TheBrownBottle

Luckily offside. Does anyone ever feel confident that Dubravka won’t concede in those situations?

I’m guessing Barnes and Livramento on around 60 mins if it’s the same scoreline

Our goals to games ratio is going up. The issues causing us to concede are more likely to be fixed when players return

Sucker punch at the end there, thoroughly enjoyable game again though.

I’m enjoying the Newcastle who can attack mind

Wtf

Yes you handsome fucker

What do you mean, ‘lose his job’? He’s not exactly a facking set of car keys, is he?

The keeper is an issue too. We need Pope back desperately

As frustrating as it can be at times, it’s another entertaining game of football this.

I like the way he told the midfield to disappear and Dubravka to stand as if he was in birthing stirrups

Poor at the back from us that mind

I do think BDB should try to commit to a tackle quickly in those situations. He’s not catching the lad once he’s wriggled away

Yes! Absolute class that

You do, no argument there from me. Burn’s still ok vs a winger when he tucks and plays deeper - he’s not too bad 1 v 1 in all scenarios - the real problems arise when he pushes too far out. Anyone with pace then causes him no end of bother

Agreed re on here. A player or manager would have to seek it out, and if you’re going to get upset by anonymous posters on a football forum then you’re looking to be upset. Boils my piss when I’ve heard it at the match. Don’t see how it helps. They can target him when the protection of Willock / Joelinton is missing. Miley offers no support (just a kid, etc)

Bruno looks correctly paid to me - around the Maddison / Paqueta / Mac Allister etc bracket. Joelinton isn’t in that bracket.

Just thinking that. I’m getting increasingly irritated at the volleys at BDB. The lad gives 100%, and he’s one of us. If he’s out of form, that’s for the manager to pull him out of the side. He’s hardly picking himself.

We don’t have the personnel to play a 4-2-3-1. We don’t have an attacking midfield playmaker - a ‘10’. Tonali isn’t a deep lying midfielder, and Miley is lightweight there, looking better further forward but might as well not exist in front of the back four.

Ritchie and Manquillo were playing full back, not wing back. Ayoze and Almiron playing LM and RM makes it a 5-4-1, not a 5-2-3. They weren’t playing as proper wide forwards.

Just went back to check just in case I was misremembering, the PL official website lists the games I’ve looked at towards the end of 2018/19 as being a 5-4-1 formation. Looked at the games vs Fulham, Liverpool, Southampton, Leicester. Game vs Everton in Feb was a 3-4-3 like you said. I honestly don’t remember Benitez not playing 5-4-1 towards the end, though - I wouldn’t describe it as a 5-2-3.

Benitez played a 5-4-1

Because playing wingbacks and wingers defeats the entire point of playing wingbacks? You usually play wingbacks to allow for a three man midfield

Except the Italian clubs are tied to the same UEFA rules as English clubs, so they couldn’t bend over backwards to do that. It doesn’t matter, as it’ll be about as true as the Inter links which went on for a year or so.

Don’t worry I think he’s a wanker too