GasGasGas

Shouldn't defenders sit in their positions instead of rushing out chasing the ball with wild abandon and leaving a huge gap where they should be for opponents to exploit? It seems like in Richardson and Okore we have 2 defenders who do just that - always attracted to the ball and leaving the opponent forwards totally unmarked instead. Take this goal for example, what was Okore doing rushing all the way out to midfield but not being able to get the ball? He even ran beyond Sanchez and Arsenal simply passed the ball around him for the freedom to attack an open goal. Like how David Luiz has always been panned, if you're not gonna be present in defence where you should be, then you're simply a joke of a defender.

Another match closer to finally achieving relegation after years and years of trying!

Really? Whose decision was it to play these players in the first place?

Okore and Clark can't return soon enough. He should be the last choice out of this quartet. A has been that is past his use by date and little wonder why even West Brom do not need him anymore. Not that he was even really fantastic to begin with even at his peak.

Now I understand why a huge number are calling for this joker to go. An absolute liability

If we play better without any organisation and we also have a complete lack of organisation, then doesn't this mean that we are playing completely well?

We are progressing well season after season... downwards. Now we slip right into the relegation places at the start of the season, unlike previous seasons where we started making our way there mid season after starting well.

He is this season's fell guy, just as Gil was last season's.

Amavi was dreadful At least he tried to make something happen, running at their players. I admit he wasn't amazing but he at least had a go and took some responsibility on the ball. Make what happen? Cost us goals by getting robbed of the ball just outside our own penalty area? Again? I'm far from impressed by him and surprised that not many are coming down hard on him as they do with Sanchez for example, given the number of times he gives away the ball leading directly to goals.

One game closer to the inevitable relegation

How many times did he touch the ball since he came on? Once? Header off target in the 90th minute I've never seen a player so big in size and yet so completely invisible. £6 million on this guy and £10 million on Ayew is a total shocking waste of money. Sherwood out.

And yet another piece of stupid pathetic defending to get his yellow...

This guy is a liability. Constantly giving the ball away cheaply even in defence and costing goals. Another perfect example just seen. He might have been known for fantastic dribbling in Ligue 1 but that league is some substandard one where the players would concede hat tricks to Messi or Ronaldo every single game. Here in the Premier League it's a totally different story and he's being sussed out even before he tries anything. He's being cut out in more dribbles than not. Looks like he's just gonna be another Bennett or that Spanish defender we just sold once again.

Back to his crap, liability mode from before last season. Cost us 2 goals in 2 games now, which is to the tune of 3 points.

Will it be the case for Messi too? Barcelona struggling against Bilbao for the 3rd game in a row failing to get ahead even with a penalty awarded.

Guzan - Surprised that he's getting most of the blame by fans for the second goal. For some reason he's turned into a scapegoat by these fans desperate to have him replaced by someone they do not have a clue who, so it's a just a zeitgeist for them to pick on him at every opportunity. Amavi was the most open of the back four when he decided to play it short. If he had gone for a long ball these fans would still be complaining anyway that he's giving possession away, not slowing down the game etc. Bacuna - Does give away cheap corners and free kicks due to poor decision making. Other than that nothing too bad, but nothing good either. Clark - Back to his previous disastrous goal causing displays before last season. Useless for both goals. Constantly sucked to the ball and abandoning his man = not defending at all. Prime example: running towards Dann and standing in the middle of nowhere for the second goal when Amavi was already chasing back and leaving Sako wide open. Richards - Not too much wrong today. Amavi - Generally no issues but giving the ball away in that position for the second goal by trying to be too smart is an absolute howler. Even if he was being pressured, there were tons of other options to take that wouldn't have caused him to be robbed of the ball. Westwood - Corners mostly rubbish and straight to their keeper. Distribution almost always the easy way backwards even when forward options were actually available. But moments of brilliance like the through ball that Gabby wasted. Sanchez - Brilliant today and won the ball numerous times. Looking like those fantastic assured displays for Columbia at the world's highest stage. Bizarre that he came off and not the under performing players. Retarded substitution by Tactics Tim really. Gana - Solid and nothing spectacular. A less flashy and also maybe less reckless version of Delph. Grealish - Some good moves and skills to carve out shooting opportunities for himself and being a danger outside their box. But does not that moment of brilliance to play teammates in or unlock the Palace defence. Gabby - Some good pace to get to the ball here and there but other than that an utter waste of space. Basically non existent, lazy, can't even control the ball or dribble it properly? He's one of those as poor as our previous seasons' players who basically can't even kick a ball and you wonder how they are actually professional footballers. Keep playing this favourite and wonder why we have no goal threat Tactics Tim. Gestede - Totally stagnant if the ball is not played straight to him. Passing quite poor today unlike his first game. But I think a lot of it is down to no one being near him when he goes get the ball. All his headers and knock downs only go straight to Palace players and the Villa players are simply nowhere in sight! Adama - Incredible pace and looks really promising to be a real asset. Left their entire defence his wake and he'll be easily terrifying and destroying many opponent defenders if left one on one and given space.

