Sheaf Saint

That's boss level shithousery from Andersen. The fall from the headbutt is hilarious play-acting though! The challenge that WG posted a picture of could have earned him a straight red on another day. No attempt to play the ball, just deliberate intent to foul and injure a player.

His heart isn't in it anymore. I'm told he could barely be arsed in training at Everton.

It shouldn't, of course, but I would be surprised if the timing didn't play a part in the decision. It wasn't a cynical foul to prevent a goalscoring opportunity, it was a genuine attempt to get the ball. It would have been harsh on Leeds to have to play 80 minutes with a man down because of it. I reckon the rules should be changed to remove the automatic red card from that situation. Refs should have the discretion to give either a red or yellow depending on how much attempt (or not) there is to play the ball. If that had been the case yesterday, the ref could gave given Llorente a yellow and we could have rightly got a FK in a dangerous position. As it was, we didn't even get a FK for a clear foul.

IMO yes. It was obvious from the replays that Llorente went through Stu and caught his trailing leg before touching the ball. It was definitely a foul, but I think VAR bottled it because it would have meant an automatic red card and that would have been harsh (especially that early in the game) because it was an honest attempt to get the ball.

Yeah totally. I mean, apart from being involved in both our goals, he didn't do anything of note. Rubbish.

Absolutely this. Yet again he was caught ball watching yesterday and allowed Rodrigo to run in completely unmarked to score for their first. Just like last week when he left Dier completely free to head in Spurs' second. His ability to read danger is abysmal. If yesterday was ABK's baseline level and he is only going to get better from there then hopefully that's the last we'll be seeing of Bedders for a while.

We shouldn't have to change our entire system because one player (who wasn't even a regular starter last season) is injured. We've clearly been trying to bring in a FB during the summer, along with a striker. We should start to see some movement now as the window draws to a close and the dominoes start falling. If we sign a RB on loan who is good enough to start, we can shift KWP over to the left until Perraud is ready. Although, it's a little alarming that he didn't even make the matchday squad today. I hope he hasn't had a major setback in his recovery.

I think today's performance has shown beyond doubt why we couldn't find any takers for him in the transfer window. He must have watched ABK's performance and realised he is now consigned to being a backup player again, which is all he ever should have been anyway.

And make sure Bednarek isn't one of the two who do play. OK we did very well to get a point out of that, because we were looking so bad at 0-2 down. It begs the question though, why did RH stick with the dreadful 352 for so long when it obviously doesn't work with the players we have? All of the new signings have shown some decent quality so far. ABK is quite obviously a better CB than JB (and Valery), and Mara is a massive upgrade on Long. That through ball for the second goal was exquisite. But please Ralph, pleeeeeeease, just stick with what you know works and has served us so well in the past. None of this fannying around with the formation. Find your best 11 in a 4222 and play them consistently.

I've been as lenient as I can possibly be with Ralph up til now. He earned a lot of goodwill from the good runs that he has had ther team on, and the manner of them - when we played with a clear identity as a high pressing team. But what even are we now? There's no identity out there at all. We're just a total fucking shambles. Totally disorganised and inept at the back. Completely toothless up front and devoid of any invention. And STILL Ralph sticks with this fucking awful 3 at the back formation. What the actual fuck? Is he really the only person on the planet who can't see it isn't working? Or is he doing a Mourinho and trying to get himself sacked? I've no goodwill left to give him now. I wouldn't be at all unhappy if he was sacked now. In fact, I think it's necessary. If this carries on we won't get off the bottom of the table all season.

Fucking Bednarek ball watching again and completely missing the run of the scorer. Please Ralph, for the love of god, will you just drop this useless cunt!

FFS this ref is giving Leeds everything isn't he. That was never a foul by Moi.

He clearly made contact with Stu and took his trailing leg out before he got the ball.

And how the fuck is that not a FK for a dangerous high boot? Right in front of the Lino as well.

Wasn't it Llorente who escaped a certain red for an awful tackle on Broja after he had hit the shot for the winning goal last season?

