Steve Earle

I’m not a moaner - we’re third in the league! - but some of our failings are pretty deep seated and seem well known to our opponents. Last night we had the usual from Kasper: at least one pass per game is a potential or actual disaster; he’s shockingly bad on crosses, even in the six yard box. But his shotstopping is outstanding and of course he’s a legend! Chilwell must be told time and time again to do more to stop crosses coming in. He isn’t doing more; he’s not learning. It’s cost us a few goals already this season (Burnley home springs to mind) and could have cost us yesterday. Perez has wonderful feet & he can finish. Last few games he’s been excellent, but not last night. He’s too easily knocked off the ball, and too often in our last third when opponents press high. Tielemans is half the player he was before the manic December fixture list seemed to suck all the energy out of him. He’s now one paced, and not mobile enough. The winter break could have fixed that, but on last night’s evidence, hasn’t. Last & possibly the most serious is our use of at least partial zonal marking at set pieces. It was December 8 when we first conceded from a set piece this season, the best record in the league. Now we look like conceding off every one. Playing Leicester? Chuck your corners to where Chilwell, Maddison, Barnes or Choudhury are, get your best headers on a run into that space & bingo! Last night we somehow managed to gift their best finisher a completely free header in stoppage time from about 8 yards. It could, arguably should, have cost us a point. It will another day. Brendan made a rod for his own back saying that his teams usually play better in the second half of seasons. We’re playing worse, there’s no getting away from that. Good job we only have (convicted cheats & PL champions) Man C next... PS - I’m looking forward to another European tour! Dilly ding!

Schmeichel - again. Has a greater fear of crosses than the average vampire. Choudhury, played well but shocking work (or lack of) for both their goals, and I'm pretty sure from the post-match comments Brendan will have told him so. Ndidi plays that game, we win comfortably. Thought Evans was imperious again, and Ricardo, Barnes and Perez were excellent, the rest so-so

Well I saw him play against Fleetwood last season too. He was a second half substitute, and looked, as he does, the business...

Both he and Luke Thomas very promising LBs. JJ should cover Chilly next season as well as RB, Ughelumba needs lower league first team football & with luck can be the reserve LB the season after. Then who knows?

Usual team, usual home result. FT posters go from suicidal haters to singing dilly ding, dilly dong...

Tellingly, he’s not progressed one jot since we signed him four years ago. And yes, I acknowledge his decent game at West Ham, and his part in the team goal at Palace. That’s kind of the point isn’t it - it’s not difficult to remember his very occasional flashes of something like...

Saw an apposite tweet yesterday that made me smile. Along these lines: ‘I’m in a really bad place now. Not mentally, I’m just in Coventry’ 😉

Can’t complain, except that there’s a real chance now of an all Premier League last 8.

Shrewsbury in the 5th, for old times sake. Man U at home in the quarterfinals, just for the wondrous satisfaction of it. Norwich in the semifinal for the right to play the winners of the Derby - West Brom semifinal for eternal glory! Who knocked Man City out you ask? What time did you say it was? What?! Mother? Shit...

Not sure I agree. The way Rodgers has us playing we need at least 6 midfield players in our 25. We have 6 now, but it’s unbalanced with only three 8s or 10s, and three 4s or 6s. Ideally I think Rodgers would like to have four 8/10s, and 2, maybe three 4/6s. We’d play one 4/6 and two 8/10s, with at least one 8/10 on the bench. Some games it’d make more sense to have a second 8/10 on the bench or a second 4/6, rather than, as has been our default this season, a second winger. He’s always talked of overloading his squad with midfielders so he’ll be looking not just for numbers but for different playing styles...

I like that but seriously, Gray gets in your squad ahead of Albrighton? Or anyone else?!?

Is he still here?

Spot. On. 👏🏼

Assuming the favourites win the remaining ties, we’ll have a 40% chance of being drawn against lower tier opposition. The odds may of course improve. At quarterfinal stage I don’t think you can grumble about any draw, but for the 5th round, any non-PL side would do nicely, home or away.

Is he a wide player? He is? Better than Gray you say? I’m in

He’s gone from being our second choice winger, briefly, to our fourth choice. And he’s not good enough to be our fourth choice. Really hope he moves on and builds some kind of career somewhere, and we get a second/third choice wide player by next Friday. Thanks for your part in the goal at Palace Dimmy. So long & good luck

Job done, and everyone that we need available for Tuesday. There’s plenty of competition for this accolade, but was that the worst game Gray has ever played for us?

Praet excellent, Nacho, Perez, Soyuncu & Fuchs very good. Very frustrating performances from Gray & Albrighton so far - but I much prefer Albrighton’s variety!

Just me or is Gray dogshit?

Sorry Deeg, my question was not why would they rotate, but why would they announce their match day squad the day before the game, giving Rodgers a massive heads up?

Why would they do that?

Good call. I'd change two of your starting XI, bringing in Soyuncu and Perez for Benko & Albrighton. On the bench, same as yours with Benko & Albrighton replacing them, so same 18. Ndidi needs 30-45 mins!

Schmeichel’s distribution was typically uneven last night, and led indirectly to the corner (which he made a mess of) which led to the penalty (which was soft beyond belief) which led to WHU playing with confidence for 10-15 minutes. So I gave him 5. Everyone else 6 or 7, no one outstanding but several very good, in particular Ricardo, Barnes & Perez (vamos!). Team: 8+. Great entertainment!

Ricardo is amazing, but our best defender is Jonny Evans. Its not even close!

We have three potentially season-defining games ahead. Obviously I'd like us to win all three, but if you offered me beating West Ham tomorrow and winning at Villa for a loss at Brentford, I'd take it. I'm old enough to remember the 1969 FA Cup Final and have always wanted us to with that trophy more than any other (like most, I never dreamed of a top tier title) but as we stand now we have a better chance in the League Cup and winning that (Man C might not turn up?) plus finishing top four would be an outstanding season!