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Fancy Smith's rumours posts with other poster's replies to Fancy Smith's rumours posts
08 Jul 2023 20:28:54
Good God, just flashed up on Sky Sports News we are interested in Ashley Young on a free.
Are we trying o bring the age profile of the squad up? With extending Lonegan's contract and looking at another nearly 40 year old, our DO F and manager must think experience comes with age. Bloody delusional!
1.) 08 Jul 2023 21:53:43
Tbf he is probably better than mykolenko!
2.) 08 Jul 2023 21:57:09
Maybe Ashley is our new striker? Did he not start there?
3.) 08 Jul 2023 21:59:36
Well if ae have no money then we have no choice, he could do a job as back up, seen we didn't put a 34mill bid in for that striker either , just another made up bit of football bull by the media.
4.) 08 Jul 2023 23:24:26
While BK is in situ nothing will or can change. Should be sitting with his feet up like the rest of us KOS's. Story will come out that we tried and tried to the very last minute etc!
5.) 09 Jul 2023 01:09:44
It will be another ridiculous signing if he comes. He may be on a free but will want a hefty salary package and will only be used as a squad player. Been there, done that before, it just does not work out. If we don't have youngsters who can fill in as squad players we are in serious trouble.
6.) 09 Jul 2023 09:01:56
So Thelwell's plan is to sell our youngsters cheap, and bring in "experienced" older players? Didn't we go down this road before?
7.) 09 Jul 2023 10:49:14
It's not Thelwells plan. The club is having a sell off for whoever gets a bid. Wake up.
8.) 09 Jul 2023 11:58:15
Then why bother employing Thelwell fbs.
9.) 09 Jul 2023 12:20:19
We have no money. Have you been under a rock for the last 36 months?
Throwing your insults at DOF football who generally has never been supported by the regime is desperate and shows your frustration but shows a lack of understanding the big picture. We need money. We need a small robust group like in the Moyes era and so the peripheral talents are all for sale. The only thing that seems to be happening is SD and Thelwell are instructed to clear the decks of anything worth anything. Then maybe a few loans will come in and a cheap transfer or 2 if we are lucky but until the bank balance is boosted, nothing can happen. Not DOF fault. We are a ghost ship until the sale of club or investment is done. It's frustrating but not as frustrating as the ground hog day outbursts from deluded fans. Understand the mess and lower your expectations to zero.
10.) 09 Jul 2023 12:35:08
Well put FBS mate nothing to add, you hit the nail on the head with that post.
11.) 09 Jul 2023 12:53:50
Exactly, FBS, your comment is right on the money.
Apart from lowering expectations for a lot of our fan base, why do some believe every report that links us to a certain player? Every window we are force fed links to players we haven't even been looking at. If we signed every one of these we could field three or four teams each week. No point in getting yourself worked over it, we know we are shopping at the bargain basement for a good few windows to come. Or until the ENTIRE board has been replaced.
12.) 09 Jul 2023 13:12:43
I don't think you understand FBS. Investment won't help us buy players. The club is up against FFP and has a massive cash flow problem.
Lowering the wage bill and balancing the books will help.
No magic investor can throw cash at us.
13.) 09 Jul 2023 13:52:26
Don’t agree FBS, why sell academy players, for effectively peanuts, who haven’t been given a real chance to realise their true potential and are only on relately small wage contracts to hand a big wage contract to a 38 year old who Aston Villa deem surplus to requirements?
I understand we have financial constraints but the ability to manage the situation to the optimum is what the DoF and Manager are paid to do.
It is all easy to always take the easiest line of resistance, but that’s not what management is all about, a balance needs to be made surrounding sacrificing the future by attempting to satisfy the present.
Thelwell, although not totally responsible for the dead wood within the squad although Maupay’s signing hasn’t helped the situation, has been aware for some time of the need to move on players who wouldn’t feature in future plans at the club. I appreciate it won’t be an easy task with the stupid salaries associated with the players in question, but that’s his job and if it was easy we wouldn’t need his services.
So, the simple message is understand clearly what is the best strategy for the club, factoring in the needs of the present and future, and do not in any circumstances succumb, in desperation, once again to signing aged players who have passed their best or players who will not improve the team.
14.) 09 Jul 2023 19:52:11
No I haven’t been under a rock. Selling young potential for peanuts is not the answer, and if Thelwell doesn’t have any say in this then why do we employ him. Have a think about that before you throw insults out.
