RuffRob

I think you have to say this season we have been a fair bit unlucky with injuries. There have been weeks when we didn't put out a full bench, had two or three keepers on it or its made up of mainly kids. A lot of the time the first 11 payers have pretty much picked themselves. It has definitely been a season where it's been difficult in getting continuity in the personnel out on the pitch. this game now is must win for any chance of European football (I actually think we have probably already fucked it up by losing 5 points to Burnley and Crystal Palace - but need some hope!!) - a loss and think we need to be more worried about teams behind us rather than catching those in front of us.

Looks like the hammers made the best move in the January transfer window. Jess Lingard is firing them in to Europe ahead of us at the moment, while King has turned out a fairly anonamouse signing.

I think he is mainly a winger - who knows how to defend, so would be a very handy addition to our right hand side of the pitch. If he is regularly on the Real Madrid team sheet - he is going to be be no mug!!!! Get him signed. I am fairly confident we will be looking for a couple of players for our right hand side of the pitch.

It was a good performance today. One issue I have with Gomes is that he does need to be chipping in with the occasional goal - as a central midfielder (and not a holding/defensive one) 2 or 3 a season in the league wouldn't go a miss. He has 1 goal in 68 league appearances. if he was more of a goal threat from around the edge of the area it would just give that opposition something else to think about when we are on the offensive.

In all honesty we limited city to half chances all game, even the goal was slightly fortunate. They where much less dominant than when we played the league game. Second goal is much of a muchness when you are trying to get a equaliser. They might well get the quadruple - there squad is so so dominate

Gutted for them. Kept city at bay well

Yeah, definately need to be careful with fouls later in the game. Will be some tired legs out there now.

Fuck, city are a slick outfit.

If we actually win a corner today, it will be better that what we acheived in the last game against them!! Not joking.

Or is Holgate or Godfrey in midfeild. Suprised to see Keane and Davies on the bench. Injuries?

Might be a four, with coleman in midfeild and dropping back when city in posession to make a back five. Didn't we set up like this agaist Liverpool? I like having both Digne and Coleman playing. I think Coleman has been a big miss in lots of games this season.

Odds definately against us, but it's cup football and anything can happen. As good as city's squad is they can only put 11 man on the pitch at anyone time. We will need 11 performances today, but why not. We have to play it like it's our cup final and get the rub of the green.

We are as big as underdogs as we have been all season. International break on the way, so we can give it all in what might be a season defining game for us. Ancelotti will at least find out who the real battlers are in this squad!! Not such a big game for city, lets hope a lot of their player have there minds on getting away on national duty.

It a hell of a lot easier for Chelsea when you look at the squad they have been able to amassed over the years and just add to it transfer window after transfer window. On top of that you consider all the top quality 'youngsters' they put out to loan across Europe and can tap in to if they succeed. Just look look at this past summer as a one off window!!! They should be toe to toe with Man City, when just dropping a point is a big deal!! I would expect then to be good defensively and offensively - and then some. We would all love to have the strength of squad Chelsea have and be able to player better attaching football. Our attacking star turn is James who came in on a free transfer, and thus far has struggled to be fit and play in almost half the games. Ancelotti has been there and done that with the all star casts - Everton is a much different challenge . It would be great if he could just flick an Ancelotti switch and we are both organised and structured but free flowing and attacking all at the same time. Maybe if he would have been able to spend +£220M last summer I am sure we might has been a little more attacking. Think its a little unfair to hold us up against Chelsea at this time.

James is a fun one - there was some stat doing the rounds a few weeks ago - that points wise we have gained more per game when he hasn't played than when he as played. However, since I read that stat without him, the team have been trying to address this stat over the past couple of games with defeats to both Burnley and Chelsea. Its been very much an up and down season for him so far with us. I have missed him not being in the line up this past month or so - I would have so liked to have seen the team being built around him more, particular in the home games. Injury wise we have been pretty unlucky with Allan, James and now Doucoure missing a considerable chuck of games. This season could turn out a case what might have been if we could have seen more of the three of them playing together. All three signing have shown they will progress this team. I just want to see them consistently playing together - but looks like we will have to wait till next season now -

