I'm afraid that like a couple of my favourite pubs back home ' The Last Chance Saloon ' has now shut and if we don't win tomorrow it will be boarded up.
We need Man City and Liverpool to continue to be neck-and-neck at the top. That would mean little chance of either of them taking their foot off the gas when they play the teams we need them to beat. Although anything other than a win today and I doubt if it matters. I wonder how Smith will approach the match. Will he revert to a midfield of McLean, Gilmour and A.N.Other in an attempt to 'play safe'? Will he continue to give up possession and cut out the midfield or will he change formation in a match we must win against opponents who are roughly our own level? If he does the former, does he drop Pukki? If he does the latter, where is the creativity coming from?
IMHO Pukki is in danger of being made a scapegoat. He just hasn't had the chances. I know people will point to a couple of misses but I would get willing to get that on X goals he would be ahead of those expected. He will still score 20+ next season, assuming he is still here.
I’m not scapegoating but I think to get the best of him we need to consider resting him. He plays 90mins every week, chasing lost causes and putting all his effort in. It also makes us very predictable to play against, I thought Sargent up gives us a good option as a target man to bring others in to play, we have pacy players that could take advantage of this approach.
I was disappointed that we played Pukki in the cup for the reasons you give. That was the time to give him a rest and play Sargent up front. Brentford is a must win game though and we have to play our best players. Business as usual for me: Krul Aarons Hanley Gibson Williams Gilmour Normann McLean Sargent Pukki Rashica
Over the years we have seen players who can score for fun in the Championship but couldn't do it in the top league and Pukki falls into that group. The gap in ability between the two leagues is big and getting bigger and nowadays Championship sides have to look upon promotion as a 1 or 2 year money making venture.
Believe me, I'm not trying to make Pukki a scapegoat. I have nothing but total respect for him as a player and a person, and so much of what we have achieved over the last few years is due to what he has done. But I feel we are now asking him to play in a style and formation that doesn't suit him in the slightest. He's having to run around like a headless chicken, getting four or five touches in one half and almost no sights of goal, so when he does have a shot he's lost his coolness and quickness of thought - he either snatches at it or dithers. Then, of course, his confidence suffers and it's a vicious spiral downwards, and fans start to say he's past it or he isn't Premiership class. I get the feeling he isn't enjoying the Smith way of playing at all. I hate to see him looking lost like he has for so much of this season because I have such a high opinion of him. I'd rather he leave and go to a team that plays in a style that suits him. I'm sure Smith won't mind because then he can get the big lump he wants up front.
Just been on Hesgoal.com, and there is a statement relating to they are no longer posting links to Premier League matches. Now that is a blow. Hope Mygoaltv.com is still working
Hesgoal.com have decided not to host any more Premier league games . China are boycotting the Premier league too
Really bad news. Hesgoal has been very reliable for me this season. I'm devastated that I'm going to miss the moment when McLean and Gilmour become a stupendous midfield duo sweeping all before them.
Not sure if many have noticed but Bryam gets the nod ahead of Aarons! Doubt he has been on the bench for many league games since he joined
Dowell yet again makes the bench ahead of Tzolis despite showing even less than Tzolis when he has had his chances
Smith seems to have a downer on both of our Greeks. Sometimes I wonder if he once got food poisoning from a dodgy moussaka.
I for one missed it but can understand why after his good performance against Liverpool. He's more of a FB than Aarons, who plays more like a WB. The former suits Smith's tactics, where the FBs venture forward less.
According to Understat, Teemu is almost exactly matching his xG so far this season (6 goals, xG 5.95). In terms of xG, he currently ranks 33rd in the league, and in terms of goals scored 38th. As a team, we have the worst cumulative xG in the league, and have scored 4 goals fewer than xG would indicate.
Does anyone have a stream? My hope evaporated when I saw that midfield but I'd still like to see us lose if possible.
