I don't know how many times I've said this but RAFA PLEASE GO 4-4-2. I've been screaming this for ages, all we need is to get someone that can take pressure off Gayle. He runs defences ragid enough as it is with his runs, but he'd be lethal with more space created for him. I know some of you have argued with me on this. I know we haven't played 4-4-2 often but we look like a much better team as soon as we have two strikers on the pitch. This isn't a knee jerk reaction. We won 6-0 in the only game we started 4-4-2 with Mitro and Perez. We hammered Reading 4-1 when we played a good portion of the game 4-4-2. And we scared the **** out of Norwich in 4-4-2. Yes we could have won this game in the first 20 mins HOWEVER it's not good enough to dominate teams and not have the firepower to put them to bed. Diame needs dropping. Ratings - Darlow - 6 - Not much to do really since Norwich didn't threaten us very much but remained composed when we needed it and some decent aerial command. Yedlin - 7.5 - Loved his attitude. When everyone else was acting like a c*nt he was urging the rest of the lads to keep calm and get on with the game. Some good balls in and great running. Good defending and all round play. Excellent work rate and vigour. Lascelles - 6 - The captain should be more composed. Stupid booking. He did bollock Mitro for being a c*nt but lost composure himself. He also got bullied a lot by Jerome and I want to see him stronger. Apart from these **** ups he was decent. Clark - 7.5 - Looks like a really solid defender to me. Also good at ball playing. Apart from his first game he has shown himself to be likely our best CB option. Dummett - 3 - Please get rid. Ritchie - 7 - Unlucky not to have a goal. Hit the bar. Great work rate and some good balls in. Shelvey - 7.5 - Some excellent passing today and good assists. Colback - 4.5 - Muppet getting himself booked early on - It's what lead to him not being able to deal with the attacking Norwich scored their 3rd with. It's like he can't even slide tackle and needs to be able to have a few chances and flying in like a chicken. Gouffran - 7 - Great work rate, another goal. Diame - 4 - Please drop him. He doesn't add enough and he is also quite bone idle. Gayle - 8 - He should have easily had a first half hat trick, but you can't criticize a striker who gets 3 goals in a game. He also worked his nuts off in the 2nd half trying to get us back into the game. He is excellent in running a defence ragid and once he finds true form he'll be a nightmare for the opposition. Mitro - 7 - Stupid c*nt for getting booked before touching the ball. However, he was instrumental in our victory in the end. He drew attention away from Gayle and gave us the space we needed to score more goals. Atsu - 6 - A canny dribbler and worked hard. Nothing special though. Rafa - 5 - His stubbornness with this 4-5-1 and a small striker up top almost cost us another game. IT ISN'T GOING TO ****ING WORK M8. Either play a target man up top or play 4-4-2! MOTM - Gayle.
A 3 for Dummett? ****ing -3 more like. He really is a docile, one dimensional, dogshit piece of turd. The guy is a ****ing liability. Diame - -100. My mind is made up already with this ****. We may aswell be playing with 10 men. He needs droppong pronto. Mitrovic was drawing players away from Gayle hence the goals. He needs to start ahead of Diame. Colback - 0. Just plain ****.
Agree with Windy. A +3 must mean Tash is sleeping with Dummett. Even -3 is generous in my opinion. How many times was his clearance or pass blocked by a Norwich player?
I didn't watch the game tonight, only listened on the radio, so can't argue that he did well tonight. He will never be a great player, but the times I've seen him he is a decent defender, and isn't as bad as we make out going forward.
I'm sleeping with Dummett? Rafa must be getting railed balls deep by a BBC daily because that's the only rational explanation for Diame being played this evening.
Hard commenting when you are not watching but I am going to be controversial here and say two things: 1) no point saying how much we like Rafa and then criticising how he decides to line them up. Clear he wants to play with one striker to start so players have to get used to that style 2) some of you have it in for Dummett and its clear from your continued downmarking of him. Me I think he is still learning the fullback role as that is not his natural position. If Rafa thinks he is the best we have got there then I am happy to go with it Jakarta Toon (aka Mrs Benitez)
For me it's not an issue of Dummett learning the full back role as to his actual ability on the ball. He epitomises the one footed professional footballer which is one of my many pet hates but also demonstrates an innate ability to be closed down when in possession meaning his passes and clearances are blocked more than any footballer I can recall in living memory. I accept his original position was as a centre back but these traits would plague him there as well. I also accept that he may be Rafa's current choice but I don't think it will last or at least I hope it won't. Rafa may want to visit me in my back garden (no, that's not a euphemism) and I'll show him how I can still kick, pass and tackle with two feet and am a better option than Dummett. Also I would be classed as a free agent and my demands regarding a wage and signing on fee are pretty reasonable in this modern era. Plus I would be a local lad and not a mercenary of any description.
Plus it wouldn't matter how many goals we actually scored or conceded, as you would just declare us the winners after the final whistle anyway
But then who would run the headline games as it would be a clear conflict of interest (or a BSA) as they are now known. Also I believe that Dummet should also be given the chance to do his stuff in your back garden ( and that is a euphemism).
We need to play our strongest team in games like this, simple as that - that means no Diame and Colback until they start pulling their weight! Hayden and Mitro need to start in their place! We all know Hayden does the DM role far better than Colback and as soon as Mitro came on we looked far more dangerous, and his header down gave Gayle the opportunity for a winner. 4-4-2 is right, Gayle can't do everything himself, and needs Mitro to use his strength and make some space for him. Also central defence looked fine (Clark looking the part now), but full backs are a worry, with way too much space for Norwich to exploit (see their second goal, good finish but given way too much space), Yedlin looks good, but is very attack minding, we need Anita back in there. Well done of Rafa for having the balls to drop Sels, but Diame and Colback have gotta go. And Norwich....hmmmm! For a team that were going into this looking to top the table they were a bit lax, we absolutely pummelled them in the first half and they were massively lucky to only be one down and got a gift with the penalty. Decent for the first half of the second, but needed a big slice of luck with the third goal to put them in a commanding position. Despite bringing an extra defender on to preserve the lead, their defending was wretched for the last 2 goals, first Gouff gets a completely free header in the 6 yeard box despite being completely surrounded by Norwich players, then Gayle can waltz through their entire defence seconds later....they have work to do there!
