Bailey

Yeh maybe but either way he could have done more with it. Now this I agree with. He is leading the line but he isn't getting in the bloody box. There is no point playing if he is so desperate to be a number 10. Welbeck doesn't make the most of his chances a lot of the time but at least he is involved in them. Rooney is constantly on the periphery.

It wasn't struck cleanly and it was right at his feet. It's a tough one like I said but if he controls it he has a free shot on goal. It's not like it's been blasted into him.

I don't dislike Welbeck I'm just proving my point that he is bloody frustrating. He is a player with all the ability but just doesn't finish things off well enough. Tbh Naismith has been disappointing too. Getting into space but he too has failed to deliver when the chance has arrived.

Been disappointed with Robertson. Heard very good things about him but bar one teasing ball into the box he has been crap.

And again Danny. Tough one but it was a chance.

No it was over hit.

Great ball and finish. Wilshere has been the stand out player so far.

Welbeck showing why I find him so frustrating. 3 great chances to score/create all pissed up the wall.

I'd forgotten about AOC. He should be starting more games for England. Can't believe Downing is getting a start.

How poor was Henderson again at the weekend? His pass completion was low which isnt good enough but what was worse was his work rate. When I watched him last season he didnt stop but I watched him pass the ball off and then walk forward with his head down far too many times at the weekend. Hodgson keeps persisting with this diamond so that he can squeeze of all of his strikers in and get Sterling behind them. I would bet a large sum of money that if Liverpool hadnt adopted this formation at times last season we wouldnt be seeing England play it now. The man is an idiot and he has no ideas of his own. We have a weak group, we should be playing with wide players who can help spread the play and create space. If we cram everyone through the middle we end up getting in each others way. I think Scotland will be a wake up call or at least I hope so. They are committed and they wont treat this as a friendly whereas our lads will. If we play Wilshere and Henderson and they play like they did at the weekend we will get overrun. Start Welbeck with Barkley behind, Sterling one side with Wilshere and Milner deeper with maybe Townsend on the other wing and see how it develops. If Naismith is getting on the ball drop Wilshere into the lone holding role (or maybe Henderson would be better here if he starts or even Delph) and pull Barkley back to play alongside Milner.

I agree with you it means sweet FA but that's not the point I'm making.

I dont know the ins and outs of it but if he has served the sentence that a Judge has given him then he should be able to come back out into the real world and do whatever he can do in terms of employment. If the sentence doesnt fit the crime then that's the fault of the Judge.

Awful Louis!

Thing is Haf, you have used that exact same argument as a way to rate or slate players in the past. At least be consistent!

The sad thing is that Townsend is still probably the best English 'winger' we have. He is limited but at least he does what you need him to do. I like Berahino. His movement is sharp, technically sound, works hard and can finish. His contribution in games needs to improve because he is one of those players that can struggle to get on the ball but he is young and that will improve.

Yeh it would be nice to see him do well and looking at the club, and some of the players he could do well.

We are definitely a worse team without Barry in it.

That sums you up tbh Cotto. I don't think anyone is absolving Martinez of his part in the start to this season but on the whole there have been far bigger culprits from game to game. I also really don't understand how you can blame him for signings as if they have been poor. On the whole they have been excellent.

I didnt say he was a creative player and never have. I'm saying that he takes his opportunities and exploits situations leading to a chance or a goal which is a part of how well he can read the game.

Alcaraz was fit the other week to partner Jags but Distin came in.

Well tbh its the only time you kick up a stink about Martinez! You say he is responsible for this that and the other but you also have to consider the options he has. Pre-season was poor, we were never at the races and maybe that did have a knock on effect to the players, but we played very well first half against Leicester, we controlled Arsenal for the majority of the game and we played really well given the circumstances against Chelsea. I would agree that we should have done things differently in those games, especially in regards to substitutions but that isnt enough to say he is a farce or was lucky last season or all the other rubbish that is being mentioned. I also don't care 2 hoots about what is said in the media. I expect that like 99% of other managers, what is said to the press is far from what gets said behind closed doors. I would be far more pissed off if he was critising players in public because that does absolutely nothing for anyone. Completely agree that we were crap and very flat. No pace in our play whatsoever but we did pretty much control the game and us controlling the game is the influence he has from the sidelines. We know we can pop it about but if the players arent doing it then there is fuck all he can do bar a sub here and there. I saw exactly the same with Moyes too. Sometimes we just never moved the ball quick enough and didnt penetrate enough but its not like we played badly. Its not like we waived the white flag, its not like the players crumbled or didnt give a toss.

If we didn't look like winning these games I would understand but it's far different. We have dropped points we shouldn't have but it's not like we haven't given ourselves the platform to win these game. Some of the crap on here atm is unbelievable and will no doubt be the way on here every time we don't win at this rate.

I'm pretty sure he did pick up an injury early season before the alleged bust up and Stones stepped in. From what I have heard there hasn't been a change from Martinez. He was either available or not. Then to why would he get a start if he was in the dog house? It doesn't make any sense to start him and then remove him from the squad if there wasn't a different issue. If he was being punished he would have been out of the squad full stop not in and out.

It's the reason Pienaar was so important for us under Moyes. His pass got Baines in who then squared it to the scorer. It basically means he is doing something right and exploiting opportunities. Sometimes it's the pass before that is more important than the assist itself.

Unbelievable isn't it.