the_eristic

Only caught the second half, but looks a fraction of the player he was when he came into the side. Beaten every time, can't/won't tackle, forgotten how to pass, et cetera. Something is wrong.

Time to shift to 4-5-1 of some sort with Doug and Marv being told to stay disciplined and just sit, then move Jack inside (or Jota/Conor/Lansbury as a 10 if Jack needs to stay on the left and can afford their lack of defensive effort)? We're so easy to play through, just congesting the space would be an improvement, plus I feel like both Marv and Doug were bought for specialized roles (ball winner and DLP, respectively) rather than as all-rounders, but since we've mostly been playing them alone behind players who offer little support in our own half, we haven't really been able to utilize either effectively. If we can get them in sync so they make up for each other's shortcomings (Marv putting in the hustle, Doug taking the ball from him to move it), we'll be in a better place.

Couldn't help but feel this result had been coming. We've been so open but have gotten through it without being embarrassed by a combination of effort and profligate finishing from our opposition. Today, neither of those were present. Rotation issues starting to emerge, too. Fortunately, we have an "easier" run now where some of our quality players may be better able to impose themselves on proceedings, but tightening up vs crosses/set pieces is going to be absolutely critical.

This happens pretty much every match, I'd be interested in seeing some stats. It feels like the call always goes against him.

Considering we barely got the ball to him in the first half, a goal is a good return, and was always trying to make something happen. Too isolated most of the time, though, feel like SJM and Conor are less inclined to offer close support for the right flank in general.

Was never the game to start Conor, and Douglas did more in his 30 minutes than most of our midfield had all match. Couldn't find exactly the right balance in attack, we went from rushing it and losing the ball too easily in the first half to overcommitting/overworking it in congested areas and getting caught too far forward in the second. Had chances to level, though, and weren't out of it, so I can't be too upset. Agree that it's probably time for Engels to come back in.

Conor out, Doug in. Trez only touched the ball maybe 4 times, but one was a goal.

Decent player in the past, but he's 30 and had a bad injury earlier this year, sounds like they're just picking names out of a hat.

Would like to see him in a game where we're controlling possession. Not sure he's really the guy for last-minute scrapping, Palace goal aside.

Good point in the scheme but can't help but feel the win was there for us yet again and we let them off with sloppy mistakes and drop in intensity in the second. Still begging for better/earlier subs, too.

Where's Marv? C'mon, at least eat up a little time.

Anybody getting forward is looking terribly isolated now, not a good sign.

Yes.

I feel terrible for him tbh, he's gone from playing on his natural left side as an attacking mid in a league-winning, ball-playing Atlanta side coached by Tata Martino and partnered with his best friend, a slippery, aggressive, lethal finisher in Josef Martinez, to playing for a Rafa Benitez side on the up, to playing way out on the wing on his weaker side (and I mean weaker, he almost never played on the right for Atlanta or Lanus) with no support in an absolutely dour Steven f'ing Bruce side.

Wes was fine, pulled defenders around and made some good runs but wasn't played in as often as perhaps he should've been, as for better or worse, our midfield likes to shoot!

Chuffed with the win, great showings from our whole midfield, though we were screaming for subs from around the 75th minute, Jack, John and Wesley all looked shattered by the end. Better sides will (and have!) exploit that.

This is a big problem, imo. Time and again, both Marv and Doug had to try to thread balls through traffic or just play back to the defense because nobody in front was in any position to receive a standard, safe, possession-building pass.

McGinn and the wingers spent nearly the whole game too far forward, giving no cover to the fullbacks and offering no passing options and making the counter press impossible. The amount of times Luiz, Nakamba or a defender had to attempt a 30+ yard pass through traffic or just hoof it to try to find someone a huge part of our problem, especially since we apparently can't win headers or 50/50s.

Still can't win second balls for ****.

Another thought: why do we never win second balls or pick it up from clearances? The number of times we clear it straight back to opposition players uncontested is shocking. Wes was the only one consistently going for them, though the ref kept giving every little touch against him.

Classic Villa really, but I knew when I saw 5 minutes from nothing it was inevitable.

Thought he looked much better when we tried to play him into space, spent too much time making him pick up the ball relatively deep and/or back to goal (though that's probably expected against a side like City) which didn't let him use his pace.

^ That's odd, thought he did fairly well and if anybody let us down, it was Mings and Engels.

Meh. Tried to be architects of our own demise second half yet again, which is worrying/tiresome, but wound up being undone ultimately by a couple bounces.

Sloppy touches throughout but always involved, got himself in the right place when it mattered and finished from a tough angle while Taylor would've been 20 yards behind the play. Love how almost sheepish and bewildered he looked after scoring a literal last-gasp winner!