Tom Colborne

Having Dom in that right sided midfield position is also absolutely crucial to the whole setup. Both covers and complements Salah and Bradley.

Yep, the play stopped because the ref blew for a free kick before the ball went out for a corner. So it’s an uncontested drop ball restart

Factory reset did the job. Need to keep that team available

Great post. Upside of next 3 games are none are long ball merchants. Downside is they’re all quality oppo with top class managers, albeit none at their best right now. My worry is we seem to be getting worse - so might stop creating chances before we get better at taking them.

And 60k people bought tickets for that game which was essentially a farce. He might have been expecting more rotation from Palace tbf. Either way the first team really needs to show the benefits of that rest on Saturday.

I think the big question is whether last season’s exceptionally good injury record was actually a fluke rather than a Slot marginal gain. Without injuries we pick pretty much the same team as against Southampton and nobody cares.

Ultimately slot didn’t rate them so decided to cash in and have a smaller squad of more expensive players. Last night was a casualty of that decision, but there’s a good chance Palace would have spanked us even with Elliott and Morton in the team.

No, not a surprise and not a mistake. It’s just part of why we had a much younger lineup. McConnell and Doak might not be significantly better than Rio and Nyoni but are 3/4 years older.

Some years we have a squad that can put out a strong side in the Carabao but this isn’t one of them.

Yep if you put Leoni, Jones, Isak and Frimpong in you have a pretty normal October cup side. Did any of us want him to play Konate, Bradley, Szobo, Gakpo and Ekitike ahead of next week?

The other issue is we sold Elliott, Doak, Morton, Quansah and McConnell so the next rung down is kids.

As well as being bad in both boxes atm we seem to be bad at both ends of the game. I know this is brutally simplistic but it really feels like if every player matched their opponent for intensity and concentration from kickoff then things would get a lot easier.

One of the more baffling aspects of the summer. We can’t have not noticed - so did we actively and expensively recruit for a reduction in intensity?

You can’t expect organisations with the power and reach of Labour and the Conservatives to keep up with every new invention like this new fangled “video” craze. To the broadsheets!

Possibly yes - though we still need a system for now, and if 343 is that system then surely don’t postpone it just because of one player who isn’t performing anyway. Either way, surely the short term imperative is pick something and stick with it.

It’s the only explanation I can think of for Guehi and Frimpong, bearing in mind our problems with long balls and set pieces. But did we really sign players last summer for a system that we won’t use for another 1-2 years?

I think I’d still know the title has gone but be more hopeful that it was a settling-in issue.

A different formation/system every week can’t be helping. I don’t think there was a single aspect of the game that we did better than Brentford tonight, even their press was miles better. And at times it didn’t seem like we were trying as hard either

Problem is I’m not really sure he can play in a front 3 either

Agree. Surprised Gomez doesn’t appear to be an option for Slot at rb. It can’t be Mac though until he’s remembered how to move.

That might be because they’re the best teams rather than because of favourable seeding.

You’re right about sample size - the best team in Europe finishing 15th is unlikely to happen often - but various factors randomise the spread, such as 2 points separating places 9-20 last season.

So…assuming 16 points for top 8 again, we need 3 wins and a draw from 5 remaining games, 3 of which are at home. Any more points than that are a waste of effort as reliable correlation between finishing in places 1-8 and quality of team faced in R16 is negligible.

Mac needs a long holiday somewhere warm and safe.

Looks like it’s back to the 343-ish system from the Community Shield and Bournemouth game? Players’ heads must be spinning. If this is the plan then stick with it. Even if one of the full backs gets booked.

The collective look of dazed confusion reminds me of the two dud seasons under Klopp. There was no quick fix then and it’s hard to see one now.

I think it’s part of quoting sources - so the equivalent of “speaking in an interview with the bbc” or “writing in a column in the Telegraph”. Allows the reader to find and check the original.

I guess it’s a natural response not just to Pep-ball but to high pressing where having the ball in your own half becomes more dangerous that not having it.

And in the era of the unrelenting pursuit of economic growth at literally all costs including the planet, what touted benefits of Brexit could possibly have ever justified the 4% GDP hit. What other peacetime choice has a country made with that forecast impact.

There were roughly zero small boat crossings pre-brexit and accompanying closing of safe legal routes like applying for asylum at an embassy. There were Chunnel stowaways and other contributing factors but not being able to even mention brexit without being unpatriotic has been an astonishing con

Paint a face on his football and make sure he doesn’t forget to pack his ice skates.

Surely all that matters is the quality of the players and coaching now, not what a completely different set of individuals that happened to be wearing the same badge did in say 1974. But either way yes, unlikely to win despite having more resources than nearly everyone else.

So it’s weighted too? If you take 3 bad touches into your own area and then fall over and kick it in your own net then that cancels out 10 successful 5 yard passes (eg)? Individual mistakes maybe points to confidence rather than tactics. Or maybe a consequence of off the ball issues?