JibMcdo

Incredible that you can’t see he’s being sarcastic. Almost worrying in fact.

Crap

... and it wasn’t even a real header. Austin at Old Trafford? Someone tell the club this appalling stat. I believe around a third of goals scored are headers. Surely this is a huge reason as to why we don’t score enough goals? It’s got to be crap service.

I will just repost what I said before the Watford game: Forster Cedric Stephens Hoedt Bertrand Romeu Lemina Gabbiadini Davis Tadic Austin McCarthy, Yoshida, Pied, JWP, Redmond, Boufal, Long Gabbi and Austin both playing would be nice, they are the only 2 players who are capable of scoring. Gabbi coming in from the right on his left foot making central runs for Tadic and Davis to find, Austin will run channels, open the space up and pop up with a goal. Tadic can reunite with Bertrand down the left and you've still got a solid central 3 in midfield. Yoshi, admirable as he is, can finally be dropped. Oh, and Redmond, too.

Personally over the last five years I feel it's been proved Yoshida is nothing more than capable back up. I would like to see Stephens play alongside someone other than Yoshida and see how he improves. Centre back is a position that needs games, and Stephens has potential. He's very comfortable on the ball, reads the game quite well, and if he can improve in the air and in one one one situations, he could turn out to be very good. Either way, I'd like to see what happens rather than stagnating on the bench and progress being halted, like JWP.

Forster Cedric Stephens Hoedt Bertrand Romeu Lemina Gabbiadini Davis Tadic Austin McCarthy, Yoshida, Pied, JWP, Redmond, Boufal, Long Gabbi and Austin both playing would be nice, they are the only 2 players who are capable of scoring. Gabbi coming in from the right on his left foot making central runs for Tadic and Davis to find, Austin will run channels, open the space up and pop up with a goal. Tadic can reunite with Bertrand down the left and you've still got a solid central 3 in midfield. Yoshi, admirable as he is, can finally be dropped. Oh, and Redmond, too.

Our best period of the today's game was the last 10 minutes. We don't have the players we used to. Until we get some new players, clean sheets will be vital, as they were under Puel last season.

Why, why, why is it always about the manager?? The players have to stand up. We have Redmond, Tadic, Davis and JWP as the 4 that play behind our striker and none of them are capable of finishing. Previous managers have relied on J-Rod, Lallana and Mane who are far superior, the last two managers haven't and that's down to recruitment.

Tadic has only ever played well for us when playing on the left wing. He has the option to go down the outside or inside, and linked up with Bertrand really well. He hasn't played there for nearly 2 seasons now. He hasn't been and never will be a number 10. Boufal looks to me like a number 10, and he hasn't played there either.

Pundits, observers and experts must be seeing a different Nathan Redmond to me. One-dimensional, predictable, over-rated moaner. Over reliance on Redmond a huge part of our lack of creative football this year, in my opinion.

The end of last season was the perfect opportunity to give him a run of 90 minute games in the number 10 role to see if he can acclimatise the tempo of the league, as so far he hasn't. He shows signs of ability but that's not enough. However getting stuck out on a wing with 20 minutes to go won't help either. Tadic having a good game at Sunderland was to the detriment of our season. It was clear at the beginning of the season he isn't a number 10 when we played the diamond - too slow, unable to play on the half turn, hugely frustrating in overhitting through balls and unable to finish. He is a good crosser and rarely gives the ball away out wide, and needs to stay out there.

I think the faults of this season lie firmly with last summer's recruitment. Redmond, Hojberg and Boufal are not the level of player we should be recruiting if the ambitions are to be on the coat tails of the top 6. I realise they are young, but if that's the case proven quality should be brought in alongside them. The club must have known Fonte was off before the end of the season and a failure to replace him was poor. The jury's out on Gabbi, after a great start he has shown himself to lack pace and be extremely one footed. Pochettino and Koeman very much relied on their best players being available. Puel has had to put up with what is frankly a Championship pairing at centre half for half a season. If Koeman had those two at centre back, Steven Davis as one of a two in midfield and Redmond as our source of goals and assists, you can be sure he'd have been ****ing and moaning and we'd have been shipping goals left, right and centre and not scoring either. I really do think Redmond is one dimensional and blinkered. If I was Puel, I too would have set up a rigid system with a lack of freedom so we didn't concede 3 a game (which we were when Stephens was initially introduced). This transfer window just has to be an improvement. We buy young, yes, but previously they were proven players and last summer we took too many gambles and every one back fired. I'm happy for Puel to remain in charge but he must be backed in the window.