15.) 09 Jul 2023 21:37:20
Well said Woburn. There are too many people on here who think they are right about everything and come over as arrogant. If it doesn't agree with their opinion then they ridicule and patronise.
16.) 10 Jul 2023 05:31:20
We need to sell and get rid of 4 or 5 big wage earners before we can buy, and that includes the best youngsters at the end of the day they are club assets that need turning into cash before they can sign a few players for Dyche, basically we can’t move yet in the transfer market, not even a free one! because that will come with big wages that will only make our situation worse.
28 Nov 2020 16:52:04
So despite having a decent young left back who has all the attributes to be a really good player he is overlooked in favour of playing Iwobi at lwb and Davies rwb.
Really concerned with some of Carlo's team selections.
Hope it works out as well as iwobi's switch last week but I have my doubts and feel for the youngster.
1.) 28 Nov 2020 18:09:32
Square pegs round holes!
And I’m sure Delph has played right back for city!
Unbalanced and players not looking confident.
2.) 28 Nov 2020 18:21:13
Not even on the bench, is he injured?
3.) 28 Nov 2020 18:29:35
Bluemike he is on the bench.
4.) 28 Nov 2020 19:25:29
CA starting to annoy me playing people out of position. Not sure why he he hasn't brought Bernard on earlier. Obvious we needed more creativity. I thought iwobi was poor on the left today.
5.) 28 Nov 2020 20:16:21
That dross today is on Ancelotti. Playing 2 players as wing backs who shouldn’t be anywhere near the first 11 meant we were playing 5 at the back, at home! I know people say we shouldn’t criticise him because of his pedigree and experience but Leeds pulled our pants down good and proper today. If it wasn’t for short arms it could have been 4 or 5. We just don’t have enough players who can run hard and fast for a whole game to compete. Forget skill, we do have plenty of that. Training needs to be on fitness and closing down. We were lucky against Fulham last week. 4 loses out of 5 now, we’ll be bottom half of the table in the next 2 or 3 games.
{Ed025's Note - selections are baffling to say the least MJB, i dont hold much store by reputations its the now that matters, its early days yet but we do need to see progress mate..
6.) 28 Nov 2020 20:20:49
This was the bench according to Sporting Life
Fabian Delph61'
10Gylfi Sigurdsson
13Yerry Mina
14Cenk Tosun
20Bernard82'
21André Gomes67'
49Jonas Lössl.
7.) 28 Nov 2020 23:58:38
Not going to get on Ancelotti back but he baffles me at times. Iwobi deserved a shirt today at rwb seeing as he did a good job there last weekend. Why he is then switched to the left when we have nkonku (probably the wrong spelling! ) Is just weird. The lad has looked unbelievable when he has played and is good going forward down the left therefore surely compliments a back 3? Davies and sigurdsson should be training with marine or southport as far as I'm concerned. Where is gordon? He was our best performer end of last season. Can understand why posters are annoyed. what do I know lol.
8.) 29 Nov 2020 12:38:08
Mjb. Leeds probably the fittest side in prem. No surprise that Guardian has City and his previous sides at a similar level (worships the ground Belsay walks) . Make Alan the Team Captain and we will see a difference. (Coleman Club Captain) .
9.) 30 Nov 2020 09:42:40
Interesting selection by Carlo it looks like he has assessed Gordon, Nkunku and Branthwaithe and decided they are not ready for the first team. If you then look at what's left then it really narrows the options back four is basically a non starter so a back three makes more sense. The question then is do you put Iwobi on the right and Delphe on the left or Iwobi on the left and Davies on the right either way its a gamble. I would have gone for the sam e starting line up to be honest as Iwobi has played on the left quite a bit and does look comfortable on the left. Unless Kenny is injured then it looks like he is not in Carlos plans for the future. On the three younger players do you throw them into a side low on confidence not playing well and hope it doesn't destroy their confidence or do you protect them and only play them when the side has hit a more consistent positive form. Either way Carlo has some difficult decisions to make and to be fair the senior players are not making his job any easier with their inconsistent form. One positive from the match is Alan looks to be getting fitter and looks a very good player indeed.
10.) 30 Nov 2020 16:15:10
The question is what is the better option, a player that is natural in the position or arguably playing a better player out of their natural position hoping they can adapt.
Nkounku is for me the best option at left back, he can only get better with game time as is Kenny at right back which was a position they new needed cover before the season started but did not resolve as it looked like Kenny was leaving!
28 Jul 2020 18:44:51
I hope the latest rumour surrounding signing ex Chelsea 36 year old is fake news.
