saintant

A goalkeeper going down with cramp twice is taking the piss though - they don't do any running.

Spot on. Let's not let our pathetic display gloss over the fact that we were on the end of some extremely dodgy decisions tonight that wouldn't have been given against the big boys like City, Utd and Liverpool. The second penalty was border line cheating by the ref.

I agree - I'm scratching my head at people lauding him because I only saw him pounce on a scramble in the box which was good work but led to nothing. He wasn't given long enough to show what he could do.

Apparently he wakes up every night covered in sweat screaming, 'Don't make me go back there...please, don't say I have to go back there!'

Has Jason Wilcox written to tell them he's changed his mind yet?

Surely Ankersen has more than enough material for his next book - How to Turn a Premier League Football Club into a Basket Case.

Well if they draw City away one thing is for certain - they won't get given two penalties like that.

It's not a penalty and their guy should be booked for play acting.

It wasn't in any shape or form a penalty - a bit of handbags in the box and no, it wasn't a free kick just two players who did pretty much equal to one another and that balloon comes up with a penalty. It is fucking disgraceful that he can get away with a decision like that. Imagine that at Old Traford or Anfield, it just wouldn't be given. I'm more angry about that than our shit performance.

Poor as we were that referee needs to take a long hard look at himself because he's the only one on the planet that gives that second penalty. It was an absolute fucking farce and he should be ashamed of himself. Their bloke pushes DCC in the back first and when he slaps his back in retaliation he goes down like a sack of spuds and the ref gives a penalty. Do me a favour - those are never given - a word and a yellow card and get on with the game. What a total clown.

Embarrassing.

You couldn't make this shit up. Furious doesn't cover it. Morons.

It's that lack of urgency that has led to us being one down. Every player should be in their faces, the pace of the game needs to double. It's all too wishy washy. Up the pace!!!!

Not convinced we've got goals in us. There's been the usual lack of urgency, no movement off the ball or play between the lines. Now they have a goal it's going to be very tough.

Hope they all know this is going to be a game where they have to roll up their sleeves and battle. We'll have to match or better the effort from the Grimsby players that's for sure.

We don't have the players who are fit enough or clever enough to play any of these modern alternative systems so I'd go for a simple 433. That way we get good numbers in midfield and have three up front. Then tell the team to come flying out the blocks in every game and get in the faces of the opponents. Show some passion and grit. Keep the passing crisp and every player should be constantly on the move making himself available. There are wide open spaces to be found on a football pitch so get players moving into them - play between the lines. Transition the ball quickly and get players up in support of the forwards. Get crosses into the box for Tall Paul and also shoot on sight. Introduce the shit-house style that every other team uses including fouls to break up opposition attacks, time wasting (if we're ahead of course), feigning injuries if we're under the cosh and getting in the ref's ear. Get defenders marking opponents - none of this zonal crap. Give the crowd something to get behind in the home games. As for team selection I'd go with; Baz KWP ABK Salisu Perraud JWP Lavia Alcaraz Sulemana Onuachu Adams

Same as the square root of fuck all I think.

I wasn't arguing the merits of what he can and can't afford to spend on a football club - merely trying to establish whether billionaire status makes one massively wealthy and I'd have thought it does. Could be wrong of course.

I must have been watching different games because I remember Tadic beating many opponents through tricks and feints - yeah, he wasn't physically the strongest but he had enough skill to make up for that.

Isn't Dragan a billionaire? Does that not class as being massively wealthy these days? Blimey!

Why should our strikers be asked to create and score goals out of nothing? Surely the proper approach is to pass and move in build up play, get the ball forward efficiently and quickly and try to create opportunities for the strikers. It's a team game not defence and attack as separate units. This is one of the reasons our strikers don't score - they are starved of decent service.

Our managers really have to stop picking this guy. We have far better options so give them a chance - it's not as though any one of them will do worse than Elyounoussi.

Nice to see the cheating Geordies 2-0 down at half-time.

We didn't fly out of the blocks from the first whistle. Rarely does a team like us that does not start fast win a game of football - have seen it time and time again. We always do better when we consciously make a fast start.

Just watched the goal again. As the play develops from the corner we have plenty of players in the box. A gap develops between the Leeds player who emerges from the corner and our next defender who is Bednarek. At this point Bednarek should be fully aware he has team mates covering the box so, as nearest man, it was his job to rush out and confront the ball carrier and fill the empty space. Instead, for reasons only known to himself, he chose to retain his position, stand like a statue right in Bazunu's eyeline and turn sideways. Had he done his job and confronted the guy cutting in from the corner I doubt Leeds would even have got a shot away never mind score a soft goal.