[Rossa]

Brilliant today, along with the rest of the back three.

 

[Berbaclass]

A true warrior playing on when injured and then putting his penalty in.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Randomly played up front for the last 10 minutes or so.

 

[JJ12]

He's back

 

[Alemar]

Bruno-style penalty with a prior jump - he needed balls of steel for that. Well done

 

[Bobski]

Made Raya look very foolish with his pen.

 

[Berbaclass]

Randomly played up front for the last 10 minutes or so.

He was injured and couldn't run

 

[Roboc7]

The back 3 were excellent today and his last two games have been a dramatic improvement. The issue all 3 of them have though is they’ll probably look worse against the lesser teams when they have more ground to cover and can’t be as compact.

Penalty was great especially as he seemed to be struggling with an injury.

 

[Real Name]

I rarely buy kits and ever more rarely kits with names and number but I just might buy myself a kit with a number 6 and Martinez. That's how much I love the guy.

 

[FriedClams]

Randomly played up front for the last 10 minutes or so.

I think it was so we could have a taller player defend the inevitable arsenal onslaught of spamming crosses. put the smallest player up front, kinda smart.

 

[NZT-One]

I rarely buy kits and ever more rarely kits with names and number but I just might buy myself a kit with a number 6 and Martinez. That's how much I love the guy.

Glazers and Ineos will appreciate that a lot

 

[Berbaclass]

I think it was so we could have a taller player defend the inevitable arsenal onslaught of spamming crosses. put the smallest player up front, kinda smart.

No he was injured and could hardly move

 

[Fortitude]

Any word on his injury?

 

[Real Name]

Glazers and Ineos will appreciate that a lot

How do you know I'll buy from an official site?

 

[NZT-One]

How do you know I'll buy from an official site?

Yeah you got me here. Knowing SJR, he probably has shares on all the other inofficial sources

 

[Real Name]

Yeah you got me here. Knowing SJR, he probably has shares on all the other inofficial sources

And he's sacking people there too.

 

[Oscar Bonavena]

Any thoughts on Licha's performance last night?

I think he'll continue to remain a weak link at set pieces, beaten in the air by Dibley for the Southampton goal. Dibley also turned him really badly in the first half where they should have scored.

I'm struggling to recall much else from the performance, I think Yoro's struggles on the other side took a lot of the attention away from him! But I think ultimately we will need an upgrade on him in a year or two.

 

[Amar__]

Any thoughts on Licha's performance last night?

I think he'll continue to remain a weak link at set pieces, beaten in the air by Dibley for the Southampton goal. Dibley also turned him really badly in the first half where they should have scored.

I'm struggling to recall much else from the performance, I think Yoro's struggles on the other side took a lot of the attention away from him! But I think ultimately we will need an upgrade on him in a year or two.

Absolutely terrible in the first half, and is slowly making me change my opinion on him after the impressive first season. He has these games too often now where he looks like a real problem for us.

 

[McLvnsMuse]

As someone pointed out recently, him getting beat for pace or coming up short on defensive headers is a feature not a bug.

Has to be at his very best to anticipate the ball and overcompensate for his physical short comings.

Like him but A player I would sell solely because we can still get good money for him (In his prime, World Cup and Copa America winner, FA cup winner).

The better version of this team doesn’t rely on Licha.

 

[redNATION]

Any thoughts on Licha's performance last night?

I think he'll continue to remain a weak link at set pieces, beaten in the air by Dibley for the Southampton goal. Dibley also turned him really badly in the first half where they should have scored.

I'm struggling to recall much else from the performance, I think Yoro's struggles on the other side took a lot of the attention away from him! But I think ultimately we will need an upgrade on him in a year or two.

I’m of the view we need 2 new CBs, one of whom will replace Lisandro. I don’t think we can progress as a team with a CB who is physically not able to cope with the strong forwards most teams in the league seem to have, and he is clearly being targeted. His general form hasn’t been great either. If we can sell for 50m then we should take it.

