Match Day Thread General Match Thread

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
That we are reffed differently to other teams for some reason, yes I do.

Some of the decisions against us (or not given for us) and refereeing performances in our games this season have been some of the worst you’ll ever see. Plenty of examples this season.

See arsenal’s penalty yesterday, quite harsh I thought due to the distance he was from the ball but not enough to overturn. No way is Michael Oliver giving that pen to spurs and isn’t enough of a pen for VAR to overturn the other way.

The fact that we have not had one type of that decision go our way this season and these things are meant to ‘even themselves out’ seems we are either really unlucky or there is some weird bias refs have against us where the threshold seems to be different, especially when it comes to the ‘clear and obvious error’ bar used in VAR reviews.

Until someone can explain how RKM can have a goal disallowed against Arsenal one week, then a worse push is allowed against us the following week at Fulham (the worst example of this you will see all season) then people will always think like this.

Certainly an interesting take you have.

Can’t say I agree with it.
 
Nice to see a lineup where it seems we have players playing in their actual positions although I use that a little looser with RKM and Richarlison.

Thought Tel may have got a start though after de zerbi’s comments about wanting him at Marseille.
 
Nice to see a lineup where it seems we have players playing in their actual positions although I use that a little looser with RKM and Richarlison.

Thought Tel may have got a start though after de zerbi’s comments about wanting him at Marseille.
I feel like we've seen this line up a lot under Frank and Tudor, whether it's 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2. The issue is the playmaking is once again lacking, as well as pace on the wing. Maybe De Zerbi will get more creativity out of the players on the pitch but I worry this is yet another manager this season that's going to slowly learn what our problems are and we don't have any time to be chucking games away whilst they learn.

I know it's negative but as much as I don't like RDZ, I was hopeful going into this and seeing the lineup has deflated me a bit. Hope I'm wrong.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BinghamSpur
I feel like we've seen this line up a lot under Frank and Tudor, whether it's 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2. The issue is the playmaking is once again lacking, as well as pace on the wing. Maybe De Zerbi will get more creativity out of the players on the pitch but I worry this is yet another manager this season that's going to slowly learn what our problems are and we don't have any time to be chucking games away whilst they learn.

I know it's negative but as much as I don't like RDZ, I was hopeful going into this and seeing the lineup has deflated me a bit. Hope I'm wrong.

Personally I just don’t think the players are there for enough creativity.

Kulu, Maddison and Kudus would help but we’re not going to see any of them this season and the likes of Tel, Simons just don’t offer enough yet.
 
Personally I just don’t think the players are there for enough creativity.

Kulu, Maddison and Kudus would help but we’re not going to see any of them this season and the likes of Tel, Simons just don’t offer enough yet.

It's a lot to ask of them but Bergvall and Gray need to step up quickly.

The latter has been one of the few bright lights this season. I think giving him more freedom to run the midfield instead of protecting our profligate defence will unlock even more creativity.
 
Kinsky error, xhaka long range goal.

What else feels inevitable this afternoon?
If he keeps his footing i think he'll be ok. Atletico have had allegations of doctoring the surface and everyone was slipping in that game. Good chance he has progressed as a keeper from when he last had a run in the team.
 
If he keeps his footing i think he'll be ok. Atletico have had allegations of doctoring the surface and everyone was slipping in that game. Good chance he has progressed as a keeper from when he last had a run in the team.

Other than his debut he’s looked shaky everytime.

I don’t rate him at all, always looks like he’s got an error in him.
 
The captain, who thinks he's better than the club having a stinker

He sums up the entire club, for me.

Thinks he's way better than he actually is.

Gives it all the big talk then goes missing in crucial moments.

Same can be said about two thirds of the squad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Spurlock
Interesting line up, was convinced Tel would start. Thought Xavi would do.

There’s definitely enough quality there to win this game. The players need to show it.

An absolute must win game.
 
Personally I just don’t think the players are there for enough creativity.

Kulu, Maddison and Kudus would help but we’re not going to see any of them this season and the likes of Tel, Simons just don’t offer enough yet.
Agree but we've tried leaving them out and we look worse for it.
 
Where is the quality?

I just don’t see it.

We're a bizarre specimen.

Apart from Kinsky who remains unproven, when you look at each individual player in isolation the conclusion is inescapable: each of them is definitely PL standard. Granted, many are bottom half, but none of them are Championship level.

It's when anyone tries to sew them all together that the whole thing goes to pot and we resemble a pub team.

So yes, the quality to survive is definitely there and has been all season, but so far no one has been able to realise it.
 
It's a lot to ask of them but Bergvall and Gray need to step up quickly.

The latter has been one of the few bright lights this season. I think giving him more freedom to run the midfield instead of protecting our profligate defence will unlock even more creativity.
Agree, Gray in particular I think will be a really intelligent player in the coming years. Trouble is he's not that player yet which is why not having Xavi on and leaving up to Gray and Bergvall, who is prone to taking risks deep in our half, to set our tempo isn't ideal.