Sibierski

I said it in the build up that we should make changes because players do not warrant their safe position in side before cup final. And this is showing that.

Like that attack 2 mins ago sums him up. Tino plays it into him, and all he’s got on his mind is shift onto right and shoot, which is easily blocked and they counter. He has no craft to his game.

Barnes just a nothing winger. Wouldn’t rule out Howe hooking him first like he seems to do.

One thing I’ll back Tino, the times he has had it on left, there’s nothing there if he does knock and run. There’s no support from LCM, Barnes stays deep. So what’s the point? He went wide couple of times early on 2nd half and tried to cross, but the box is empty bar Isak.

Targett / Willock on at 60 mins for Tino / Joe. Krafth / Wilson on 80 for Trip / Isak. Longstaff for Tonali on 88. That’s my predicted subs 2nd half.

Pope.

We’ve got two left footers on the pitch, and both can’t kick it Makes it all very predictable and dull. 2nd half drop off with west ham being 5% better going to be laughable and painful.

Both CBs going for same ball. Shit stuff this.

Barnes over hit the pass, what’s he suppose to do, chase a lost cause?

Strongest XI and this is all we can produce against West Ham and still offer up chances to them. We just have such little threat out wide.

Only just made enough because it meant we sold a highly rated youngster in Anderson for essentially £15m. That's not a canny strategy, that was a scramble where we were always going to come out 2nd best.

B. Think he would start at every single club in league bar Man City (unless Pep switched Gvardiol to CB). He's everything you want in a modern full back, and still at the age where you can mould him to play how you want him to. Likes of Gordon / Bruno / Tonali / Isak are the ones that are attracted in media for lazy (and easy) links away. But someone coming in for major money in summer for Hall I could see happening. He's already at a top level and someone you can lock down a position for 8-10 seasons.

He is, but not this summer. No need for Palace to sell unless a big bid comes in, and if they want to raise funds, Guehi / Eze / Mateta will be ones higher up list due to contract. Think Liverpool may try a play though as they need another CM, but doubt it goes anywhere. Window to buy Wharton will be summer 2026 when he should then be pushing for one. May align well with us if that's the summer we cash in Bruno at his final value (which it should be for me, but that's a different thread).

But that's my point with Hall, he didn't come in because he was suddenly ready after months on training ground. Didn't go from one week not there, and next he's good to go. Botman ACL, Burn LCB, Trippier injury, Lascelles ACL, Krafth on ahead of him, Tino injury, then against Everton he had to start LB and rest is history. This season, Isak and Murphy are playing when available because it's worked. But there's a clear reluctance to change it up unless it's a seasoned pro, and only injuries will force that change. It's not dissimilar to some other clubs, like Hujsen only got his break because of Sensei injury. But if we're to sign more young players as a new route into the market, we need to play them early on more often. Which may come down to club backing Howe verbally behind closed doors, that if results dip it's fine, because that will happen with young players but he's the right coach to improve them long term and as a result, club moves forward.

Yea, it won't be a disaster and after International Break it's a clean run on League only, with it really still in our hands. But my god, we need a positive result to go into the cup final and at least stay where we are going into International break. We don't want to be down in 10th for it, want to be (if results go our way at weekend) 2 points off Chelsea with a game in hand.

What rating would people have giving Hall this time last season if this thread was made? Considering he had 104 mins of prem football to date, and his only start saw him come off at HT. Howe does improve players, but I think you can also argue that’s he too slow to bring players in.

Sounds like it could’ve been something that’s pushed back till summer, but then than may do longer term damage and he misses pre season. Better at young stage in career, miss 20% of season, get a full pre season and hit ground running. For him also, should see him called up to September international break too.

So that’s 0 goals in 840 mins essentially. Which 90% of that came for a truly woeful Sheff Utd side. Kluivert scored one goal in his first 700 or so mins when moving to Prem, and that was against said Sheff Utd side.

He’s played 65 mins of prem football this season, and they’ve all been in games where we’re either comfortably up so are sitting back, or comfortably behind and chasing shadows with little shape. Hard to impress in those situations. He’s shown useful rawness both last season for Sheff Utd and us in cups. If he can’t even get 1/10th of the minutes he got at Sheff Utd in league for us so far, it’s on the management for not trusting him more. Hall wasn’t a justification for being slowly eased in for me, when it was clear from day one he should’ve been starting LB because he offered way more than Burn in that position. Callum Wilson has played twice as many prem minutes than Osula this season ffs

D. Just because we’re not using him well as a squad player, doesn’t mean he can’t be that elsewhere. I know Hall is shown as a good light for developing under Howe, but if we don’t get injuries last season, he doesn’t come into team. Miley forced up due to injuries. Howe has shown he can improve young players so I just wish he had confidence (maybe even backing from club?) to play them more and not wait till hand is forced. Osula should be playing way more than he has and will need to be if we want to get Europe.

He just needs chances. Nah, he’s just shit.

What we could’ve had.

If we want Europe, there’s are games we have to win. Looking at our fixtures, it really ought to be 5 wins in a row. Then we play Villa away where they would’ve just played 2nd leg of UCL QF. It’s in our hands with favourable fixtures IMO. We fuck it up, there’s no excuses.

That’s over the top on TAA and a boring narrative. Not about Joelinton playing LW, it’s him covering defensively the left side and Isak attacking from inside left channel, with two strikers up top. Murphy the direct winger to get balls in, and two strikers that will be chomping at the service. Think Barnes will play himself out of starting contention Monday night, just not sold on him at all.

Taking out of rating thread, but thinking about this I don’t think I would be that against this, if it’s with a dropping into a 4-4-2 narrow shape out of possession. Our game plan will be all about closing off space central, and being in a position to counter. Having an extra striker for the CBs to worry about may be an approach that’s different to what we’ve tried and catch Liverpool off guard early on. GK Trippier - Schar - Burn - Tino Murphy - Tonali - Bruno - Joelinton Wilson - Isak Murphy got the energy / work rate to get up to support and back into shape. Joelinton the ground to stay central and get wide to support Tino and we can keep two strikers as goal scoring threats.