Mole

Yeah that's my thoughts too, like obviously just qualifying is enough to say they have something about them. I don't think they are complete mugs and they've got results against genuinely good teams. But there were moments in the first half where I would see gigantic space for our midfielders to pass into that just cannot happen. I'm pretty sure even if set up more passively there would have been issues because how they positioned themselves as a unit was pretty bad. I think when you come from a much smaller country with limited resources you're going to have limitations you can't really account for, it just so happens we were tailor made to abuse those limitations.

I said this in the match thread during the game, but I'm pretty convinced Championship teams would limit space to pass into way better It's been a while since I saw a team be so open. Like I'm sure they do some things well enough at this level to actually qualify for this stage of the competition, but their awareness of space and how to limit it was outrageously bad.

Getting people around him has always been the key for me, in general the midfield to attack has felt far too disjointed most of the season. I don't particularly care how you achieve it, can be a 9 or 10 but getting the team to function as a unit is what's important. It's not only a waste of his talents to fail to do so but quite frankly it also hurts everyone around him too.

Yeah I get Trippier is the captain and all but honestly I think he's overreacted here. Don't think Gordon has really done anything wrong here.

I would say that the ones who a booking from suspension should intentionally get booked to use it up in the second leg. But like I'm not sure there's going to be an instance of them actually forcing a tackle for that to happen

Like I've never seen them play before but the wide open spaces for passing angles has been eye opening to me. I genuinely didn't think teams were this open anymore

Based on tonight I don't really know how! But good for them.

These are so bad I get a European team not from the obvious nations being overwhelmed physically but the passing angles is wide open every time we go forward. This is basically going to be as much as we want it to be.

The sort of petty I would support is bringing them on and playing them in outfield positions.

I actually think it makes sense, just because of the press. If there's one thing Gordon does really well in that position it's closing defenders down. I don't hate the idea of Gordon in a central position IF someone is next to him as much as humanly possible. If he's alone and isolated it's obviously dogshit.

Don't see a reason for that tbh, so far behind in the league that if anything the two cups should be the focus.

I haven't watched the game but I honestly think 4231 is for the best regardless of whether he plays behind a striker or as the striker himself. Don't feel like 433 works for him or at least it doesn't with the profile of players we have, maybe it would with very different options but that would require some major surgery that the current rules definitely don't allow for.

Makes sense actually, I really think having Miley and Hall helps the transition from defence to attack a lot more than when it was tried super early in the season too.

I'm pretty sure the system they played against PSG was specifically designed for that opponent and I doubt it's something we'll see all that often. We'll see though, maybe I'm wrong.

My issue with him most of the season is that it seemed to be playing within himself and not asserting himself enough. Idk if it's confidence in his body or what the reason was but much better recently and hopefully he keeps it up. Been quite vocal about how most of the midfield need to step up (as do the wingers except Barnes) and it would be very helpful if he can be a consistent performer.

March is way too early for that to happen I fear. Towards the beginning of May or end of April and it might happen, the extra month or so of wear and tear absolutely matters. I think they'll still be relatively fresh by that time. (Well as much as you can be fresh after playing football for 7 months anyway)

I get why you would a different opponent but I feel like playing Barcelona in a KO setting is a very different experience than a one off game in September. Plus for anyone actually travelling for the away game, the weather will probably be pretty nice in March.

Since I started watching again this season I've had fun in moments but I don't recall getting as invested as that Barnes miss at the end. I really wanted that to go in, oh well. They played awesome though, play like that and they'll make it through the next round IMO.

I think I would prefer Gordon or Barnes to Willock in that role tbh. but fair enough. Like I said I mostly think it's fine, but omitting those two seems a strange one.

Looking at it 343 is what makes the most sense logically, honestly I don't really have an issue with it. Bruno is hurt, I haven't been following the build up too closely though so I might have missed something but is there a reason Barnes or Gordon isn't playing? That's really the only question mark I have, but I might have missed something.

Oh I don't disagree I just meant that both scenarios are bad IMO. Granted like everyone else I don't know what to say regarding no Miley

Even in a world where he was willing it still wouldn't be good solution to anything. Speaks to how bad the current wing situation is.

I think Brazilian links will have more credibility now Wilson is here, I have no doubt we'll be looking at some anyway. Whether this specific report is accurate is a different story but in a years time if there's no genuine offers put in for a Brazilian player I will be a bit surprised.

They have struggles targeting it 5 yards in front of themselves so that might be expecting a bit too much of the collective right now tbh I genuinely don't believe buying more strikers will solve anything until the build up phase gets better. Either Howe figures something out tactically that fixes things or they need a different profile of player. Or more than likely, both.

I think the middle and final thirds both need a lot of help for this team to be a consistent football team. We've been so lucky that so many teams have been inconsistent so we're still in touching distance but the reality is we're kind of a broken football team with zero symmetry. I see the same problems every single week. But I have hope that Woltemade and Wissa can be effective with the correct changes behind them.