Unpopular Everton manager Rafa Benitez has been replaced by *Druncan Disorderly* on an interim basis but I can’t say I’m too concerned about that as it’s not my problem. Or yours.
Even before kick-off, the *Benitez get out of our club* and *sack the board* banners were unfurled in the Scouse section of the South Stand and matters hardly got better for the Evertonians when a lone eejit tried to get to the dugouts to confront the FSW in situ.
He was not in the first flush of youth and the steward who apprehended him didn’t have to sprint that hard to catch him, but catch him he did.
Memo to demonstrator: we have stewards near the technical area too so you could have been engulfed in a pincer movement. At least Old Bill slung you out and I was pleased about that as we have a lot to put up with as well but do not descend to that level.
Enjoy your ban, loser.
Mind you this match certainly conjured the question: were we good or were Everton bad? I can see the case for both schools of thought so I will start by calling Dean Smith to the witness stand. He said in a statement, as they say, these days:
“I’m really proud of the players because they gave me everything in this game. I said to them beforehand it is not the be-all and end-all game, but we are getting to that point. I said it was time for actions, not words.
“We wanted to get our fans behind us by producing a performance and showing that energy and verve. I thought we did that.
“At half time I told them I felt Grant [Hanley]’s block in the first minute just lifted everybody. He put in a captain’s performance where others wanted to follow him.”
An anonymous barrack-room lawyer [courtesy of the comments section of the Liverpool Echo] put this before the court:
“The following is a list of Everton Players who will fight for the club: Richarlison; Gray.
“Thank you, Richarlison de Andrade and Demarai Remelle Gray for being true to yourselves and the fans. We don’t have the money and lives Premier League footballers have but we do have our history and pride and will still be supporting the club through thick and thin when you are both long gone.
“Thanks for being yourselves and having the heart and passion to try and never give up. Good luck to your both in all you do – the rest can rot”.
I think the truth lies somewhere half between.
We were well up for this one and to go two ahead inside 18 minutes was as pleasing as it was surprising. Sure we had a few dodgy moments later on and when the fourth official indicated seven minutes of time added on I was as anxious as everybody else. But not to have got three points from Saturday would have been a travesty.
Three moments stand out for me. Firstly the early Hanley block that Dean Smith highlighted and secondly that wonderful interception of a poor pass from an ageing Seamus Colman by Brandon Williams, who then set off on a driving run before slipping Adam Idah in with a sublime angled pass along the floor. I thought the lad from Cork took a heavy first touch but was quick enough to recover and beat keeper Jordan Pickford.
Idah deservedly won the official man of the match award – he really put himself about.
To complete my hat-trick of recollections there was the block from Dimitris Giannoulis to deny one of Everton’s better players on the day, the youngster Anthony Gordon. For somebody who has almost become a fringe player that was some show of commitment to the cause.
As Gary said yesterday, a win is a win is a win and this one was particularly uplifting although we all know it’s the hope that kills us.
At the final whistle, I instigated the usual au revoir handshakes with Mystic Kev and the famous five in the row behind me in the Barclay and I’ll tell you something- we’re all glad we’re showing a bit of fight.
Very much so in the case of Williams [cramp] and Max Aarons [dead leg by the looks of it] and of course Tim Krul who appeared to land pretty badly on his shoulder in the dying seconds. Let’s hope it’s not as bad as it seemed at the time and he’s fit for our Friday gig at Vicarage Road against Watford.
We should leave it to the Toffees to contemplate the dismissal of Snr Benitez – we’ve enough of our own worries right now!
** On my usual walk to the ground I treated myself to half an hour of Ritchie Blackmore. As I got to the turnstile this one finished.
And quite appropriate it turned out to be:
Good morning Martin and a great headline from Gary.
I was reading Garth Crooks: team of the week earlier – both Hanley and Idah are in it and deservedly so!! If only Idah had had been able to play more last season, he could have been much more ready for the PL. He was injured playing for his country and I think he then had Covid, but I know he then had a hernia op.
I’m sure every fan just wanted to see the players TRY and they certainly did that to a man on Saturday – even Sargent ‘earned his stripes!!’ Sorry. 🙁
I wonder if we’ll see McLean back in the team when he’s fit – personally, I hope not, as I thought Sorensen and PLM did pretty well. An honourable mention must go to Giannoulis for his block in the dying minutes.
Fingers crossed that the injures to Krul and Aarons turn out not to be too serious and that they can return to the fray ASAP.
Let’s put on a decent show for the Sky cameras on Friday and keep our slim hopes alive.
