bigal

Yep, I was disgusted by the whole game. I thought we were poor the first half, slow, too deliberate. The second half was inexcusable, agreed about everything you say. Matip apart the players and manager were just not at it. There's a look of having kept the team together a year too much, we need freshening up. Lookman seems to reserve his good games for us, but we made it so easy for him. But he showed what running direct at a defence can do, as did Salah for the penalty. Did we do it again? Just crap.

I ripped Keita last time so fair play he was excellent when he came on this time. Not for the first time I hope he can put in a consistent spell of games. That second half was just brilliant, made up for everyone. As you say Dave their dickhead fans certainly ramped up the desire to win. Terrific entertainment.

Yeah spot on all round though I'd be harsher on Keita whose passing was crap and bottling was unforgivable. I was ranting about Tierney but you're right, it's Kavanagh who should be under the spotlight. That game should have been very different because he's either corrupt or a totally incompetent Raab-like tit.

It was brilliant. Their goal had me fuming because they deserved absolutely nothing from this game, nothing at all. At home, needing a win against a mostly 2nd team and they couldn't raise any threat other than a corner which should have been cleared easily. The two CBs were excellent, if Konate can add guile to his physical ability he is going to be some player.

Well done the defence, especially CBs. Disappointed at lack of link up further forward. Bit harsh maybe?

Those dives really wound me up, and Robbo got a card for nothing because they've even taught their kids. The arrogance of mediocrity.

That Mané VAR decision was dodgy as. If they drew the lines based on the feet only it would be clearer for everyone.

Spot on. I know what they're going to be like and yet they still wind me up rotten. Ref let them too but he clearly just got pissed off with that knobhead. Completely right about the crowd on all counts.

Really good stuff, loved the comment re Burnley as the most northern South American team.

That incident that MOTD showed annoyed me at the time. The Burnley player was well offside yet no flag despite linos being told to this season. Same happened in at least one other match. Just stick the flag up before someone gets injured.

Excellent, good move Dave

Just so frustrating and my blood pressure levels are getting to danger point during games now, usually from shouting at the forwards. I don't think we can assume that this is something which tinkering will sort, it is time now for a rebuild. That doesn't mean throwing everyone out, eg Mané, but that midfield needs surgery and Bobby should be replaced sadly. Is Tsamekis that poor to never give Robbo a rest, too late now as there is time between games?

Atwell letting them get away with standing over our free kicks (Odegaard usually) and throwing the ball away to stop them too. That really got me wound up too much but it's such an easy thing to stop. Good performance, good three points.

No leadership; too tame, no pressure on the ref. Mané has a ball kicked in his face whilst lying on the floor and there's no kicking off. We are so timid and accepting.

"Trent was deeper, Robbo was pushed so far forward he was almost back in Hull, Sadio seemed a lot more central and Curtis was around the box a lot more than usual. I’m hoping that means we’re mixing it up a bit in order to be less predictable". Yes, it was good to see some adaptation. Kabak is going to need help against better players and we'll have to find a way to do that without blunting the full backs. Good to see Trent back on good form. Robertson should have scored half a dozen this season, it's the only blot on his work.

It's all a shit show. The whole officials and VAR thing has gradually reduced my interest, I no longer watch any football outside of our games. No mention of Amertey's 2 footed challenge first half when Taylor spent his time telling Klopp to calm down. Not a word to Amertey, never mind a yellow card.

Again you sum it up very well, just dispiriting. I almost gave up watching when they scored, didn't we all know with a fluke like that and the way we were playing that the rest of the game was irrelevant? That giant LB clattering Phillips and not getting a yellow needs some comment, I mean I don't expect Friend to be any good but that was a late body slam which any fair minded person should have seen as a yellow.

Sums up my mood over the last few weeks to a tee

The fact that Barnes should have had a second yellow for his part in the incident with Fabinho infuriates me. It's like, we can't send him off for that but we'll still give the yellow to Fabinho. Too few shots, when we do we seem to be going for near post rather than across the keeper and hope for a rebound. I actually had a similar history of thought as you Dave, started off just frustrated to hell then woke up, after a restless night of wanting to kick Dean in the balls, resigned that the league is gone.

Maybe it's because we seem to see the games the same way that I really like these reports. I laid into the front three on Twitter I'll be honest (no tags or @ to the players in my defence) out of sheer frustration. Bobby's game at Southampton should have been the start of a run of form, he's always been a streaky player. Instead he's back to being terrible. I said on there that if Salah wants to go then let him and got ripped for it but I honestly would. Mané offers more to the team defensively as well as in attack so like you I'll give him a pass but he looks out of sorts. They need a shake up, teams don't give them the space behind and crowd them in the box and that stops them in their tracks it seems. Jota's injury in a meaningless match is unfathomable. He got success because he offered something that other teams hadn't planned for. Minamino is a massive disappointment, Origi offers nothing so until Jota is back we're stuck with the three but I'd be looking to break up the band this summer and sell one or two of them. The owners have a plan but we're in danger of this season spiralling away out of control and we need help right now. Preferably a CB to get the first choice midfielders playing in midfield. What you said about our title just being overlooked by the time crowds are back made me sad but it's true. If we don't start to score goals w'll be also rans. I am dejected and maybe over reacting but this is just shit.

Said on the match thread that the subs is an area I think Jurgen isn't the best. Too little too late is often the case, Shaq's last night an example. Hendo looked tired, it was his weakest game in some time. We needed more thrust in midfield, it was a game for Ox to play with two midfielders behind him, or Shaq. Trent is a concern, he was finally regaining form when he got injured and it's back to square one. His set piece delivery has been dreadful in all honesty. Alisson, Robbo and Fab were the only ones to come out with any credit for me. Thiago was the main positive. But as a North Easterner this is one game I always want to win, we should have done and it's annoying the hell out of me. Other teams being so close is annoying but we can win still.

Lovely game largely because, for once, I never felt like we'd get pegged back or beaten even when I thought Coady had cheated a penalty. The front three are recovering their form, Sadio's shooting is still off but they look better. You're right about Kelleher, it's his calm and unshowy way of going about things that impresses me, plus his claiming crosses and catching them. Good on him. 100% on Gini, just get it done, he can have any money he wants.

Excellent, I say that because I agree with everything from VAR to the game to giving Neco MOTM.

I don't enjoy it any more because of VAR. Couple of points. Are all European leagues the same in using VAR? Do they all get out the slide rules? I suspect the FA are making more of it than others. I honestly don't know just asking. I do have a problem with the first offside. You say he was off by a centimetre, agreed. But based on a freeze frame selected by whom and why that one? When was the kick by Bobby, when the ball first contacts his foot, during contact or at the end of it, that all amounts to more than one frame. They cannot know when the ball was kicked exactly so how can they say that it's offside by a few centimetres? It's not exact. There has to be margin for error. I hate the whole "oh it's proven by technology argument", it's bollocks. It's all random and we are spending more time discussing ref decisions than before. Just get rid of it, even Jota's goal I thought they'd find a way to rule it out, can't enjoy it.

I'm of an age where I saw him play a lot, he was a genuinely great player. Sad news, thanks for everything Ray RIP