SmashedCrab

I don’t know how Sam can look at our last game and think another defensive mid is answer.
Good to see McCarthy back. Interesting that we have brought two long term injuries, straight back into the starting line up

Worst bit for me is lack of press, so frustrating to watch us without the ball. But we were bad to watch under Koeman too; so I’ll take the ugly wins!

Worst bit for me is lack of press, so frustrating to watch us without the ball. But we were bad to watch under Koeman too; so I’ll take the ugly wins!

Feel a bit for Rooney. If you'd have told me before the season that he'd have 8 goals in December including a hattrick at Goodison and an equalizer at Anfield, i'd be over the moon. Its just the rest of our season has been so dire, its overshadowed his contribution.

Feel a bit for Rooney. If you'd have told me before the season that he'd have 8 goals in December including a hattrick at Goodison and an equalizer at Anfield, i'd be over the moon. Its just the rest of our season has been so dire, its overshadowed his contribution.

Think the subs really let us down, two big money midfielders coming on against 10 men and had zero impact.

This rumours certainly got my seal of approval, I await any updates with baited breath. However, it will probably turn out to be a load of scallops

This rumours certainly got my seal of approval, I await any updates with baited breath. However, it will probably turn out to be a load of scallops

Worth starting ossie against crystal palace?

Worth starting ossie against crystal palace?

I don't think there would be much difference between pienaar and deulofeu's percentages. When deulofeu came on he missed with most of his patches and handed over possession with a few loose first touches. Pienaar looked the most likely to open up spurs but he was also the one underhitting the most passes and turning over possession with bad touches.
 
I gave it to mccarthy, thought he was the most consistent over the 90.

The thought of Lukaku going down injured and ask having to rely on Jelavic for goals is terrifying. I really can't see him staying past Jan. In the summer of 2012 who would have thought we would get a bigger trasnfer fee for vic than Jela one season later? crazy how far he has fallen..

The thought of Lukaku going down injured and ask having to rely on Jelavic for goals is terrifying. I really can't see him staying past Jan. In the summer of 2012 who would have thought we would get a bigger trasnfer fee for vic than Jela one season later? crazy how far he has fallen..

To be fair, wannabe managers, critical analysis and educated opinions is why I venture on the internet. I could get enough of the 'we were unlucky' and 'I'd take a point from that one' from the lads at the pub

I have just read RM interview and it's just hit me... (Open play) that's the biggest plus to the game today. Two goals from open play. I don't know how many times we hammered teams early last season under moyes only to find the goals from set plays cause we weren't inventive enough on the field. There's one thing having dominence and another thing having dominence and creating. COYB

Anyone can score a goal, he's never appeared to me like a footballer that was good enough for this club.

Well, we started well in the first half, then lost our way for a bit and Norwich finally got into the game and then again we asserted our dominance and took control right up until the half-time whistle. We looked very pretty on the ball and our passing was sharp and we saw a lot of the ball, but it was looking like we'd have no creativity or penetration. But as the half progressed I really thought we found our feet and looked like we could create a lot of chances. And we did (I think we ended up with 20 attempts on goal?) and I was very satisfied at half-time. I felt there was to feel positive about. The midfield for the most part looked good, the defence (apart from Jagielka) looked switched on and Jelavic looked bright and eager.
 
Second half, we came out and looked like we'd carry on from where we left off but totally against the run of play we conceded due to pathetic defence from a number of our players. Most notably Fellaini. He was such a fanny, it's untrue, and undid his great play from the first half, where I thought he was one of our stand out performers. Obviously this knocked us a bit but it only took us 10 minutes to get back in the game. And what a beautiful goal it was too. Barkley with a strike that just oozed class. He showed the composure of someone much older to drag the ball on to his "weaker" foot and put it exactly where Ruddy could never reach it. It was a goal that his performance up until that point had thoroughly earned. The momentum was all ours now and 5 minutes later we had our second goal. And it was such a well crafted goal. Pienaar played Jelavic in deftly and Ruddy saved well but could only push the ball our to Coleman who finished coolly. If that play is what we see a lot of this season then we're going to score many goals. We were in complete control at this point but were hit with a sucker punch equaliser. I know Whittaker mishit it but I really felt Jagielka was at fault by not being closer to his man. He should have been expecting the ball to be coming in to the box but he was nowhere near Van Wolfswinkel. I don't think we ever recovered from that equaliser and the game just petered out for us.
 
