Tbf he has to see what every player brings to the party in a match situation. We may scratch our heads more yet with team selection, but let’s face it any combination of this squad is unfortunately pretty useless at present. Interesting to see if his two coaching mates can change things!!
You need players who at the very least understand the damn basics. Every time the Brentford keeper had the ball at his feet, he would just stand there for ten seconds because Sulemana doesn't understand you have to press to force a move.
He just stood in no man's land between the keeper and the right back not knowing what to do. At one point their keeper even chipped it over him, like piggy in the f*cking middle
I hope that they weren’t following orders, that would be difficult to understand. Whatever it was as you say, totally infuriating!!
It was incredibly frustrating watching the Brentford GK stand there with the ball at his feet wasting time. I was shouting in the first half at them being boring ****s and to just get on with it because we were there for the taking. When the crowd started to boo the fact that we were not closing him down and allowing him to just stand there like a twat wasting time, Sulemana did try and close him down a few times. But they would easily just pass it around him and back to the GK again. You can't press unless the whole team are setup and willing to do it. And Brentford are the masters of the quick break away so it's a dangerous game to play against them anyway. And not only do we lack the fitness (and fight) to do it, we simply are not playing the players capable of it. We can probably only play the 'death metal football' with Downes and Fernandes playing because none of our other midfielders are as athletic and mobile. Ugochukwu is mobile enough to play with those two, but not when he is surrounded by slow, turgid **** like Aribo. And then you need speed and mobility up front, so if we are going for pressing football we shouldn't be playing Tall Paul.
Yeah me too. I think he seems to favour a target man up top to hold and lay the ball off, but if he wants two behind a target man I’d have Archer there. I don’t think we have the players to play the current formation though which could make getting double figures this season a bit tricky. I’d look back at the game yday also if I were the boss and tell those that really turned it in they won’t play again. Thought that was one of Aribo worst games for us also, but then most of them weren’t arsed. Sulemana should never play again. I hope the two we recalled recently on loan come into the fold also.
Yeah this is what I wrote when the team sheet was announced yesterday; If it is so bloody obvious to me, and I know f*ck all, then why can't a professional manager see it? I feel sort of bad for Aribo because he shouldn't be expected to play that role. He's not a ball-winning DM ffs.
Yeah it's not Aribos game at all. But with Downes injured, Fernandes suspended, Lallana too frail to play more than 15 minutes, Smallbone injured? there was literally nobody else to play there that wouldn't be someone playing out of position.
And neither should Lallana nor Smallbone be expected to play there. We have one experienced DM. I know I sound like a broken record but it blows my mind we only have Downes.
Yeah I agree about Aribo and to be fair we had Downes injured and Fernandes suspended. Not that the latter is a CDM. Total **** show from top to bottom, I don’t even know how this gets fixed as the football side can’t be sorted until the ****wits up top know what they’re doing.
I feel like it's a position that we have critically undervalued for years. When was the last time we had 2 senior DMs? Was it back when we had 3 in Wanyama, Schneiderlin and Cork? Romeu was a beast for us, but he was our solo DM in those years too (from memory).
Romeu had Hojbjerg and JWP with him. And Steven Davis could do a job there if necessary. Let's be honest it was having Romeu and JWP in midfield that made us somewhat competitive prior to relegation. Losing Romeu was the main catalyst in turning us into the weak shower of piss that we've become.
Completely forgot about Hojbjerg! Neither him nor JWP were out and out DMs, but they could do a good job alongside Romeu, in the same way that Fernandes can do a good job alongside Downes if needed because they are all athletic types that will get stuck in to the hard work. Romeu was such a beast. But we were probably saying the same then, that if Romeu missed any games we were weak af at DM. Though because the others were athletic, we could just about make it work in the short term. We obviously don't have that now, and Downes is not a patch on Romeu, but it's just the same old story at DM.
Romeu was so underrated. Peak Romeu in this team alongside Downes would make a huge difference. Since SR came in we have completely undervalued the importance of having tackling midfielders. We've just brought in a succession of loanees and youngsters to do the job. Embarrassing. You just have to look at Man City and Rodri to understand how not having a decent DM will make the rest of the team completely fold. We need to rectify it ASAP.
Agree it’s an area we need improve but to be fair to SR (well probs more Wilcox influence) they did sign a beast of a DM in Lavia. Also, Charles looking solid this season at Sheff Wed. Downes just proven bit injury prone at top level, but we’re a different team with him in and he was a solid signing too. For me it’s other areas we’re lacking, CF & LW
We got lucky with Lavia. But even as good as he is, you can't rely on an 18 year old for a whole season. Same with Charles. Good potential, but he was totally inexperienced. Downes is great but not when he has to do the job of two players. It's because of having no other experienced DM last season that we conceded so many compared to the other teams at the top.
I remember getting so excited about the FA Cup, and even the League Cup, when I was a kid, that was before we won it too (which I went to so that should be carved into my headstone as I will be one of the rarest humans who ever existed) now I could not give a monkey's toss about it. Who cares? We won't win it, no one different will, no replays, all sorts of cack. Personally I have been strongly against revisionist history, looking at the past like it was 'great' (it wasn't) but in this case the modern version is pants. Big grey unwashed pants. So go on, Swansea, knock yourself out. Win 7-0, and no one will remember it when Liverpool plays Manchester United in the semi-final on Thursday night at 10:30 p.m.
Tbh I was surprised to see Lallana come on with so few minutes left, whatever he can give us it should be when it really matters not like yesterday when no-one in SMS had any hope left at 80+ minutes. The crowd did try but wasted on 11+ deaf ears!
Interview with THB where he generally says the right things. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cy0neklv9q2o