Hi Ed
That was a good Sargent reference so no need to aopologise for it!
I didn’t put it in the article but nobody but nobody was bemoaning the absence of Kenny McLean and PLM looked much better alongside Sorensen.
Krul looked as if he took a nasty but I’ve not heard an update so I’ve no idea what his status might be but – shoulder injuries do not usually sit very well alongside keepers.
Cheers
I fully agree regarding McLean. He has not offered much this season. Now I assume when fit, he will have a fight to regain his place.
Hi Ken
I hope you are right. He’s been too *safe* for too lonng imo.
Thanks
Great and appropriate track! Good performanes all over the pitch, I felt. Bizarrely, it was Pukki who seemed a bit off, with several misplaced passes (that said, he was his usual busy self in defending from the front).
God, I hope we can reverse our recent form against Watford – that would be a genuine lift for us all.
Hi Christopher
I certainly get your point concerning Pukki but as you said he once again worked very hard for the team – no doubt about that.
Watford is far bigger than we would have imagined it to be at the start of the season.
I only saw Rainbow once on their inaugural UK tour and ironically that was at Finsbury Park’ s Rainbow theatre, probably late in 1975.
Should the world ego competition become a reality it would surel be Blackmore and Nelson Oliviera in the final but I couldn’t pick a winner.
Superb guitarist though – Blackmore, not Oliviera 🙂
Cheers
I’m not one to argue with Dean Smith, but if we had lost it would certainly have felt like a be all, end all game.
I’m delighted with the win and the performance of Adam Idah, a player I very recently said wasn’t going to make the grade-DS and CS look as though they’re developing a system in which he can flourish; that’s why they get the big bucks.
I don’t think we’ve suddenly become a good team, but we have shown that with a fullish strength squad and a willingness to get stuck in, there are teams we can compete with in the EPL. If we do as well in the second half of the season as Brentford did in the first, we stand a chance of staying up.
There’s always a straw to clutch….
Hi Don
Yes the straw is available to clutch, of course it is, but we will not come up against a side as disintersted as Everton again this season.
That will – and ability – to get stuck in was appreciated by us all.
Morning Martin. According to the Premier League Injuries web site, Williams was a cramp issue, and Aarons injury is described as a “buttock injury” – first time I’ve ever seen that! Tim Krul’s shoulder is a real concern, and I see that Smith has said that Grant Hanley is having injections to get him through games. All key players, but after Watford, there’s a bit of a break, so hopefully we can ride it out.
Hi Jim
My understanding is that Max got a kick to the *glutes* which refers to the general region you reference.
Cramp is agonising but disappears as quickly as it arrives, usually after some pretty serious rehydration so I’ve no concerns for Williams.
Tim Krul looked really bad to me as I’m just behind the Barclay goal but hopefully I’m being pessimistic and he’ll be OK for Friday. I’m not a physio so can’t second guess it.
Cheers
Marty, methinks your headline reflects your state of mind at the mo. Tis a well trodden path, a nugget of hope before we get another punch in the face. But we won and deserved it, sit in the sun while it shines and bugger tomorrow, it‘ll all sort itself in the end. I predicted a draw at best so I‘ll do the same for Friday‘s game, if we win it‘ll be another pleasant surprise. In the meantime, well done the lads.
Hi Cutty
Not me Sir – Gary G writes all the headlines which is just as well because mine would have been something tabloidly as in: *City give melting Toffees the blues* or something like that.
Which is why Gary does the headlines 🙂
Well done the lads indeed.
Cheers mate
Hi Martin
One media outlet said the city curse on Everton Managers continues it’s now supposedly 3 that have played city and either got the boot within a few days or sacked after the meet game as in Walker, Marco and Rafa but not so sure on those stats as Marco lost in the next game to Leicester then was ousted by this owner.
Watched the game by a streaming service and it was a good game and our own Verdi’s Aida as the South African commentators pronounced his name really turned up and got high praise from Alan Shearer as unplayable ably assisted by the all action display of Sargent, can we slowly but sure see the changing of the Guard from Farkeball to a less attractive play but a more physical game.
The biggest question come Friday which of the two out 9f form/gametime keepers do DS chose if Krul has to miss the game, Gunn hasn’t shown any ability to stop a shot in the games played and McGovern hasn’t had any minutes that I can find with any of cities teams so cometh the hour cometh 5he man hopefully.
Someone said that the Ref let a few nasty tackles go from a fighting second half Everton side but City got away with a couple as well so all even on that score I suppose.
