Deeg67

Here's the thing with Cooper. Somehow the whole usually manages to be more than the sum of the parts. First off, I don't see how anyone can question the will of the players to fight for him considering how many points we've scavenged with good second-half performances. Second, the numbers bear it out - we're good on set pieces. Clever. When you're a club trying to survive relegation, that's a vital component. And third, his in-game management yesterday at least is trending up. Still lots of questions to be asked. Generally speaking, the style of football is not easy on the eyes and he needs to be more attacking from the opening whistle. But somehow Cooper teams find a way to stay up and he does deserve some credit for us being mid-table.

I know only complaining is allowed here where Cooper is concerned but would you rather have issues with the bench or the starting eleven?

El Khannouss and Buonanotte together is interesting. I'm not sure it'll work but it has enough upside to be worth trying.

But mystifying to me that anyone wants Winks and Skipp in the same eleven, especially against a weaker opponent.

I find it hilarious some fans haughtily complaining about a loanee from Brighton. Brighton have been the very model of how to compete as a smaller side in PL. We should be emulating them, not mocking them.

This formation is better, with Ndidi further back. Skipp and Winks can't be in the same eleven.

Indeed, just doing it because that's the expected around here. He's done fine, given us an outlet and won a ton of fouls (as usual).

Skipp really is a tidy player. Always available, calms things down, always has an eye for a through ball. Clearly a level above Winks for me.

That really did look like a pen, goodness.

Well established that he had a knock and they were managing his minutes.

Facundo really looks like our best player at the minute.

It is sad and again, pretty silly in this case. But a testament to how unbelievably hideous a blunder it was.

There are those crying "match fixing!", I think that's pretty ludicrous but it does speak to the scale of the mistake. How in this world can anyone - much less a professional goalkeeper - miss that one? What possible reason could there be?

He’s overall pretty good with his feet and at our level, it’s not an issue. But if you want to start talking about 60 million for a keeper, the few sides that would pay that are going to prioritize distribution above all else. Generally they play the better “11th field player” as their first choice keeper over the better shot-stopper.

I still think Mads’ distribution is a tad inconsistent. That was exposed last season when we dominated possession and always played out of the back; not so much in the PL where we’re panic defending most of the time and hoofing it long. That might make him a little bit of a tougher sell to the really elite sides, who prioritize a keeper’s ball skills above everything else.

Stolarczyzk looked very good in the limited opportunities he got with the first team, especially as a shot-stopper. Mads is obviously off to a strong start but if Jakob got an extended run, who’s to say. It’d be a nice problem to have.

For me there's too much overlap between Skipp and Winks for them to be at their best playing together. And Skipp is the better player.

Not to mention they have a keeper they just bought from Arsenal in Okonwo, who’s one of their core building blocks.

There are rumors, but he's still employed for the moment.

Be careful what you wish for with Cooper - sounds like Russell Martin is about to be available.

28 shots in the 2nd half for MC, wow. Most in a half in 12 years.

About as well as we could realistically have done. He's got a big job on his hands with the shambles Berhalter left things in, though.

Enzo won games against Rotherham and Birmingham. Not quite the same as facing Tottenham and Villa.

Pochettino officially the head coach of the USMNT.

That was Poulsen’s off foot too. What a goal.