KitKat

Trying to buy our way out of a fundamental coaching problem isn't going to work. Someone previously used the chef analogy before but it really is like giving gourmet ingredients to someone who doesn't know how to boil a kettle and expecting a good meal. We need to be better than the sum of our parts and were very much the opposite right now and there aren't even the slightest rays of hope that it's going to turn around. That said our new assistant has only been in place for a very short time but that's clutching at the shortest of straws in terms of optimism. I don't know what kind of timeline exists based on the upcoming fixtures, but you'd have to assume (or rather hope) that there is a contingency in place to relieve Gerrard of his duties if the wheels continue to fall off as they are currently...the second best time to plant a tree and all that.

HEADSHOT DEAD

Also signing off for a bit. Thoughts as follows: Tactics might have initially been OK if we weren't so shambolic defensively, but it became immediately obvious that we were also badly struggling in the midfield. Couple that with zero tactical changes during the game to help us cope and then no subs at half time either and the result was looking obvious. If Konsa starts again next week I'll probably gouge my own eyes out or something, although he did grow in to the game a bit I thought after another very shaky start. Chambers has to come in for me - hasn't put a foot wrong for us and is a lot more assured than Ezri right now. Midfield 3 cannot house both McGinn and Ramsey, someone has to give way. They seemingly either do not want the ball or they want to play closer to the strikers. If that's what they're being instructed to do it isn't working and if it's not what's they're being asked to do then they aren't listening but either way drop 1 of them and get some more solidity in midfield. Kamara is doing the work of three men at times. Finally, we waited until 60 odd minutes to make a single (weird) substitution and then made the rest after the game was already gone - a very bad showing from Gerrard. At least he was stood on the touch line for the entire game this time even if he looked like a statue. Contrast to Conte giving out orders and instructions for 90 minutes. In short - players don't look comfortable in whatever system we are trying to play and haven't done for a very long time. Peace

Our players don't show for passes enough and its incredibly frustrating. JJ and McGinn too far forward when we have the ball and not making themselves an option - need Doug on 2nd half as we are getting bossed in midfield by Palace.

Got away with one there - how many goals does Konsa have to be involved in us conceding before he is actually dropped? Ridiculous at this point.

Chambers and Emi to start please! I'd probably take a draw right now but hope to see a good performance with the players looking like they know what they are doing. Unrelated but Wolves looked very organised Vs Spurs in the first half - a lot more solid than we have been certainly and I'd like to see us become harder to play against.

Not to take away from the rest of your points which I generally agree with, but what do you expect him to say? They're not training well and they are shit? If he coated the players off in pre season he'd be accused of throwing them under the bus and we know he needed to keep his powder dry on that front until after the first game.

The problem with have with discussing the midfield setups is we have to assume McGinn will be included. I'd like to see 2 of Kamara, Luiz and Tim playing a disciplined role behind the attacking 4, whatever combination that might be of who is "in form". JJ should also be brought on to replace McGinn and not played along side him. I also think trying to make WatkIngs work went a long way to costing Dean his job, as did the 3 at the back, although we might have the players to try that more effectively now. All in all we've still an unbalanced squad in terms of who or what our best players or lineup is, and as we've seen someone ends up missing out - most frequently Buendia in recent games. 5 subs should help us to change systems mid game a bit more easily but it's difficult to see that being a good option when plan A was so poor last game. Against Everton we need to see Konsa, McGinn, JJ and Phil all start from the bench but I'd eat my hat if that actually happens.

Same, but hope we can somehow turn a good performance in to a string of them. A goal for one of our forwards would do us good and some confidence that were progressing would be great for the players and fans. The headspace most of us on here seem to be in suggests it might go the other way though and in all likelihood based on past results it probably will...but time will tell. If we are anywhere near as bad next match as the last there will be more than question marks against the managers performance so far.

This is where I am at. I think of Arsenal's start last season vs where they finished. There certainly needs to be some signs of progress, and continually seeing the same mistakes on the pitch (or with selection) brings our weaknesses in to further relief. Like everyone, I'd like to see some personnel and tactical changes against Everton, but more than that I want to see the players going at it with a determination and resolve that shows us they want to win. It is up to the manager to make that happen and if he continues to fail in that regard I don't see him being here for all that long.

We're back baby!

Konsa being allowed to continue his dreadful form from last season at the expense of having Mings in the starting line up is insane to me.

Liverpool had a similar set up with Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard for a while, right? We all have wanted a better CDM option for several seasons now and hopefully Kamara is the key to unlocking the potential in the rest of the midfield with the balance that he should bring. I certainly expect to see more from Doug and SJM this season. Let's not forget that we had a decent spell with Nakamba in the team and he is a much more limited player. I wouldn't be adverse to seeing how we look with 2 deeper CMs if we go with a 4231 but we'd likely see that lineup without Ramsey or McGinn which I don't think is likely.

Not too fussed as I see it as mostly a symbolic thing. To put a positive spin on it John is well liked in the squad and maybe Gerrard see's him as more of an on the field leader in that respect (plus he was a midfielder and captain himself). Conversely perhaps this is to take some pressure off Mings and allow him to concentrate on himself. Either way I appreciate people are upset that this confirms that McGinn will be starting every game but I expected that to be the case regardless. Edit: just saw the quotes above re Mings

Is the subscribe page empty for anyone else?

Spinal tap-in

I thought Louie Barry was off on loan?

Could be true about the development related injuries, I'm not even remotely qualified to have an opinion on it! Either way, if he is a target and our people think its not a risk then fair does - it's not as if he is coming in to be 1st choice and relied upon, but I also assume he'd not be up for "trading benches".

I don't disagree my dude, but if he was a car I was buying to get to work I might also get a bus pass too

I quite like Axel but you must understand why people consider a player who has missed 60~ games in the past 3 seasons to be injury prone, right? I would be reasonably happy if we loaned him with a view to buy - as long as it was optional and was done to allow us to spend in other areas - but I absolutely wouldn't bet on him being available to select week in week out. That said, I believe Mings was considered "injury prone" to some degree before we got him and he's been solid as a rock.

I agree they have seemingly handled this as well as they possibly could, with the knowledge we know have that there was a clause all along. I wanted a one liner on the OS confirming he had gone, but I think this video from Christian was excellently delivered and very considered in its message. This isn't the first time we've sold our star player or our captain (and probably won't be the last), but it is the first time we've done so in recent memory where I feel we will be stronger as a result. We knew which way the wind was blowing with Barry and Delph and I know its easy to say now that he has gone, but if we can bring the overall quality of the team/squad up and not be as reliant on one person then we will see results improve. Buendia/Bailey/Ings unquestionably puts us in a stronger position than last season in that regard.

This threads page count is like a Christopher Nolan movie.

Someone should tell this man that all bets are for something happening in the future.

I don't know what is worse, the last couple of days of this thread of the fact that I have read every single post.