Oregon_Geordie

2 hours ago, TBG said:

 

It's like these two videos in the past two months never happened.

 

 

Not that he had any credibility to begin with, but he should've retired after his predictions for Haaland.

Can't stomach that plum!

4 hours ago, Kanji said:

bang on for me too. Id be doing that versus Brentford. Gordon and Isak can really rotate a ton with that too. Id play Hall left back with that as well. Need his ability on the ball as a playmaker. 

This. + Hall.

6 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

Yeah, definitely but at the same time I can totally understand why we did it, it’s like for like, Barnes will end up with more goal contributions than ASM and it looks great on paper. 
 

Upon further inspection the flaws do emerge though ASM also gives intangible benefits such as forcing the whole defence onto his side creating space for miggy and Trips and obviously the funds could have been deployed on a centre half, a DM or a RW to arguably better effect. 

I agree vs Maxi, I actually think Barnes is the better wide forward in regards to goals and finishing. But Gordon seems the better fit in terms of covering back for Burn.

Hopefully, we can find the right balance and get a few wins, once the fixture list is a little kinder.

What are your thoughts on Hall starting? Personally, I'd be starting him asap. It's an exciting thought, him and Gordon combining. What I remember of him at Chelsea, he had a tremendous cross on him.

1 minute ago, r0cafella said:

Yeah, and this highlights another potential issue with our recruitment this summer, I think Barnes is going to be really good for us but I’m not sure he was needed given we have Gordon, Bog Joe and Isak to fill that role. 
 

Maybe the recruitment we did this summer would have been better in a FFP free world, given our starting 11 still has some significant weakness. 

Totally agree, it never felt like we needed another left winger tbh. Right yes, but anyway we have what we have and hopefully we'll turn the corner against Brentford and gain some confidence.

3 hours ago, KaKa said:

 

Bruno needs more support in the deeper position, especially defensively.

 

As others have suggested a double pivot with Tonali I think would help a lot, and we need to then have Joelinton play a bit further up and closer to the striker and to not be as involved in the deeper build up moves because he is not as good as that at all.

 

I'd try more of a 4-2-3-1 setup with the same personnel as a starting point perhaps.

Starting to think Joelinton is better on the left tbh, but. much of that was how he linked with Willock and covers Burn. And we have about 4 potential left-wingers right now in Isak, Barnes, Gordon, Anderson, and Big Joe.

To the point raised, maybe a double pivot with Tonali and Bruno and then Gordon or Isak in the 10 role behind Wilson?. Barnes/Joelinton left. I trust Eddie will sort it out, 

Anyone wanting him out needs a word.

Interesting data from today. Bruno lost possession 8 times, Tonali 9, and Joe 6 (obviously only played 50-odd mins)

Clearly, Bruno was the single pivot and Tonali was far more advanced. Joe doing a bit of everything.

No real conclusion to this other than, is Tonali doing enough defensively?

Let's see, hopefully that's the case. 

1 minute ago, Kid Icarus said:

Hope is barely a journalist let alone a pundit. Weird bloke 

Agree, usually despise the bloke but agree with a lot of the points he makes there. But hey ho, everything is fucking magic because he said otherwise.
The Midfield balance is completely imbalanced -  in my opinion course  - It's neither supporting the attack nor shielding the defense. Villa also had a hateful of chances btw.

Like I said I don't want Eddie out and I love both Bruno and Tonali but it's not working in the middle, it needs a rethink or a change in tactics.

Well, they can't seem to in the current setup. But I guess the midfield is not the problem...

On the money in my opinion.

Sorry if already posted.

Has to play with Wilson.

Average, not the quality needed now. Good lad but very limited, far from an athlete also.

The last person I'd be dropping would be Trippier. 

As a stand-alone window 7. What we actually needed (in my eyes) 3.

But still with Eddie and the boys!

FFS. 

5 minutes ago, madras said:

I'm not even sure he was "the" deepest lying. Seemed like they tried to rotate it and none of them got it right and for what it's worth him being the deepest lying worked for a season and a half.

He has zero recovery pace in that position and now we're being picked off in the pocket every game. Last year, we had Sean Longstaff and Joelinton chasing back to cover.

To my point, Tonali seemed to be asked to not concentrate on coming back as much and Big Joe was not there physically today to bail him out.