Will we see any late business at city like a returning Hugill it’s not 0art of the loan agreement but it’s a waste if he isn’t going to make the WBA bench when other clubs are looking at him.
Onel got high praise from Bowyer at Birmingham and recons he is an ideal No10 I will leave that for other to chew over.
Onwards and upwards OTBC
Hi Alex
The referee didn’t strike me as paricularly incompetent although Max got a couple of naughties left on him in the second half – and that lad doesn’t have a fake in him.
As much as I genuinely love Onel I don’t see him as a #10 I’m afraid.
Equally Hugill is a spent cartridge whereas Idah MIGHT be the future. It’s just his close control that worries me but he is so much more mobile than Hugill.
I know Aida sounds a little like Idah but I would doubt that Adam is even aware of that. I am far too thick to comprehend opera, although I do like the odd bit of classical music which is probably why I admire Ritchie Blackmore so much.
Even I can pick out the JS Bach passages in his solos!
Cheers
Happy days are here again at least until Friday anyone who’s says Everton weren’t trying ask Williams Arron’s and krul I doubt krul will make Friday other two ok according to ds nice to see the fight as you say if we play like that and lose you can say at least they give it a go something that’s been missing most of season and other relegation campaigns who knows what a bit of extra confidence will do ? See you at palace game maybe 😃
Hi Kev
Yes it was good to see us giving it a go, indeed. We all enjoyed it!
If I don’t make Palace – night games are awkward for me – it’ll be my mate Don H.
Cheers
Morning Mr P, thanks again for a good read with my coffee. Surprised as I was it was delightful at that. at last we saw streaming (thanks to Bein.) Passion & Fight, with do or die attitude, I hope they can replicate that on Friday. We owe Watford one, a team I can never find any fondness for, the ground maybe scene of a historical promotion.
If we resort to old habits, Saturday’s efforts will mean not a lot, the biggest worry must be Timmo, from Gunn’s last outings left some to be desired, he will know that. We do have a couple of able replacements for the wing-backs so not unduly worried. Get this Friday over with a nice 3 points and things will look a little more rosier. Although the dire Dyce outfit are racking up games in hand, but they still have to win those.
Makes a pleasant change not to feel so despondent, nothing to moan about it may not last but I am enjoying it, also made a change to see another, more established club has some unrest.
But that is the blue side of Liverpool to worry over. being honest their win stats are no better than ours, given the supposed greater statue of the club, perhaps a little more of the furrowed brow than ours. Hardly anyone outside of Norfolk expects us to do any better.
I could not pick an individual for MoM, all put in the effort in all depts, although Mr Shearer singled out our Master Idah for special praise, long may that continue not so much what Shearer has to say but Idah playing like that and improving. The potential has always been there (according to those in the know) I have struggled to see a great deal of it . Confidence should be growing for the young man let’s have some more, I am sure he can outwit some of these defenders.
I had a look at Mr Farke’s new surroundings, WOW what a set up, even the Academy side looks like quality hotel. I would say good old Carrow Road looks a little third Divsion when compared. If my conversion rates of the Russian Ruble are correct , it could cost under £3 to get into a game. Seems a little too cheap to me, so think I may be wrong.
I’ll be watching their results with some passing interest a great set up for a quite new club
Have a good week, hopefully by 10:00 pm Friday we can have another level of happiness.
Hi Lad
Yes I agree with you on all fronts but my knowledge of Russian football is zilch.
I remember the superb keeper that was Lev Yashin and that the Army team, CSKA Moscow, won the league every year by order of Kruschev or whatever his name was.
Then Georgi Kinkladze went to Man City then the lad Kanchelskis to United and they were followed by a couple of other compatriots.
Apologies for the spellings but I struggle enough with English let alone cyrillic script 🙂
Cheers
Well, the timing is perfect. Our new golf club captain is an Everton season ticket holder and tonight we have our first meting of the year. We’re not a stuffy club, so when I walk in wearing the green and yellow scarf my granny knitted in 1967 I won’t be kicked out under the “dress code” rules. Anyway I’m doing the minutes and under “apologies for absence” I’ve already put “Everton defence”….
Two things struck me about the game.
Firstly, when Everton scored, there were immediate renewed roars of encouragement and choruses of OTBC. We often concede first, sometimes in games that are to that point very tight. I wish we got that same reaction then. It makes such a difference. I do feel that sometimes our crowd go quiet a bit too soon. Ok, if we’ve just gone 3-0 down and are chasing shadows, fair enough.
