Lush Vlad

As much as his team selections and subs, or lack of, have me a bit goosed. It isn’t like he is spoilt for choice. So many players look below the level required and players that cost a reasonable amount by our standard, are just not performing. As much as we all whinge about certain players and selections. I can’t really think of any players who have consistently played well and exceded expectations? Bar Merino and Lascelles, who have both missed some key games, meaning we have struggled even more. The fact of the matter is. This is a Championship squad, that lacks pace, power and goals. Apart from that, we’re alright The amount of goals we have conceded of late is a worry. But my opinion is unchanged. I think most other managers that we would be able to entice up here, would have us in an even worse position and we’d be getting hammered even more often.

Ritchie has been awful for weeks. Assists from set pieces masking the fact he has been awful. That sums his form up.

2-1 down is better than I expected, TBH. I just don’t think Chelsea have even played well to get to this point and we have just been shooting ourselves in the foot for most the half.

For all his classy touches and moments of looking composed. He seems to lose his man, fuck up really simple things and make basic errors on a regular basis. It’s probably just me. But his languid style and perma-confused, gormless expression. Just makes it look like he doesn’t give a shit. Some similarities to early form Colo. He looked really promising up until that Southampton fuck up. But he has been getting found out more and more of late.

Feels like Man U all over again. Bright start, early goal, look fairly comfortable. Followed by 2 shit goals conceded and playing like a pub team. They’ll score plenty more unless we change it up, or at least stop defending like a bunch of cunts.

Lejeune looks awful. But WTF was that header from Ritchie?!

How anyone can watch that Watford game and think anyone in centre mid deserves any kind of praise is beyond me. Created sod all, got carved apart by runners from deep, with Doukore, Cleverly and Hughes all taking the absolute piss. Played well FFS

No he wasn't and no he didn't. We got turned over 3 nil at home and barely had a kick in the middle of the park. Yep. They just strolled through the middle of the park every time they attacked. Diame’s legs went ages ago. He is useless to us at this stage of his career.

I mean, I was expecting fuck all from this game anyway. But that team is pure AIDS.

As Brendan Rodgers would say, “what a wonderful human being.”

Doesn't shuttle or gegenpress enough for my liking. He's pap.

I was going to say. He has a great leap on him and is good in the air for someone of his height. The fact he is often ball watching or not marking his man is the issue here. Not his aerial ability. Height will always be an issue at times for full backs, anyway. Unless we go down the Stoke or WBA route of having 4 centre backs and everyone in your back 4 at 6ft plus. Then strikers will often peel off on to the full back for diagonals and pack post crosses. It's not exactly a new problem we're facing.

Terrifying

I've noticed on a lot of these back post crosses he drifts infield a lot and the man gets behind him with a running jump, or he hasn't even seen them, so they just have a free shot or header at goal. Is this something he is being instructed to do? I get sometimes he will be tucking in as the centre backs are out of position, but it seems like he is just a chronic ball watcher and gets stuck under the flight of it too often. Which is a shame, as he actually has a great leap on him for his size. The back 4 is really disjointed at the minute. Never thought we would miss Lascelles this badly. Our other centre back options may well be more talented technically, but none of them seem to have any leadership qualities.

One thing we lack the majority of the time, is someone with the balls and/or ability to find advanced players and actually pass it to feet. I noticed quite regularly Merino would work a bit of an opening and play a decent 10-15 yard pass along the deck to someone in front of him. Shelvey was doing it as well, once he came on. Not sure if it was a case of them sitting deep, or the subs impacting the game and improving the options? Probably a combination of both. But it is decent to see, as we usually have Shelvey sat deep launching deep passes out wide and that pretty much sums up our attacking options. Merino will play a huge part in our season. I don't think it is OTT to say he will be a big factor in whether we stay up comfortably or scrap around at the bottom in yet another relegation fight.

It must be found It's the way Steve Stone looks so happy and interested with Woodman eating his egg on toast that makes it so good Woodman himself looking like a bit of a window licker and Carver just being his standard mouth breathing self. No wonder he is always licking his chops.

It must be found

Cause teams drop off when they are ahead and leave us space to move into. I think it is partly that and it is natural for the team losing to start taking more risks and to have a go. But as much as I understand it with this squad. I think our safety first, slightly negative approach has cost us points in some close games, against equally poor sides. Brighton, Huddersfield, Burnley and another I can’t think of right now. We went a goal down after neither team looked interested in scoring. Then suddenly sprang to life and started creating chances.

Showed the odd glimpse. But also kept having ridiculously loose touches, that then set WBA off on a counter attack. Gets in some great positions to have a go at the full back, but either doesn't back himself or isn't fast enough to go past. Not really sure what to make of him, TBH. Still reasonably young and inexperienced. Looks to be raw and have potential. But for various reasons, he is never going to get a long run in the side.

He's by no means great, he is a bit of a lumbering oaf who I don't have much faith in. But fuck me, in his last two cameos, he has contributed more in 30 minutes or so than Joselu has in about 5-6 starts. I know we all keep saying it. But surely he has to start on Saturday now?

After being 2-0 down, I'll take that. However, West Brom are dog's breath and haven't won in an age. Looking at our fixtures in December, we really needed to win this and in the end, probably should have. Still, scoring 2 goals in a game and actually having some positives to take makes a change. Hopefully this can stop the rot. Although I don't hold out much hope for Saturday.....

Rate him. But no doubting he has been poor the last two games and whilst he looked good for a lot of the game, was caught out a couple of times v Man U. Was Lascelles the glue holding all of these fuckers together or something? The defence looks unrecognisable from how we played earlier in the season.

Should have kept Daryl Murphy.

He was as bad as everyone else. But Ritchie hung him out to dry and didn’t really bother tracking back. The guy with the mask had the whole flank to himself for 90 minutes.

We are fucking embarrassing. To a man, we have been woeful and the punt long diagonals to nobody in particular tactics haven’t worked too well.