doddisalegend

But we had already improved before Gabbi came on by going four at the back which saw Austin more involved.

God I wish we had someone in the squad who could head a ball like that these days. I Imagine if we had had someone in the box like Lambert against Burnley on Sunday we would have won that game off one of Mo's corners.

and we still struggled to defend our goal...

I know his style was unpopular here due to a lack of goals but Leicester scored 56 last season only the top six scored more (mind you they conceded more goals than us conceding 60) so surely the games must have had more goal mouth action than ours and a must have been pretty attacking..

I'm not sure that had much to do with Gabbi. If it had been Gabbi starting and Austin coming on for the last 20 minutes we'd all be saying we looked better with Austin. None of our strikers would have looked good the way we where playing the first 60 minutes of that game.

Just leaving aside the whole Puel hate thing for a minute. Why would any club give a manager three games of a new season to save his job? If Leicester weren't sure about him why didn't they sack him at the end of the season and get a new guy in for pre-season? Seems bonkers to start your season off possibly looking for a new manager only three games into a season.

The problem with the five at the back against Burnley was the midfield Lemina and Romeu where playing a sort of flat line I front of the CBs. We just surrender control allowing Burnley to ping the ball about under no pressure. If we are going to play it ( I think Hughes will) we'd be better with just Romeu sitting and play Lemina higher up with Armstrong maybe with Hoj, JWP or Davis or play Mo and then Ings or Gabbi yo try and get control.of the middle of the park.

Hardly we bought him to stop the likes of Vokes and Murray from nodding in free headers like they did last season and as such I'm very much in favour of the signing but I think he will struggle against quick forwards we need to make sure he has the right partner(s) around him which for me is Yoshida of the options we have.

We need to control midfield more. I'm not sure 4-4-2 is going to do that any more than Hughes 5-2-1-2 does.

Not really the same situation though. That game was meaningless to the Everton players while ours where battling to avoid relegation we wanted it a lot more than they did. This Everton team will be right up for it with a new manager to impress and places to fight for with new signings.

Really? I wouldn't say he was anything like Lambert. I wouldn't say Ings looks slow in fact his whole game used to be based on pace ( that might have changed after two ACL injuries)

When he came on yesterday I think I saw him win one header. All our strikers have strengths but none of them can hold the ball up, play with their back to goal and bring others into the game the way Lambert (and to an extent Pelle) did for us.

Lets face it all three of our main strikers where involved yesterday and none managed to score.... so no change there. In hindsight we would have been better starting with Gabbi and bringing on Austin for the last 20. In the end though we still miss a good CF that the ball can stick to upfront.

Good game today playing more central seems to suit him.

every player is an injury risk one with four major knee injuries by 26 is more of a risk than most.

That's not really true though is it? Hughes clearly did sort out his favourite team and formation he has been playing three at the back all pre-season and started the first game using the same system. It turned out to be the wrong system for this game but you can't accuse him of not using his favoured formation.

We would have been if Burnley could finish like BM as it was we where just as ****e as we where in pre-season...but you can't tell anything from pre-season ..

One of the only players in the first half to actually look good made both of our best two chances in the first half as well.

Part of the problem with our five at the back was is was a very passive version of that formation. The wingbacks hardly got forward, the holding midfielders just sat in front of the CBs, and the front three where just isolated. We didn't press or harry Burnley in midfield and seemed to be content to allow Burnley the freedom of two thirds of the pitch to keep numbers back. Five at the back can be effective but not played the way we where playing it.

Hardly the only one though was he? It looked very much like Romeu and Lemina where being made to hold a line in front of the CBs with little or no pressing until Burnley reached our final third which hamstrung both of them. As soon as we changed formation they could play as a proper pivot they both looked a lot better. As for Hoj I would have thought we'd all seen enough him to know he isn't the answer to anything and certainly shouldn't be starting a head of Romeu or Lemina if they are fit.

What did everyone make of the pre game flame throwers? Seemed a bit OTT the players walking out between 12 foot high flames. Normally the sort of thing you see in a cup final.

**** me its like a one man crusade I think everybody knows how you feel about him from the day he walked through the door..

and who from last seasons team hasn't been? first half he was pants but so was everyone in red white bar McCarthy and Armstrong. Second half, after the change, he upped his game and was controlling the midfield with Lemina.

I think people are being a little unfair on Romeu he,was awful until the formation change then he really upped it looked much more like his old self.

I thought he grew into the game by the end was eating up Burnley's high balls.