S-Clarke

It's clearly a bit screwed, but it's always the same. I personally think this will be used as a convenient excuse for us to use, but we rotated the hell out of the squad to try and avoid this. I think it's bitten us on our arse as we're clearly not as fresh/fit as we should be because our players don't play every week. WBA/Spurs for example rotated their squad a little, not too much, and won both of the games. Their wins were born out of a cohesive team unit after playing together for a decent period of time. First team every week from now on should be: Forster Cedric - Fonte - Virgil - Bertrand Romeu Hojbjerg Clasie Tadic Remond Jay Couple of positions up for debate - Clasie. If we could replace him with a Sigurdsson type player - perfect. Jay - is he right for a lone role? I don't think he is personally, he's better playing support to a 'big man'.

Seriously Jeff, do one. Absoloutly making yourself look a prize fool here.

He didn't say that at all. He said January is a difficult time to buy, different thing all together.

There are clear concerns, but what I want to see now is a settled team (injuries aside) which we know will play every week. One which the players can get used to. If he still rotates the **** out of us in the 2nd half of the season when there is no need, he can do one.

There will clearly be a lack of team spirit and fludity in our play as it's never the same bunch, they're not able to build on the field relationships. I saw a clear rotation policy when we were going from league to EL, but now it just seems like a mess. No real reason, no real pattern to who gets rested. 6-7 changes per game isn't going to equal anything other than a few wins here and there but ultimatley a team lacking in any on the field relationships or partnerships. My hope is that now we are out of this very unfiar period over christmas, we can find a team - our best team - stick with it and get some consistancy building. There's no reason for us to continue rotating in the 2nd half of the season.

Agreed, as per usual it was all too passive up to 70mins. Everton were dire and the fans were getting on their backs, if we showed an ounce of ambition and pined them in we'd have got a good away win today. They were there for the taking. We didn't show the ambiton and we were clearly happy with a 0-0. All it then takes is 1 mistake and it's 1-0, then the entire midset has to switch to attack. Not possible that late in the game.

Really, really, really poor period. I'm still confused as to how we played as well as we did at Bournemouth, that seemingly looks like the odd one out as we've reverted to type since. The worry is that we play this passive protective game in order to remain compact, but we're now starting to ship goals at an alarming rate as well as still not scoring any. We've got too many players out of form right now. Redmond looks shot, the manager scored a complete OG with him at the start of the season. Romeu looks absolutely dead on his feet (no surprise there). I must admit, in previous season we've had spells like this (this time last year was just as bad) but I've always looked at the manager/coaching staff and have felt that they won't let this dip any further, you always felt that. I just don't get that same feeling now, I cannot see where the inspiration is going to come from. Of course we were going to have a season like this eventually, we've had improved finishes for years - it was going to end at some point, but it seems to be ending in very limp fashion. I've never been so bored watching us and I've never been less interested in listening to our managers post or pre-match stuff, I cannot bring myself to listen to him. As a club we don't panic or react based on a few results, so I don't expect Claude to be going anytime soon - but he needs a good January and we're dying for someone to come in and light up our season as it's really never got going.

This is all a bit of a shambles really. We're mentally fragile as a team and it shows. Everton have been dire as well.

It's the same old really, nothing different. Gaps to the forward players is too big, redmond/tadic coming deep for the ball then having to make up a lot of ground to get near the final third. Repeat constantly. Everton have been truly inept, a team with a bit of ambiton would have taken it to them today. We've just let them have this game as we have shown nothing apart from trying to keep them at arms length. The Christmas rotation malarkey hasn't really worked. Players should be fit enough to play more than 1 game in 5 days, if they're not then stick them into a fitness camp.

He didn’t say that at all, did he? It’s just that people cannot really use ‘’this season we’re 9th at this stage’’!! as a reason to suggest we’re doing better. We’re doing no better than we did at this same stage last year, and to get us to this stage last year we just went through 1 win in 10. It’s best to wait until the end of the season before comparing anything with last season.

They’ve made a few changes. Trippier in for Walker, Son in for Sissoko. Dier moved to midfield to replace Dembele. Toby back to replace Jan Vertongen.

Because we’re missing the link between the midfield and our attack. It nullifies him when he’s having to track back and pick the ball up deeper, he needs to be as high up as possible all the time.

Different type of player in my opinion. He’s a final third player, we need a midfielder capable of closing the gap between our midfield and the final third and feed the likes of Boufal etc.

Another name I'll throw in the hate - Roberto Pererya - not playing for Watford today, but in my opinion one of their better players from that advanced CM role. He's another in the mold of what we're missing.

This could be whatever score Spurs want. The gulf in quality is insane.

Yes!! I personally think he’s perfect and exactly what we’ve lacked for years in that area. It won’t happen though.

I can see why people want Morgan back, but even if he did come back we'd still need another type of midfielder as he's not the sort we're missing. He'd be a perfect replacement for Clasie/JWP with Romeu sitting deep. But we're not looking to replace those players, so it's a mute point. Then you get someone else along side him who can drive.

There is such a huge gap between the top 6 and the rest this year, not just points wise but coaching and quality of players. Not seen it this 'wide' for years. But there are now two distinct leagues in this league.

Jesus christ, can we just set up a dedicated forum so these two muppets can go on endlessly at each other? (and then we don't have to see it).

That’s a fair point, but to be honest we’re now buggering around in midfield rather than in front of goal. We’re moving the buggering about backwards…!

Hojbjerg needs a serious run in this team. Not sure how he can be expected to adapt to a new league by being taken in and out. I really, really hope the 2nd half of the season will see us field consistent sides as we'll have plenty of free weeks. Hoj is exactly the sort of player who will benefit from a sustained run in a side. He clearly has all the tools.

It’s impossible to say really, I remember this time last year quite a few had enough of Koeman and there was talk of dressing room falls out etc. Personally I think once we get to Saturday > Saturday games and we can field the same team every week, we will benefit from that. The Europa League has had the predictable effect on a middle of the table club. So in certain situations, Claude has been dealt a tougher hand and has been forced to rotate more often than not. I’m hoping more consistent 11’s will equal better consistency in results.

Why don't you pull up the end of season form Goatboy, for a more balanced view...? And also, that run of form Koeman had lead us to 24 points. Exactly what we sit on now.

We need an attacking central midfielder who is willing to take risks more than we need a striker, but that's just my opinion.

We’ve got exactly the same points, albeit an inferior goal difference. As has been said, the rest of the league is much of a muchness which is why we’re a couple of spots higher. I don’t particularly feel comfortable comparing the current points total with last years at this stage, as we were pretty dire at this point last year.