chicagoblue

McCarthy for Barry and Naismith for Gerry, or?

We need the next goal and it sounds like we're being outworked here.

Oh FFS. Can't do anything the easy way can we.

Sounds bad. What happened?

Who does that leave us to bring on in attack, Naismith? Wish I could watch this whole match, but it starts at 11:45 on a Wednesday morning here and I'm chained to a desk. Will be getting to a pub for the second half.

McCarthy and Barry have done wonders for us, but I can't think that many would not wish to have Gibson available now. Barry's on 9 yellow and certain to pick another up in the run in. Who comes in when he misses two games? Do we rest him against Palace to be sure of having him for United? I think I would, Barkley and McCarthy deep, we have enough players to rotate further forward, leave out Gerry who is too much of a defensive liability and play McGeady and Mirralas who will do their duties. How far away is Gibson, will ge be back before the end of the campaign? Going to be a real crunch this last month, every match bigger than the last. I think I recall Francisco Jr being sent out on loan, do we have any other youth who can be called upon in the centre of the pitch or are we stuck with Osman/Barkley to fill in should either of the usual duo miss out?

Don't think we'll know about Bony until next year. Swansea have been all over the map this year so hard to judge. He's had good and bad moments. Seems to have the ability to be a real menace; incredible leap, very powerful, but then just lapses of concentration or something let him down. De Guzman is another strange one. Has all the technical ability but can't seem to put it together for 90 minutes. I think he may just lack the physique to compete in this league.

Fuckin' rock 'n roll

Think this delay might well work in our favour. We can certainly use the time off as much as anyone. I'd put 5 on us being a stronger team when this fixture is rescheduled.

What in the world has Mirallas done to earn that?

Not going to be easy at all. Seems that right now we have 3 regular starters who are only good for max 45-60 minutes (Naismith, Osman, Pienaar). That means that we either start with them and hope for the early goal, failing which they're withdrawn and we seem to lose momentum, or we hold one or two in reserve. Question is who do we start in their place? Vellios will never see the light of day so long as we have any other eligible palyers, pretty sure Hibbo would go up front before he got on now. Traore not yet fit and neither is Lukaku. Means that we'll have Naismith up front to start. He has shown some decent form of late, but he is not a focal point, and I think he'll be especially shown up against a team sitting back with 10 men behind the ball. We need Pienaar to link with Baines, so for all his mediocre displays of late he has to start for me. That leaves Osman who has to start on the bench, we're going to need someone who can offer a threat from distance, and in the middle of the park that means Barkley. I understand the complaints about his last two performance, but I think at home against Palace is the perfect time to give him a platform. Naismith has shown enough of an ability to link up that Barkley can play off, Mirallas will offer a threat on the right and Pienaar/Baines will draw extra midfield cover. I can see Palace trying to shut down our distribution through Barry/McCarthy so I see a gap between their CBs and midfilers. We need to exploit that space to pull them out of shape and it's got to be Barkley stepping up to do the job. Sadly, can't see us keeping a clean sheet at the moment, so it's going to need at least 2 goals. Palace have become stingy so this will be a battle. 3-1 for me.

Well, fuck. We had a big chance today and let it slip. Don't see how we can make top 4 now. Well played Spurs, kept us from getting going and took their chance.

We just have not built up a head of steam this game. Once they scored we've tried to rush it and not had any effect. No comfort in the fact, but we've played the better football. Undone be 3 seconds of switching off. We need a proper striker back fit quick like.

We are just not a threat from corners. Haven't so much as generated an effort on target. I think we'd be better playing them all short.

Can't agree with leaving Ossie on. Made no sense to put him out left leaving Pienaar on, and now he's shot we move him back middle? Don't get it.

Was it offside?

Awful defending

Osman has not had the same impact this half. I'd be having him off soon.

Conceding too many corners now

Just rushed it there Kev

Coleman for me looks rusty and has been caught out or nearly so on a number of occasions. Unlucky not to be ahead after 10 minutes, then luck not to be behind after 20. Evened out after that, though I think we're conceding a bit too much possession and sitting a bit too deep. Dangerous to allow Erickson/Dembele to walk across the field 25 yards out as we are.

Mirallas should have reversed that

Distin gave Dawson a free header off that corner

It's 1245 am for me and I'm only now realizing that this game is at 5:30 am. Really hoping to see something worth getting up for on 4.5 hours sleep. Not going to be easy, but if we keep possession and don't give away anything cheap I think we're in with more than a chance

Striker is being generous. Probably best bit of business the Shite have done this decade was offloading him