Bournemouth (A) | PL | Post Match Thread

I’m hoping that with all the injuries and niggles that all of our players will be backing out of the international duties!
 
very bad performance overall, Bournemouth started with two dangerous on target shots in 2nd minute of the match and we never got control of the game until they were 2 up and 15 mins to go.

brutal work put in from Iraola to make us suffer.

problem is Gundo and Kova should not start majority of our league games (especially together), both supposed to be rotational role, coming in during games and take prssure off of Rodri, Foden, Bernardo, KDB in lesser games but instead of that they start games week in week out, my worry not they even start next two as well and they dont have the energy for that. let alone speed...

Foden's form is poor, he isnt influencing games much.

while defending generally poor this season many games much lesser teams find ways to carve us open. we better improve quick as we have Spurs, dippers, rags, Villa not far away in the PL to play. even Brighton away wont be a clean sheet thats 100%. and again they relax all week while we go to Portugal for CL. but we knew this schedule, and still wanted a very small squad not even JA replacement etc. we cooked this for ourselves, maybe time to eat it now.
 
He usually figures it out but you do wonder how long he can keep doing it
The changes were crying to be made as soon as we conceded the second I thought.
Hard to be too harsh on this group though. We always seem to drop a clanger at this stage of the season.
On we go.
 
Seems every team we play now tries the Klopp tactic of playing at a hundred miles an hour for the first 15-20 minutes to try and score then protect it and catch us on the break.
 
Its gonna be one of them injury season's the type that scuppers your silverware hopes. Last few transfer windows have not been up to the usual high standards. Ageing and injury prone midfield is not helping but the calibre of replacement in that area is not good.
 
first 80 mins we were shite
last 15 mins we could have scored 5

gundo/kova isn't working as a midfiled, no pace (yes he got the assist I know)

We are running on empty but only 2 points behind so not a disaster or crisis

The blue on blue fighting online is the only entertaining thing happening regarding us today, we so easily after a defeat argue its ridiculous
 
You can’t even blame tiredness when they’re putting twice the effort in at 80 minutes onwards.
If we’d have shown half of that desire and effort throughout the game we wouldn’t have scrambling around for an equaliser.
It’s been coming that result.
Hopefully it’ll give us a much needed kick up the arse.
Results this season haven’t reflected our performances.
I think a major problem amongst many is the slow starts. That is 6 PL games I think in which we conceded first. You can only go to the get out of jail card so many times. Injuries or not that was a disappointing performance against a side which on the balance of play fully deserved the win. We badly need to get back on the bike next week at Brighton.
 
Fair result and no complaints.

A number of things are clear.

1. This is th biggest point - the players are running on fumes - whether thats just because of the injuries this season or its an accumilation of the past few seasons and the success I dont know....Id be more inclined to say its the later.....the physical impact on those players is huge...there were moments when Walker, Akanji, Ake, Bernardo could barely jog back when chasing bournmouth players - we know from previous seasons that is not how our players work...we know they bust a gut usually...Walker looks in big trouble...he was afraid to get even above half pace today and you could see it..Haaland also looks exhausted

2. Gundo is nowhere near the player he was at the moment...and hasnt even come close since his return...in the first half we were carrying him...Not blaming him but its either a very bad dip in form or this is a season too far after playing in a much slower league for a year....he shouldnt be playing.

3. The injuries to Rodri is killing us - we actually look best with Bernardo at the number 6 picking the ball off the centre halves and that is a sad indictment of Kova and Gundo pairing....

4 KDB - I said last year we needed to replace him....its showing...When he was absent last year the service to Haaland dropped off big time and it has done so again..we need another creative outlet...doku, nunes both try but other than that its limited - Grealish has never ever posted big creative numbers and neither has Bernardo or Foden. KDB is never going to be the player he was and able to sustain playing regularly....this injury he has now is a sign of that..he clearly doesnt feel right in his own body and was literally there to make up the numbers on the bench....He never looked like he was going to play

5. some of our recent signings have also caused issues....Gundo, Phillips, - both not able to cover for Rodri in any way shape or form....Nunes - and he played well today, but he aint the quality level we need with that final pass.

Pep is going to have to rely on the youngsters - at least till we get some of the players back to full fitness - playing players when only half fit (walker, Akanji, Haaland, Ake ) is only going to cause longer term injuries. Nico O'Reilly is a better option than Gundo as a number 6 at present and if Akanji aint fit (which there is no way he is and Stones who is made of glass) cannt play regularly then he is going to have to trust Jamal Simpson P

As long as we are there or thereabouts in January we may be ok - I think a top 3 finish this season if the injuries carry on would be fine.....of course we should be still trying to win the league but if the injuries carry on there is no way we will

Ederson MOTM
 

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