the_eristic

Someone goes down with an injury late and you don't have a readymade replacement, or you're a goal up in the 86th minute and need an old head to see things out, fine, but he isn't a player you should be bringing on otherwise.

It might if they could actually play as 10s. They keep having to come back into our own half to try to get on the ball because our midfield is lost.

Yet again, subbing Buendia killed our play. He's the only engine we have and the only player up for the scrap. John McGinn did little but lose the ball and/or play long diagonals. He's utterly predictable on the ball and too static off it. Using Ashley Young as anything other than emergency backup is a wasted sub. He just doesn't have the legs. Watkins + Ings still doesn't work. Watford did exactly what they came here to do and Gerrard played right into their hands in the second half. Real lack of nous on display. Better get going quick or we're going to wind up mired in a serious battle, and I don't think we have the bottle. (Ref was also shite but that's to be expected.)

lol

https://pbfcomics.com/comics/sir-leopold/

Not ready, should've had a C'ship loan.

Predicktable.

Pretty dire. If we don't win the next one, the sides below us will start reeling us in shortly.

Just like vs Leeds, he's exactly the kind of player you want in this contest, but instead here comes a guy who hasn't played in months and a kid who does not need to be thrown into this particular deep end.

Looked like he might be up for it at first, but the stoppages killed it and he just got worse, culminating in that completely pointless foul on ASM that stopped JJ recovering the loose ball and starting an attack. Joelinton should've been sent off for fouling him earlier, though.

Tried. Gonna have to shoot more.

Completely lost his touch, but also terribly ill-served by endless long balls against a massive backline and robbed by VAR yet again.

Started our only effective forays forward, really, but was largely left to be trampled by the much larger and more aggressive Newcastle midfield. McGinn is his biggest problem.

Gets up well, but can't do anything with it.

Hooooooofff

Embarrassments. Why am I wasting my time watching these when I could be unconscious? Bent ref, yes, but that was relegation football for 70 of the 90, completely out of it mentally.

This is this worst game of football I've watched since, uh, well, not that long ago, sadly. Once you go past our front 3, it's nothing but headless chickens. McGinn and Luiz aren't working together at all, Ollie has no first touch though at least he's running a bit, and Cash has thrown away at least 3-4 good positions with poor technique and/or decisions. Get Sanson on for McGinn, has better defensively and should be fresher. Last thing we need is a second yellow from a lazy challenge.

Silly game, like it always is vs Leeds. At one point they had like 9 players in/around our box for a throw-in. Needed calmer heads in defense, but everyone in the back seemed to be so unsettled. Needed Sanson in for McGinn or Dougie or even when Buendia went off. This game was pretty much made for his style and those two were just not at the races, a couple decent moments aside. I could understand bringing on the experience of Young were we trying to see out the game and protect a lead, but not really who you want if you need to dig out a winner against the most aggressive team in the league. Ollie needs to sit for a game or two. If he isn't pressing as hard and he isn't winning headers and he isn't holding the ball up well, might as well play the guy who can finish, at least. Konsa's second yellow was dumb, but I thought the first was actually James fouling him tbqh. Haven't seen a replay, though.

The Little Magician & The Little Warrior? Sounds like a kids' movie from the '80s.

Came on around the 80th minute, so didn't have time to do much, but looked to get involved, won a couple important fouls in Colombia's half with quick thought and quick feet which helped relieve pressure.

Yeah, it's an extremely weird loan in the first place. Maybe his great aunt lives there or something?

He's great at hustling the opposition out of possession and driving forward with the ball if he has the space to turn, but he's really bad at passing and moving, which causes our play to get mired in the middle third when the opposition is pressuring and either has to go back or go wide/long. JJ and Sanson are both more active when it comes to moving into space to receive passes, while SJM tends to just hang around in the area he passed from.

I recant two of these.

Dumb game. Dumb team. Dumb sport. See you next week.