Sort of relieved to read this recent thread update as I was so annoyed after watching yesterday's game. I kept looking at the first touch of a few players with disbelief. AWB, to me, was so poor I could not fathom how he has got this far in his career. Yes, great tackler one on one but he has no first touch to speak of and his passing is really below par for a professional. Not singling him out exclusively, others were so bad too, you sort of cringe watching the passes. If it's not misplaced or behind them as they run, too many players blast the ball at a teammate in a manner that makes it hard for them to receive it constructively. I know it's not new but we do seem to have been particularly poor yesterday in this regard. I'd like to say it's tiredness but we're not the only team playing games under these conditions. Yes, Keane used to make a big deal out of a player's first touch being the truest measure of their basic skills (famously crucifying Mick McCarthy among others on that score) but he has a point. When you watch a professional athlete playing, the fundamentals should be beyond reproach but what I saw yesterday really seemed off.