Bournemouth (H) - Sat 19th Aug 2023 (3:00pm)

[bossy]

Hopefully the injuries aren’t too bad and that red card can be overturned. Even Lineker and the like calling it a bad decision. Szobo was fantastic, I was concerned during pre season but he’s boss. After the chaos of the opening 15 minutes, the defence mostly did well. They could have had another goal or two but we could have had another 3 or 4. Mixed feelings about the game and performance, but we have some great players, I just want us to stop fucking about with fancy Dan tactics. Well in today reds.

[The Midnight Rambler]

Forgot that Tierney was on VAR

[Red Phoenix]

Glad we got a comfortable looking win in the end. What happened with Mac sucked but it was also good to see Szobo playing well with some of the runs he made. Maybe if it's him, Endo and Gakpo in midfield we'll be ok until Mac's ban is over.

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

Far better second half, but still very much a mediocre performance. CBs were decent, and Alisson saved us as usual. Diaz and Szoboszlai our best players, the latter was excellent in the second half. Jota also good in the second half.

 

Salah with another poor performance. He worked hard, which is nice to see, but apart from that was proper poor. 

[mike23]

A decent performance from around 20 minutes onwards and after an incredibly sloppy start. We gave up a few good chances towards the end, but you'd perhaps expect that to happen after a sending off. Fortunately, getting the third goal almost instantly following the sending off ensured it didn't become anywhere near as nervy as it could have done at that point.. The only other frustration was how wasteful we were in the final third at times. The first 10 minutes of the second half were perfect barring constantly messing up the final pass or shot. It might still have become a complete hammering without the sending off as it was looking only a matter of time before the dominance led to more goals. Szoboszlai was really impressive both with and without the ball.

 

I just don't get what the referee saw with the sending off. It wasn't high or especially reckless. There was certainly no intent to hurt the other player. It wasn't even like the other player suffered an unfortunate serious injury that sometimes, rightly or wrongly, influences the ref's decision. It was just 2 players making an honest attempt for the ball and Mac Allister caught him  a little late. There will be numerous worse challenges than that this season that won't even result in a yellow card. There were several in the game last week at Stamford Bridge. When I saw the replay I thought VAR might intervene and ask the ref to have a second look at it, but that was foolish considering the officials are both inept and too arrogant to admit it when mistakes are made. I don't know if it's worth appealing it, but I certainly think the club should; it could be crucial in the next few games as we're so short of options in midfield. 

[Ne Moe Imya]

If you're not following @NTXZO on Twitter you're missing out, always good for a chuckle.

 

 

[Elite]

Without the sending off, we'd have probably won by more.

[YNWAViking]

6 minutes ago, gkmacca said:

 He went to the bench rather than off for treatment. I think he just felt a twinge in the hammy. Fingers crossed.

 

If he feels his hammy after 2 games, with a week between each game, we're fucked mate. Then he's not made for PL football.

[bizzle10]

So its only 2 games in and already we got clear hand ball at Chelsea no pen given and the softest red card ive seen in a while given we are in for some fun and games with VAR this season

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

I’ve watched that MacAllister Red a few times again and I’d have no real complaints if that happened to us and the player didn’t even get booked. 

[stringvest]

Szobo was really impressive - the uplift in that position is the best news of a disappointing close season.  Jota was great overall - missed a few, but the lad puts in a massive shift and he was important to us not just for a goal and an assist, but for a few really important defensive interventions.  VVD looked very solid, and Alisson made up from a poor first half but vastly improved second.  Endo would have learned a lot in that last 20 minutes or so.  Diaz scored a great goal, and we'll need to see how well Trent recovers; I'm not nervous with Joe In there, but I'm sure he'll revert to a more traditional RB role.  Gakpo really anonymous, and people asking for Jota to be hooked so that Gakpo can play further forward need to stop being silly.  I think Gakpo is a classy player, but while Diaz is playing well it's going to be difficult for him to get in the team, though if MacAllister gets a ban then he'll probably stay in the team.

[KevieG]

Going to look at the positives. Slobo is going to be a proper player. Perfectly suited to this league too. Vvd looked like what he used to look like. 

 

We have good forwards and MacAllister in a more forward position will be great as well. 

 

If Trent is out, back to a flat back 4 and sign Doucoure and we are in decent shape. 

[gkmacca]

3 minutes ago, YNWAViking said:

 

If he feels his hammy after 2 games, with a week between each game, we're fucked mate. Then he's not made for PL football.

 

It's not uncommon at the start of a season, it's hardly proof of some chronic problem. 

[TheHowieLama]

6 minutes ago, Elite said:

Without the sending off, we'd have probably won by more.

Not sure - looked better at 10

[stringvest]

58 minutes ago, niallers said:

If macallisters leg was straight then yeah a red, but he softened it and their player hit macallister with all the force. Its never a red

 

do you really think most people own here wouldn't be screeching for a red?  I thought you'd been on here for a while

[TheHowieLama]

2 minutes ago, stringvest said:

 

do you really think most people own here wouldn't be screeching for a red?  I thought you'd been on here for a while

 

Maybe, but after VAR overturned it no one would give it a second thought

[gkmacca]

Alisson made some fine saves, but sometimes he seems to have a brain freeze, and I don't know if he wants to play his way out of it but they keep passing the ball back to him instead of giving him a break. I wish we'd react by calming the game down with some solid passing to feet higher up the field.

[bossy]

1 minute ago, gkmacca said:

Alisson made some fine saves, but sometimes he seems to have a brain freeze, and I don't know if he wants to play his way out of it but they keep passing the ball back to him instead of giving him a break. I wish we'd react by calming the game down with some solid passing to feet higher up the field.

Whenever we pass it back and Ali is under pressure so he just has to boot it upfield, I wonder why the defender can’t just boot it upfield in the general direction of someone. 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Some shocking defending, especially at the start, but if you're going to fuck around it's best to do it in a win.  Mac's red card (if it's not overturned on appeal) is a setback and hopefully Lucho isn't badly injured.

 

The positives - Szoboslai, Endo and the three points - outweigh any complaints I might have.

[Harry's Lad]

Phil Thompson and Gary Gillespie both saying the red was justified on LFCTV.

I think it was diabolical myself

[Freddo]

Terrible decision for the red. Good win overall though, nice cameo from Endo. We need a dominate six though and another defender to come in this week. We’ll improve as the season goes on. Vital to get Macca more advanced. 

[gkmacca]

3 minutes ago, Harry's Lad said:

Phil Thompson and Gary Gillespie both saying the red was justified on LFCTV.

I think it was diabolical myself

 

If the studs on Gakpo's chest last season was only a yellow, that certainly wasn't a red. 

[3 Stacks]

It's not a red card with any sort of logical outlook, but there's zero chance the ban will be overturned and the ref will be justified because the foot was high, studs were showing, etc.. 

[Elite]

Just now, 3 Stacks said:

It's not a red card with any sort of logical outlook, but there's zero chance the ban will be overturned and the ref will be justified because the foot was high, studs were showing, etc.. 

Unfortunately you're right.

[TheHowieLama]

For the ref it probably looked like a proper Sunday League challenge in real time because of the way he came in. 

 

On VAR, no.