Lush Vlad

Not sure I'd go that far but I've said on here many times. It seemed like when Fat Sam was there, they suddenly developed a disliking of us and it's been reciprocated since. Can't say I ever noticed bad blood between the supporters prior to that and have been to Goodison a couple of times and always found it fine. Bar the shocking view and wooden seats, of course. Pickford makes it easy to dislike them and all. Not played in what seems like a month, all the excitement of the new signings, along with the pressure of starting to get results to get out the shit. It's all adding up to make me nervous as fuck about the game.

I’d rather see Willock keep his place somehow or Murphy play instead of Fraser. Need a bit more pace and some kind of attacking threat in the team. Fraser is just all graft and not a lot else. Fully expect him to start, mind. Not massively arsed, either way. It’s not like Obertan or Ryan Taylor keeping HBA out the side. We’re not really spoilt for choice.

In what way? That it is bad for the club and himself, with him perhaps leaking information or undermining the management? Or just that it isn’t very good? If it is the latter, then I tend to agree. It may have picked up a bit. But the first four I listened to were dull and they both just awkwardly laugh at unfunny shit all the while. So I never bothered carrying on with it. They both come across like decent, genuine blokes, mind.

Actually totally forgot Dwight Gayle is still at the club

Whilst I think I would actually rather see a young lad given the chance first. Joelinton’s resurgence has pretty much all been under Howe, where he has played a few different roles. Admittedly, it has mainly come when he has played deeper. But he seems sharper, a yard quicker, stronger on the ball and just looks a totally different player to the one we signed. Plus, you’d like to hope he wouldn’t be playing as a lone striker with nobody within 50 yards of him, which was the case under Bruce most weeks. He might get some sort of support and service. Not ideal, whatever way we cut it. Wood has been uninspiring so far and if he gets injured. We look fucked.

Takes a bit of gloss of the window and everyone’s gripes about not getting another attacking option, have become that bit louder. They must have had some idea that the injury was going to be a bit longer than 8 weeks? He was still using crutches in Saudi and wasn’t even doing any light training work other than rehab, by Wilson’s own account. Just makes the failure to get another forward in look 10 times worse now.

I think the thread is a Chelsea fan saying Rice is crap/overrated. But Bruno G is very impressive in all of those metrics.

Easier said than done. But we need to start turning some of these close draws into wins. Especially at home. against teams in the bottom half. At least we have been in quite a few games under Howe. Just need to hang onto a lead or score more than one goal for a change.

Looks half empty. Shit loads of teams in the area to compete with and I don’t think they always sell out. But I don’t remember usually seeing that many empty seats.

I’ve been in and out the room. But this game looks fucking dreadful. Not really surprising, I suppose.

I’m sure I was one of the only fans not excited by Owen. I don’t live in the North East. So I find it odd when people go on about it. Never felt a buzz or anything when he came in. Not that I’m a shrewd judge or anything. I was more excited by Oba Martins signing and I said after about 5-6 games, that Bassong would be and I quote “one of the best centre backs in the world”

Hopefully he comes in like Tiote and Cabaye did. They were straight in and up to speed.

I thought that. Wiki says 6ft 2”? Certainly didn’t look it.

There were some great pens in there. But the keepers looked abysmal. Either just sitting down or diving over the ball.

I think you’re right. I started trying to do the certain colour bib = starter theory the other day. But they were all changing between white, green and orange by the looks of it.

A few of them seemed to stay seated and barely even look interested in the hand shake. I’m obviously just an old fashioned grump, but stand up and have a bit of respect FFS.

You mean they studied you. amirite?!

There was one of those star charts or whatever they are called, comparing Burn with Lascelles and Schar. They both looked pretty crap in comparison to Burn, for different reasons. But the passing stats for Lascelles were horrendous. Pretty much everything on there was, I think bar aerial duels and something else. Even tackles were poor. Annoyingly, I can’t find it now. I thought it was WyAyeScout on Twitter. But it’s not on there. At least with Schar he has a bit of ability on the ball and will carry it forward when he needs to. He’s also coming off the back of an MOTM display against Leeds. Where he barely put a foot wrong.

Good God, if we go down and they get promoted under Bruce. I’d have to avoid all social media and sports news for a year or so.

Chris Waugh said yesterday that the club were hoping he was back for Brighton.

ASM looked isolated against Watford and in the first half against Leeds. He seemed to play very wide by his standards, didn't get a lot of space and just wasn't really offering much. When he started drifting infield and getting closer to Wood, I thought he looked really dangerous. Fraser plays like an old fashioned winger. Seems to be really wide and looks to get down the line. Unfortunately, doesn't seem to get at his man and get a cross in too often. But as others have alluded to, it's not like we have loads of targets to aim at in the box, or that we get too many chances to do this, the way we have been playing for the last however many years.

I think the changes will mainly be straight swaps and no real formation changed, based on who we have signed. Bruno in for Longstaff/Willock, Targett in at left back, Burn in for Lascelles (hopefully) or Schar. I'm hoping there isn't a blind spot with Lascelles, due to him being captain. The other 3 new players at the back are going to struggle to push higher up the pitch and try to pass the ball with more confidence, if Lascelles is still starting. I think Fraser and Shelvey will start. However, it would be nice to see in some games if Murphy or even Willock could offer a bit more in an attacking sense. Fraser has offered graft this season under Howe. But bar the odd quality cross or set piece. Basically sod all else in pretty much his whole time here. Shelvey has felt like a necessary evil a lot of the time. We have struggled to pass the ball forward from the back, which is where he usually resides, or midfield without him in the team. I don't think it will happen. But it would be nice to eventually see how we get on without him, now we have a competent passer of the ball, who is also mobile and doesn't seem to crumble under pressure from the opposition. I think an extra runner in there and someone able to press like Howe wants could be massive.

I thought the second half against Leeds. There seemed to be an obvious change in how Fraser and ASM played. They seemed to be getting a lot closer to Wood, especially for flick ons and trying to link the play. Willock also looked to push forward and support a lot more, like he did last season. I suppose the caveat is that it was against a fairly shit midfield and in a very open game. But some positive signs, at least

7 for me. It is looking like 3 upgrades to a previously terrible back 4. Plus hopefully a bit more control in midfield with Guimaraes. You'd like to think the whole team should be functioning better now and we might consistently be able to create chances and keep hold of the ball for a change. I think if we got an attacking player in with a bit of pace. Then it would be a 9. If we managed to get another CB in, or perhaps one that is a bit more exciting and high profile than Burn, then it would be a 10. Trippier and Guimaraes are signings I wouldn't have expected us to be able to bring in. Wood was a needs must signing and will hopefully just be another option to Wilson and fill in when Wilson is invariably injured. The other two signed on deadline day are solid prem players and should be able to come straight into the starting XI with no issues. I didn't expect us to spend close to £100m and it did also feel like they were genuinely trying for expensive, top level players. Which is exciting going forward. We're in a much better position than we were on Jan 1st. So it's mainly positive, despite some missteps and still looking a bit light in an attacking sense.

5 or a 6. I still worry about the lack of goals. But we do look much improved on paper.