I was really hoping Iwobi would have kicked on this season. I gave him the benefit of the doubt last season, with it being a late move and all the COVID disruption. However, it just seems to me that he just doesn't have 'it' - Doesn't really go at defenders and give them much to worry about, his crosses and final delivery are generally poor (must be quite frustrating for other attacking players in the box) and doesn't have an sort of eye for goal. I don't think any opposition defences really overly worry about him as an attacking threat. I know he has not had a great deal of help on the right hand side of the pitch in an attacking sense, but I don't think that would improve his overall quality in these areas I have mentioned with a bit more help in that area of the pitch. Our problem this season has been lack of creativity and domination of teams when we look to play offensively. We are not stretching teams. If you look at our offensive players who have had decent playing time - DCL, Richy, Gylfi, James and Iwobi (will not include King or Bernard as not played many minutes). The first 4 have a fairly decent amount of goals and assists (always room for improvement), but Iwobi's number are just a little bit on the low side - a couple more goals or assists could have made a big different this season. 3-4 points maybe!! When Iwobi has the ball in the final third of the pitch - it doesn't generally have you on the edge of your seats. If he is on the bench - you don't think 'get Iwobi on - he might do something to unlock this game'. He is definitely not turning out to be the player we (or Brands) probably hoped he would be. However, generally Brands transfers have been good, and you are always going to get the odd few that don't works out, I think Iwobi is just going to be one of them. I don't dislike the lad, and was hoping he would do well with us and maybe be the next 'Zaha' type of player - but is just not happened, and with each game I see him, I don't think its going to happen either. If we got a half decent enough offer let him go. I think Iwobi needs to be playing week in week out in order to get the best out of him, but I don't think he is good enough to play week in week out for a team that has European aspirations. Mid table team player at best. I think a right sides attaching player will very much be on Ancelotti's wish list come the summer.

The key problem is we are struggling to create or strech team that much when we dominate possesion or in games when we should be taking the initiative. We are just a team who are better defensively than offensively at the moment. We just need two or three decent offensive players to join this next transfer window and I am sure that side of our player will click, much like our defensive set up has done this season. Unfortunatly, James, our most creative player has not been available, and we don't have enough depth to cover him. Gylfi being out didn't help yesterday either, and Iwobi just hasn't stepped up.

The game was as poor as we have seen all season, Burnley didnt just nick a goal to win it, they could have have had a lot more. We where soundly beaten. As a one off game, we could maybe be looking at our too most creative players in James and Gylfi missing, worryingly it not a one off. Our front players where a little devoid of movement, and our 'creators' where devoid of any cutting passes. The only excuse I can come up with is that Allan, Davies, Gomes and Iwobi is not a midfelid combination that has spend any sort of time together as a playing formatiom. They did massively struggle as a quartet. Also how many Premier League goals have come from this four this season? Or indeed assists - not a great deal. Injuries have massivly impacted this campain, and we really don't have the depth to deal with them. The only width in the game was from Digne, and his delivery was not up to his usualy standard. Coleman must not be near match fit, as we definately had another attacking outlet once he came on. We have sorely miss an attacking right back in the home games againt lowe league time. We are just not been streching team across the whole pitch. The effect Coleman missing a large number of games this season just can't be under estimated, partcular for home games. As a team, we now actually do have a solid core when personnel are available, and i don't have any doubts that we will be recruiting in the right areas. I do find it a little frustrating when people are calling out Ancelloti. This is a team being built over a couple of seasons and it does not happen over night. First you get a solid core sorted, then you add the frills. We have been guilt of trying to hurry with the frills in the past!!!. I have every faith we are moving forward, but in a correct and in a sustainable way. As frustrating as it is at times us not playing like a top 4 team!!.

Wouldn't have picked out Gomes - anymore that anybody else.

Bring back Moyes is it. Looks like Hammers will finish above us!!! (I am joking) Sooo disappointed. We are desperated for some attacking player on the right.

That was the chance

3mims today, not 5

Dont think we will score if we played to midnight

Come on - heads up and get some momentum now.