him, I thought this was the idea with Tonali, granted there's always going to be some rotation during the game. Similar with Barnes signing & Gordon, as great as Almiron has done last season I thought there'd be more rotation with Gordon, with Barnes slotting straight in on the left giving us more cutting edge in the final third. I thought we had a great window with all this in mind but it seems the signings were made with other plans in mind. This is all within context; it is so important than inside the ground, the players & Howe get unconditional support & encouragement and we live up to 'we'll support you ever more'.

Tbf I agree its probably not wise to move Gordon for now, long-term I'd be switching him at some point to get Barnes in. Perhaps I should trust Murphy more after what he's given us the last few years, either way I think Almiron needs rotating. I think Joelinton needs to be rotated too, we need to keep the ball better and stop giving away needless fouls/yellow cards and only my personal taste but he can be too erratic/lack nous. Granted we have switching roles at times but in general get Bruno further up the pitch to link up more with the forwards. It may help rekindle his confidence to get back to assisting and being more risk-free when losing the ball further up. Tonali's passing from deep would be a safer bet right now, let him screen the back four more. Would be tempted to start Hall actually, he looked more than capable when thrown into the deep end for Chelsea. We have to start Isak imo, I really don't like this subbing of him every game, we need to start giving him 90 minutes and then rotate with Wilson when the games actually start piling up. He's one of the best strikers in the league, we're in no position to not have him on the pitch when needing a goal.

______________Isak________________ Barnes___________________Gordon _______Bruno_______Longstaff____ ______________Tonali______________ Targett___Burn___Shar___Trippier _______________Pope_____________

When we signed Gordon I thought one of the ideas behind it was to challenge Almiron. Gordon played on the right for Everton for quite a few games in his breakthrough season and was brilliant. He could go down the outside and whip some great balls in, certainly for Isak making near post runs, or come inside and still be direct that way. Very surprised at how reluctant Howe has been to play him there and that it seemingly wasn’t part of the thinking. Now that he happens to be excelling at LW is a little bit of a conundrum because you want him to keep going but I do think Almiron needs rotating and I think Barnes will add goals / assists one he is starting games, but I think he’s less flexible position-wise than Gordon.

For me there’s times he still looks like a forward out of position when he goes diving in giving away clumsy fouls. It’s really infuriating when he gives away dangerous free kicks and yellow cards, wish he’d have a bit more nous at times. I thought last season aswell, so I’m not being reactionary. As said, his athleticism and some of his link up play is very valuable but Willock was always a starter when fit in my mind down that left centre mid. Until then, I’d have Longstaff in to replace him just to add more stability, get Tonali deep as a 6 and Bruno further up.

Tonali can sit more surely, I’d have him primarily as a 6 for now, I’d rather see him in those deep positions especially near the end of games when we need to be sensible which I think he would be. Get Bruno higher up away from our own goal.

Obvious context is he’s been brilliant for us, but he blazed a shot over which he seems to do more lately, gave the ball away with poor passes not long before that outside of the foot one, which was a dangerous give away. I hope he has a level head, I didn’t like him wasting energy on that tweet, he needs to just play with a bit more nous.

We surely knew Liverpool would push up nearer the end - why wouldn’t Howe want Isak on for that? He wasn’t too involved but surely you’d want him to pounce when they attack and leave space? If he knows he’s going to be taken off it’ll start to make him snatchy up, it’s hardly a vote of confidence to be hooked any time you don’t score by 70mins. Bet their defence was happy to see him subbed... it does seem like there’s a tendency to judge performance levels differently with players, Almiron had wasted chances / moments but dosent seem to be in contention to be subbed for Barnes. This is all under the disclaimer that Howe is doing a great job and I deserves all the respect in the world, obviously.

