Eddie's Barn Door worrying mags v Dummy-Spitter Lego Head's "long suffering" Crybabies

[Dr Gloom 21802]

25 minutes ago, Toonpack said:

 

You Sir have been deposed, you have zero authority to sanction anyone. Shouldn't you have fucked off to the Duchy of wherever and be ripping off charities or some such ???

the king is dead. Long live the king 

[spongebob toonpants 3925]

First chance I've had to watch the game and having Willock playing like that makes such a difference the whole team. He works so well with big Joe on the left  and makes him play so much better 

With Longstaff between the defence and midfield and Willock linking mid and attack we seemed much more joined up as a unit

It would be glorious if Gordon works on the right, team seems so much more balanced

Full backs were great, so much potential there

Hopefully exciting times ahead

 

Edited Monday at 17:15 by spongebob toonpants
Left right who can tell the difference

[David Kelly 1219]

3 hours ago, Dr Gloom said:

 

i can see bruno and tonali working as a "double pivot" in a 4-2-3-1, but i don't see much evidence that howe want to switch systems. 

 

if howe sticks with the present formation, tonali did enough against chelsea to suggest he could work as the "single pivot" with bruno occupying the more advanced "number 8" role he performed so well that half season after he first signed. 

 

longstaff is a valuable squad player and is a great option for certain games - particularly against the likes of arsenal, man city or liverpool, when we're not going to have as much of the ball - his running stats, off-ball work cutting out passing lanes and pressing is all great. 

 

our problem hasn't been playing against team that attack us and leave space in behind, it's been breaking down stubborn defences that sit deep. howe has to find a way to get bruno and tonali functioning in those games - we need your more technical players to unlock low block defences and longstaff, for all his qualities, isn't one of those players. 

I always thought Tonali had been brought in to provide the extra quality to allow us to break teams down when we're having more of the ball.  So far it hasn't really worked mainly because it seems that Bruno is playing in the space that he seems to be looking to get into.  I'm not sure how we change that but that certainly has to be what Howe is working on.  If we get those two playing as a pair it would allow so many different options with the other three (and even Miley).  I'm not sure how we do it at the moment though because what you would think would be the obvious way round it hasn't been happening.  

[aimaad22 4104]

Longstaff was brilliant on Saturday. But let's not get carried away, he has been dogshit for most of the season (not the only one though admittedly). Him, Bruno, Joe, Willock, Isak all raised their games and therefore we won reasonable comfortably. If the team truly has gotten it's mojo back then Longstaff will continue to play an important role as others have outlined. But should things get a little difficult again and we need to do something a little different, be more creative for instance then his limitations will be on full display again. 

 

Yeah Bruno/Tonali is a difficult one. From Eddie's interviews, he focuses on Tonali's flexibility so you think he's not quite yet figured out where his best position is. Also says Bruno's style is suited to deep lying possession, and Tonali's is more athletic. All of which makes sense and indicated the thinking still is for Bruno to be the holding man and Tonali to take up the box to box role. 

[Dr Gloom 21802]

24 minutes ago, David Kelly said:

I always thought Tonali had been brought in to provide the extra quality to allow us to break teams down when we're having more of the ball.  So far it hasn't really worked mainly because it seems that Bruno is playing in the space that he seems to be looking to get into.  I'm not sure how we change that but that certainly has to be what Howe is working on.  If we get those two playing as a pair it would allow so many different options with the other three (and even Miley).  I'm not sure how we do it at the moment though because what you would think would be the obvious way round it hasn't been happening.  

 

If he's wedded to 4-3-3, and it looks like he is, he could use Tonali as the DM, freeing Bruno up to get further forwards. Tonali's best game for us by far was the league cup game against Chelsea where he occupied the deeper, more central role in front of the back four. Bruno is great in that position too but he also showed he can play the more advanced role to great effect when he first signed in a way that Tonali hasn't really done yet. That's what I'd do against forest:

 

Bruno----Tonali---Willock

Gordon---Isak---Joelinton 

 

I can see there are also games where Sean is a good option in the right sided number 8 role - he was great against Arsenal on Saturday - but he isn't the answer in those games where we're dominating possession and the opposition park the bus. 

