CanadaSaint

I appear to be in a minority of one, which is a pretty good indicator that I was wrong. Tough to handle because I've never been wrong in my life before. 😂

I’m not sure whether he’s trying to be too accurate or not accurate enough. He’s getting himself into great positions but seems to lack a little composure at finishing time. He’s “snatching” at his shot rather than taking that extra millisecond. But there are signs that he could go on a scoring tear soon.

That’s fine - we each call it as we see it. But there is no way that we “dominated the game apart from the last 5 minutes”. We completely dominated the first half and should have been out of sight. After Ranieri’s HT changes we played much of the second half on the back foot.

I was okay with him starting, but the pattern change after HT saw almost all of Watford’s penetration coming down our left. Salisu started to look much less assured. My first change would have been Armstrong on for Mo - ten minutes earlier. My second would have been Perraud for KWP - especially because Salisu was on a yellow. This is maybe our biggest Achilles heel - Ralph failing to respond to major opposition pattern shifts.

As much as I like KWP, we were vulnerable with him at LWB today. So much of Watford’s threat came wide down our left, and KWP is much weaker tackling with his ‘wrong’ foot and less accurate with clearances. He’s a better player than Perraud but we can look more vulnerable defensively, and that exposes Salisu as well.

The way they’re attacking us, Salisu is really vulnerable to a second yellow.

We need a new stat - points lost from Ralph’s stubborn refusal to respond to the opposition’s adjustments. Doing my head in.

Armstrong for Elyounoussi is urgently needed.

What a jewel Salisu is turning out to be. A top player and, as this shows, a top guy as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK1cAoTh700 He doesn't fit the mould of the self-centered, privileged footballers that are infesting the game these days, probably because he's so conscious of his family and his roots: https://www.timeout.com/accra/travel/where-to-go-in-ghana-kumasi That's why this sport needs to protect its roots at all costs.

Really! Thank you. He took a physical step forward last night but I hope he didn’t take a mental step back. There’s a decent squad player in there.

I’m drawing a blank on this, but who was taking those corners in the last four minutes? They were hard, quite flat and damn near deadly. And we had two CBs up there who looked willing to go through a brick wall to get on the end of them. There were many good signs last night, but that one could be huge, given our challenges in scoring from open play.

Lyanco brought some solid defence tonight, dovetailed well with Salisu, occasionally looked like a Brazilian playmaking CB going forward, and gave us a real threat at corners, not just a token tall man presence. But he brought something else that we've lacked - and grown too accustomed to lacking - a bit of PASSION. He's not a "ho hum" type of player, and if celebrating getting a free kick fires him up, it fired me up too. One swallow doesn't make a Spring, but at least he looks like a swallow.

It's a long time since I've felt so positive after a loss, but there was so much to admire tonight. Guys who haven't played much performed admirably, Lyanco was outstanding, Salisu grows with every game, we got a sniff of a RWB/RWB combo on the right, and Ralph got most things right. Theo probably played himself farther down the pecking order; great guy but his sell-by date is pretty much up. Hopefully, the squad will pick Smallbone up because he's shown a ton of character in working his ass off to get back. And, to set the seal on it for me, a lot of those who drown this form in a torrent of negativity are struggling to find anything to post about.

Yep. Missing it is one thing. Damaged confidence much worse.

I thought Longy was going to fall over looking for a penalty.

Regardless of the result, this feels like a turning point for or season. Lyanco discovered, multiple line-up permutations work, we absorb the arrival of Long and Theo without missing a beat. And all that against Chelsea. Lots to like tonight.

Our squad depth is light years ahead of last year.

Trying hard not to pre-judge these subs, but shit.

No, but the point is that their interplay down the right is causing Chelsea some problems, which is what many feel would happen with a Tino/KWP combo.

Funny that Ralph is willing to play Valery and KWP with one playing farther forward (even interchanging), but not - as yet - KWP and Tino.

Two free headers in two games. That needs to stop.

It’s not fashionable to say this but Burnley are a decent side with some solid players. Disappointed with a point but I’ll take it. With remotely decent finishing it would have been a comfortable three. Theo is too soft for games like this and should never have started. But with S. Armstrong coming back to full fitness it’s unlikely to happen again. Bednarek was my preferred option to partner Salisu, but not any more. Faultable on both goals. We need Stephens back.

He really needs to pull Theo now. Game on a knife edge and Theo too soft for what’s coming.

Livramento didn’t react well enough by any means but Bednarek took himself into no mans land

That’s Bednarek’s clanger - leaving him to double mark Wood