SaintTex

talk of James Garner went cold

could he pass it on to A. Armstrong?

Payne had space and time to set up a picnic lunch there.

while it is kind of satisfying in the short term seeing Chelsea, Man City, etc. drop points, it means our relegation rivals are gaining points. I look at the 20 teams this year and it is difficult to make an argument for any of them going down - save maybe Bournemouth. The top 6 may end up in the top 6 this year, but it really feels like the bottom 14 have been more equal to each other than ever (at least to my admitted limited knowledge of history). Its going to be a dog fight.

4231 - I could have swore Ely was playing the 10 for the first fifteen minutes of the game or so.

great win. with so many new faces (players and coaching staff) i feel like everyone is still trying to get familiar with each other. I feel like we can only get better, but of course, we will have plenty of moments this season where we will look awful with such a young team - but the future feels bright and it's now. 5 new signees in the Starting XI today. Bella-Kotchap MoM for me. Tactically Leicester fell apart. Rodgers made changes when they were up 1-0 - notably Vardy off. Once it went 1-1, they weren't set up to respond offensively. Djenepo is really stepping up, helping the team, playing out of position. Will be nice when both Perraud and Tino are back fit. Che showed his value. Everyone will focus on his second goal, which was undoubtedly was spectacular, but his smarts and positioning were just as impressive on the first goal - watching him pivot off his player, finding the soft space in the defensive to take his goal. Leicester actually played pretty well defensively... i kept waiting for them to make mistakes in the defensive 3rd for the first 60 minutes (hoping Mara could capitalize), but they played pretty sound, crisp passes, didn't put one bad foot forward (until the last 30 minutes of course) i am not going to be displeased with 4 points in the first 3 matches (2 away games).

Well that certainly frees up money for Ramos if Wolves are looking to field an all Portuguese Starting XI.

i think City didn't want him on a PL club, as well. I felt like the writing was on the wall a few weeks ago that City didnt want him coming here.

tall, good with his head, but his mobility is suspect

i would give my left hand for either of those two players on our team - paying 90 min every week. At some point, you would think these players get sick of languishing on the bench in the prime of your career? I think of a guy like Shaqiri.. which do you think he enjoyed more? His 3 years at Stoke or his 3 years at Liverpool?

i can't decide what i liked more... the actual the pass, or his maneuver with the ball at his feet to escape Adams to give him space to make that pass to KWP. someone else said it, but 9 out of 10 times, that pass gets made wide (maybe due to ease or coaching instruction). Good to see a player forward thinking.

funny.. i rate Perraud quite a bit. Well, in the sense, I think he is the best we could hope for at LB if we are limited to spending 12m for any one player. he was in quite a bit of good form in the middle of last season when the team itself was also doing quite well.

Back 4. all 5 of our new signings on the pitch. finally!!

he should be suspended from class.

It worked! We neutralized those 2 in the match. Now, about the others on the pitch...

What happened to having a whole new coaching staff this season? Does no one have Ralph's ear? Isn't someone on staff saying: "hey, gaffer,ummm.. why don't we put our best players in their best positions?" when do you propose we find out if he has a clue or not.. in the Spring? He has had a whole preseason. Sink or swim.. get him out there. -- and so what is up with Mara? Didn't even make the bench? is this guy good to go or what? I know he was a passenger against Villarreal, but this guy scored 6 goals in a top European division last year. Che had 7, AA had 2. we need help now.

i kinda thought our summer was about finding other players, so those wouldn't be in our starting XI..... and then there they are out there in the season opener.

i think he has this fantasy that it will somehow be effective and then he will be showered with praise for his out-of-the-box master stroke thinking. That formation proposed above by OttawaSaint is such a no-brainer, that it makes me think Ralph doesn't play something like it, because it doesn't show "tactic genius". he doesnt feel like he will get any credit for employing something so obvious.

i know Mo doesn't always impress, but he did score 8 goals in all competitions. That was tied for 2nd on the team, if I recall, last season.

umm, our opponent today was the same Villarreal team that was in the Champions League semifinals, right? what were you expecting?

BS. i am stick of this trope - the assertion that some are above all that and everyone else is at fault. 1) Mane was a big boy - like he would even care. 2) Our fanbase is no different than any others. Supporters give stick when a player is stinking it up, they give praise him when its going well. You don't think Liverpool supporters don't do the same? Mane got way more praise than criticism during his time here.

in defense of his association with a bottom table Ligue 1 team... Bordeaux's issue last season was defensive... gave up a whopping 92 goals. And, actually they were 9th in the league in goals for. He was the 3rd top scorer for the club with only 900 minutes. i am a glass half full kind of guy 🙂

seems like yesterday JWP was the youngster. Now he doesn't even make the list!