We need players with energy, pace and skill not brawn, little pace and past their sell by date.
1.) 28 Jul 2020 19:04:23
Agree, guy was slowing down in his final year at Chelsea. Need pace and skill.
02 Jan 2019 13:55:06
Whilst i'm not calling for Marco's head, when we are paying over £10m for a manager and coaching staff I expect clear signs of an improvement plan to take us forward.
What is not acceptable is the inconsistency surrounding tactics and team selection.
If you get your tactics right against the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea and then get them woefully wrong against Spurs, Brighton and Leicester, then questions need to be asked of both Marco and his coaching team.
We already have a pool of players capable of finishing 7th in the table but we cannot afford to carry 4 players, against any team in the EPL, as has been the case over the last four or five games.
Siguardsson, Richiarlison and Walcott have turned in very poor performances, whilst Gomes after a really good start, when not fully match fit, has actually gone backwards and lacks a yard of pace.
This results in a very weak and ineffective midfield that leaves us vulnerable to teams on the break.
If would be futile trying to enter the transfer market for a striker simply because we don't have the creativity from midfield to provide the service and the telling pass necessary to open up defences. The best striker in football would struggle to score as a lone striker up against 3 or 4 defenders in our present set up
I accept players won't turn in 10/ 10 performances every game but I do expect them to put in 100% effort and at least make it difficult for the opposition to play.
I would certainly give DCL and Lookman regular game time and also play Bernard, who is skilful and has a change of pace but just needs to improve his final ball.
1.) 02 Jan 2019 16:12:57
DCL got a full game and had no real influence leading the line. Although opportunities were limited due to a lack of service, Bernard’s most effective run delivering a driven cross through the 6 yard box a natural striker would have gambled and hit that box but he and Tosun were nowhere near.
For me he is off the bench at this time, however I agree about the poor performances from senior players.
2.) 02 Jan 2019 19:02:19
Sat right by that cross Wakka, after all the floating ineffective crosses DCL had all game a combination of inexperience and naivety meant he was just not ready or expecting it, Tosun was still on his heels having just come on. As to Tosun, delivery had been so bad all game that when he came on they carried on the same. The bloke tried to make things happen, even coming out of the area for the ball, which was exasperating. Even so he had the two best chances and one if we had been quicker to react could have been the equaliser. As some others have said, I would persevere with him for a few games, the goals will come.
Fancy Smith's banter posts with other poster's replies to Fancy Smith's banter posts
25 Jul 2024 19:42:25
Thelwell should adopt the same approach to the contract offers to both Branthwaite add DCL as he has in his recruitment, if the rumours are correct.
I appreciate there is little loyalty and obviously little reflection, certainly in DCL case, to the psychological and medical care the club have administered and despite the desperate need, Sean Dyche ensuring his long term welfare by easing him gradually back to match fitness.
Instead of feeling a debt of gratitude he decides to kick the club in the teeth.
As far as Branthwaite is concerned, he has a few years left on his contract so continue to hold out for the value the club have set and review his position season on season.
Certainly don't consider an increase in salary to £160k a week!
{Ed025's Note - im with you Fancy, if they dont like it they can lump it mate..
1.) 25 Jul 2024 20:31:21
Exactly Ed. No one is bigger than the club however talented.
{Ed025's Note - spot on Mocker mate..
2.) 25 Jul 2024 21:38:46
Personally I’d offer Branthwaite a pay rise based on last years performances even if it doesn’t see him sign a new contract.
Wouldn’t be offering anywhere near the £160k per week but would be happy to see him have a pay increase particularly when you look at what Keane and Holgate are on and think it would send a positive message to him regards us wanting to keep him.
{Ed025's Note - he knows how much we want him Dan and thats why his agent is playing silly buggers, yes up his pay to £100k a week but he must sign an extension to the contract he has now mate, thats only fair..
3.) 25 Jul 2024 22:01:31
He only signed new contract in last year aswell so he still got 3 years left on current deal.
4.) 26 Jul 2024 00:14:45
If he wants £160k and we can afford it I say pay it. Providing we can put a release clause of £160mil. If he wants to be paid well then so do we when the club that has seemingly set this figure wants to buy him. If he wants the release clause lower then that can reflect in his wages, £100k = £100mil or £70k for £70mil. That way whatever inflated value his team may have of him will set our asking price. Then lengthen the contract to protect the clubs asset.
5.) 26 Jul 2024 01:07:55
I agree meet him half way, give him a pay rise but make sure it’s a longer deal. Possibly stick in a minimum fee release clause?