...and finish outside the top 4, and having won the EFL cup, and with the FA cup final being contested between two teams in the top 6, will 8th become a Europa League qualifying spot? Straw clutching I know.

I agree with all of that. Tadic is not and never will be a number 10. He can't play on the half turn, he takes two touches to get his head up and even look for a pass and by that time we are going backwards again to one of the centre backs. Redmond made so much more impact in 20 minutes than Tadic. Sparta were ****e and couldn't take advantage of our powderpuff left hand side with Targett and JWP. Thankfully VVD bailed them out on several occasions. This side will be improved hugely by Bertrand and Davis - whoever said only change Fonte for Yoshida must be having a laugh. Good win but hugely helped by the early penalty, I think without the early goal it would have been a frustrating night of insipid possession football and no chances. I await Sunday with intrigue.

I've followed Rayo Vallecano for a few years as I love watching Spanish football. His style of play is extreme in how he sets out. No goal kicks will be hit long, no defenders will be hitting a target man, it will be passing through the lines until they find a forward in space, without exception. He plays 4-2-3-1 and his wingers are just that, they won't come inside, they stretch the pitch from start to finish. He's known to make subs in the first half or at half time if things aren't going well, certainly a proactive rather than reactive manager. I personally think his philosophy of play would suit better players. Rayo were let down this season by poor defenders and even poorer goalkeepers, their forward play was exciting with average players, namely Cardiff flop Guerra and Man U flops Bebe and Manucho. I would be excited to see what he could do with a squad of internationals. He's also progressed a lot of youngsters careers whilst at Rayo. Not so much from their own academy, but from too Spanish clubs. Saul Niguez was there the year before breaking into Atletico's team this year, and Diego Llorente will be this years edition who is due back at Real Madrid next season. Don't read everything into league tables, very very simplistic.

I'd be quite surprised if we don't sign Leroy Fer.

---------- Gazzaniga Clyne - Fonte - Toby - Bertrand -----------Wanyama ---------JWP --- Morgan Mane ------------------ Djuricic ------------ Long

Think that was the joke already.

FA Cup is played every year, we will have many more opportunities to win an FA Cup. We may never get another chance to play in the Champions League.

If any team will know about Elia, it's United, what with the Dutch LVG as their manager. Nevertheless I think he will start for the pace option that we don't have without Mane. Forster Clyne Fonte Toby Bertrand Davis Morgan Wanyama Elia Pelle Tadic

*shoe

People trying to show horn players into the wing back positions - that formation is only possible if Clyne and Bertrand are playing. ---------Forster Toby Fonte Gardos Targett JWP Reed Morgan Tadic -------Long Pelle Davis and Wanyama played a lot of minutes recently, could do with a day off probably.

The bench looks stronger in your team because you've put all the bench players in the first XI. McCarthy is a CB who is learning his senior trade as a RB, I doubt Koeman will play him at wing back. Guess I prefer experienced players like Yoshida and JWP to Reed and McCarthy who have one PL start between them. JWP offers little outside of set plays apart from a beautiful assist against Palace, very good passing ability, hard work and a wicked cross. Think this kid will need to score 6 goals in 6 games to get people to shut up. He can tuck in alongside Wanyama and Davis whilst Mane drifts around Pelle, like against Chelsea. And why drop Mane, our best player for the last two games?

Arsenal don't have the same sort of threat from their strikers as Chelsea do so I think Toby will be at right back and Yoshi at CB. Don't think you can play 3-5-2 without Clyne and Bertrand. ---------Forster Toby Fonte Yoshi Bertrand JWP Davis Wanyama Tadic ------Mane Pelle

With Targett coming in for Bertrand I'm unsure Koeman will play him at wing back, think we may revert back to a traditional back 4 Not sure wing back is a position Targett will have ever played and it's risky to ask him to play it against Chelsea. I really do like the back 3 though and I hope we see the formation return. ----------Forster Clyne Fonte Alderweireld Targett --------Wanyama ------Morgan Davis Ward-Prowse----Tadic -----------Pelle Mane and Long available to change it.