Edited Monday at 17:26 by Dr Gloom

[Kid Dynamite 6985]

On 03/11/2024 at 12:23, LongTimeAdmirer said:

 

What a terrible tweet, he scored 11 goals and 10 assists LAST season across 48 games. 

 

1 goal from open play this season and the last game was his first assist. Were in November. You children can keep trying to change the post to last season, the topic is this season.

 

 

You said he was shite all last season too

[Dazzler 9373]

1 minute ago, Dr Gloom said:

 

If he's wedded to 4-3-3, and it looks like he is, he could use Tonali as the DM, freeing Bruno up to get further forwards. Tonali's best game for us by far was the league cup game against Chelsea where he occupied the deeper, more central role in front of the back four. Bruno is great in that position too but he also showed he can play the more advanced role to great effect when he first signed in a way that Tonali hasn't really done yet. That's what I'd do against forest:

 

Bruno----Tonali---Willock

Gordon---Isak---Joelinton 

 

I can see there are also games where Sean is a good option in the right sided number 8 role - he was great against Arsenal on Saturday - but he isn't the answer in those games where we're dominating possession and the opposition park the bus. 

Tonali isn’t a DM though and we’d lose too much from his game. I think we either need to tell longstaff that all he does now is defensive shit (which he’s really good at) or we have to buy a proper CDM so that Tonali and Bruno can work together (or both).

[Dr Gloom 21802]

1 minute ago, Dazzler said:

Tonali isn’t a DM though and we’d lose too much from his game. I think we either need to tell longstaff that all he does now is defensive shit (which he’s really good at) or we have to buy a proper CDM so that Tonali and Bruno can work together (or both).

 

that's what i thought too, but he looked great in that role against chelsea

[Dazzler 9373]

2 minutes ago, Kid Dynamite said:

You said he was shite all last season too

He and/or she also said Foden was shite too. At some point the “young and stupid” defence put forward of his and/or her bullshit has to be replaced with “daft cunt WUM”.

 

[aimaad22 4104]

6 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

 

If he's wedded to 4-3-3, and it looks like he is, he could use Tonali as the DM, freeing Bruno up to get further forwards. Tonali's best game for us by far was the league cup game against Chelsea where he occupied the deeper, more central role in front of the back four. Bruno is great in that position too but he also showed he can play the more advanced role to great effect when he first signed in a way that Tonali hasn't really done yet. That's what I'd do against forest:

 

Bruno----Tonali---Willock

Gordon---Isak---Joelinton 

 

I can see there are also games where Sean is a good option in the right sided number 8 role - he was great against Arsenal on Saturday - but he isn't the answer in those games where we're dominating possession and the opposition park the bus. 

 

Eddie hinted in the interview before Arsenal that he deosn't really see Bruno as the midfielder playing higher up, hinted you need someone faster/bigger engine to make the recovery runs and Bruno's strength is in posession.  

[Holden McGroin 6471]

He’ll play the same team v Forest.

[PaddockLad 17070]

2 minutes ago, Holden McGroin said:

He’ll play the same team v Forest.

Yep. And people should stop fretting about Tonali, the fuckin paddy power enabled cunt. Am telling you, he’s Viana with A levels and a 2020’s fitness coach

[PaddockLad 17070]

And another thing, the key to Saturday wasn’t Longstaff not giving the ball away every 2 minutes for a change, it was the Hall x Willock x Joelinton axis down the left. A fit Willock has more influence on the side than a turbo charged Longstaff iyam

[Dr Gloom 21802]

19 minutes ago, PaddockLad said:

Yep. And people should stop fretting about Tonali, the fuckin paddy power enabled cunt. Am telling you, he’s Viana with A levels and a 2020’s fitness coach

you don’t think he looked good against Chelsea in the cup? He was motm in that deeper role 

[Gemmill 44273]

Scapegoating the foreigner. He'll be out patrolling the white cliffs in the morning. 