6.) 26 Jul 2024 04:00:55
If £80,000 per week isn't enough to pay your bills then there's something wrong somewhere.
If Branthwaite is happy at Everton then give him that amount but have him sign a new five year contract. Insert a minimum release clause and tell his agent to stop being greedy and to actually look after his clients best interests and not just use him as a cash cow.
If Branthwaite isn't happy and wants to move on, tell him it's £70 million or he stays and puts in a shift for us.
UTFT NSNO.
7.) 26 Jul 2024 09:54:26
More greed, especially when our club is going through a financial crisis, if he still has 3 years on his contract then I wouldn’t give him a pay rise, but with this attitude I would sell him before the season starts, the Days are gone for Everton to pay 100k plus per week, 50or 60k should be our maximum. We now have to think of our club not the players bank balance.
09 Jul 2024 16:40:18
After a promising start to the transfer window with two very good signings, Thelwell and Co. seem to have reverted to type.
Despite being linked for some considerable time with Jason Philogene, who would have proved an exciting addition offering both pace and skill with the right age profile, It transpires despite rumours to the contrary that as of lunchtime today we haven't made an offer for the player, Why?
I appreciate that there is a lot of speculation and false rumours circulated in the media but when an opportunity to sign a prospect of the right age and with the skill set you cannot afford to turn up the opportunity.
What we don't want or need is being linked with second rate players like Che Adams and Sanchez.
1.) 09 Jul 2024 19:35:12
Can't control who the media link us too. Try not to to get caught up in the media hype as most of it is regurgitated rubbish anyway. I can't see us spending much until we sell someone first.
2.) 09 Jul 2024 21:08:46
It's not football manager.
There are many moving parts in any transfer and Everton are only one of them.
3.) 10 Jul 2024 08:17:14
Jesus this is a bit premature! It's only the 10th July with a month to go to the start of the season and a couple more weeks on top of that to the end of the window. Ignore the media and relax. We're showing already good intent in the market.
The guy from Hull I would probably give a wide birth. His agent sounds like a complete lemon and totally disruptive. He'd have his head turned every 12 months reaping the rewards of regular moves. There's plenty of other good players with hopefully, better agents.
Loads of time so sit back, have a brew and a biscuit, and see how things go. Loads to be looking forward to in this next 12 months.
4.) 10 Jul 2024 08:30:34
Cant remember the club coming out and saying they have decided Jason Philogene is a target and we have made a bid? So how do we know all the media speculation not just a load of bull.
5.) 12 Jul 2024 08:45:05
I don't believe that Che Adams is "a second rate player" by any means.
He's never going to work for us or indeed any other club as a lone striker, it's just not his game. If he plays alongside an atypical striker, his role is to be a menace, make distracting runs and create space. He's effective at what he does.
He's by no means the best you can get, probably not good enough for where we want to be, but you're doing him a disservice by ridiculing him like that.
08 Jul 2024 18:36:53
After all the paper talk about our interest in the Hull winger, it now transpires we haven't made an offer.
1.) 08 Jul 2024 19:03:22
With the way his agent acted in relation to Barcelona, making video in the car park and then being asked to leave by security, if we haven’t actually made an offer wouldn’t surprise me if the rumours we had had been created by his agent to push up his price.
2.) 08 Jul 2024 20:50:45
He will join Ipswich along with his pal greaves.
3.) 09 Jul 2024 10:46:38
Seems we are interested, according to the rumours. Let's wait and see. ?.
03 Jul 2024 17:16:44
Pleased with our signings but still have reservations paying Jack Harrison's wages in full, although he looked sharp training in Miami and obviously felt he under performed last season by his comments.
Although we seem to be linked with the world and his wife, I'm concerned we seem to be falling behind, to the likes of Ipswich on players in positions we need to recruit and cover.
Keane and Holgate have proven they neither have the pace or speed of reaction to offer an alternative should Tarkowski or Brainthwaite get injured, so the need for a replacement with the pace and necessary skill set is a priority.
I appreciate we may be waiting for the probable sale of Onana to raise the necessary funds but and it's a big but sometimes you need to take a calculated risk to insure your preferred target is secured.
There's plenty of time left in the market to realise sales for the likes of Beto, Maupay, Keane and Holgate so hopefully Thelwell will continue the good work in the transfer market.
1.) 03 Jul 2024 17:42:01
calculated risk but if you don't have any money then you can't buy jack.
