rednotblue

What was Max doing for the Swansea goal?

I think it is far more of the case the club want to do some business in January and need to free up wages. It just happens to be Bentley who another club want.

I would like Pearson to stay. Yes results over all have not been great, however the players still play for the Manager and there is an awful lot going on behind the scenes.

11 hours ago, Sheltons Army said:

Why can’t we play 532 or 5311

As @Davefevsposted you either stay with our threat and play a bit of Russian Roulette 

or go with 3/5 at back and , in theory , suffocate their threats

Big call

My concern is how the back four real with Mbappe / Giroud / Dembele

I see Dembele as nearly as much , creative wise at least , a threat as Mbappe

Are we happy to leave Shaw & Walker 1 on 1 with them - Brave 

As I said,  Big call 

I suppose France have the same issues worrying about Englands front 3.

12 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I dunno tbh Shelts.  I hope not.  We have 2 CBs in form defensively…the concerns in recent years necessitating another CB (wrongly imho) aren’t there, and to break up the way we are setting up, would seem ceding an advantage in midfield to France.  They’ll be shit scared of Bellingham burst through as part of a three, with three options ahead of him.  Think he has to trust Walker in a conventional four against Mbappe, as I think it means we can stop Griezmann floating into dangerous positions.

I think you have to trust to luck (a little that Mbappe has an off day). I don't see how playing 3 at the back helps if only Walker has a chance of keeping up. Also as vs. Croatia at the last WC the 352 will become 532 so we will have little attacking outlet. Stopping Griezmann getting too much of the ball will slow the French down as he makes them tick.

12 minutes ago, Sheltons Army said:

Poor ?

You really think we were ‘poor’ ?

 

Nowhere near poor, totally in control of game

Yes in control of the game against a vastly inferior opposition, who dug in and sat back. It does not change the fact that up until Rashford's free kick our play was poor.

We were slow. Thought speed, movement, passing.

7 minutes ago, Sheltons Army said:

totally disagree

 

We’ve completely Bossed the whole game , hardly out of first gear , we’ve been light years ahead of them and totally in control 

We were poor until Rashfords free kick. Slow passing, little movement, lack of tempo. 

We were poor up until Rashford's freekick. Slow passing, little movement. The same as the USA game really

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

 

Perhaps Monday took a bit more out of some players?  Lessons to be learned, re freshening it up???

 

We did not press the USA at all so started to sit deeper and deeper, especially second half.

I get the Henderson sub. I don't get Rashford over Foden. Grealish with his technical ability caused USA problems. Maybe Foden on for Mount?

I would have taken Kane off and put Wilson on. TAA for Trippier.

I still don't get why Ben White did not come on against Iran but hey ho.

Absolute howler from Max

He doesnt even make it to the ball

My biggest frustration with Southgate is he never tries to win the game.

Against Italy he has Tammy on the bench who plays in Italy and scores goals. Why is he not brought on and given half an hour as we needed a goal?

What is the point of the bench if you aren't going to use it?

3 at the back with no left wing back? 

A poor WC and he is gone.

We look slow and ponderous all the time. 

4 minutes ago, mozo said:

What was the Chelsea player a few years back who had big hair and similarly was really classy but also a bit of a liability? Reminds me of him.

David Luiz

Naismith should have got his head to the ball for the first and for the second slipped a pass to his left for Dasilva.

Why was Vyner so deep for the second?

Very poor marking from Vyner for the third.

1 hour ago, Countryfile said:

I’m sorry it’s not the defence it’s one player.

It's not. Yes Naismith has made errors but so have all the others 

Just because the error does not lead to a goal does not mean it is not an issue

3 minutes ago, petehinton said:

If you can be negative after that you should find a new team to support. Absolutely ******* excellent. 

The defending is far from excellent.

We have imho a real chance of the playoffs based on our current form. However our defence is a serious worry

Up the City!

Sadly I think this will be 1-1

This last minute conceeding has been going on for far too long. For all the good Pearson is doing (and in my opinion there is lots on and off the field) this is dogging his tenure.

The biggest issue by far is conceeding at the end of the game. Perhaps they need a physcoligist (sp?) brought in as I think it is now a mental issue more than a football issue.

I hope we crack it soon.

Scott at RWB baffles me a lot

I would start the front three on Saturday. They linked up well.

Yes it was a reserve Coventry team however confidence always helps

Woo hoo

1 minute ago, RudiRed said:

Yes I agree - I suppose with all this talk of progress we need to get some early results especially with last seasons deficiencies of late goals and dropping points. I am concerned about our attacking threat, especially at home. I'm not at sunderland unfortunately but I can see it being a physical slog.

TBH the late goal at Hull bugs me more as it was another injury time goal conceeded. I know it had a massive deflection (no one marking the player though). It needs to stop though as the longer it goes on the more it gets ingrained in our players and the opposition.

37 minutes ago, RudiRed said:

Despite being only the 2nd game of the season I can't help but feel this is a big game - momentum is so important in this league. I worry about our attacking threat without Semenyo.

Always good to get the first win of the season out of the way, however dont forget the start we had under DH and how that ended!

Palmer was a strange signing at the time.

You buy this type of player and build your team around it. As SOD did with JET.