I'm at work tonight and couldn't watch or listen to the game. I see some criticism on here for some of our players. To my mind it looks like our club were represented tonight by a team of heroes. We've succeeded not only in stopping Arsenal winning and scoring, but also sent their manager into a worldwide aired total loss of control hissy fit, which contrasted sharply with our calm and professional leader. Last night Klopp, and this night Arteta totally embarrassed themselves! Why, because they're rattled by us. The psychology war is showing who the winners are ... To me tonight's 0-0 is a win for us. Any shortcomings in the side will be reflected on and addressed by our board. I've got a ticket for the Leicester game and can't wait.
I particularly like the lines along the lines of 'with those players ' The mentality is that we're just **** , but the reality is that alot of our players are very good. I keep hearing them saying things like' none of them would get in a top 6 side'... erm hang on they're in a side that is 3rd .
Can't wait to beat Arsenal at SJP. Arteta is a soft as ****e moaning cry baby. If he doesn't like the way we played then **** off back to Spain.
He's going to lose it If arsenal get caught by City. I have to say that Arsenal looked the best we've later though. The only side that showed has managed our press. I think last night showed Newcastle are still a couple of years off that level and they'll need to get the billions out or they'll fall away and it'll get no easier next season.
Still can't quite figure out why Howe persists with BDB at LB. I thought it was odd the first time he was picked there and obviously we've gone on a bit of a ridiculous run ever since so I can kinda get that he doesn't want to change things up too much from that perspective. Out of the 2 "scandalous" non penalties I thought we were rather fortunate with the first one, if VAR had looked at that it would have been given as it was pretty nailed on like, I would have been pissed off if it had been the other way round at the other end. BDB does that a lot, both inside and out of the box and he's been rather fortunate up until now. I'm all for getting physical with players but there's ways to do it and ways to not do it, he needs to get a bit smarter about it otherwise we are gonna get punished one day for it and it will cost us.
The first one was a penalty. We got away with that one. BDB is a decent defender but has no pace. Once someone runs at him, it goes a bit wrong. We need to get in a proper left back (Targett is injured isn't he?) so we need to strengthen that area. Howe is right to not want to break up a winning team but we are quite lop sided and could do with addressing the left hand side.
I was thinking the same thing with about 30 mins left but the longer it went on the more I understood why he wasn't brought on. Honestly I don't think Howe is a massive fan, especially given how well we've done without him and he doesn't want to upset the balance of the team. Maybe we need to move Tripps over to LB and try and get him to work his magic on ASM like he has done with Miggy!
Agree on BDB needing to be a bit more savvy in certain scenarios or before long we get bitten (that was a penno last night by the way...), but to question his inclusion at LB is a bit of a puzzler to me. Best defence in the league, and kept Saka quiet for the evening. He's barely put a foot wrong.
He isn't a LB so not that difficult to work out really like. Despite our defensive exploits this season he's still our weakest link in that area for me and the one most likely to cost us. Madness that we've done so well with 3 cb's across our back 4 and he certainly hasn't really done much wrong....yet!
I'll start by saying I'm also not his biggest fan. 100% effort, but not a good enough left back, creates nothing, lacks pace and for someone 8'1" tall just doesn't win enough in the air, particularly offensively. However, we are not playing a very conventional system - what we tend to do is 'shuffle right' at the back to go for a back 3 to allow Trippier up the pitch, which allows Miggy to come inside. Burn then becomes, more often than not, a LCB. I think this is down to Howe being a genius and working with what he has; with a blank chequebook I imagine we bring in a protective CDM, push Bruno forward and have more of a threat from LW. When we have all that working, we will start to sustain title challenges and win trophies, but that's two windows away at least. Burn's doing the job asked to the best of his ability, but I'm 99% certain he won't be our starting left back in August.
He plays at LB or CB, and did so for Brighton too. In time, he will be replaced with a more dynamic / traditional LB, that's not in question, but you say you can't figure out why EH persists with him at LB... What's the alternative? What do we have available that can improve on the best defence in the league? Who are you playing ahead of him? I'm puzzled about what you said as there is no alternative (that I can see) that will improve on what we have (which by the way is performing better than any defence I've witnessed in my lifetime supporting the club).
This. Burn is exactly right for the current system and personnel Available. Yes, over the next few transfer windows things might change a bit and the system can be adapted. But Eddie has had to work with what he has - a mostly average squad with a few stand out players. To be where we are is just incredible and credit to all those involved. Even those I'd like to see replaced by better players have done a fantastic job and should be praised. Burn has done his job well, as have many others.
The defence is class why change anything. Longstaff being replaced with a proper player will see a huge improvement.. I'm sure they'll be looking for that player