 

[Dr Gloom 21802]

25 minutes ago, Holden McGroin said:

He’ll play the same team v Forest.

Forest will have a go at us at home, I expect, with the form they’re in so Sean might be the right selection.

 

My only criticism of Howe has been his loyalty to certain players and his reluctance to tweak the system.

 

If we accept he isn’t switching from 4-3-3, I hope this past week where he picked the right team for the right opposition is the future. Not being scared to rotate/rest big players depending on the game plan for the individual game, in other words. 

[Holden McGroin 6471]

Howe tries to evolve the team, in this case he has tried to give Tonali a chance (he did this at the start of last season as wel) but ends up putting him back in cos we don’t win games. So either Longstaff adds something vital to the team or he is a fucking lucky charm. 

[PaddockLad 17070]

52 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

you don’t think he looked good against Chelsea in the cup? He was motm in that deeper role 

Chelsea reserves. He’s looked average v everyone else. Hes plainly got ability but he’s never going to thrive in the system Howe uses…

Edited Monday at 19:12 by PaddockLad

[Dr Gloom 21802]

49 minutes ago, PaddockLad said:

Chelsea reserves. He’s looked average v everyone else. Hes plainly got ability but he’s never going to thrive in the system Howe uses…

harsh. Their reserves were still littered with £60m+ internationals, including a World Cup winner and a European champion 

[spongebob toonpants 3925]

1 hour ago, PaddockLad said:

Chelsea reserves. He’s looked average v everyone else. Hes plainly got ability but he’s never going to thrive in the system Howe uses…

He's not played for a year, let's not rush to judgement quite yet

[Gemmill 44273]

541 minutes played this season. Basically 6 x 90 minutes. 

 

WRITTEN OFF by Lewellyn Bowen. 

[aimaad22 4104]

Played really well for Italy too hasn't he in a different role where he's running everything.

 

Keeping him, Barnes, Trippier and Willock fit for most of the remainder of the season could be the difference in making Europe or losing out again. We obviously just didn't have these options last season. I almost added Wilson to the list but trying to keep it serious here. 

[PaddockLad 17070]

As I’ve said at this stage it’s the system more than the player. He shows more aptitude than Harvey Barnes though who is weak on the ball when starting but seems to be able to contribute a lot more when coming off the bench which is where I’d have them both at the moment. Not writing either off totally and it’s tactics more than anything else. In a way it does to an extent call into question the wisdom of signing both though. It wouldn’t be the first time we’d signed players because they’re available . That’s how we ended up with Ba and Cisse  

[Dr Gloom 21802]

51 minutes ago, PaddockLad said:

As I’ve said at this stage it’s the system more than the player. He shows more aptitude than Harvey Barnes though who is weak on the ball when starting but seems to be able to contribute a lot more when coming off the bench which is where I’d have them both at the moment. Not writing either off totally and it’s tactics more than anything else. In a way it does to an extent call into question the wisdom of signing both though. It wouldn’t be the first time we’d signed players because they’re available . That’s how we ended up with Ba and Cisse  

I question the signing of Barnes too given how well-stocked we are down the left wing compared to the right. But he was signed before Gordon had that break-out season down the left where he was our best player. I don’t think anyone expected him to be as good as he has been. But Barnes became available so we went for him, a bit like Hall and Tino.

 

Howe hasn’t got much wrong in tne transfer market so far. I’ve seen enough from a Tonali to think we’ve got a proper player if deployed correctly. He’ll be a massive asset this season. 

Edited Monday at 22:04 by Dr Gloom

[spongebob toonpants 3925]

4 hours ago, Dr Gloom said:

 

My only criticism of Howe has been his loyalty to certain players and his reluctance to tweak the system.

 

If we accept he isn’t switching from

 

I don't think it's right to say he doesn't tweak the system, it's much more fluid than bog standard 4-3-3

 

https://twitter.com/Jake_armstrong9/status/1853401601001865584