Secondly, though our chances of survival remain very slim, Dean Smith and his team are obviously making an impact which will serve us well in the longer term.
He has improved Idah, Sorenson, Rashica and even P L-M; they are being to show what they’ve got. Placheta and Sargeant are getting there. He’s hardly had a chance to work with Omobamidele. Only Dowell and Tzolis (who’s very young and possibly struggling to acclimatize) don’t seem to have made much progress so far. Give Dean a full pre-season and I think we really will see a vast improvement.
Sure, we lose some big players at the end of the season (Williams for certain, Normann if relegated, and we assume Aarons). That will happen whether we stay up or not and I’m sure Webber will be hunting for potential replacements even now. But gloomy predictions that we wouldn’t be able to compete back in the Championship are surely premature.
Hi Keith
I actually agree with you to many on media sites have written of this season and next as well
Webber has been accused by myself and other of buying for the future and no the present maybe he was late getting some deals over the finishing line and then possibly being held to ransome on prices and then there is the complete wasted pre-season 9f no games to formulate the Farke style.
DS&SS have had injuries, covid-19 and cancelled games to contend with so again lack of getting everyone up and running into their style then then is the missing sick note from Dereham.
Just maybe our ponderous side passing midfielders ie McLean and Rupp will find it hard to get back in the team but what becomes of Gilmore can he get game time when fit plus we have the power house of Normann to return.
New horizon or a false dawn only time and Friday will tell
Nobody I know actively missed McLean on Saturday. Just sayin’…
Hi Keith
I actually thought the crowd really played their part until overtime when everybody was so nervous that our voices weren’t the only physical parts of us that were getting a little bit squeaky!
To me, Brandon Williams will be a big loss. he’s the most one-footed player I can remember in ages but that run in from the right to set up Idah was really quite something to behold.
As for golf I’ve never played the game in my life – it was a rich man’s privelige when I was a kid, very much unlike now but I remember the days of the dress code when I had to take pictures for the company of their customer Golf Days.
The Belfry was very friendly, a couple of others less so but none were obnoxious in any way, shape or form except a small club in Essex in the early 80s who said my girlfriend at the time couldn’t enter the clubhouse with me as her dress was too short!!!
I’m glad golf has become so popular these days and that literally anybody, seemingly, can blend in and play.
Cheers
WilIiams cutting in from the left on his right foot is what I meant. Sorry 🙂
Pity Chelsea dont recall Gilmour, then we could get a powerful midfielder in on loan.That would make a helluva difference to our survival chances.
Hi Tony
Wise words mate. Wise words.
Cheers
Some thoughts quickly:
– Very low quality game, typical in premier league when worst 8 are playing against each other.
– Michael Keane and his technical abilities, incredible own goal so bad technically and he looks to be also part of England national team hah!
– Everton is such a mess, its their awful recruitment. Way too many british players and now they have even sold Digne and bought player from Rangers who was even starter.
– Richarlisons absurd goal, absurd because game was so bad.
– Coutinho have played very little and was right away in complete different level than any other player. Never wanted to move to England, so another unhappy player in premier league who was forced to move.
– Rangers is better now because Gerrard left.
– Manchester United had only 1 british player in their starting line up. They would have won if Coutinho would not been suddenly coming to play. They are improving.
– So many players try to refuse their transfer to England. Clubs are trying to force them, absurd situation and impossible to see as good thing for premier league either. Lukaku opened his heart which was good thing and actually spoke how several foreign players think. So why premier league clubs are so obsessed to get foreign players and managers? Of course they are better, but they basically seems to hate their life then. It will never going to work.
Hi 1×2
Players refusing to come to the premiership and managers also not interested what comic are you reading they all want to join the gravy train, they refuse certain clubs but that has always been the case, their agents know which clubs pay the big money and offer agents the largest amount to make a deal happen ie the Florentina Striker agents has asked for £15m on top of his fee to make it happen it’s about time eufa/fifa made all deals go via them
Agents have an awful lot to answer for.
The commercial side of the game has changed beyond all recognition since I was a youngster and certainly not for the better.
Well if that was low quality I will take that every week much more exciting then most of the top half.games this I’ve seen this season gave it everything hopefully some confidence Will return for them which will will help to harvest more points and you never know 👍
I enjoyed it too 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi 1×2
I certainly agree with you about Romelu Lukaku and his comments.
Maybe sporting directors or managers in Europe attempt to coerce their players to come to England as the transfer value is at its highest here? I do not know for sure.