Why take off Gordon, our best player? If you’re going to put Barnes on, replace Almiron. Surely it’s not fitness otherwise you’re throwing quite a black mark against Gordon if that’s the case, but he looked fine. I’d rarely take Isak off either, not against quality opposition. I said after Man City I have no idea why you’d do that when losing 1-0 needing a goal, can you imagine us taking Shearer off when needing a goal against quality opposition? Isak didn’t get a chance but you knew Liverpool were going to push forward at some point and that’s when you’d want him to pounce. It’s hardly a confidence builder for him either, granted I know he’s a steely character. Wilson will get plenty of games, you could have put him on with Isak. Bruno’s giving it away non stop and I don’t know if his feet are on the ground or if there’s something wrong but he seems a sensitive character to me and that outside foot pass at the end was so sloppy. I understand you want to draw Liverpool out but at least TRY to play quick football to wear them down, if the tactic was to play slow build up to bring Liverpool out then that’s a mistake imo because they’re human and it’s hard to switch from slow play to quick play easily.

Ask for a paper copy, they have said to someone I know they can provide this if requested.

I like the see-through roof, surely they can put the crest above the tunnel now?

Yeah fair enough when it comes to teammates... football fans are fickle but most deep down do have perspective, I’d like to think. But like you say he seems short tempered. I know I sound boring here, but one of the things I loved about him when he first arrived was how unflustered he was. He’d be on the receiving end of bad challenges and wouldn’t bat an eye lid, he’d just want to get on with the game. Now he seems more easily distracted, which some say is passion fair enough, but I just wish he wouldn’t rise to the opponent / ref and ignore all the theatrics.

Surely Bruno has a ton of supportive messages and he has his name sung every game - why is he focusing on something in isolation (which may even have been taken out of context)? Why go on reading through people’s comments around the country if you’re going to take the inevitable negative one so personally? Granted I personally think the players should be getting all the support possible and I think people should always remember how amazingly these players turned things around for us. But right now the majority of people most likely think the same (Time will tell with that in the long run and if he was in SBR side during the storm around finishing 5th then I’d understand). So to pick this out seems strange and has unnecessarily caused stupid storm which no doubt the media will feed off.

Willock is a big miss and I said at the start of the season he would be in with Bruno & Tonali for me, if fit. For all his strengths, Joelinton can be sloppy / slow in possession and I think Willock has the edge over him, especially in the final third. I don't think we should be taking Isaac of while trailing 1-0; fine put Wilson alongside him, but in a game like that against Man City, who press so high and give very little, I thought it was crazy to take away Isak's pace and footwork in tight spaces. Would we have taken Shearer off in his prime while losing 1-0? Imagine the uproar... I know Isak isn't his level, but he's our best striker and biggest threat. Wilson is good, but on his own does not have the pace or footwork needed in such circumstances. His minutes will come over the season with all the games, but to get them at the expense of Isak in such a game didn't make sense imo. Almiron has given us so much, but there's nothing wrong with switching things up a bit and I would have moved Gordon across to RW when putting on Barnes. Its a starting line-up I'd have my eye on at some point. To be fair, not many teams restrict Man City's chances like we did second half.

sorry should have rephrased- *leazes corner level 4?

Does anyone know how much season ticket presence there is generally in Leazes Level 4?

I've emailed the club asking if this feeling could be passed on fwiw, I’d suggest anyone else doing the same. I’m sure Darren Eales brought it up himself that someone had mentioned it to him, I’m surprised such a relatively simple operation hasn’t been done.

Tyldesley is no1

Granted the whole Ashley circus was so uninspiring, but for me it felt like that zip and infectious enthusiasm in his play, which was a big part of his quality when he first arrived, had waned after a few years.

Gordon is primarily a RW imo, granted he played left a lot last season, but I see it as Barnes/ASM LW & Gordon/Almiron RW. Yes we have the option of Joelinton & Isaak for the left but I personally I don’t really want to see Isaak there much again, just rare occasions; let him drift naturally from ST position and I don’t see Joelinton as still quite sharp enough in the final third for that position and more useful deeper instead (as long as there’s no repeat of the leeds penalty clumsiness!).

The white socks look great and much better imo, why the hell do a u-turn, it's hardly the most controversial design choice.