Lush Vlad

Anyone seen a clip back from when he was fouled when through on goal? Not heard much mention of it or seen it on TV. But a few people have said to me it was a blatant foul and could have been a red?

I actually thought he looked good first half. Was much more aggressive with coming off his line and the old sweeper keeper was back. Made what seemed like a top save at the time off the deflected shot. No issues with him choosing to punch, most seemed the right call. Apart from that one he punched over for no reason. Then caught the corner straight after when under loads of pressure Palmer's goal is terrible all round. Isak losing it cheaply fucking about on the ball. Schar backing off more than Danny Simpson and the others just not even attempting to engage him. I vaguely remember comments from Burn where he alluded to shots from range and he has to shut off the near post and make the opposition beat Pope by hitting it across him. Schar does nothing at all to help He doesn't close the angle, doesn't block the near post and just lets him run 30 yards and have a free hit. Worst I've seen Schar play in a long time. I am playing devil's advocate, mind. As Pope's positioning was equally shit and he still should have saved it.

He is a very good 1 v 1 defender. Neto had a good game, but at the same time. Tino did a good job against him for the most part and actually kept pace with him a couple of times. The first goal was some poor defending all round and also a quality pass from Palmer to carve us open. Carries the ball forward well but goes a bit headless chicken when he gets near the box. He lacks quality with his passing from deep and we badly miss Trippier's progressive passing.

Sort of combining various thoughts and comments from other threads. But the midfield 3 really doesn't work and I don't even think it is down to personnel now, or last season when I thought it was more because of injuries and fatigue. We are just dead easy to play against and teams find space against us for fun. I don't think any of the midfield are immobile, even Bruno gets about despite being slow. But out of possession, we often look a yard slower and teams pass round us with ease. Seems like our lads are chasing shadows and the passing patterns other teams deploy against us sees the midfield 3 just doing doggies and chasing shadows. Like if you've ever played CM against a player or team that are clearly better than your level. You always feel a yard off it and like you can't quite get to the ball or man in time. I just don't believe that so many midfielders are so much better than our 3. So surely it is a system issue? In possession, it is pretty tragic. Tonali and Joelinton get so wide or run off up the pitch and then effectively mark themselves out the game. We occasionally stumble on some sexy passing moves. But it always feels like it is off the cuff and not because of a discernible style of play. Our build up from the back to the midfield is still just 'give it to Bruno. If he really is being marked too tightly, pass it along the back for ages and then boom it long and see if we can get in behind or win the second ball.' It was evident how bad this was yesterday, as Schar had a dreadful game and his long passing was off. Hall's wasn't quite up to scratch, either. Also, we used to be a nightmare team to play against. I think teams probably dreaded our shithousery, physicality and style. But it does feel like we have been worked out and of course, gone a bit stale. Not gone backwards, as such. But stood still, not refreshed the squad and I suppose at this level. Others overtake you and you have in fact gone backwards. The set pieces are atrocious and have been for a while. I know there obviously is planning that goes into them, but it doesn't look like it. It just seems like for corners, it is an inswinger aimed around the penalty spot or back post. That's it. Free kicks from anywhere near the halfway line. Clip a diagonal and hope one of the CB's wins a flick on. It's pretty basic, boring stuff. Not sure what metric you would use. But they must be up there (down there) with the worst in the league?! The Joelinton/Willock link up on the left was a minor positive from the game for the short time we saw it and worked quite well. But that will only happen when Gordon isn't available. Despite all my moaning. I do feel like with some better individual decision making and finishing. Along with cutting out some individual and collective errors, we could have got quite easily got 7 points from our last 3 games instead of 1 and the complaints would be a lot fewer in number. The performances have been slowly going the right way in some ways and it has been fine margins that have cost us points. Not being totally outplayed or outclassed for 90 minutes. TL;DR - Squad has gone a bit stale. Teams have figured us out. Individual fuck ups the last few games have cost us just as much as the balance of the side. I think Howe needs to change the midfield set up. I think he is more than capable of doing so based on how detailed he is and he could tinker and come up with a more balanced side. But perhaps, and this is a total guess. He is stubborn and has a approach similar to Klopp regarding his plan A. Something like 'if plan A isn't working. Then we need to work harder' or words to that effect.

I said I wouldn't single players out in another thread. But I thought he was anonymous yesterday. As were most of the midfield when it came to controlling the game, TBF. I would wager around 2/3 of our possession, comes from almost pointless passing across the back in our own half. Joelinton and Tonali get shoved out wide or bombing up the pitch, almost marking themselves out of the game. It can't be their own doing. The flat 3 has been found out and is getting exposed time and again on and off the ball. FWIW, I don't think we are particularly better or worse with Longstaff and he is far from the answer. The problems still exist and then we have someone worse on the ball. But is perhaps more involved? So no real gain there, IMO. I thought last season it was mainly due to the injuries, fatigue and having an injured Longstaff and a not Premier League ready Lewis Miley often forming part of the 3. But it runs deeper than that. Time to tinker with the set up please, Eddie.

The in form Isak of last season has 4 goals in his last 2 games. Seems to have lost his ruthless, ice man streak.