 

[Leftback99]

I’m of the view we need 2 new CBs, one of whom will replace Lisandro. I don’t think we can progress as a team with a CB who is physically not able to cope with the strong forwards most teams in the league seem to have, and he is clearly being targeted. His general form hasn’t been great either. If we can sell for 50m then we should take it.

Agree he needs replacing, I've said it for a long but but who do you think would offer £50m for him? We'd get maybe £30m at best.

 

[CG1010]

We need to give him a role to mark non-best headers in opposition during set pieces, he gets beat easily by the best headers. Problem is we don't have many great headers otherwise also.

 

[Real Name]

So let me get this right, he was great after Liverpool and Arsenal but now he should be shold? Dont even think he was that bad last night but fans are fickle again.

 

[11101]

I don't care about his height, it was constantly brought up in the media when he joined and he shut the critics up quickly. He's the same size as Franco Baresi. He needs to get his form back and rediscover his timed aggression. In his first season he was brilliant at staying a step ahead of the attackers and would never have been turned the way he was yesterday.

 

[abailey123]

Honestly think he was gassed last night. Was pushing out to press and just wasn’t recovering. I’d be resting him on Sunday, give Mazraoui a game as LCB

 

[Oscar Bonavena]

So let me get this right, he was great after Liverpool and Arsenal but now he should be shold? Dont even think he was that bad last night but fans are fickle again.

He played well against Liverpool and Arsenal and of course scored a great goal in Anfield. And in a team where there are problems all over the pitch, he's probably down the list of players that need to be replaced.

But ultimately he's not good enough and will need to be upgraded. He's cost us numerous goals this season and will cost us several more before the season is out, guaranteed. Every team in the PL seem to play absolute giants these days, and unfortunately his lack of height is starting to become more and more a liability. I think it's one of the main reasons we're one of the worst teams at defending set pieces.

And he doesn't even have the pace or defensive reading of the game to compensate for the lack of height.

It's a shame because he seems like a great character, with a great attitude. And he will throw in the occasional blood and thunder performance which momentarily tricks us into thinking he might still be good enough. But he's not.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I just think he was tired last night. He took a knock v Arsenal, was shattered and had to play up front. But because we don't have any depth at all on the left side in defence we can't give him too much rest.

 

[A-man]

We need to give him a role to mark non-best headers in opposition during set pieces, he gets beat easily by the best headers. Problem is we don't have many great headers otherwise also.

He cost us a goal by not getting first to that ball, but it’s not because 178 cm and 72 kg Dibling is a monster in the air. Dibling has won 4 aerial duels in total this season and lost 14. Why Martinez lost that header was a mix of being poor in the air, poor positioning and poor anticipation. His job was to protect that area and get first to the ball.

We only had one decent aerial player on the pitch at that moment (de Ligt) and if we can’t even give Dibling to a CB, who will defend against the big guys? Our poor aerial capacity is a real concern. Many teams we face have 3-4 aerially strong players that they move up for corners. We don’t have the capacity to defend against that.

I thought his first half was very bad but second more ok. Maybe because Dibling got injured after 15 minutes.

 

[BorisManUtd]

I just think he was tired last night. He took a knock v Arsenal, was shattered and had to play up front. But because we don't have any depth at all on the left side in defence we can't give him too much rest.

If at least Evans was fit he'd play. But as you say both LCBs missing meant him starting again...

 

[yamo123x]

Still not playing well defensively for me and hasnt all season.
Passionate and good on the ball but very susceptible to pace and positioning poor

 

[Theo88]

Still not playing well defensively for me and hasnt all season.
Passionate and good on the ball but very susceptible to pace and positioning poor

there's a video of him sprinting back to our box when we lost possession in the dying minutes of the arsenal game.
i think he has somewhat poor acceleration but his overall pace is top notch - the jets take some time to kick in

As for the positioning all our CBs and WBs struggled with the new formation. i think that will take more time. he isnt a world beater but on the other hand we didnt pay world beater monies for him.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Still not playing well defensively for me and hasnt all season.
Passionate and good on the ball but very susceptible to pace and positioning poor

I thought he was ok last night - you could see the difference in how he handled his presser versus Yoro's inexperience, though I remember him being caught out twice, and Yoro was caught out about 10 times. It was not a great day to be a wide CB that is for sure. Feel like he and Yoro got hung out to dry a bit by the setup.

