Nine

Structure is a better outcome than I expected but still lacking so much

I actually think he’ll start Longstaff today

Such a shame that Isak is likely out of the same game that Rodri and KDB are, as no way does he start Osula here. I feel like we’ll lack structure today without a striker and the shape will suffer. Fortunately this is a game where we might have expected to have less of the ball anyway, so that could take the edge off. No doubt Eddie has had them working on it.

That’s the most honest interview he’s given here, no protecting anyone he just said it how it is. Think we’ll see a solid reaction tomorrow

It’s not just one player though is it, when the likes of Gordon, Bruno and Isak all look slack at the same time it runs a bit deeper than just a lack of effort from a single player

It was a Kluivert header, an absolute pinger from a corner early in the game iirc.

Being honest with ourselves, he would have wanted to go to Liverpool. Hes an ambitious character and will be hungry to win things, and then you consider he was offered to his boyhood club. It’s a no brainer and you’d be delusional if you told yourself he wasn’t interested. However, im not convinced the above is the sole reason for his current form. He’ll be aware that his reputation had peaked after last season and he was riding that wave going into the Euros, and he’ll just as aware that football is fickle and that he needs to keep to his previous standard to ensure he gets his big move. So I don’t think it’s a toys out of the pram case with him.. I think hes struggled just as every other player has. We are out of form as a side with no effective identity or structure on the pitch at the moment, we can isolate players like Gordon or Bruno and look for reasons why their form has dipped or you can take the team as a whole and say there’s no reason for anyone to be playing well right now. It needs sorting asap, because we have a tough run coming up and if we don’t pick it up the season could be dead sooner rather than later.

I predict Villa (A)

We don’t even possess a single reverse turnover press this season, let alone a triple

Pep will play a Kovacic - Gundogan double pivot for this with Rodri gone imo

No Rodri or De Bruyne is massive, as I’ve been saying since the start of the season I just want to see the performances get better and a result is a bonus. A really tough string of games are coming up, go into this run and play like we have and almost everyone will be sick to death by November.

Howe and Stavely clicked so well because they were happy for Howe to have a lot of control which suits him as he is a ‘club’ manager, it’s what he did at Bournemouth also. Mitchell coming in and the management revamp that saw Stavely and Mehrdad leave has curtailed Howes influence, and in the long term it will end up making the most sense as no top clubs are run by one man anymore. I’m not sure Howe will be able to get onboard and work with the likes of Mitchell and if he can’t then it’s best for everyone if he moves on, as if the club wants to really compete with the best then it can’t be moulded in the vision of the coach. And anyway, a lot of this hierarchy stuff will be media noise.. but it’s clear from things Howe has said that he’s not totally happy and he’s lost a degree of control. Not the end of the world, the real issue is what’s going on on the pitch.

Even with De Bruyne there is no guaranteed way to break down a low block that is as well drilled as this one If I was a City fan I’d be frustrated to see the players reluctant to shoot from range, Dias could have had 3/4 shots and just passes it square

City to start using range, they lack that killer in De Bruyne

The Grealish cosplayer booked

Pinger

Incredibly efficient, super unlucky he broke his foot early last season and Gordon ended up having the season he had or we could be talking about this guy being our starting player there.

I don’t think he’s had a great start this season, it’s early doors but hes looked an erratic mess at times. Just looks a bit off it really. The starting pair of him and Longstaff is a lot of industrious grit and substance, but not killer enough. Given everyone fit and available I feel our best midfield will end up as Tonali Bruno Willock.

Work to be done to make him effective enough to negate his defensive issues, because hes not a natural defender at all. Looks his best when we are on the front foot, I wonder if there is a view to him playing that sort of TAA role for us in future. He seems to fit that profile

If I was a wolves fan I’d be fuming

The poor performance and then pull a goal out of our arse method works

Say it again and again, Hall isn’t ready defensively to be a LB

Or not ready to play his role effectively in our system, doesn’t mean he’s shite

They were set up tactically poorly for the first 30 minutes, we didn’t capitalise.

They have set up badly against us, hopefully we take the advantage before half time