qwertyell

He started against Brighton (LB, w 2-0), Fulham (CB, w 1-0), Man United (LB, d 1-1) and Bournemouth (all the positions in the world, L 1-3) As disastrous signings go, he's been handy enough. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

For what it's worth, Danso was pretty good for Austria at the Euro U21 finals in the summer, while Tomori struggled at CB for England. One of them is now a starting CB for a Champions League club and has just been called up for the seniors. I wouldn't write anyone off on the back of a few poor outings for the kids. (Hudson-Odoi and Foden are miles above that level, to be honest. It's a bit unfair. They're better than some of the players picked ahead of them in the seniors.) Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

That'll be a morale booster for the lad. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Can we dig into our Red Bull links again and get whoever recruits for Salzburg? They're doing a hell of a job. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

And our new star striker can't score (or do much, frankly). Happy days. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

He's been hidden in a back five whenever he's supposedly played well. In a back four, he's looked garbage. No pace, doesn't mark properly, loose in possession. Obviously the caveat is that our defence has been horribly exposed time and again by a midfield that isn't fit for purpose - either going forward or tracking back - and I think lots of functional centre backs would struggle when having to face three on three counter attacks repeatedly. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

No we don't. Our midfield of Romeu, Hojbjerg and Ward-Prowse doesn't have a lick of pace between them. Once you break the press, that's it - the middle of the park is wide open and the triumvirate of slugs can't get back. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

The way we're playing, we'll lose them all - but beat Everton at home, naturally. It's all going a bit Pellegrino. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

I mean, that's total horse crap - he was terrific for Norwich on loan in the Championship two seasons ago and has represented England right through the age groups. Sometimes there's a middle ground between being a good young player going through a difficult spell of form and being a non league no hoper who should learn another trade. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

There'll be no youthful pep from Slattery - he's just the latest in a line of plodding midfielders who can't run for toffee. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

We're in trouble, chaps. Measuring ourselves against the likes of Chelsea isn't really an accurate representation of where we're at, but our glaring basic shortcomings will be exploited by anyone. The midfield can't run and get killed in transition every time, unable to get back and protect an absolute clown show of a defence and a keeper who appears to be a hologram. Chelsea aren't even playing well. Tomori's having a nightmare. Grim. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

They've been "resting" Giroud all season. Tammy Abraham is their first choice striker now. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

That'd be 12 points by the end of November. Hughes was sacked with 9 points by the end of November. Progress... ? Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

And we couldn't create a single chance from open play against their 10 men. Lol indeed... Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

It's a bleak situation. We've only got three senior central midfielders in a team that usually plays three central midfielders. There's no wiggle room for the manager - if they're fit, they play. But Romeu, Hojbjerg and Ward-Prowse don't compliment each other at all. None of them can pass the ball forwards, so we have no creativity from the midfield at all. And none of them can run - they're consistently five yards behind the play in both boxes; can't supplement the attack with late runs into dangerous positions, can't track back when the opposition counters. They just plod around in no man's land as the game goes on around them. It's a big problem, and it's only going to get worse as injuries and suspensions come along. Imagine having to play Slattery, Smallbone and Armstrong as a three! I can't see how the club won't move for someone in January - there was no point getting Lemina and Reed off the wage bill if it was going to leave us with only the bare bones of a barely functional midfield. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Scored more goals this season than our new star striker. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Actually they planned excellently for Maguire's inevitable departure by signing two highly rated young centre backs the previous summer (Soyuncu and Benkovic) and letting them acclimatise to a new country and league under the radar for a year. It's worked out swimmingly. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Imagine getting caught in a three on three when playing against ten men... Hojbjerg taking himself out of the game because he didn't fancy running back was disgraceful. Once again, a midfield without a shred of mobility haunts us. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Wow! That's... I can barely believe I've seen such a goalkeeping howler. Thanks, Hugo - what a mental gift. Game on, I guess. (Go to a back four at h/t, please, put a proper RB on - Prowse is getting rinsed) Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Twice in two minutes Ndombele was in behind our plodding midfield. Shot went through the ghost of Angus Gunn. Frustrating - we've not been bad. But we've got so many exploitable weaknesses, it's only a matter of time before it all goes to crap. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

I think we'll play a back five. Newcastle won there a few weeks ago by simply clogging up the middle. Tottenham don't want to get wide and put in crosses. Poch loves his side to side and back again football - but played by a team low on confidence and seemingly energy (surprisingly they're one of the worst pressing outfits in the league these days - very un-Poch), it's not that hard to deal with. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

And if we hadn't played for 60 minutes against 10 men at Brighton and Sheffield United hadn't been wrongly denied a penalty we'd be in the bottom three. If, if, if. We're a pretty poor side just about scraping by - so far. I don't see any reason to think that won't remain the case for the foreseeable future. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Ah well, we've won our cup final. Time to concentrate on staying in the league. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

They wouldn't have overruled him anyway, so what's the point (other than to draw lines over a still image to "prove" someone offside by a nose hair)? Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Unfortunately that's a common theme. He works really hard, but he's pretty poor on the ball and he doesn't get into goalscoring positions. If he was missing loads of chances at least we could be optimistic that the goals will come eventually, but he's rarely anywhere to be seen when the ball drops in the box. Not an encouraging start... Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk