[fergiewherearethou]

Very bad result, a loss at home against a mid table side.
Performance wise, terrible first half, better second half with the subs and change of attitude. Also Brighton took a step back, stopped pressing and that helped.
How could ETH believe we can go forward with the McFred duo is beyond me he must see them in training, he must of seen them in pre-season and he surely must of seen them in their previous seasons.
We need 2 center mids that we ain't getting so he must improvise for the next games.

 

[Kinky Melinky]

Rome wasn't built in a day, and all that.

I would hope that the lack of forward options is what resulted in a McFred middle today. In ten Hag's system, the central midfielders need to show for a ball out of defense. As has been pointed out by many here, neither Fred or McT are good at that.

I don't have an issue with one of them playing with Eriksen or any other midfielders, but they can't both be in there.

All of our issues in that first half stemmed from that. The difference with an Eriksen/McT and then an Eriksen/Donny mid in the second half was huge. I think it was just too late by then as Eriksen had tired a bit without a proper preseason.

Lessons learned by EtH hopefully. Not a great start but I am not ready to give up on the season after 1 match.

Yes to an extent, but we can look to that idiom if we are actively changing up the blatantly obvious shortcomings in our squad. If we are not replacing players who have either no drive or are just not good enough, then Rome is merely a pipe dream that will never come to fruition.

 

[paulscholes18]

Don't know what he said Vs Villa at half-time in preseason but it's been downhill ever since

 

[Azhar88]

Because he cares about people who can't afford to eat?

I care about people who can’t afford to eat. But it is a bit tricky when you start banging on about inequalities whilst earning £200,000 grand a week and also being shit at your job.

 

[IrishRedDevil]

Football is back

 

[BigRon1985]

Still early days but scary comparisons with Van Gaal - great pre season followed by reality check home defeat to average team......by the same score line too!

 

[alexanderplatz]

Rome wasn't built in a day, and all that.

I would hope that the lack of forward options is what resulted in a McFred middle today. In ten Hag's system, the central midfielders need to show for a ball out of defense. As has been pointed out by many here, neither Fred or McT are good at that.

I don't have an issue with one of them playing with Eriksen or any other midfielders, but they can't both be in there.

All of our issues in that first half stemmed from that. The difference with an Eriksen/McT and then an Eriksen/Donny mid in the second half was huge. I think it was just too late by then as Eriksen had tired a bit without a proper preseason.

Lessons learned by EtH hopefully. Not a great start but I am not ready to give up on the season after 1 match.

Good response - if this game is a catalyst for change then at least it’s not a complete waste.

 

[pseudo_canadian]

Happy Ralf Rangnick Vindication Day!

100% this. People thought he was crazy for saying we needed practically a new team.

 

[Red Ten]

I’ve been saying all pre season on various other forums - we have only 1 target this season: 40 points.
Pick your own team in eth 4-2-3-1 formation & all you will see are problems, no positives.
The press will smell blood now & be on Eric’s case. Is he up to dealing with all that & is there anybody at the club who can help shield him from some of it?
So now the board have to decide do they sack off this de jong chase & free up the £75m that is so obviously needed to solve the problems at RB, DM & CS. Who knows,but I wouldn’t trust them to get it right.

 

[lex talionis]

Sky sports have Martinez as the worst rated player.

Eh what.

Idiocy

 

[mitchmouse]

There's no point in talking too much about anything until we sort out the centre of midfield. Everything else is re-arranging deckchairs on the Titanic

Maguire moves as fast as the iceberg...

 

[caid]

Sky sports have Martinez as the worst rated player.

Eh what.

He's a short, foreign cb in competition with England vice captain Maguire. He'll get grief until it becomes painfully obvious hes good and criticising him makes them look stupid. Which probably wont happen with the players around him.

 

[mitchmouse]

Maguire - "We started the game pretty well, on the front foot" - What game is this? We were nearly 1-0 down after 10 seconds.

and I think maguire lost his man for that too

 

[Renegade]

Sky sports have Martinez as the worst rated player.

Eh what.

Agenda.

 

[ThanksBoss26]

Just got back from the game. Same shite, different day.

Ten Hag can see now what we’ve seen loads of times with this lot. Hopefully today is the end of the line for three or four of them as regular starters, sadly not sure we’ll be that lucky.

 

[ThanksBoss26]

Agenda.

100%

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

There's no point in talking too much about anything until we sort out the centre of midfield. Everything else is re-arranging deckchairs on the Titanic

Pretty much this. You can’t really slate forwards when they only see the ball once out every 4 attacks since the other 3 result in our midfielders giving the ball away.

Watch City play and see how many goes Mahrez or Foden get on the ball and compare it to Sancho not touching the ball the entire first half. Says it all really.

 

[rpitchfo]

Just got back from the game. Same shite, different day.

Ten Hag can see now what we’ve seen loads of times with this lot. Hopefully today is the end of the line for three or four of them as regular starters, sadly not sure we’ll be that lucky.

did he not watch any games from last season? Why does it take him sitting on the side lines what should have been obvious over the last 24 months.

 

[Ceteris]

Did we not have the chance to sign Caicedo and declined or something like that?

We need midfielders who can actually win the ball back

 

[TheReligion]

Dalot is not average, he’s an atrocious defender. The first goal was entirely his fault because he didn’t close down Troussard, easy through ball and it’s a dangerous ball through the box, goal. I’

The fact remains that up until now, Ole has gotten the best out of this squad. Of course, Ole needed to go, but all the complaining about his tactics and counter attacking football, I’m starting to think that with this midfield and RB, you can’t play anything but counter attacking.

Fred cannot be a distributor in a midfield 2.

The point about Fred is important and I’m not sure why we started with Fred and Mctominay in a two as neither have the passing ability and concentration to play that role.

This in turn exposes the CBs and creates problem after problem.

 

[witchtrials]

I care about people who can’t afford to eat. But it is a bit tricky when you start banging on about inequalities whilst earning £200,000 grand a week and also being shit at your job.

Yeah I suppose it would be better if everyone who was famous just refused to talk about people in poverty.

And that would somehow also help Rashford with his bad form. But if he then scores a few goals is he allowed to talk again?

 

[Relevated]

Rome wasn't built in a day, and all that.

I would hope that the lack of forward options is what resulted in a McFred middle today. In ten Hag's system, the central midfielders need to show for a ball out of defense. As has been pointed out by many here, neither Fred or McT are good at that.

I don't have an issue with one of them playing with Eriksen or any other midfielders, but they can't both be in there.

All of our issues in that first half stemmed from that. The difference with an Eriksen/McT and then an Eriksen/Donny mid in the second half was huge. I think it was just too late by then as Eriksen had tired a bit without a proper preseason.

Lessons learned by EtH hopefully. Not a great start but I am not ready to give up on the season after 1 match.

Historians say Rome was built across 1229 years. Shall we wait that long?

 

[PedroMendez]

One game in and everything is going down the drain. Who could have thought, that the same group of players, that failed over and over again, would continue to be shit.

 

[CallyRed]

Opening weekend and already we are a laughing stock. Great stuff.

 

[crossy1686]

Did we not have the chance to sign Caicedo and declined or something like that?

We need midfielders who can actually win the ball back

We were never in for hin

 

[Rolaholic]

Sky sports have Martinez as the worst rated player.

Eh what.

Blatant agenda, was our best defender by a country mile

 

[DSG]

The point about Fred is important and I’m not sure why we started with Fred and Mctominay in a two as neither have the passing ability and concentration to play that role.

This in turn exposes the CBs and creates problem after problem.

There is a lot of vitriol throughout the Caf about how bad Maguire is, but to me, our issues are down to three areas: poor midfield 2 and an awful defensive RB. I cannot remember a single Maguire mistake, but there are dozens between midfield and RB.

 

[avgp_1]

Maguire played well

 

[Roboc7]

Sadly it wasn’t a shock and they’ll be plenty more games like that this season, hard to seeing us having more than 6 or 7 points from next 5 games.

You simply can’t play how ETH wants with these players but you also have to move away from same pragmatic approach we’ve used for years. It’s a huge mess that will take years to resolve. Unfortunately we’ve already delayed that by having such a bad transfer window.

 

[DSG]

and I think maguire lost his man for that too

That was Dalot who failed to close down Troussard. Martinez and Maguire were trying to cover that very bad mistake by Dalot.

 

[Son]

One of the more promising losses we’ve had. Improvement on last season going on that second half.

I’m not panicking at all. Players need to settle and despite Martinez shaky start he came good in the end. Maguire looked fantastic too in that second half. On the ball he was quality and calm defensively,

I’m very concenred with the duos of McTomminay, Dalot and Ronaldo, Rashford in this 11. Didn’t see much understanding / quality from those today.

Erikssen is pleasure to watch though. Wonderful player.

 

[TheReligion]

There is a lot of vitriol throughout the Caf about how bad Maguire is, but to me, our issues are down to three areas: poor midfield 2 and an awful defensive RB. I cannot remember a single Maguire mistake, but there are dozens between midfield and RB.

Maguire and Martinez played better in the second half as Eriksen was competent in that controlling role and showing for the ball in tight areas whilst still progressing and recycling it.

They also grew in understanding one another as the game went on.

Bit of a worry EtH picked them as a pair unless he felt his hand was forced with Ronaldo.

Would have been better with Eriksen and one of Fred/Mctominay then looking at a different solution up top.

 

[Red & White]

Lets all strap in, here we go again!

 

[AndySmith1990]

Disaster of a transfer window, and the tone for the season has already been set with a loss that resembled the same rubbish we seen time and time again last season. The squad needs wholesale changes, but of course it never happens. Although Ten Hag isn't doing himself any favours with the futile chase of FDJ. It's very worrying how with every change at the club nothing really changes.

 

[BusbyMalone]

Brighton's social media team giving it some

 

[antsmithmk]

Yeah I suppose it would be better if everyone who was famous just refused to talk about people in poverty.

And that would somehow also help Rashford with his bad form. But if he then scores a few goals is he allowed to talk again?

Bob Geldof… decent at his job, organises massive concert to raise money for good causes…. Continues to be good as his job.

The problem people have with Rashford is that he is quickly becoming a better champion of the poor than he is a footballer.

 

[SungSam7]

Sky sports have Martinez as the worst rated player.

Eh what.

All for clicks!
He made a couple of mistakes, but him and Maguire seemed to be solid. Didn't help that McT decided to forget the simple task of keeping the ball and put pressure on them numerous times today. McT was definitely at fault for the second. The pass straight into the air and then no pressure to get it back.

 

[Hugh Jass]

Surely has to be the end of Mctominah. Hes a mourinho type player. You cannot play possession football with a guy who takes four touches of the ball every time and passes it to the player closest to him.

 

[ayushreddevil9]

Surely has to be the end of Mctominah. Hes a mourinho type player. You cannot play possession football with a guy who takes four touches of the ball every time and passes it to the player closest to him.

Eth - "Hold my beer"

 

[red thru&thru]

Only positive? The 2 new players who started play well.

Need to trust Erik more.