Other Matches - Saturday 29th September

[Dan+]

Don't really get the Mitrovic love in to be honest. He's not bad but he's getting ludicrously over-rated lately. Recency bias at its absolute finest.

I noticed the boos at the Ritchie sub as well. I couldn't understand taking him off as I'd say he's probably your most natural creator, more likely to actually open a defence up. Shelvey plays the most long balls I've ever seen a player play (outside of a Tony Pulis defence) but he doesn't seem to play too many short ones to set someone away.

Joselu is abysmal. God knows what the hell we were doing for that chance there but he just waited and waited and Maguire eventually caught him up.

Carragher wrote a brilliant article about Newcastle recently. I'll have a look for it.

[Honey Honey]

30 minutes ago, Dan said:

 Shelvey plays the most long balls I've ever seen a player play (outside of a Tony Pulis defence) but he doesn't seem to play too many short ones to set someone away.

That sounds a bit of disservice. He plays through balls to set someone away or switches play, he doesn't lump it onto anyone's head.

Probably our only player who can come out of that game and say they did alright. Maybe Lascelles as well as he seemed to deal with Vardy well enough.

[Dan+]

12 minutes ago, Harvsky said:

That sounds a bit of disservice. He plays through balls to set someone away or switches play, he doesn't lump it onto anyone's head.

Probably our only player who can come out of that game and say they did alright. Maybe Lascelles as well as he seemed to deal with Vardy well enough.

It wasn't a criticism more an observation. That seemed to be your only real attacking plan other than the odd run from Atsu. Perez and Joselu were useless.

[Honey Honey]

3 minutes ago, Dan said:

It wasn't a criticism more an observation. That seemed to be your only real attacking plan other than the odd run from Atsu. Perez and Joselu were useless.

It's sad because we knew Joselu wasn't good enough last season. That's why he only made 2 starts in the 2nd half of it. Now we are starting him every week.

Perez is in bad form as is Diame which is typical of the pair. They're always fluctuating throughout every season. 

So much bad form everywhere. Your lot didn't even attack in the 2nd half and Kenedy goes and gives away a corner like that for 2-0. 

[Dan+]

1 hour ago, Harvsky said:

It's sad because we knew Joselu wasn't good enough last season. That's why he only made 2 starts in the 2nd half of it. Now we are starting him every week.

Perez is in bad form as is Diame which is typical of the pair. They're always fluctuating throughout every season. 

So much bad form everywhere. Your lot didn't even attack in the 2nd half and Kenedy goes and gives away a corner like that for 2-0. 

Joselu and Perez both scored against us last season you know I actually think you'll go and get a point next week, I'm serious, it wasn't your defence that was of a concern it was your attack, and you'll be able to get a 0-0 draw. That result will be the springboard, you would hope, for improvement. You were piss poor yesterday but I still don't think you'll go down, although I think it's ludicrous that you're still talking of survival every season.

You touched on the only slight concern for me yesterday in that for all our possession we didn't really create many chances in open play. Our goals were a set piece (miracle!!!!!) and a penalty, and we didn't exactly force a load of saves.

Since that shambles at Bournemouth we've won both league games by two goals and won at Wolves on penalties. It's a definite improvement but I think Everton next week will be telling. I'm inclined to say draw.

[Dave]

Fair play to Brighton for not disgracing themselves against Man City. The first goal was caused due to gaps in the defence but City had to produce a brilliant worked goal after that. I thought Brighton defended rather admirably and should take confidence from it.

5 in 5 for Arsenal too. You imagine all those pundits that criticised Emery after losing to City and Chelsea should be forced to apologise. Leno looked half decent when caused upon too.

The way Alan McNally was going on about the Everton - Fulham game on Sky I was quite surprised with how many highlights they were. Everton definitely didn't enough to deserve the win and take whatever unnecessary heat was building on Marco Silva. Onwards and upwards for them I imagine.

Huddersfield was never going to be a challenge for Tottenham. If it was I would have been extremely concerned. Huddersfield shouldn't be a challenge for anybody.

It's funny as fuck to think that Claude Puel is under pressure every other weekend when you see Leicester play like this. The team seems to be gelling together really well, and they shaken off that stigma that was attached to the club after they won the league and the players dropped their guard a bit. The recruitment side of things deserves a lot of credit for that by identifying the likes of Maguire and Maddison that's helped them progress on.

As for Wolves, I think they have every right to be aiming for top eight now. They're not dropping points against teams that you'd expect to be competitive against them.

[Dan+]

Puel's under pressure because up until two weeks ago, our past half a season had seen us produce form of a point a game which is dreadful really for how much we have spent, although I will say in fairness he's taken over a squad that's been built on the complete opposite type of football to what he's coached throughout his career and anyone expecting immediate results was mistaken. That said, I still think it's not for sure that it's going to work here - we'll have to produce good form over time for that to happen. Positive steps though. I do like a lot of the players we've brought in in the past year and a bit. Maddison is the obvious standout, he's really, really good.

[Honey Honey]

5 hours ago, Dan said:

Joselu and Perez both scored against us last season you know I actually think you'll go and get a point next week, I'm serious, it wasn't your defence that was of a concern it was your attack, and you'll be able to get a 0-0 draw. That result will be the springboard, you would hope, for improvement. You were piss poor yesterday but I still don't think you'll go down, although I think it's ludicrous that you're still talking of survival every season.

You touched on the only slight concern for me yesterday in that for all our possession we didn't really create many chances in open play. Our goals were a set piece (miracle!!!!!) and a penalty, and we didn't exactly force a load of saves.

Since that shambles at Bournemouth we've won both league games by two goals and won at Wolves on penalties. It's a definite improvement but I think Everton next week will be telling. I'm inclined to say draw.

Despite not doing a great deal in open play you still looked a solid upper mid table outfit and should finish top 10. Maybe a few miss placed passes here and there and Schemichal looked iffy, but other than that for an away team that was solid enough.

Maybe if we were any good in attack we might have given you a challenge. Then again if we were any good in attack we'd be an upper mid table outfit rather than bottom of the league dross.