Perhaps Norwich v Everton was a bad game for you to watch and I would agree that apart from Richarlison’s goal there was very little real quality, although the threaded pass from Williams to Idah for our second was absolute class as well.
We have never had a Brazilian footballer at Norwich 🙂
Kiitos
Martin, main reason to transfers are exactly what you said, premier league clubs have ability to pay transfer money. Majority of transfers outside Britain are loans and free transfers. I still dont understand why premier league clubs are willing to buy players who does not want to move there? Problems are surely coming…..
In my opinion Brandon Williams was man of the match, good also for Idah to get his first goal. Same way as before with Smith as manager, playing is too expensive so team will almost surely run out of gas again. Teemu looks not only little bit tired, but also a player who has had enough. His frustration surely went to maximum when Rashica didnt pass a ball to him in that last minute attack. Norwich also shoots now quite a lot and that is frustrating him.
Teemu indeed seems just a little bit frustrated with a changing tactical system but he never, ever stops working hard – particularly when defending from the front.
Rashica saw that late chance and went for it but to his everlasting credit Pukki was in the right place if, say, Pickford had pushed the shot out.
Martin just because a fan ran into the pitch because he was at the end of his tether doesn’t make him a loser it makes him passionate and determined as I was against the villa (when we got relegated chase out season ) In my orange diesel jacket ran into the pitch and give the villa fans the cmon lol until I was rugby tackled by the old bill . That was just passion and determination not to accept our plite and it wasn’t just me I ended up in court with 16 others . I don’t regret that at all I enjoyed it made me feel alive .
Anyhow Sorensen will hopefully stay in his favoured position now and if Idah can get on a run then maybe just maybe 🤞.
Hi Jim
Funny you should say that about fan passion. Believe me I’ve felt like it too and certainly *kicked off* with mates outside the ground. But these incursions can run from the passion you quite rightly highlight, through a premeditated act to earn a modicum of cred/respect from your peer group to someone wanting five minutes of social media fame.
Of course what you did made you *feel alive* and I hold you in the highest respect for it but from what you’ve posted it seems like you were part of a group with an identified purpose. This guy was clearly not in that category and I am right behind the Barclay goal so I think I’m on safe ground there.
If you are self employed or not actively working there’s nothing to lose. I would have been instantly dismissed for doing something like that and very many people who need to keep a job [and the wages :-)] they appreciate are in the same boat.
Anyway thanks as always for an interesting comment.
Cheers
Hi Jim
I agree there’s nothing wrong with a bit of passion but this particular Evertonian was surely on a football supporter’s equivalent of a suicide mission?
Was he a beserker, someone with something to prove to his mates or just aiming for five seconds of fame on social media?
I fully respect what you did back in the day but if I’d joined in with you I would have instantly lost a very good job with equally good pay.
*They* always find you if they want to.
Cheers
Sorry for the double reply Jim – I’m carp when I’m forced to type on an Android tablet as you’ll have discovered.
I thought I’d lost the original reply but… at least I was consistent 🙂
Good afternoon Martin.
A very good question, were we very good or Everton very bad ?
Perhaps it is a mixture of both but it was a fantastic effort from the boys.
I have just watched the whole game on Sky and there is no doubt we thoroughly deserved our victory whatever the reason. I actually did us to win 2-0 on my SoccerSix as I did see promising signs at West Ham.
Everton prove that without the right coach you can spend half a billion and still end up at the lower half of the EPL.
And the Everton faithful got their pound of flesh with Rafa’s sacking. But if they think all of this rubbish can be laid at the feet of Benitez they are living in cloud cuckoo land. As you say Martin their problem.
We looked hungry and really up for the fight and at the end of the day that is all 90%of City fans want.
This season it maybe a record low points total to stay up, though it is looking increasingly likely that it is any 3 from 4 but I still think Brentford could be pulled into it to make it even more interesting.
If we do go down lets at least go down making a bloody good fist of it.
We still need at least a point on Friday I believe but with the new found confidence who knows ?
So there you are Deano a sarcasm free reply, funny what a good performance does.
Hi Tim
It was great to see the hunger.
Daniel Farke would have said we were *greedy for the win* of course. Daniel’s English was top class but he always confused greedy with hungry and topic with issue or subject which really endeared him to me.
I know what it’s like to speak your non-native language in a different European location and I was always aware that I was merde or merdo at it at every turn.
Daniel will probably quickly acquire some Russian = linguistics is a skill that left me far behind I’m afraid. I just don’t have the ear for it unfortunately.
