Smal

Still think we should get both Lodi and Targett.

Out of all the ones who need to be moved on he's the one I'll miss most. Always seemed a good sort.

I'm pretty sure 90% of the tactics come from Steve Holland, not Southgate. The ideas behind the tactical approach are sound. You could see it yesterday. We were trying to play like Conte's Chelsea did with constant switches of play to try and outnumber their full backs. It just didn't work. Primarily I would say because we aren't coached well enough, but also because Harry Maguire and Conor Coady are trash and very slow with the ball, Jarrod Bowen looked like he'd never played for England before (who knew), Declan Rice seemed to want to play in defence most of the game and James Justin and Mason Mount playing on the same side as two right-footers makes no sense. Kane also maybe drifts too much to the extent that he doesn't occupy the centre back enough. It makes far more sense to judge England when they're at full strength though, like when they're in tournament football. They've done pretty well there. edit: I mean look at this. Maguire is so bad with the ball that Rice basically decided he had to come and take the ball off him.

Why the fuck are they publishing articles like that, man.

I have no seen a second of Diaby play but I am very excited based purely on his fbref data Not much of a dribbler (unless there's a meg on): Doesn't make many passes but absolutely loves a thru ball: Should get goals and assists: Basically an antithesis to ASM . A nice balance between them.

Phillips would be tailor made for what I posted above. Not seen Diaby play. How's his work rate?

Most top teams build in a 3-2-5 formation now. It's the best way to attack a back four, because there are five channels that you can occupy. You can do it from a 4-3-3 (Liverpool with very high full backs), 4-2-3-1 (Man City, Arsenal with one full back advanced and the other making a back 3) or a back three with wing backs (Chelsea). If we're after Lodi (another attacking full back), it makes me think we're more likely to do it the Liverpool way with two very advanced full backs making up a front 5 alongside the front three, with a defensive midfielder dropping in to make a back 3 and a pivot ahead of them. It might look something like: It would also be pretty great for defending in a 4-4-2, which again is the defensive shape a lot of the top teams are using right now if they don't immediately win the ball back: So I'm thinking the three main priorities here are left back (Lodi), a DM (I don't think Bruno is particularly suited to the role in the above system. He likes to press) and a goalscoring right winger. We also need an understudy to Wilson. Not sure Paqueta fits in this hypothetical scenario really. Unless you were going to play him as a false 9 or something.

He’s not very smart.

Same. Burn has been good in most games but he's been a liability more often than Schar has. I'd be happy enough with them both starting next season anyway to be honest. The defence has been sound and, apart from two drubbings from Spurs and City, we've not conceded more than one goal in any of the previous 19 games. We need to score more goals. That (and a left back) is where the budget needs to go this summer imo.

Bruce pretty much enabled this bullshit by only training twice a week, like. What an utter fucking useless cunt he was.

Really harsh that he’s not in the England squad when we have 4 right backs and a right footed left back who has been poor since returning from long term injury in there.

Sissoko at his peak would be a very useful player in the PL for a counter attacking side. A pure transition player. No good for a possession team at all mind.

Probably because he spends his energy getting us up the pitch? Yesterday was a good example when he went off. None of our other forwards progress the ball forward.

Completed the 18th most sprints in the league this season which is pretty good for a lazy bastard.

There’s an element of truth to the January signings keeping us up though. Howe clearly needed a few players to fit how he wanted to play. We especially needed a left back and a left footed centre back. Ritchie, Clark and Lewis were costing us every game. We lost to Cambridge at home, couldn’t beat Brentford, Watford or Norwich at home etc. Of course I’m not saying it was all down to the signings but they were clearly a necessary part of how well Howe has done (and he has done amazingly well even with the signings playing out of their skins).

Yep, when Bruno plays at the base of a three he’s still ended up scoring a few goals. He doesn’t really sit as an anchor at all. He doesn’t need to because our CBs tend to play very aggressively and step into midfield to follow players and make challenges/interceptions. I would like Phillips so that Bruno can play higher, but if not I’m also very comfortable with Bruno at the base and having two forward runners in front of him.

Second half of the season. Two things: 1. We need more goals next season. 2. Shipping 5 against both Spurs and Man City kind of skews the numbers a bit. We’ve been excellent defensively. We’ve not conceded more than one in any of the other 17 games! Priority has to be forwards (and Targett) in the summer.

LET ME BE ANGRY

This is appalling man. These are shite and we're just letting them do what they want.

Wood is a waste of a shirt. Just let Cork run away from him for that chance. What's the point of him.

Only player who gets us up the pitch.

What on earth are we doing. Totally lost our control since the Wood sub.

Wood on for ASM seems like such a bad sub.

Fuck off.

Probably. Trippier has been trying but he definitely looks like he hasn't played much recently.