Dr Jinx

He’s heading in the right direction and to be honest one of the only positives we can really take from the game aside from Darlow having his best game for us.

Debating line ups or formations is a waste of time. The point is that we have some half decent players and we are just devoid of confidence. We haven’t a notion what we’re supposed to do to either stop them coming at us, or what to do when we have the ball. It’s totally irrelevant who we’re playing to be honest. 80% of premier league teams are decent, some better than others. The manager just hasn’t a a clue.

I think there lies the problem, Steve Bruce hasn’t a clue what his best 11 is or his best formation. It’s pick and hope for the best. We can agree that the squad is better than what Rafa ever had, yet if he was still here he’d have the whole thing analysed. Down to a tee. What Rafa also knows which pisses many of us off is that the team might be better without one or two of our so called best players in the starting 11. For example, ASM would have huge problems keeping his place. I don’t think any of us have a clue what the best 11 is as we’ll probably never see it while he perseveres with certain players.

I’m not overly concerned about Lamptey, Chelsea couldn’t cope with him either and were lucky to get a result in that game.. highly flattering score line. Am definitely more concerned about the midfield and the defence. Lascelles needs to be doing better and lead by example.

The midfield is a huge problem. Hayden is the only one who can say he has a clear job to do which he actually does. Not sure what Hendrick is supposed to be or where he’s supposed to play. So far he’s played on the left and the right wing! The Longstaffs are broken.. And Shelvey.. well the bronze statue comment sums him up perfectly. There’s no option or combination there that’s not riddles with problems.

Trying to pick up positives from the game, which is difficult.. Might bring about team selection changes that otherwise might have taken an extra few weeks for the penny to drop? That’s about it really..

Absolute garbage today. I’m glad Mike Ashley is watching in person. Like man for man we should be competing with these but we’re a million miles off them in tactics and organisation. Clearly a management/coaching issue. If we pick up enough points to survive this season it will be only because there are 3 or 4 teams worse than us.

They should pick up Lamptey as he’s coming back into the changing room, like physically just pick him up and lock him in the drugs testing room. If they ask where he is we can just pretend he never existed.

You would be correct.

No I’m not saying that, I just would like to see him played in a position and to his strengths, being in the same starting 11 as Wilson, Fraser, ASM etc.. players who will make runs and create space for him. Just lumping the ball up to him or hoofing it into the channels and expecting him to do something with it is not fair on the lad. I think the way ASM, Almiron or even Fraser play, they’ll need to be rotated to keep them injury free so there’s definitely a place for the lad.

There’s a decent YouTube video explaining his lack of goals and it makes perfect sense. He shone in a team playing a high pressing game. Actually did his best work playing in a 2 up front. You have to blame the scouting for this one, he’s clearly a good player doing what he’s good at which is precisely why the scouts recommended him. But completely ignoring that we’d never be set up in the same way as Hoffenheim and in keeping mostly the same set up as what Rafa had, we’d be struggling to get 30% possession in games. It’s absolute madness that the coaching setup and scouts are so out of sync to have missed something like that? I think he’s been thrown under the bus

Does . not . compute I shall simplify. Playing with the likes of ASM, Wilson, Fraser and or Almiron around him. Especially Wilson.. I still think he can come good.. just needs to be given a chance with the best players around him. So, try this.. if it doesn’t work then we’ll know 100%.

24 ? His career is quickly going down the toilet. On his second loan spell with a lower La Liga club. Doesn’t appear to be showing any sort of ambition to be playing to his ability. *edit - lower as in mid table before the nit pickers nit pick

A general consensus is beginning to form I see, and yeah could well be right. He’s not doing himself any favours in the chances he’s getting. I would however like to see him play in our strongest side, as part of it, not coming on to replace someone who’s doing a good job. At least give him that chance before he’s flogged off somewhere. A sort of no.10 role, either centre, left or right. Just see what he can do on the ball when there are other players running ahead of him creating space. He’s not a hold up player..

I thought he had a few decent touches and was always looking to bring others into it, especially on the left. Was it Shelvey he set up? Remember thinking he should have done better with the shot.

Krafth is dogshit but that’s our worst position generally. The last decent right back we had was Habib Beye, unless I’m missing someone obvious. Manquillo for all his improvement is still poor by comparison to actual decent RB’s

Havertz looked poor but as mentioned before he’s only trained for a week. Not a good first impression though. Chelsea didn’t look great generally, Kante doesn’t look the same player at all. They’re a mess at the back.

Murphy is in for Atsu. Fair enough.

?

It’s not Mike Ashley, or Steve Wraith. They don’t have the personality to pull something like that off. It’s someone close to the club but who might have a little disdain for the owner. It’s a supporter for sure. There was a joke about Cisse being offside recently, you’d have to know like.. I’m going with Lee Marshall.

It was a decent debut, but let’s not get carried away either. We’ve been rank in the midfield for a long long time. That an average midfielder (not an insult btw!, to be an average midfielder in the premier league you have obviously got to be decent) like Hendrick can walk into the team and look like one of the better players just highlights how weak we’ve been.

You want to be winning to keep the feel good factor. Even if he plays 2 or 3 of the current first team, a loss would effect them. It’s so stupid having cup games so early.. Play the strongest side and make subs once the job is done. Blackburn are by no means a foregone conclusion though, anything other than full effort and we’re out, again.

Newcastle Online goes gay for Callum ? A big gay pile. That’s what this thread has become.

They could well be on 0 points by November.