Strange game that. Had the chances to win but failed to take them. Was all too narrow and played into their hands - this is when we wanted Trent overlapping Salah constantly and boy, did we miss Robbo. When we did break their lines our final ball was poor. Very frustrating game to watch but take the point and move on….
What I do not get is that if we are so insistent trent is amazing on the ball why don't we: a) ****ing start him in midfield or b) tell szobolzlai to go wide and stay wide or c) tell salah to go wide and stay wide. Why don't we get radical and play a LW/elliott at lb and tell them what we told milner. you'll see a lot more ball. These two points will hurt us all season.
Did think gravenberch was the best of a bad bunch yesterday. On the ball he’s a classy player - offers a running threat that we’ve missed. He’s the player I hoped Ox would be in that he could pick up the ball and drive it forward. Did a couple of nice runs and beat a player which then opens up the game a lot more. Was a nice one for the chance he created for Jota which think he should have gone across the keeper rather than try cut back inside the near post.
he was good, he certainly opened the lines for us. I thought Szobolzlai was poor in the poison asked of him. looked tired tbh I'd have gone 424 with both staying on and macca coming off. Elliott did well coming on doing the basics of stretching play.
Fair point, and I'm not rushing to judge him too early in his move here, but without the ball I saw nothing but silly fouls. I don't know if we're getting Andre in Jan, or if we're ever going to trust Endo to start in Prem games, but we seem to have decided not to play with an out-and-out 6 and instead rely on our 3 mids and Trent in his peripatetic role to win the loose balls. Yesterday that didn't work. We looked very much like Fulham in the first game of last season - condensed and everyone getting swamped in the middle. We fought their battle. I think in games like this that Macca is getting unnecessarily slaughtered - he hasn't got the legs to be both a no 10 and a six. Not many have. Szobbo has the legs (for one half anyway), but we'd be hampering him too. I just think some games that we need to be more flexible than a 4-3-3 and go to a four-man midfield, or 4-2-3-1 with Mo up top, as he doesn't really work back on the right side as the likes of Jota, Diaz, Gakpo or even Mane used to do. Thought we were woeful yesterday and went back a step in this season's progress, but I haven't lost sight that this midfield is a huge upgrade on last season, but we're going to have to be more imaginative, flexible and adaptable when we come across organised, drilled teams. As said, we came a cropper on a few occasions last season against teams like Luton and it ultimately cost us a CL place.
It was a very frustrating evening, pretty much echo what everyone has been saying - it seemed obvious we needed to stretch them by using the width so changes to get more of that should've been made sooner. Szob had a poor game which we can forgive every dozen or so games, that's fine - but hooking him instead of Mac was silly, he was struggling all game, let alone when he got the booking and the game was becoming end to end. What exactly is the point of Endo if he can't be trusted against Luton? He's actually done ok in his last couple of games so I doubt decisions like that are much good for keeping that confidence going.
Two things - Really pleased that it was Diaz with the goal, have to admit that I got quite emotional. Praying for his dad to be returned safe and well. - Luton fans are an absolute disgrace. Tragedy chanting needs to be clamped down on, ban the culprits for life and fine the club. Hope they get relegated, never to return.
Their promotion to the PL was reported as a "fairytale", I'd say it's more of a nightmare turning into a horror story.
