Match Thread Stade Rennais vs Everton (A) 5.30pm, Saturday 28th July

[deipnosophist]

Capt Jags is very easy on the eye looks-wise but watching him trying to play togger is not a pretty sight. Can't Blue Bill find a leading role for him in some stage-play in the West End? Bainesy with his hipsterishness should join up with Franz Ferdinand or Arctic Monkeys or suchlike. Snail Keane and chicken Schnitzel?...both need rendering into soap.

 

[CRIMHEAD]

Have we learned nothing from Keane? We need a mobile centre half not one that’s used to sitting back and defending their own box for 90 mins.

One that can pass, has some agility. Better positional sense.

 

[TheBigIguana]

The bold is arguably the main one.

We've never replaced Barkley. People still don't understand what he brought to the team either, which is laughable, but Sigurdsson most certainly hasn't replaced it.

The problem with Ross is he didn't create enough to be a number 10 or tackle enough to play deeper so all he brought was moving the ball forward. While we never replaced that it would be ideal if we could do it with someone who brought something else to the team as well

 

[deipnosophist]

I was so looking forward to this game all day, what a let down

same here mate. It's now 6.49am and I stayed up all night for that. (more fool me!).
Parker vs Whyte fight should be on in a couple of hours...hope that's decent

 

[Walter Ego]

I hope the powers that be understand the need for 3 new defenders otherwise this season is nigh on a write off before it’s begun.

 

[CRIMHEAD]

Makes you wonder why we have 4/5 men ahead of the ball when you acurately point this out. Do you think it could leave us short if they break???

We aren't going to see a ton of that in the PL this year. It'll be more counter attacking. But we do have to be a lot better with the ball. When you have Morgan, Baines, Jags out there, we are too easily exposed.

 

[JobForTheMoyes]

He's not, average. Having saying that average is way above what we have playing for us at the minute

Personally I think he has a lot of potential. A good coach could build a defense for the future around Mawson and Pickford.

 

[streeky]

So after Martinez, Koeman and Allardyce were you expecting Silva to have world beaters within 7 weeks?

Not really Grouch mate but he needs to see how old and slow his defence /defensive midfielders are and use a system to suit. Looks like a manager that want's to play a certain way even if he doesn't have the players to play it.

 

[streeky]

Two centre halves and this would be bang on.

No

 

[Piscass2006]

Defence is all over the place...Niasse is not good enough, Gylfi didnt see him do much. If we strengthen at the back we should avoid relugation. if not i expect some panik buys. A lot riding on next 2 seasons new stadium etc. I just hope that Silva shows something in this team before Wolves. I feel that he is out of his depth. Should have been Pelligrini, Moshiri trying to be trendy, or maybe Kenwright.

 

[Tubey]

The problem with Ross is he didn't create enough to be a number 10 or tackle enough to play deeper so all he brought was moving the ball forward. While we never replaced that it would be ideal if we could do it with someone who brought something else to the team as well

He did though. The stats proved as such - he was creating as many chances as any number ten from the top teams in the league (and incidentally double what Gylfi was doing at Swansea).

Again, the misinformation regarding him constantly astonishes me. He was the guy you could give a ball to and he'd carry it and get a move started, or pass it to feet for the shot, switch play etc. Instead, we now have two crabs in Gueye and Schneiderlin and whatever the hell Sigurdsson is meant to be doing.

 

[daza_1973]

I hope the powers that be understand the need for 3 new defenders otherwise this season is nigh on a write off before it’s begun.

Unless something miraculous happens very soon - next season is already looking like a damage limitation exercise with at least another two or three windows to clear the decks and get new blood in....

 

[Davideeyore]

The defence appears to be incompetent as do some of the other players (midfield) Silva and Richarlison must be wondering what they've bought in to. A LOT of hard work needed behind the scenes. Jags and Keane are just not going to work, end of.

 

[streeky]

I hope the powers that be understand the need for 3 new defenders otherwise this season is nigh on a write off before it’s begun.

Understand our need for defenders and it would have been nice if our keeper didn't dive over the ball everytime, but would a couple of defenders changed that result today, i think no.

 

[Groucho]

Not really Grouch mate but he needs to see how old and slow his defence /defensive midfielders are and use a system to suit. Looks like a manager that want's to play a certain way even if he doesn't have the players to play it.

He can see that. I’m sure he’s not thick.

But the way some go on.....