 

[Dosse]

Didnt get why he was covering first post. He got bullied in the air everytime. I believe He has a place in the squad but yesterday it was painfull to watch him trying to beat his man.

 

[Real Name]

He played well against Liverpool and Arsenal and of course scored a great goal in Anfield. And in a team where there are problems all over the pitch, he's probably down the list of players that need to be replaced.

But ultimately he's not good enough and will need to be upgraded. He's cost us numerous goals this season and will cost us several more before the season is out, guaranteed. Every team in the PL seem to play absolute giants these days, and unfortunately his lack of height is starting to become more and more a liability. I think it's one of the main reasons we're one of the worst teams at defending set pieces.

And he doesn't even have the pace or defensive reading of the game to compensate for the lack of height.

It's a shame because he seems like a great character, with a great attitude. And he will throw in the occasional blood and thunder performance which momentarily tricks us into thinking he might still be good enough. But he's not.

Which ones exactly?

 

[NZT-One]

So let me get this right, he was great after Liverpool and Arsenal but now he should be shold? Dont even think he was that bad last night but fans are fickle again.

He was great against Liverpool and good against Arsenal in a very deep defense. Thats NOT how Amorim wants us to play. I am not asking for him to be sold but we either find a way to make use of his very good ball playing abilities or we get rid of him because he isn't going to shine as a defender. If we wait longer, it will most likely only lead to more value being lost. Either make great use of him or get rid as long as he has some value.

 

[Real Name]

He was great against Liverpool and good against Arsenal in a very deep defense. Thats NOT how Amorim wants us to play. I am not asking for him to be sold but we either find a way to make use of his very good ball playing abilities or we get rid of him because he isn't going to shine as a defender. If we wait longer, it will most likely only lead to more value being lost. Either make great use of him or get rid as long as he has some value.

I'm just saying he wasnt as bad as portrayed this season.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

He was great against Liverpool and good against Arsenal in a very deep defense. Thats NOT how Amorim wants us to play. I am not asking for him to be sold but we either find a way to make use of his very good ball playing abilities or we get rid of him because he isn't going to shine as a defender. If we wait longer, it will most likely only lead to more value being lost. Either make great use of him or get rid as long as he has some value.

I don’t see how you can have watched his goal against Liverpool and conclude that he was playing “in a very deep defence” in that fixture.

 

[NZT-One]

I'm just saying he wasnt as bad as portrayed this season.

I would agree. He struggles in a struggling team just as much as others people too. But he struggled and I think, what some posters pointed out, that he seems to be really on it because as soon as he isn't at 100% he seems to struggle more than other defenders might struggle. I just feel bringing fickle into it isn't really helping it. After all, there is no reason to not talk about selling a player. There may be good reasons to do so and good reasons to not do so.

I don’t see how you can have watched his goal against Liverpool and conclude that he was playing “in a very deep defence” in that fixture.

You misunderstood the post. The part about the deep defense belongs to the Arsenal part of the sentence.

 

[Real Name]

I would agree. He struggles in a struggling team just as much as others people too. But he struggled and I think, what some posters pointed out, that he seems to be really on it because as soon as he isn't at 100% he seems to struggle more than other defenders might struggle. I just feel bringing fickle into it isn't really helping it. After all, there is no reason to not talk about selling a player. There may be good reasons to do so and good reasons to not do so.

You misunderstood the post. The part about the deep defense belongs to the Arsenal part of the sentence.

Ok, agree about the 1st part.

On the 2nd part, he played deep against Liverpool too which didnt stop him to venture into attack and also he had a number of forward passes, wasnt just glued to his CB position.

 

[Pav1878]

He was terrible yesterday and has flitted between v good and v bad this season.

I would try him in CDM as an experiment and see how he gets on. He can still spray his passes from there and would give us some protection in the tighter games…..like Southampton at home!