Baird of the land

The tone of His post match interview seemed rather worryingly defeated.

Was so hoping to make all those pundits putting us down for relegation eat their words with a positive result.

I don’t see that he could have come for it. Agree he should have been yelling at salisu who’d got himself in a horrible position to do anything but duck out of the way.

Exactly. It’s hardly as if Benitez gambled by going extra attacking. He just did the basic and freshened a winger and that sub set up the winner.

Really bizarre. What’s the point of deepening the squad if he doesn’t trust any of his subs to have a positive impact or his own ability to make a change.

Also frustrating how deep we sit. We win the first header but we leave their guy freedom to head the ball straight back in.

"Then you can see the atmosphere coming and you feel the pressure on you. We calmed it down a little bit but then we conceded a beautiful second goal." So you can see the atmosphere coming and you do nothing.....

I'm not quite in the calling for his head category. There's so much positive as the first half showed. However it does my head in his stubborn refusal to make a sub until we are behind. AT 1-1 it was so obvious next goal was huge. Benitez makes a change. Ralph has a lie down and waits for Everton to score.

I don't. We would have conceded at least one if not more from Forster being stuck on his line.

Very positive first half. Mccarthy (Thought he was ok, came and claimed very well). Beaten by a top corner shot and sitters.) Livramento clearly has something about him. Split between Ralph being blind or KWP being dead as to why we didn't make a change on that side when Gray started to get the better of him. Stephens/Salisu. Some good moments(especially salisu covering) but managed to let both their strikers have sitters to score. We are so lacking any threat from set pieces too. Perraud (some bright moments going forward, less certain defensively) Romeu (quiet today) JWP (Saved our bacon quite a few times) Walcott (had a brief spell of about 5 minutes in 2nd half where he looked threatening Djenepo (very threatening, just frustrating he wants too many touches) Armstrong (lovely signing) Adams (very good again) Subs (unrated because for some reason some useless goon waited until we were behind to make them)

So we definitely need to sign a tall CB, not least because we look completely unthreatening from all the set pieces we are getting.

Don't see how today's goals were his fault. top corner effort and twive when the defence let their strikers have a free effort in the 6 yard box.

I keep waiting for Ralph to learn to make proactive subs. He gets enough practice of watching the opposition make changes and score and yet he refuses to try it himself. Had it up my ears of waiting till we are behind for his lets make a double/triple change.

Think Mccarthy is unlucky. Got his arm to it but its richoutted off his leg. The issue is their striker getting a free header 2 yards out.

Now the idiot makes a double change.

Why Ralph won't you make a Sub????????????????????????

Feel Perraud has struggled a bit. Not terrible but much improvement hopeflly to come. Livramento, yeah he's going to play for a top club. Mccarthy fab, claim and punch. Don't think Forster would have come for either. Stephens lot of very good stuff, one moment where he switched off and let Calver Lewin run off him Armstrong, who needs ings.

Interesting that the Chelsea loan guy isn't even on the bench.

Ok wouldn't have predicted that lineup. What's up with KWP, not fully fit? Stephens looked good in pre-season so i can understand that. Keeper is a toss up so again fine with Mccarthy. Surprised Armstrong is being thrown straight in.

From the outside arsenal spending £50m on an average cb to bench a reasonably good cb in holding was just bizarre transfer business.

Wonder will arteta last the season.

Maybe madly optimistic but I Fancy it to be a score draw.

Bertrand certainly isn’t suited anymore to getting up and down. That’s why saints were so predictable in only having kwp doing so last year. Not sure I agree that vestergaard isn’t suited, despite his lack of pace.

My concern about dier as a cdm would be his lack of mobility.

Quite legitimately without new investment, there’s a massive pile of Covid debt to be paid off.