Smal

Games like this would be so much easier if we had two full backs that actually carry a threat going forwards. Get Yedlin on.

Great finish tbf although looks like Elliot could've done better.

Pretty sure it's impossible to tackle Moussa Dembele. Kante can't even get it off him.

how

Interesting to see him play more of an all out 4-4-2 today. Thought it worked well with Perez/Mitrovic.

Colback had to make the foul, but he should never have got himself in a position where he had to do something like that. He's too slow and doesn't anticipate play. Complete contrast to Hayden's performance tonight.

Good performance tonight, like. Very unlucky not to win handsomely. That defending for their goal though. Jesus fucking christ.

Lascelles is utter shite

Need someone who can thread a pass playing where AOC was playing and I think we'll be ok. He wasn't creative enough. Shelvey probably would've looked better there.

At what point do you start describing a player as "experienced"? Clark is 27 and has made almost 200 senior appearances now.

Mine too. Yep. Never looked in trouble at any point.

His sort of game, that. Perfect Rafa performance

Pretty unlucky to concede a goal, really. Fantastic defensive performance.

Shit bobbly pitch probably suits us more than them.

Our pass completion rate must be about 30%

Lascelles with the flair

Amazing

Exactly. You don't play certain forwards to cope with the opposition defenders. It's the other way round if anything.

Hennessey re-cementing himself as one of the worst keepers the league has ever seen

Somebody needs to get their foot on it and just pass it to their fucking teammates for a bit. This is sloppy as fuck.

Ritchie is so angry all the time

Would tend to agree with this. Not excusing the two horrendous decisions he made, but simply by getting into the position to actually do something he had a better game than the likes of Gouffran and Murphy, who did the square root of fuck all.

Wouldn't see some of this shit in Sunday league

Everybody's played pretty shit like. Murphy's never been in the right positions, no pace out wide, Hayden's doing his best Colback impression...

I still think it's likely that the mental and physical stress of him being heavily relied on for the past few years is probably the main reason he's regressed as much. He's played in practically every game for the past three years in a struggling team and he's still only 23. There's no question about his ability imo, but I don't know what the answer is to get him performing again.