Hanshithispantz

Based on that game, really?

Don't think it's as simple as that. Shelvey in particular had good reasons for being dropped. He was alongside Diame like. I don't think he's done a great deal wrong recently and remains our most dangerous player in open play imo. He needs a good partner like.

Annoying as West Brom were really bad but obviously a great point from 2 down. Fuck this rotation shite in midfield like, just play Shelvey and Merino from the off. Throw Joselu into the sea.

That's De Bruyne shit from Shelvey

I'd still play him ahead of Manquillo, but he's been shit defensively tonight. I wanted him in but he's been bad like.

Is Rafa feeling alright?

As much as I wanted Mbemba in Phillips has tortured us all night down that flank.

A tangible reason is probably needed because 'shit defending, then more shit defending' isn't good enough and you can't criticise the players that replaced Elliot and Manquillo, because then that would mean their replacements aren't any good either. Joselu's the only one left from the really disliked players, so most comments have featured him despite him being nowhere near to blame for anything aside from one misplaced pass and simply not being good enough. Think comments about Joselu are cos he's playing and being crap again. Not much depth needed. Aye. Saying Joselu is shite and shouldn't be in the pitch doesn't mean we're losing because of him. He's just shite and shouldn't be on the pitch.

Decent play the 3 defenders bewildered by a ball coming into the box again.

I love the bloke, but he's not doing great at all recently. I obviously don't want him to leave or out.

5 loses in a row. Rafa = Pardew levels of incompetence. Not his fault fat mike refused to invest in the team over the summer Agreed, but Rafa is making some shocking team selections in this run. Team selections aside, the state of our first touch and awareness, movement is awful. What the fuck is going on in training, surely that lays solely at his feet. This was happening all last season too even against awful Champ sides. Most of our players are just shite on the ball, I don't think there's a great deal we can do in training to sort that. Fair point, as much as i hate to say it Rafa has to shoulder some blame for this run mind. Without doubt. No matter what losing 4 in a row is down to the manager to some degree. 5 in a row is inarguable imo.

I don't think anyone has said we should have went at them? Most seem in agreement that we need to go back to basics. That's fucked now though because of some rancid defending.

5 loses in a row. Rafa = Pardew levels of incompetence. Not his fault fat mike refused to invest in the team over the summer Agreed, but Rafa is making some shocking team selections in this run. Team selections aside, the state of our first touch and awareness, movement is awful. What the fuck is going on in training, surely that lays solely at his feet. This was happening all last season too even against awful Champ sides. Most of our players are just shite on the ball, I don't think there's a great deal we can do in training to sort that.

Hopefully he accidentally lays out Joselu so we can get Gayle on.

Yah, shit goal aside - which is becoming worryingly frequent without Lascelles - we've looked comfortably shit, which is how we looked earlier in the season when we were picking up points.

Anyway, hopefully we have an actual striker on the pitch before 80 minutes.

Without Lacelles you just poke the ball into our box and automatically score.

Matt Phillips looks like Stanley Mathews.

Joselu actively ruining our attacks now

Jacob Ben Afree

Merino's been the square root of aids so far.

I think Mitrovic has comfortably looked the better forward on every level personally like. I can only assume that there's some next-gen manager shite I'm not seeing. Some instructional workrate thing that makes Rafa moist but which my ignorant eyes just cannot see. I'm not being flippant there either, Benitez obviously sees something in him. I don't think it's as petty as him simply not liking Mitrovic.

I think he's looked OK in general play in a couple recently but there was like a period of about half a dozen games where I honestly cannot remember him doing a single thing bad or good.

As a team I think that's nearer to achieving what we've done well this season. I'm just going to have to accept that Joselu is undroppable for some reason.

We might as well make it 5 in a row.