Match Day Thread Not panicking, but we don't have enough - My thoughts on the Huddersfield game.

We didn't look at it today. It's only the 2nd game of the season, but I don't see where our goals are going to come from. Huddersfield were way too comfortable with us, and it doesn't look like we can create anything but half chances every so often.

We also look dangerously slow and seem like we cannot handle the pace.

We also have championship quality players or at best premier league quality squad players in our starting 11. Some players looked way out of their depth.

Ratings -

Elliot - 4 - Shakey today and not as good distribution as usual.

Manquillo - 4 - Looks like another Janmaat. Not tactically aware enough.

Lascelles - 5 - Not great, but not awful.

Clark - 6 - Reasonably solid for most of the game. Some good headed clearances and positioning.

Mbemba - 6 - I thought he did ok on the left hand side defensively, he saved us a few times. Not great going forward but he's not a natural fullback.

Hayden - 4 - Slow and off the pace. He looks way out of his depth.

Merino - 6.5 - Some poor decision making at times, but that's natural for a new comer. I thought he was easily our brightest spark. Some great ball control and some good short range passes with flashes of long range vision. His left foot looks canny.

Ritchie - 5 - Worked hard but some stupid tackles. Our better threat in the first half but he doesn't look nearly as formidable in this league.

Perez - 3 - Missed a sitter, dispossessed far too easily. Hopefully just a blip.

Atsu - 4 - Bless him, he tried, but again way out of his depth.

Gayle - 4 - No service.

Joselu - 6 - Not great, but I thought he made a difference. He holds the ball up well and brings players into the game. Some optimistic attempts on goal. But still doesn't look like enough. Looks like a £5m player....

Diame - n/a - ****e. Shouldn't even be in the squad.

Murphy - n/a - Not enough time to make impact.

Benitez - 5 - He needs a plan B. I don't like his stubborn 4-5-1 with Gayle up front approach. We need to get the ball up the pitch quick at times and that requires a target man. We still don't have the quality to play the way Rafa wants yet IMO and he needs to recognise that.

 

We were outdone by a creative CM. we need one....

 

Good to see your thoughts again Tash, but got to say I disagree about Perez scoring less than either Manquillo or Gayle. Manquillo was scarily out of his depth and Gayle was totally anonymous. Perez wasn't great, especially in the second half, but he was better than both of those.

 

Nasri is in talks with some Turkish club, I know his attitude sometimes stinks but he is a good player!

 

Perez is the same and always will be, a flashy but hugely limited player always missing chances.

A lot of the team just aren't PL quality. We should have spent a limited budget on better players but less of them. For example, how is Anita worse at Rb than this manquillo? Is Joselu any better than Daryl Murphy?

4-2-3-1 is going to be the death of us and possibly Rafa.

 

We've got 11 days to save our season, but I have no confidence that MA will step up to the plate. The squad we have is not good enough to stay up.

 

How was manquillo lads? Was he class

 

This is why I still believe we have money available - but clubs have been quoting ridiculous money.

Release Anita - pay £4.5M for a crapper/about the same player
Sell Murphy for £2M - pay £5M for someone about the same level

But why then splash £12M on Murphy and £6M on Atsu? We only needed one if we are truly limited with cash.

 

Mbemba - already a better LB than Dummett

 

Just accept it Nev, you're going down










































Along with us

 

Shame he should be at CB instead of Captain Fantastic.

 

Elliot - 5 - I think he was no worse or no better than usual. Didn't have a fat lot to do, and he could have done nowt about the goal. I think we could have had the best goalie in the world and the score would have been the same.

Manquillo - 4 - Agree with Tash, looks like Janmaat, but not as good. Mackems warned us mind.

Lascelles - 7, Clark - 7, Mbemba - 7 . Defensively these lads played well, Huddersfield created very little, and Mounie, who is a big threat, was quiet all game. Mbemba was actually solid at left back, his pace helped out on the odd occasion Huddersfield got in.

Hayden - I refuse to rate him, as he does not deserve a rating.

Merino - 8 - Not much missing from an accomplished performance. Looked assured in possession, made only a couple of rash decisions, and is better than Shelvey in every way.

Ritchie - 3 - I love Matt Ritchie, but his performances so far have been diabolical. I think he knows too much of our attacking threat depends on him, and he's feeling that pressure. Crosses poor, some passes poor, tackling very poor.

Perez - 5 - Kept running, had some good moments, but was largely anonymous.

Atsu - 4 - Kept running, but had pretty much no good moments, kept losing possession and wasn't a threat.

Gayle - 4- As Tash says, not great service.

Joselu - 6 - Meh. Held up the ball which gave us some half chances.

Diame - WTF - Came on in like the 78th minute, but looked more knackered than anyone else, and went to DM??? He then lazily passed away possession.

Murphy - N/A - Should have come on earlier.

Benitez - 0 - Lazy **** looked disinterested, echoed in his lack of urgency, lack of impact from subs, and general lack of ambition from the team.

 

In Rafa I faking trust

 

Very disappointed in Benitez today. Poor all round from him. From tactics to line up to subs.

 

Better than Galloway yesterday

 

At least the bloke is on loan. We got Oviedo coming back soon.

 

Moreno - £15m
Sakho - £30m
Markovic - £15m
Sturridge - £40m

£100k to keep you up, fair deal I think.

 

Take the nought off your figure and that's about all he has l reckon.

 

For each match this season, the highest rated player has stood by and watched the man he was marking score the winning goal!

 

If we clear four, five or more from the books I think we'll have enough to bring in about 3. There might be legs in this Denis Praet deal, I reckon. Batshuayi/Kenedy will depend on Chelsea's late activity. Reina may yet turn up, but two losses isn't going to help pique his interest - but even still I think we need to free up the salary room for his wages.

Outside of that, not a lot else likely. We're still short at LB but the rest I think we'll just have to make do.