Someone has to sit. For me, Tonali should, at least he has a turn of pace!

Feels like it's impossible to criticize a few of our players on here, yes I love Bruno, but he's been 6/10 since last Christmas and very very slow.

Said from day one, an amazing footballer but not an athlete. Asking him to be your deepest MF is not working, once a player gets the wrong side he will never catch them. 

None of our three today wanted to run back, unusual for Big Joe, Tonali seemed to be the most attacking and Joe was fucked, so why play him. The mix is all to pot! That's Howe - and no I don't want him gone.

This season is not a reward to last year's team, it's a new season. Earn it! Maybe all the Champions League and Amazon talk, and a few have dropped their levels.

I'll recap what I said in a few of the other posts.

Missing Willock or a player that can break the lines and connect midfield to attack.

He used to bridge Joelnton, the wing, Isak, and everything we are not doing right now.

Not sure Bruno and Tonali are that greatly suited, feels like Bruno wants to dictate the ball, but he has to be the deepest. He's also the least mobile of the three when we are countered. Tonali as a more orthodox six?

We've been quite pedestrian and very predictable, our patterns of play are obvious.

Prefer Isak to be more involved in the game and he's isolated up top with this midfield.

Miggy is on borrowed time, as is Burn, who was Sunday league level today, and I love the bloke.

Lastly, I do question our business this summer, not sure we are/were in a position to be blowing money on subs. The first 11 should be strengthened and the relegated guys make the bench.

Fingers crossed Eddie gets to the bottom of this, Some of the players look a little lost with what's being asked of them and the intensity has definitely dropped off.

Onwards and upwards!

The worrying thing is the 150 million we spent, only one starter, and still have not solved the issues we had. Starting Left Back, right wing upgrade.  No DM either.

Just now, simonsays said:

He's been better than Bruno and Joelinton

He looks lost. But so do the other 2. Feels like it's being forced right now. All too static and one-dimensional.

Just now, Flip said:

Team feels disconnected. Burn looks shite at CB, Joao Pedro all over Schär, Trippier and Targett having to handle to good wingers. Think Bruno (seems like theres no movement around when hes on the ball) and Tonali have tried to make stuff happen, but Isak can’t put a finish away and our wingers are staying out wide offering absolutely nothing. Big Joe trying the box to box role and could’ve had a goal but otherwise looking like a ghost out there. 
 

I’d take the wingers off and try Barnes on the right and Isak left. Don’t feel we can remove a midfielder right now, but taking Big Joe off would certainly be an option as well.

 

 

Get Isak wide left, agree. Wilson on. Anyone else on the right and Anderson on for Joe. Tell Tonali to sit.

Just now, mighty__mag said:

I'm struggling to understand what adding Tonali to the midfield offers? 

 

Don't get this wrong, I'm in no way questioning Tonali's ability or him as a player, but as the next piece to our puzzle, it's not looking like the piece that fits, one of those three needs to be the keys to the door, yet all three sit off and do the same role.

 

 

totally agree. Feels very similar to Bruno to me. 

1 minute ago, KaKa said:

Tonali sees the game in a completely different way to the rest of the team. 

 

Plays with so much more urgency and tempo, and no one else is alert enough to it.

 

Until they get used to playing with him it's going to be very hit and miss.

Going forward, I agree. He's a little soft and slow in running back though. Half arsed blocking the shot and not busting a gut to get back a few times. No idea who is being asked to do what here in our midfield. Their all cancelling each other out.

Pretty poor. the midfield is too linear and pedestrian. Missing Willock BIG time. 

Gets some of the younger lads on. Bruno and Joe have been poor again. I love Burn but he's shaky.

Bang average. 

4 hours ago, Cort said:

Wasn't this released worldwide yesterday?

Amazon say it's not available in my location, and they have finally come to grips with stopping me watch with a VPN which was not an issue before.

I watched it each week via a VPN, just switched the amazon to UK....under language. Decent stuff.

Just got in from Work, Everyone talking about who we got. Then I see it!!!

Wow, amazing, that's what you want, big games, big stadiums and it puts us on the map.

Nothing to shit the bed about, let's have a go. Just don't put Burn on Mbappe

Exciting times!