He took the man first though. It's a foul and a red card. Guarantee it would have been given to Liverpool.

Yeah that's my assumption too. Leeds will press hard and early so I guess the thinking is to have the fairly solid Ely on while they burn themselves out, then swap him for a fresh Aribo. I still don't get Djenepo at LWB though. I remember Ralph trying that experiment at Sheff Utd 3 years ago and it was a disaster, and there was nothing about his performance (defensively at least) last week to suggest anything had changed. Surely we have a better option don't we?

Indeed. Everton are already in serious trouble. DCL injured before the season started, and Mina and Godfrey both going off injured in the first game. All 3 of them are seemingly made of glass and can't be relied on to play even half a season. No replacement for Richarlison as yet. I would still fancy us to finish above them this year even if we don't replace Ralph.

As bad as yesterday was, there were some positives to draw from it. Lavia looks very tidy and assured for such a young lad. Didn't look fazed by the occasion and I think he will prove to be an excellent signing. Aribo looks like he will be a very useful addition to our attack, when he's played in the right position that is. Was a mistake moving him up front in the second half IMO. Despite looking a bit nervous with his kicking, I thought Bazunu looked like an upgrade on Macca. He came and collected a few balls that Alex would never have come for. He's a young keeper, making his first PL appearance away at a team with the best strike partnership in England (and Europe, maybe?). A few nerves can be excused. As for the striker situation - well it's pretty clear now that Arma is not up to playing a lone striker role in the PL. I still think he has something to offer in a different setup but he was completely anonymous yesterday. Taking him off at HT was the right thing to do, but not replacing him with Che was bizarre. There just has to be something in the transfer rumours because leaving him on the bench and putting two MFs up front is an insult to him otherwise. Ralph has said we will get another striker, so hopefully our options won't be so limited in that department for the rest of the season. If Che is off then we need another two IMO. So, being as generous as possible here, I don't think the attacking changes made yesterday would have really been Ralphs's first choice if he had other options. The main thing for me, as so many have already alluded to, is that we had all summer to prepare for this game, and the formation and tactics were a total fucking shambles. I could overlook us losing away to Spurs on our opening day if we played OK and gave them a good game, but for us to look so lost and gift them a big win without needing to play anywhere near their best is seriously alarming. Once our transfer business is complete, Ralph will have no more free passes left. He'll have to start delivering, and if he serves up any more baffling formations and tactical shitshows like yesterday then he simply has to go, otherwise we are dead certs for relegation.

Well that was pretty horrific. Started OK and scored a decent goal from open play, then did the very Saintsy thing of capitulating at the back and gifting the opponents a comfortable win. The defending for each of their goals was comical. Salisu well short of his best today, and Bednarek very much at his terrible best. I really hope we can replace him soon. We are always going to concede with him playing, whatever the formation. Up front, A Armstrong did literally nothing. So instead of replacing him with another striker, Ralph plays out the second half with two MFs up front. I know we are still in the market for another striker, possibly two, but really? What has Che done to deserve that? he scored twice at that ground last season and can't even get on the pitch today? Baffling. I'm very sorry to day that any goodwill I still have left towards Ralph is fast evaporating. I know Spurs are a top side with some of the best attacking talent in Europe, but what happened today was mostly self inflicted and that is the most frustrating thing. He'd better learn some lessons from today's game and make them count or he can do one IMO.

No, it was actually Salisu playing him on.

Fucking hell. Did he seriously not get a card for that!?

Oh FFS. Well at least we scored.

Negatives: Valery has had better games at RCB so I'm not going to write him off just yet, but he's been poor today. Adam Armstrong is just completely anonymous. He has no ability to hold the ball up so as soon as it comes near him we lose it again. He needs to be swapped for Che at HT. Bednarek is just a fucking dreadful defender who wouldn't be a regular starter in any other PL side. I'm really hoping ABK will quickly prove to be an upgrade on him. Positives: Lavia looks very good. Aribo also looks like he will be handy. Djenepo did very well for our goal - first bit of end product we have seen from him in a long time. A bit suspect defensively still though.