Rival watch

It was so unnecessary. Davies could have shot or Mina needed to stay a step back. So obviously offside.

 

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Ronaldo unhappy

 

Crywear.

 

Nice post-match interview from Townsend, if a little too fawning over the sex offender.
Good to see him doing well, even if it limits his chances to go to our games.

 

I'm finding it impossible to avoid comparing Rafa's performance as Everton with Nuno's for us. Putting aside that they've got 5 points more than us, having played one more game, there's a whole world of difference from looking at the 2 teams.

Today, Everton dug in, defended well and looked dangerous when they won the ball. We did that on the first day of the season (and rode our luck) but since then, such a display is a forlorn hope. Today, playing as we have been, United would have gubbed us.

I'll make no bones about it, during the summer, I didn't want Rafa. I saw him as a limited, short term appointment...little did I know that we'd actually find someone more limited and short term. I really should have known better.

We've finished above Everton regularly for some years and they're spending in the summer was **** all - £1.7m for Demarai Gray and a number of free transfers. It can be argued that Nuno needs longer...and to a point it's valid...but it's also beyond time to produce a performance.

I doubt there's a fan who's really expecting this squad to trouble Top 4. I'm not expecting us to make Top 6...and didn't before the season kicked off but...Nuno has to show that he can pick a side, with roundish pegs in round holes and coach and motivate them to compete against a decent team.

 

Benitez is a good manager. A little cautious at times, but he seems to do a good job everywhere.
He's far better than Ole, for example.

Going to Old Trafford with Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison out and taking a point is very respectable.
Man Utd brought on Ronaldo, Pogba and Sancho, leaving Lingard and van der Beek on the bench.
Everton could only manage Tom Davies and (seriously) Dobbin.

 

He's a coach, first and foremost. He's technically very good and also seems to have got that Everton squad 'up for it'. After some of their recent crackpot appointments, their board have done something sensible, much like West Ham appointing Moyes.

On the grounds that Nuno's going to be more short term than even he or I thought, where do we go next, I wonder?

 

I said that before that Benitez would have been a decent appointment. Short term yes and not pretty football but we’ve not seen that for couple of years anyway.

There’s no doubting he was a better option than NES.

Although I’d choose a Potter or Ten Hag type over Rafa allday long.

 

He’s also got Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray playing with real confidence, energy and dynamism. I didn’t think they’d be as effective as they have been so far. Both look a world apart from the players they were at their previous Premier League clubs.

A lot of that has to be down to his effective coaching.

 

Townsend addressed this in his post-match interview.
Constantly trying to improve his game and pushing him to get better in every aspect.
Some players won't like that, though. They'll take a hit to their confidence. Townsend's embraced it.

 

In rejecting Rafa out of hand as an option, I thought it was a given that we'd go for Potter or ten Hag. We need a project manager who is going to espouse creative, attacking football, because if we're not going to compete for trophies (and we're not for some time) , the least fans should be rewarded with is decent football and hope for the future.

Currently, we have neither.

 

Didn't see the Chelski game, but I read the report and says that the ref upgraded the initial yellow to a red following a look a the pitchside monitor. Absolutely nothing sounds wrong about that apart from the consistency angle. I am not even arguing about the validity of taking the action (which again I haven't seen). But there's a big but. Would this action have been carried out in the same way (with the same result) for every team?

 

https://streamwo.com/HMquxbw
I haven't seen it at full speed yet, but it's late, studs up and nowhere near the ball. Very little contact, though.

 

I really hope you don't get Potter if Nuno gets sacked

Brighton absolutely battered us in that first-half. We could barely get out. They should have been out of sight, really. Second half was slightly more even, although they still probably edged it. But the facts are he's got a team of fairly limited resources competing and playing excellent football against some of the most expensive players in the division. He did the same thing last season too against the likes of City, Liverpool and United, even if they didn't win. He totally outcoached Arteta today and was very unfortunate to not get all 3 points.

I actually think he's one of the top 5 coaches in the league.

 

I'd love to know why his team seem to have such trouble hitting the target, though.
They seem to have plenty of the ball in most games and even plenty of shots in a lot of them.
Never many on target. 2 from 21 today, apparently.

 

Yeah, if they had any half decent attacker today, the game would have been over by HT. They were missing a lot of free headers and getting their technique wrong on a lot of shots, despite being in very promising positions.

Even last season, I think their xG would have had them 5th or 6th in the league. They create a tonne of chances. Just always struggle to convert.

I reckon if he had a budget where he could afford better calibre players, it wouldn't be so much of an issue. Which is why I'm hoping he doesn't join you as his next job.

 

Brighton were missing Bissouma and their record signing, Mwepu, too.

We should be throwing a blank cheque at them right now for the guy before it’s too late and he goes elsewhere.

 

Not sure about no contact. Jorginhos whole foot moves forward. I wouldnt say it was fully connected though. Nothing malicious on a wet pitch but one of those orange cards. It is late, the back of the ankle and studs into it (cause sliding on the floor will make the studs come up). Yellow or red.

I havent seen kovacics challenge which i thought was bad or apparantly werners ridiculously disallowed goal as i was driving but had the radio on

 

He was the manager of choice for many if us, winning the vote set up by DH by a country mile.

I still think someone like Conte would command greater respect, work better with Paratici and galvanise pretty much the whole fan base, but in all honesty right now he is a pipe dream whose requirements we simply cannot afford.

I've been hugely impressed with Brighton since Potter took over. Like you've said, they absolutely battered us twice last season. Bale stole a win for us at home but they beat us away.

As PNP says, it is a bit concerning that they struggle to score goals. They were well above us for chances created last season but we scored almost 30 more goals than them.

I'm of the opinion that Potter coaching players like Kane and Son would produce devastating results, but i do respect fans who see that as a concern and sticking point.