2.) 03 Jul 2024 21:13:48
Don’t need to buy jack mate, he’s on loan ?.
05 Jun 2024 15:02:26
When you're up to your ass in alligators it's easy to forget your main objective was to drain the pond.
In this respect both Dyche annd Thelwell seem in agreement on effectively ditching or certainly totally ignoring youth player development is short sighted and detrimental to the future.
Who, with an agree of ability and potential would want to join such a setup.
A better development plan would be identify the best of the u23's and during the close season have the likes of Baines and Coleman, for an hour a day after training, give one to one coaching sessions.
In a structured training plan for defenders the
Plan would include spatial awareness - always being aware where the player you are marking is but also being able to anticipate potential developing situations, body positioning - never being in a position where you are square on and unable to react quickly. irrespective of whether you are facing an opponent with a right or left footed preference, how to effectively close down an opponent, when to commit to attack without exposing your position to a counterattack.
All this can be coached and demonstrated and as a youngster I would make the approach personally because I feel sure the likes of Seamus and Leighton would be only to willing to give and hour a day to young players with the will to improve.
Although it would be a degree unfair to pour cold water on a really good finish to last season, I still harbour doubts on our scouting and recruitment process.
I appreciate its water under the bridge, but to have ignored Wharton for £18m plus add ons, whose ability was clearly evident and within the age criteria which has already seen his value skyrocket and then spend £25m, albeit on delayed payment, on Beto. who will never cut it in the EPL is totally inexcusable.
Hopefully someone within the club can do the maths on our exact financial situation and factor in if losing the spine of the team is preferable to any potential points deduction.
1.) 05 Jun 2024 17:32:07
Don't worry Fancy, apparently we are after De Cordova-reid from Fulham and he's only 31?
Agree with most of what you say though mate.
2.) 05 Jun 2024 18:21:10
Totally agree with you Fancy. We are skint and we need a brilliant youth set up so we don't need to get into more and more debt buying players. Unfortunately as you say, either Dyche or Thelwell don't believe in youth. Youth set up was good under Brands, but apart from getting wage bill down by selling our top players or releasing players, I fail to see what the point in Thelwell there is.
3.) 05 Jun 2024 23:13:39
It's not just those two though to be fair, most of the managers we've had in the FM era have obviously felt the same. Our youth set up just isn't good enough, player wise. I'd say the proof is in the pudding, I highly doubt that any of those released will end up moving to a premier league team as their next move. Possibly lucky if any make it to the championship.
I think there is a change needed in the way the U23 leagues are ran. The current system doesn't really set players up for Premier League football leaving some players to come through an academy but not get a sniff of 1st team football until they are close to 22. Its crazy really. Bring back the old reserve leagues, let the kids play against quality players who are coming back from injuries etc. It would be of more value to them than this system right now.
4.) 06 Jun 2024 03:27:13
What makes you say the youth setup was good under Brands Dentie? Can't think of any players that made it into the first team!
5.) 06 Jun 2024 07:06:30
What do you think they are training then in everyday. It ain't how to make crocodile shoes.
Anyway, if the players were good enough they would have been given a contract but they weren't. A couple of them have been and kept on. Dyche does like young players so you all have to stop with this. The example? Branthwaite and Dobbin both clearly good enough. The others weren't.
A new batch will be brought up now and if we're very lucky maybe 1 or 2 will make it.
6.) 06 Jun 2024 09:55:25
BJU, it was only through pressure from the supporters that forced Dyche to replace Keane with Branthwaite, otherwise he would have been sold back to the Dutch team for buttons.
7.) 06 Jun 2024 12:27:08
JB wasn't going anywhere. He didn't start the season as he had been away on international duty with the U21s and maybe needed a bit more time to recover and gain fitness. SD rang him when he was on loan and told him he would be part of his future plans.
8.) 06 Jun 2024 13:34:47
Being honest I'm glad they are doing this, I think Everton have kept players around way past there best and who won't make it, sometime players have to go down to come back up but some never make it, ability isn't always what is required, a lot of mental strength and some kids just don't have it, ok infront of family, just not 40 thousand fans.
01 Feb 2024 16:29:22
In a heartbeat, Nunez carries a threat with his pace and skill, which brings other players into play, and yes he may have missed a lot of chances but remind me has he scored more goals than Beto, Harrison, McNeill and DCL combined this season?
{Ed025's Note - he is a very dangerous player Fancy, (especially if your in the stands behind the goal lol), frightens the life out of the defenders he faces mate and i would take him in a heartbeat..
