redkeith

That team looks good, but I think Pep is a bit too clever to fall for the old 12 players trick !

Watched it too. Eduard was awful, Mo slightly better. The only players who looked interesting where Ajer, if Vestie doesn't extend, the Celtic left back, on loan from City, and the Dundee Utd keeper.

Impressed by Tella. Thought Kwp and Diallo got better as the game went on. Could have been 4 or 5, but it is good to be creating chances again. Wilder's subs helped us, made them worse each time

Ramsey and Watts playing makes me more optimistic about KWP, Minimee and Diallo being fit for Saturday

Maybe Stephens will play the Butterfield front sweeper role. In all seriousness we were caught out at Leeds by having both CMs pushing forward

I reffed a Sunday match once , when the proper one overslept. I explained to both captains that I was a stand in, so there was no point in arguing with me. I did 35 minutes and only gave one free kick. Very well behaved. Then the actual ref turned up, and it all went to shit with about 4 bookings. They gave me some much more respect than the guy who was getting paid to do it.

If Jankewitz doesn't start this we may as well shut down the Academy. He is the natural fit positionally for the absent Romeu/Dallio and looked very capable when he came on in the cup game, Moving Armtrong just makes us weaker in 2 positions at once. At Right Back our only option is to line up like we did against Chelsea with Moussa as an advanced wing back, unless Ramsay can do a Manny Andrezeuwski on Richalison.

Last night we could easily have been 3 up at half time, had Vestie not flicked that header, Tella put his laces through it, Bertrand made a decent chest trap or the ref not been daydreaming when we took the quick free kick. If Tella was more of a look alike for Martial we might even have had a penalty. 2nd half we have a decent attack, Leeds break through out press and Roberts has loads of time to pick out Bamford. Should McCarthy have done better, probably, but Forster would still have been half way down when it went in. After that we huffed and puffed a bit but Leeds kept breaking having 2 wingers hugging the touch line as an easy out, with our full backs tucking in to give them space. Maybe one of the CM's should have held back from pressing so high to provide extra cover. The warning signs where there when Romeu had to make that amazing tackle in the first half . Lets hope we try something different on Monday, not that I can bring myself to watch.

Good point from a very good defensive set up. Minamino and Redmond were dreadful up until the goal. Moussa was every where, winning the ball and taking Chelsea on. Not sure how that tackle on him from Werner was any different from the one Moussa got sent off for last year. MOM for Salisu. He looks a he'll of a player.

That was the game where Mike Dean failed to spot a two footed tackle by Alonso on Shane Long right in front of him. Alonso crossed for 2 of the 3 Chelsea goals . Alonso was subsequently banned for 3 games , which didn't help us much.

If they send us down, they have to buy Lemina, small mercy's and all that

This is starting to fee like that 20 game run without a win under Chris Nicholl. Injuries, bad decisions and bad refereeing decisions are queuing up to fuck us over at the moment. Then next few weeks are not going to be nice. We need KWP and Diallo back for the up match, and then maybe we can start to recover. At least we have no mid week game this week to recover a bit before Chelseas annual away win at St Mary's

.... Ran it into the ground . I live 2 hours away from Bordeaux . He turned them from Europa regulars into lower mid table, selling players each window and replacing them with Freebies,. They have a brilliant 42,000 stadium which was half empty at best before Covid. The potential was there with the new ground to be Champions League qualifiers, but it was wasted.

Mendy would be a good fit to Ralph's system, other than the fact that he is mad as a bag of frogs.

The pitch did save Newcastle a bit , as it was impossible to zip the ball around, but Jesus was our crossing bad. To many low balls or hitting the first defender. Miramino looked OK, great goal, but I was hoping for a few Tadic style balls in. When that Ings shot bounced back into the keepers arms, I new we had had it, At least we scored some goals, but 3 cock ups for theirs.

One thing for sure, if the U18's aren't ready for the bench then only name a few subs. You don't want there confidence shredded so early. As someone else pointed out on another thread, a few careers were wrecked by Portveiltd and Woote.

One for you statos out there. All I can remember is the Alonso tackle he missed, the VAR from Saturday and the Adams Goal and sending off tonight. There must be some decision he has given us, by the law of averages, but I don't know when.

Danny Simpson is about the only one on that list we could consider, as none of the rest would get a post Brexit work permit.

Also, if it came of Cash's thigh and arm then Ings should be onside, like the goal that Watkins scored last week !

I hate 9.15 pm CET kick offs. Win lose or draw I never get a good nights kip afterwards. Given the injuries, and the fact that Mike Dean is the ref, maybe we should just stay at home, rest the players and give them a 3 nil.

I think that the Redmond/re-shuffle substitution on Tuesday could have been the last straw, moving our best player on the night into his position rather than give him a chance. I know Watts got the plaudits against the Shrews, but Janekewitz looked streets ahead, mentally and physically when he game on.

That has Shane Long all over it

You could add Ted Drake and Charlie Wayman to that list .

Long, unfortunately, is incapable of staying onside as he never looks along the line, I think he actually helps the opposition now, because the flag goes up and and breaks up play whenever we try to attack. Maybe he used to get away with it before VAR, but nowadays he is a complete liability. His 2 year extension is right up there with the 3 year one for Mark Hughes.

Not mentioned in the presser, so maybe not recovered. If so the 9 on the bench will probably be Forster, Valllery, Voikins.,Ramsey, Jankewitz, Kegger, Smallbone, Ferry, Long with Ndululu starting up front. A bit light on experience!