As has been said, we're a point up on last season (after losing at Carrow Road) but only getting a point from this game after we'd turned things around is hard to take. Plenty of positives to take from the game and only a couple of negative issues.
 
 
Howard - Really didn't have much to do apart from pick the ball out of the back of his net twice. Nothing he could do about either of them as well.
 
 
Coleman - A stonking performance in attack. A constant threat. And showed he's going to be a goal threat because he's willing to follow the attacks into the box from the other side. Highlighted by his goal today. He didn't have a lot of help defensively from Mirallas but performaed well in that regard. His one flaw was his poor crossing the majority of the time. It's something he needs to work on.
 
Jagielka - Think he'd been on the Night Nurse last night because he slept through most of this game. He just didn't look with it at all. Caught out of position a few times and, like I said earlier, I think he should have done much better for their equaliser.
 
Distin - I thought he was rock solid mostly. He used his pace brilliantly on more than one occasion and looked switched on right from the off. He also dealt well with the physical threat that Van Wolfswinkel posed (mostly in the second half).
 
Baines - He wasn't bad but I barely noticed him either. One thing I did notice though was his poor delivery from set-pieces.
 
 
Mirallas - An up and down game from him today. Mostly down. It took me an age to even realise he was playing and even then he didn't really do much. And he so lazy at helping Coleman out. The Norwich wide player had all the space in the world to move in to and Coleman was left backpedaling.
 
Osman - My word he was shite. I thought maybe once it was the proper season he'd look better but he looks so out of it. People can say he's out of position bla bla bla but that's no excuse for not being able to pass is it? Very worrying.
 
Fellaini - I thought he had a great first half. He broke up play and he drove forward with the ball, he linked up well, he was physical. He pretty much did everything that we'd expect from him. But the one thing I will remember from this game from him is his, quite frankly, embarrassing effort at stopping Whittaker. It was a token gesture and an unacceptable one at that.
 
Pienaar - Drifted in and out of the game but showed flashes of what we know he can do. His ball to Jelavic in the build up to our second being his best contribution. It's those sorts of balls we're crying out for to open up defences and I hope it's the first of many. If he does that regularly he'll be right up there in terms of assists.
 
 
Barkley - Today just highlights why he should have been used more last season. I'm not saying he should have started the majority of games or anything like that, but he is a completely unique squad member. We have no one like him. He;s so unpredictable but he clearly has the brain and vision along with that unpredictability which makes him such a massive threat. His passing today was on another level and made a mockery of his 19 years of age. He looked like a player who'd been at this level for years. His vision and his ability to pick a pass were second to none. His pass completion rate was phenomenal when you consider he didn't always choose the easy option. He was willing to pick the harder option because he believed he could pull it off. His belief was on show again for his goal. The willingness to shift the ball from his strong foot on to his left foot and then have a crack from that far out and pull it off... wow. Also, in the past he's been easily shrugged off the ball (and usually in a dangerous position) but today he showed strength on a number of occasions to hold his own and still keep the ball. My MOTM.
 
 
Jelavic - Think it was clear to see that pre-season has really boosted him. He looked a different player to the one we became accustomed to last season. He was bright, eager and always looking to get involved by linking up well with the midfield. He was unlucky not to get his first goal of the season too. It was a good shot by him that led to Coleman scoring and if not for a block by a Norwich defender he'd have rifled the ball home later in the second half. A very encouraging performance.

I'd like to see a deal where we give cash (2-3mil) plus Heitinga....he gets to go back to Ajax and we get a better younger defender