Nine

Longstaff was also a mainstay in the 4th season and was a massive part of the team last year, playing through injury while everyone else was already injured. Longstaff fit in very well with press. All of that is now irrelevant though, as system and style have changed. And we have been poor, you can’t really argue that. But putting that down to Tonali starting over Longstaff is just silly as there is way more going on than that. The sample size of Tonali and the variables with the rest of the team/system changes make this debate a non starter.

It’s to early for this conversation either way, Tonali has been in a team that is generally playing poorly all round. And to make the point, the ball he played for Isak vs Brighton. Not sure I’ve ever seen Longstaff show that.

Been my top RW choice since summer 23 but with our clear change in style I’m not as convinced now. He’d still be a massive upgrade there obviously. Olise would have been the perfect signing.

It’s way too early to say things like Sunderland are definitely going up, so much football left to play and so much that can go wrong for them. They’ve only had this manager since the summer as well havnt they?

As amazing as it would be big signings don’t usually happen in January, I’d take just one quality addition at the moment. I doubt we see the RW we need though.

No, our long term LB future is with Hall. He won’t revert tactics now and ditch Hall, adapting styles to a more possession based game is the next step of the evolution Howe has talked about. Trippier will eventually be phased out and Hall will become the focal point of the build up of our wide attacking play. Although, I’m not convinced we currently have the right squad to execute the new style effectively. But he won’t drop Hall for Burn there now.

I feel he will be, my point was he is not really comparable to Trippier as he is much more of ball carrier. Olise for example in front of him would have been incredible, we need a creative player in front of him on that side now.

Hall was the long term Trippier replacement, I think that’s fairly obvious now. The left side will be our most progressive side going forward, with Livramento being a more defensive full back offering that balance on the right. Signing a new RW will be the key to retaining the danger we offered from the right, but danger in a different way than it was before. Hall is essentially the closest thing we have to Trippier and he will offer the big progressive passing numbers just from the opposite side of the field.

We could have won this so easily

It’s not just down to the manager, they were years ahead of us in terms of infrastructure

Welbeck did what Isak didn’t

There’s also a fair chance that Howe is using Mintehs name politically, don’t read into it to much either way. Hes gone so let’s at least try and move on

Moyes back in

Hes a solid player for any PL side that use the right system. We got the most out of a lot of our more technically limited players by using brute force, the focus was on physicality and Longstaff did well at it. He shown he’s a pretty intelligent player to. He functions well in a pressing side on the front foot. He’d look poor in possession based sides but he’s not a poor player. It’s not worth selling him from a financial perspective, and he’s not worth replacing for the cost. I think people often overlook how important players like him are to have around the team as well, a local lad who’s content with being in the squad. It counts for a lot.

Can’t wait to hear McClarens Jamaican accent

Yeah, I made this point after the Greece game. I think for any of those nations they would have given him the chance at least.

I get your point, and yes we don’t exactly have a talented crop of English options available. However if we want the possibility of quick success with an appointment like Tuchel then it’s important to drop the ego and make the best choice for the side, regardless of his nationality.

Only England could go from a potential Lee Carsley appointment to Thomas Tuchel, and then have the fans twist that he was born in the wrong country.

That’s a stretch although I’d agree to an extent. Toxic doesn’t necessarily mean no patience is involved, but im specifically referring to the toxic relationship with your ownership.

They’ve just given a pretty toxic fanbase one of the biggest sticks possible to beat them with

Bet he can’t wait to work with Ashworth again

I’m confused, that’s a really bizarre comparison

Tuchel would have so many more attractive offers if he’s patient

Don’t let the media mind fuck you over this, after last night Howe to England was free clicks.

Yeah, agreed. That’s not his game. We lose so much passing progression on our right hand side without Trippier, Livra is defensively solid but he’s not a technically natural attacking full back. We arnt deploying a full bore press anymore so technical and creative quality in wide areas is more important than before, we are just lacking in this regard especially without Trippier. Luckily Hall is progressive on the other side. I’ve mentioned it before, but you get the most out of players like Tonali and Livramento in a press. Two players that seemed to be signed for the style that we don’t seem to want to use anymore.. not saying we can’t still get very good use out of these players because we are able to adapt and will do so.