It is mad that the stats were quite similar in terms of possession and number of passes. As I felt like most of ours was meaningless possession and the slow passing around across the back 3-4, with Bruno often showing for it whilst being marked by a player or two. With everyone else fucked off up the pitch and not really offering anything at all. It is becoming a real problem. I haven't seen decent highlights back. The Sky ones show fuck all. But I thought they were below par and there for the taking during large spells of the game. Yet unfortunately for us, so were we and at the same time wasteful/unlucky in the big moments, again. Was it Colwill that headed one out from right under his own bar and then sort of cleared Isak's header off the line not long after? Isak deciding to try and skin half their team instead of trying to sneak one in on his left or play it to Longstaff or Joelinton was another massive moment. Not sure our performances earlier in the season deserved much. Yet we were picking up points. We now have 2 points from 15 available, which could easily be 8 and probably should be based on the last 3 games. I think the performances are actually slowly trending in the right direction. But still some glaring issues that Howe seems too stubborn or incapable of fixing with the players available. The building from the back is still lacking, the huge space between the back 4 and the midfield is still there, the CB pressing tactic with immobile CB's, the inability to sustain attacks or create decent chances on a more regular basis and the truly awful set pieces. Nobody played particularly well bar Hall and Livramento (as a 1 on 1 defender, fairly poor on the ball again). Hall probably MOTM, for me. Joelinton put his usual shift in. But was pretty bad getting caught in possession a few times which I think marks him down.

Watching their highlights from yesterday. It almost seems harsh to sack him after that. But he's been a dead man walking for ages. Horrendous from the board to keep him on after last season and the summer where they couldn't find anyone. So he sort just ended up staying by default. The fact they have continually backed him in the transfer market. Spending eye watering amounts on what look like his choices and overall, over-paying for bang average players. Is absolutely mental! They'll improve, I'm sure. So it's a bit annoying. I was hoping he would hang around all season.

I'm sure Ashworth would love to work with him again and vice versa

Yet the 2 games recently where this place seemed to have people losing their minds and get more down in the dumps about losing him. Saw him playing as a 10 and putting in stellar performances. Perhaps more to do with those games being televised. But I never saw him in other games or on highlights and thought ‘we really miss him.’ I don’t think the complaints were quite so loud, either. Then the last two games. He looked like one of the best, if not the best player on the pitch in a bit of a free role. Either way. I still think he was positionless in our system and was fairly average to poor in our flat midfield 3. Although not many are excelling in that midfield setup this season, either. But that’s a different conversation….. You obviously watch Forest a lot more than me.

I thought everyone bar Hall was between average to bad to shite yesterday. So not sure I’m even going to single anyone out. I was stood next to his Dad in the away end. Which I only realised after half time. Unsurprisingly, as Dan always seems so sound. He was a really nice bloke.

The ref was atrocious. Flipped between giving every niggly foul to letting everything go no matter how blatant at the drop of a hat. Like the same challenge 30 seconds apart. One would be a foul. The other play on His interpretation of advantage and when he was calling things back or not. The players genuinely seemed confused about what he was giving or not giving most the game.

Ah. So you’re moving the goalposts now? Gibbs-White has been out and he has played as a 10 in those games. The last 2, at least. Played wide a bit, as well this season. Which was always a better position for him than in the midfield 3 here IMO. But never got the chance on the left much due to our options. I think he was pretty bad in the midfield deeper for us, even.

Still not very good at building play from the back. Which has been a bit of a feature under Howe. Still think his subs feel a bit pre-planned. Thought we played in snatches today. Some awful individual errors, decisions and maybe some bigger picture stuff that isn’t ideal. But everyone thought we’d get pumped. Yet we were still in it right up to the last. Is he perfect, no. Does he still have my backing and do I think he is the best man for the job?! 100%.

You SHOULD watch games more closely. BELLEND.

Yes. Let’s judge on 3 games against Chelsea x 2 and Arsenal in a week Why pretend you’re anything other than ‘Howe Out’™️ and like you’re going to be balanced and fair when it comes to him? We all know you’re not a fan. Unless we get absolutely battered in all 3 games and it appears like the players have suddenly downed tools. What can be gained from using this week as some sort of guide and not the 100 odd games before? The same way that if we somehow won all 3. That doesn’t mean the issues around how we play at times have gone away and we’ve suddenly turned the corner and everything is rosey.

I was in the away end for the ‘Ryan Taylor, Over The Wall’ derby. Absolutely mad scenes. Think that’s the one where matey flips over the rail near the front

Are we genuinely any better or worse when it comes to supporting/griefing players than other fans? Maybe we are a bit more impatient than some of the top clubs, as we’ve gone so long without winning anything. Bit I see it mentioned a lot and it just seems a moan for moaning’s sake. I feel like he got plenty of support and played quite a lot when he first came in. He then became a bit-part player. Sheff Weds was when it really turned and felt like that was it for him and the fans. I do still think he was scapegoated in that game, though.

Them being fucked financially has worked in their favour. Back to playing the kids. Flick has been brilliant for that group of players based on the few games I’ve seen this season.

*not doing the business at that point. Well aware he had a good record for them otherwise. I think I remember pointing to his goal return as a reason to be positive about the signing. That worked out well

I could picture his face from his voice. Used to always be on Revista on Sky. But had forgotten his name. Not wrong on Karanka. Like a disgruntled speed rap verse every time he opened his mouth.

I have to say. I quite like this commentary setup. One over-excited English bloke. Chilled as fuck Spanish geezer on co-comms and another random Spanish fella who seems to just chime in with confused sounding sentences now and then. Like everything is a question

Even last season when he was a big moments player and their talisman. I’d often watch them in the CL and he’d be anonymous for most the game.

Absolute bloodbath

There goes the unbeaten run for Madrid. The horrible pack of cunts.