Ric Flair

That's genuinely a terrifying read.

Both going to be £40-50m players aren't they 😭

Wow

Can you explain yourself here pleae3? In the 4 games we've played 5 of the 7 we've conceded have come from the right flank. Now you can believe that Ricardo isn't suited to playing the role Justin is but even if that were true, the evidence is clear that this tactical set up is a major weakness and not giving Ricardo a single minute so far is just astonishing. What would it take for Cooper to rectify that? He can talk about various injustices or things we need to do better but whilst he leaves this as is then we're playing with one arm behind our back. Not to mention having to field upwards of 7 defensive players a game just to keep it on average to 2 goals against a game. It's mingin'

I did a spot of light research this morning before going out to pick up the dog shit in the garden. In 59 PL games as a manager, his side have thrown away points in the final 10 minutes 9 times. His side have been 2+ goals ahead and not won 4 times His side has been ahead and still lost in the final 10 minutes 6 times. I wonder if any of these sides fielded 8 defensive players in order to try and protect a result?

The issue with setting up with the personnel he's gone with the last two, is you don't have the benefit of the qualities such players bring if you did want to try and see out the game. We're told Ayew is a nightmare to play against when running down the clock. We set up like we're trying to see out a result but then when we need to see one out we're bringing the likes of Choudhury on and got 8 defensive players on and are hoping we can exploit some counter attacks? This is why his away record and in his PL record in general is so poor. It's becoming highly likely he only views creative players as a last resort to chase games, which is quite frankly a disgrace.

Hmmmm perhaps that he's technically one of our best players, who's ability to keep hold of the ball is a massive asset and is currently sidelined to a player that nearly every single goal we have conceded has come down his side and is being deployed as a less advanced up and down for 90 minutes full back. But yeah, not sure mate

You fcukin kidding me?

Yes I would have changed the way we set up. I understand some of what he's trying to do, even if I don't necessarily agree with it but he's doing too much of one and not enough of the other. For example, going with that central three is extremely cautious, but if you do then you ensure you have the explosive pace either side with attacking wingers in Mavididi and Fatawu, ala recent years Liverpool if you like. Incidentally both are very good defensively as well, which ought to get Cooper's ticker going anyway. The danger of setting up the way we did today with the further workmanlike protection of Ayew is, he's the player we were told is such a weapon at seeing out games and protecting the points. But you diminish that by starting him in such a negative set up and not having his guile at the end. But to make the subs he has done today was asking for trouble. Blatant disregard for any attempt to put the game beyond Palace and so could surely have no surprise when they got something out the game. How can you gob off all summer about not getting creative players in and then getting some in and in the first 4 games showing you'll only use them when chasing a game. It's pathetic and this isn't bad luck why he's such an appalling manager at this level. His away record summed up by today's sorry end, he's a master at being unable to win football matches. I'm not interested in giving my backing to a manager who thinks we need to play 7 or 8 defensive players a game to try and nick results. We're still averaging 2 goals against a game an'all which is awkward for those who are able to not want to do yourself over the head with a snooker ball in a sock. Roll on the next international break.

Hahahahaa fantastic investigative work

For context though he's the worst manager we've had since Sousa in his opening results. We aren't yet as abject as the final throws of regimes such as Rodgers and Puel but so we shouldn't be. I think he's got a basic trait that gets this lot scrapping, which we were so bereft of the last time we were in the Prem but that's genuinely not something to really compliment him on. It would be like me patting you on the back for wearing pants and trousers to work. There's an alarming pattern emerging already on his team selection and tactics and football is not a game of chance. There's a reason his PL record, especially away from home is this appalling.

Right, I'm going to try and be as objective as possible. He's a certain type of manager, he's managed to distill in to this squad a certain amount of fight, which is a basic requirement but should at least be recognised. We certainly aren't completely abject like I've seen us, for example in the latter parts of the Rodgers regime or Puel etc. However, this should be the honeymoon period so there's still plenty of time for that. Tactically he is scaring me. If you're going to deploy essentially 7-8 defense minded players in games or only utilise any creativity when chasing games then you best get results otherwise the criticism is going to come in waves. I'm not interested in us having to play this type of football, with this personnel to only concede nearly 2 goals a game and on average score once a game. I was really impressed with the 1st half and there were plenty of positives. However it became quite clear that the sacrifice of deploying 3 defensive midfielders, with one expected to advance is that you need two explosive wingers to capitalise, otherwise it becomes a bit too limited. Or if you're going to go with one of Ayew or Reid then at the very least a creative central midfielder is needed in El Khannouss or Bounanotte. Despite going this cautious, we've still shipped goals. They've almost exclusively all come down the right hand side and yet Ricardo remains completely ignored. For the 2nd away game running, we've essentially not had a single shot after that fortunate 2nd goal almost right from kick off. If this is what the result is of such caution then I'm not interested. This is not what I watch football for. If we'd held on to the win I'd have been relieved of getting a crucial win but I'd still have been uneasy at the substitutions. We had 8 out of 10 outfield players that were defenders or defensive midfielders. I honestly don't even think Tony Pulis or Gary Megson has pulled that sort of shit before. I don't understand what he was trying to achieve as it was evident he'd disregarded any notion of trying to put the game to bed. Tactical terrorism. He's shown his hand already. I'm left querying why he was getting so angry about not being able to land attacking midfielders. Their role under Cooper is to have to come on in games we're losing and see if they can salvage something. It's bleak. Alarm bells should have been ringing vs Spurs when we had them on the back foot after equalising and then he took Bounanotte off for Soumare and killed our entire momentum. Many will say we were a Coady brain fart away from the perfect away performance, I couldn't disagree more and to be honest it didn't happen and so questions then get asked. We'd invited them on for over half an hour. Nketiah inches from equalising, Eze close but for a excellent block from Okoli and frantic challenges in the area from Fatawu and Kristiansen. It was far from a sucker punch at the death. It's no coincidence how appalling his record is as a manager in the PL and especially away from home, he's mastered how not to win football matches. I am however, getting a bit more belief regarding our squad. I think there's a nucleus of a capable team here and hopefully our board have the vision that they've made a mistake on Cooper and act.

Quite possibly

The saddest thing about that will be our clown of a manager will be even more convinced of the difficulty in winning PL football games and that it's got to be an all out attritional battle with a team filled with blood and thunder. Can't stop giggling at how much of a pillocks he's just made of that. Embarrassing Steve.

Come on Leicester. Match Skipp and Faes energy all over the pitch and we've got this.

Faes, Skipp, Ndidi and Vardy have all been relentless. Get Ayew off for Fatawu and we wrap this game up before we let them back in to it.

You've got to be kidding me? He's been appalling today. Did ok vs Villa but today he's been horrid.

And Fatawu is the best defensive winger in the squad, but has pace and creativity too. With this central three, you have to have two explosive wingers. It's how Liverpool used to set up.

Ayew has been hideous

What Cooper's doing in an attempt to win football matches is the equivalent of a professional photographer trying to take a panorama picture through a cheese grater. Walk him now Leicester.

You can't pick 3 DCMs and an extremely defensive winger and then moan that we aren't doing enough to win football matches.

Ayew with two long rangers, complete unjust 3 points.

But equally Hermansen is better than Selz Ricardo and Justin are better than Neco Williams and Kristiansen I'd have over Aina. I prefer our CBs as well overall despite Murilo being a talent. Fatawu and Mavididi vs Elanga and Hudson-Odoi the latter might be more established but they've not really done a lot either.

Killin' it

2-1 win today Ayew (2)