01 Feb 2024 16:21:59
I appreciate no striker, whatever their ability, will score everything time but, as I said FBS each to their own but I formed my opinion early doors, with regard to Beto, and I’ve seen nothing to change my mind. There are much better players available for £25m.
01 Feb 2024 11:38:59
Each to their own opinion but unless you have a change of pace, can control a ball, head a ball, especially from 2 yards out, unchallenged with an open goal begging, you will never cut it in the EPL.
02 Dec 2023 21:26:29
Ed, if a player has anything about him it is obvious in his balance and movement, I haven’t seen anything that would suggest Beto could be a force in the EPL.
Chermiti, although raw, shows signs of developing into a player and for me should have been introduced earlier today.
Also, why Sean continues to select Young against wingers with pace and ball skill is beyond me.
{Ed025's Note - i agree on Young Fancy and cant believe he is a regular starter myself, but im giving Beto the benefit of the doubt at the minute mate, we might just need him more than we think..
02 Dec 2023 21:00:19
Previous posted concerns about Beto and from what I’ve seen he will never cut it in the premiership.
Very little pace, not very good in the air and poor ball control skills.
If we can shift him in January it will save us having to fork out the transfer fee the end of next year because the guy is worse than Tosan.
{Ed025's Note - a bit harsh that Fancy imo, he was poor today i agree but he has not had a run in the side yet and it seems a pit premature to write him off just yet mate..
06 Jun 2024 09:55:25
BJU, it was only through pressure from the supporters that forced Dyche to replace Keane with Branthwaite, otherwise he would have been sold back to the Dutch team for buttons.
24 May 2024 13:24:04
No Mocker, I wasn’t referring to tha Atalanta game purely the Echo’s recollection of his time at our club which stated the goal he scored in the 4-0 win against Man City was his only contribution and was overshadowed by Davies goal.
I rated both him and DCL early doors and it’s such a shame and waste of money when our scouts and DoF ignore the likes and vast potential of Wharton in favour of Beto.
24 May 2024 10:48:52
To be honest Elvis/ Mocker, I read the Echoreport on Ademols’s performance and reflecting on his performances at Everton. It was a total load of crap!
I posted at the time when both DCL and Lookman, were trying to break into the first team, which Ed 25 may recall, that both were players and deserved a run of games, which garnered a lot of criticism.
It’s meaningless now but for the record Lookman had a run of four games ending in the defeat to Millwall in the FA Cup and on each occasion he was man of the match, then he was dropped.
During big Sam’s brief reign he was brought on in the second half, in the Derby match at Anfield, and totally terrorised the Liverpool defence with his direct running and ball skills.
Our scouting and recruitment system is extremely poor. Wharton from Blackburn is another great prospect who we chose to ignore, but within his first EPL season with Palace has seen his value increase 300% and force his way into Southgate’s provisional Euro squad.
16 Apr 2024 14:50:18
Reflecting on games earlier in the season TB, there were much better performances, footballing and results wise, something has radically changed both from a managers/ coaches and players perspective.
The way Dyche sets up, typified again last night, is tactically clueless. To set up with effectively only two in midfield, one of which imo is a luxury whose workrate and application leaves a lot to be desired, resulted in being totally over run by a Chelsea midfield of four combative players with energy and pace ably supplemented by fullbacks who run passed both McNeil and Young as if they weren’t there.
This resulted in our back four being pulled out of position and quite honestly Chelsea looked like scoring every time they attacked. Their superiority was supported by Pickford who has never controlled the six yard area but now fails to catch any shot directly at him and resorts to pushing the ball out into dangerous positions.
We need to control the midfield to ensure we never suffer another abysmal performance and in this respect I would play Garner, right side, with Gana, Onana and Gomes, playing either Harrison or Danjuma as support for hopefully a fit DCL.
{Ed025's Note - yeah that was very weak last night Fancy, it looks to me as though the players are not buying in to this negative approach of Dycheball mate...and why would they, i also agree on Pickford who makes the odd decent save but then he presents the forwards with a second chance by parrying the ball back into the middle of the fray which then gets put in the back of the net, i cant think of one player who had even a half decent game myself..
17 Mar 2024 14:22:15
Too much emphasis placed on performances in training Swinners, it is a totally different mindset and pressure on matchday.
Performances on the pitch is the criteria players should be judged on, training is intended to ensure match fitness and practice tactics but I’m not convinced we have the wherewithal amongst our coaching staff on tactics.