verlaine1979

Last three league games we've scored five goals, only one of which was in open play, and that from a Stones back pass/mistake. Only one goal from any of the midfield three in eleven league games this season (JWP against a dead-and-buried West Ham). I don't believe our failure to score more against Hull this afternoon had anything to do with tiredness, or unlucky/inept finishing - we have had a midfield creativity/goal scoring problem for several seasons now, and it wont get any better until certain inadequate players are dropped. Today we had Davis and Clasie as ostensible central midfielders, but how many times did they actually show up in the box when we were attacking? So many times today we had the ball wide, with only Austin in the box covered by two CBs. I see what both players bring in retention and recycling of possession, but popping the ball around in the middle third hoping to win on corners is going to lead to more results like today. I'd like to see Boufal in place of Davis & Hojbjerg in place of Clasie. Based on recent performances, I'm not sure we'd lose much defensively, while the gains in creativity and ball-carrying would be massive.

Unfortunately it's having cack like Davis behind them that is the reason we're not creating anything.

That's why it's not called 'controlling the game'.

Hmm, the usual suspects playing an awful lot of propaganda football at the moment.

We've got very little in the way of imagination going forward. Reach the edge of the box, pass wide to fullback or wide attacker who takes a touch to kill the ball and then tries to cross from standing. Cleared away. Repeat.

He took that off JWP - Prowse was certainly holding the ball early on.

If you think the difference in this game is just down to finishing, you're not watching closely enough. Chelsea have tried to stretch us every time they've had the ball, and as a result they've forced us to make mistakes and won fouls. We've largely played around in front of them because (as Andy Townsend observed at the start of the second half) our midfield and wide attack are not brave enough on the ball.

Davis and Clasie both rubbish today, and not just defensively. In possession, neither strays far beyond the half way line, and as a result we're really struggling to move the ball through midfield. Since our defensively-minded central midfielders can't defend, I'd rather have Hoj and Boufal on in their place - it'd give Chelsea more to think about than our mind-numbingly slow build up.

My favorite player, covering himself in glory as he did last week.

Very sweetly struck, lovely technique. So, if he carries on at this rate of scoring, he would end up with around 18 goals in the Championship, which would be very respectable.

Great goal from Boufal, and a few moments where is control was Hazard-esque. A player like that on the pitch changes the dynamic - other teams will be scared of him, and I'm not sure we've had a player opponents genuinely fear since we returned to the Prem.

That was glorious.

The only error for the goal was Davis dithering in possession and then passing the ball to a City player. Everything else was just other players failing to dig the team out of that situation. Hardly a surprise though that only about three people watching seemed to notice who was at fault, and everyone else is busy apportioning blame elsewhere.

Yup, we had a great break brewing down the left just before their disallowed equaliser. If I'm not mistaken, the usual suspect was responsible for the decision to pick a high percentage ball into midfield rather than the riskier ball down the line, and as a result we handed possession back and almost gave up the lead. It doesn't even make a lot of sense - I'd much rather lose the ball near city's corner flag than on the centre circle.

I agree - based purely on our attacking so far this season, City have no reason to play this one particularly conservatively, especially when most of the talent in their squad is up front.

Pep not exactly showing our attack a lot of respect by only picking three defenders.

Only saw one replay of the JRod header, but it definitely sounded like the whistle went so early it was for something happening elsewhere in the box. Pretty dispiriting result - played well without really carving them open and then got suckered by an irritatingly good finish that put the technique of our strikers into sharp relief. In a way it felt like Inter were England and we were the Eastern European minnow that plays well for 90 minutes of a Wembley qualifier and then gets done by one moment of quality.

Great finish - what JWP should have done in the first half.

Apparently it is the sum of assists + key passes (that's passes/crosses/mi**** shots that lead to a shot being taken). As far as I'm aware, the key passes stat has no control for quality. If you take 10 ill-advised shots from distance that go nowhere near the goal, you'd still be said to have created ten chances. Still, heady company, though if you compare chances to goals, our conversion rate is 9% while the others are between 15-16.5%. Better players obviously convert a higher % into goals, but there's almost certainly a different in chance quality buried in there too.

He's been in superb form the last handful of games. Puel seems to have given him a bit more freedom to play what I presume is his natural game, bringing the ball forward whenever he spots a gap, and playing a lot of through-balls in to the forwards. I don't think either Poch or Koeman wanted the defensive lynchpin taking those kinds of risks, and maybe he'll get caught out a few times this season turning over possession, but there's a definite increase in the speed with which we move the ball through midfield compared to previous years, and I'd say it was almost entirely down to Romeu at the moment.

And if that's enough to earn a rave review from you, I can only assume you watch every game in rapt amazement at the wonders being wrought before your very eyes.

He was okay - his usual 6 out of 10 performance. But really, even JWP managed to test the keeper yesterday. Davis is an even worse finisher than Long.

Looked at Burnley's team sheet before the game and thought we should hammer them, and we pretty much did. Romeu imperious in the middle, though also thought Clasie was better than usual, moving the ball with more pace and accuracy than he has so far this season. Tadic and Redmond both took advantage of the space they were given to create problems - Redmond's finish was struck very sweetly. McQueen also did well - not tested much at the back, but a couple of lovely crosses. Nobody else really had enough to do for them stand out, though I'm sure despite failing to hit the target for the billionth time, a certain hard-working midfielder will be hailed by some as having had a storming game

I don't think this often, but we really should hammer them.