If at £12m it is rather steep for a player who hasn't exactly pulled up trees in the world of football. We could easily be overpaying if he doesn't improve in any way. At £7m it would be quite a good gamble and we can be all pleased if he develops similar to how Benteke did.

Playing N'Zogbia?? Lol I must be in a minority but I thought N'Zogbia did ok in the run in. He'd lost it completely by the Soton, Burnley and Arsenal games but hadn't everybody? During the 'golden' period of the season versus Spurs, Liverpool semi, Everton and West Ham I thought he did well in there with Grealish. I agree. He was excellent when Sherwood first came in, really upped his game along with Benteke, Gabby, Delph, Grealish and Cleverley and was at least as good as all of them in the run in. Still think we should sell but I firmly believe he contributed a hell of a lot more than many people will give him credit for, he deserved a few goals in those games Excellent? At being what? Mediocre? Because his best form as you guys mentioned was merely not being shit. After his form had gone he was back to being utter tripe as our last trio of games showed. In the games preceding that what did this "excellent" player do? A few decent close shots I would guess. If Sherwood wanted to play his double No. 10 formation then surely Gil would have been quite the perfect player for one of those two and not a player that does nothing.

For all the money wasted on him in terms of his transfer fee and wages, for all the chances given to him from time to time only for him to flatter to deceive, he has got to be one of the worst players for us EVER. At least loads of other failed players don't cost nearly as much or disappear quickly enough but this guy hangs around like a cancer. It also makes me question Sherwood if he insists on this guy in his double Number 10 formation. This guy is just utter useless. Wouldn't Gil as one of the Number 10 with Grealish or even Cole make far more sense?

If only we had David De Gea in goal, the game would probably have gone into extra time as he would have quite easily saved all the 4 goals. And going into a penalty shootout with De Gea as the keeper, it's no exaggeration to say we'd actually be the favourites. Given doesn't really have confidence as a keeper and plays with fear. He actually flapped at the first goal as you could clearly see his hand trembling / panicking / indecisive as he stuck his hand out and missed the ball. De Gea is quite renowned for making such saves and would probably have somehow swatted it away. The second goal reminds me of a certain Scott Carson. Keeper should definitely do better even if the ball had moved as it was basically almost straight at him. De Gea would have EASILY saved that in my opinion. The third goal was soft and likely would catch many keepers by surprise, but we've seen De Gea make such saves from absolutely out of nowhere before. The last goal? You gotta be kidding or need to brush up on footballing knowledge if you think De Gea is not gonna to do anything other than save it (likely with his feet as he often does). It'd also be an easy shot for him. That's the importance of a keeper I suppose. One as good as one of the best in the world would possibly have single handedly changed even a game like that and won the game and cup.

Most pathetic defending since the 8-0 by Chelsea.

Thanks for setting the tone of the game today. 2 screw ups in 2 minutes leading to 2 goals. You really can't do better than that. Maybe Vlaar didn't exactly set the tone of the game - Tim Sherwood did with the disastrous setup of the defence - but he cemented it well and true with his pathetic individual mistakes.

This totally, but he has not had a shit season. He has just been mostly shit for us ever since he came, with only patches of playing well. He does not strike me as a truly good defender at all. Never had, never will. At best an average defender that had some good form during the world cup.

It isn't a fact because you say it is Newcastle are going to get 7 from three games? LOL?!? Where have you guys been in recent weeks? They'll won't get 7 mind; they'll get 9, just wait and see. You seem to to take glee from the increase in likelihood of us getting relegated, because you want to be proven right smh Saying that other teams will be winning all their games at this rate doesn't mean I want us to be relegated, even if it is making it much more unbelievably hard than it should be. It's just a description of how ridiculous and unreal the relegation battle is shaping up to be. You might want to shake your head at your own logic because as others have said we still have control over our own destiny, by virtue of being above some teams in the table.

Newcastle are going to get 7 from three games? LOL?!? Where have you guys been in recent weeks? They'll won't get 7 mind; they'll get 9, just wait and see.