I can’t agree with you about Brentford. We have to perform consistently better than money-laden Newcastle, sick notes Burnley and consistent manager firers Watford.
Stranger events have occurred but……….
Cheers as always
I think my Brentford comments may have been more in hope than realism Martin !!!
Well Martin;
As you (or is it Gary) have with the headline, it’s definitely the hope that kills.
Having pretty much decided that this would be my final season ticket after the dross of the past 2 months, not only do we score, but we also win, and, at last the players actually seemed to care.
If we’d have faced Everton in December, and had a mid-field of PLM and Sorenson, would they have dominated so much against Doucoure and Gomes? Maybe the masterstroke was McLean being unavailable, but all the lads really earned their corn.
Suddenly the decision to renew or not becomes that much more difficult…..if we could actually win on Friday then that really would put the Canary back amongst the fat cats of the PL!!
O T B C
Hi John
Ha! Gary writes all the MFW headlines – I’ve not even suggested one in the five years I’ve been involved with MFW tbh.
It’s so difficult to pick out a line from something you’ve written yourself. As I said to Cutty [above] mine would have been old skool tabloid style and not suitable for these days of t’internet.
Your point about the unavailability of Kenny McLean has depth to it.
I’ll let you inform him of our joint decision 🙂
Thanks as ever
Does Sargent get an assist for the first goal, he should .
Now where has this effort been since the Man U game , a performance bar has been set, and anything less than this should now be unacceptable .
On to Watford , with a little more hope , and the games on my phone in the pub Friday night.
Hi Bernie
I had to google the Sargent assist issue and it’s inconclusive. I agree he deserves it though, it would give him a much needed boost.
As for Watford I agree it’s vital to get at least a draw. Enjoy the pub – I’ll be watching at home this time around.
Cheers
Almost by accident of injuries/isolation we have chanced on 4-4-2 with Idah in the hole behind Teemu with a pair of ‘wing forwards’ either side of Sorensen + ANOther (but not Mclean, as discussed) hopefully Normann as soon as possible. I would also look to make use of Kabak in some way perhaps as part of a three at the back formation – I know he boobed was it against Leeds? but his appetite for running at the opposition brings an element of surprise when we regain possession. Sad to say but until he regains the lost yard of pace I can’t really see where Todd Cantwell fits in. Perhaps as an option at ‘wing forward’?
Hi Roger
Kabak has been *underused* by both Farke & Smith so maybe there’s a reason for that. I too think the balls-up was against Leeds but I can’t be sure.
Quite how or where Cantwell fit in just now would seem to be irrelevant as it looks like for whatever reason he doesn’t. fit. in.
Cheers
A good read martin. It must be a relief to have a victory to report upon.
Much has been made of the quality, or lack of, of the opposition but a win is a win is a win.
With the sale of buendia, farkeball was effectively killed stone dead. What we know have is a more pragmatic and less aesthetic vision. It is most certainly the only way we will accrue any positive results in this league. Even them, beating Everton required 14 men straining every sinew for the cause.
I’m not shy in handing out a brickbats, but I’m fair. In the interests of balance I will pay tribute to the performances of LeesMelou, who was splendid, Sargent, who may have a future out wide and Gibson. The trick will be finding a measure of consistency. I pray that they will.
Hi Chris
The loss of Krul will be felt I’m afraid plus the Burnley covid experts have pulled off another postponement so we’ll be up against it from the go tomorrow when we face a fresh Watford side with three more new recruits than we have acquired.
I agree with you about Lees-Melou who had his best game for us yet. But will we see him as the Mayor with the pointy finger is fit again?
Cheers
If I may chip in, I agree with you both around the contribution of Monsieur Lees-Melou, who was excellent on Saturday. If he’s not in the starting XI tomorrow at the expense of the pointer extraordinaire, then we will know for sure is in first-on-the-teamsheet territory. Maybe Dean S will see it as a night when a 4-4-2 would leave us too exposed in the centre of the pitch and so include both the Mayor *and* our own d’Artagnan, but it’d certainly be a brave call from him to go Gaelic rather than Gallic.
Presuming he’s trained well and has no issues it has to be PLM for me.
To my mind the only two *undroppable* players we have are Krul and Pukki. I could include Max Aarons at a push as well I suppose.
Lees Melou has previously shown tiny glimpses of what he can offer. Mostly he’s been underwhelming. Now we’ve seen what he can offer, we need to see if he can repeat it.
I agree with you guys with regard to the loss of krul. If gunn cannot step up to the plate with a significantly improved showing, it’s likely to be fatal.