Graffito

Is that why Pelle missed two sitters?

Do I detect a hint of sarcasm? Bent has been scoring regularly for Derby. Ok it's the Championship but Bent has proved he can score in the Premiership, unlike Billy Sharp. He's no Ronaldo but who else was available?

Then who?

I don't diasagree with any of that and poor finishing is obviously a factor but it doesn't address the issue which is why we can't beat teams that defend deep and how we can rectify it. running in behind isn't an option where there's no space.

This is a fair point. Lambert did it against Clyne when he was a Palace. West Brom targeted Clyne yesterday. By contrast how often does Peele peel off to the far post?

So we're back to my point about quality.

What if there's no space to make runs in behind?

Teams defend deep so there is no space to make runs in behind. That's the point.

I Darren Bent.

Read between the lines of the article and Garde's turned them down or wants too much money and McLaren is second choice. That leaves Ronald as third choice....of a club that has no ambition beyond a mid table finish. Why on earth would he go there.

Playing Long up front on his own against a team that's likely to park it just won't work. Long runs the channels. There won't be any channels. Our pacey players are ineffective against teams that defend deep. We need quality on the ball to unlock teams. Quality we dont have or which has gone missing.

I was always realistic,” Koeman said. “Never was I thinking we would qualify for the Champions League, a lot of big teams normally fight for that position. But we try to win more points than Southampton did last season.” Despite having been in the top four for so long our Manager never thought we would qualify. Well we won't now you've told everyone Ronald. So the aim is to win more points than last season. Ok, progress of sorts and gradual improvement but I must admit to feeling underwhelmed by this.

He buries the sitters we win 2-1.

Yes. 8 goals in 9 or whatever. Can't be ****cd to look it up. But good shout on loan and low cost, low risk.

Are West Brom going to come out and play from the start or sit deep and hit us on the break? Seems like a no brainer to me but you never know.

He looked good on the ball and his movement off the ball was intelligent early on. Can't say I noticed how much he did when they had the ball. Next week though, when you get in the box...shoot.

But I don't understand. How can this be? Brendan Rodgers told us the referee was excellent. Dejan Lovren said the referee did a great job.

That's right, down the channels. They did a similar job on us last season too.

For a 3-4-3 they played 5 at the back an awful lot.

We did. Then they dropped deeper.

If he'd watched the game closely he would have noticed that two of the excellent chances in the first half which resulted in penalty claims were created by Pelle. He's low on confidence but he's still contributing. All you have to do is look and learn and support your players.

Yes we've struggled to break down defenses that sit deep but today consider this, on each of three occasions in the first half we carved them open and were denied by foul play which went unpunished by the useless lump of no good that has the gall to put himself forward as a referee. (Disclaimer - I'm told by those who watched on tv that the first wasn't a pen. I can only say it looked it in real time.)

Just seen Joey Barton get sent off for...wait for it...flicking Huddleston in the willy.

Yes he would.

That would be the Gerrard that handed in a transfer request to move to Chelsea in 2005. Ok he stayed, after the death threats and the improved offer from Liverpool.