DMAA

Hard to argue with Stewart on a free. Underwhelming maybe, we’d all prefer some 21 year old African hotshot with an un-pronounceable name who is the next Sadio Mane. But we could have done with him this season, a player with creativity that we have often lacked.

Great for Barisic and great for the club. He was playing very much like a wing back pushing right up the pitch and making runs in the behind. That's where he's at his best.

I don't recognise too many of those names from the Dubai tournament, is it an older age group or something? Great to see us beating Celtic at that age group.

Replays on Sportscene were poor, didn't really show. I thought it might have been his back too.

We had 39% possession according the to BBC, what the heck happened?

I didn’t see the game but I believe this actually, he definitely has more quality than the rest of our centre mids when it comes to incisive passes and general quality, despite lacking in other areas.

Grezda was reported to be in training and raring to go a month ago apparently. I’d have expected him and Middleton to at least make the bench and ideally get some minutes. Middleton has the same number of goals as Kent with well less than half the minutes, according to Transfernarkt it’s circa 1100 to circa 2800. December was a bad month for him (bar a good assist at St Johnstone to save the game). The team was playing terribly and he lost his confidence. However he has that end product that Kent lacks, he’s an excellent finisher, great crosser and actually gets in behind the defence and to the byline. I’ve little doubt he’d have added plenty to his goal tally if he’d played as much as Kent despite not looking as impressive in build up play.

We should use the ones we have too

Thanks again for the updates. I was disappointed with the team selection, I felt a proper shake-up was warranted after such a poor run. Some players need dropped for their own good as well as the team’s.

Grezda doing any better today?

Brilliant. I’ve been hoping Kent would be played on the right forna while, Grezda has an ability to cut in and shoot from distance that Kent doesn’t have, he better be eager to prove himself

The problem is that they are not that kind of player, none of them are offensive enough.

I think it would, make all the difference to have an additional player to aim for, pulling defenders here and there and creating space. I’d second the call for Grezda. Not watching the game of course but Candeias and Kent have failed in the last two matches. Kent flatters to deceive and Candeias isn’t one for opening up tight defences.

Defoe must be watching on and wondering what’s happened to him that he can’t even break into this side

Who’s fault?

Was Worrall dropped? Most felt he played better than Goldson against Aberdeen.

Cheers for the updates @Rousseau, relying on them today ??

Why would it be 5 on two?

Of course the 11 are capable of winning but we don't need 3 in the middle of the park, their centre midfield is rubbish, they don't even have Mulumbu tonight. I think we are wasting Defoe on the bench, it's been painful to watch the wastefulness in front of goal the last couple of games in particular but all season in all honesty.

Can't believe you were predicting no changes ? I think it's reached a stage where an unchanged side would be met with near hostility, but more importantly I think Gerrard recognises that you just have to drop players after two very costly poor performances. The other side of that is that you have to give guys a chance when they are watching the guys starting ahead of them failing. Defoe especially needs a chance. I have been a fan of Middleton all season I would give him a start but surely he can make the bench at least, the wingers are misfiring and I can't understand why you wouldn't have him as an option.

The best thing to hear in that interview was that he was still too angry to talk to the team

This is just clever management, it's part of the game of football and if we'd done more of it we might have had some different results this season.

I agree with all of your comment but the movement and style of the team as a whole can change dramatically based on those two wide players and their movement and quality. It's not just execution it's having the right type of player to play in the system. And you're right Sterling isn't a brilliant player but Guardiola is a genius in how he uses him, I actually think similar could be done with Kent on the right and Middleton on the left because both have searing pace

Of course this is where the creative centre midfielder/no10 comes in, Man City have outstanding passers of the ball who routinely loft deft through balls over the full backs onto Sane and Sterling. It's a joy to watch and they make it look so easy. I'd like to see Kent played on the right so he can focus on timing his runs in behind and making cut backs, I think that would play to his strengths far more than his current role.

I agree with what you and @Rousseau say on tactics, but I just can't agree that it's nothing to do with our players. I've been saying for most of the season that we don't have the players to pull off 4-3-3 in the type of game we had last night. That was the 10th domestic game we've lost or dropped points huffing and puffing in a 4-3-3 against a low lying defence. We just need better than Kent and Candeias in the forward 3, they're rabbits in the headlights time every time they get to the 18 yard line. In 36 games Kent has 5 goals, 4 of which have been against the bottom 4 in games we've cruised to 3+ goal margin win. The other was the open goal against Hearts when they totally messed up playing the offside trap. The other 31 games he hasn't scored, and has barely assisted. Candeias has slightly better stats but it's largely the same story, quality badly lacking when we're not counter attacking. Watching Man City last night what is interesting is that they play their wing forwards on the "right" wing, Sane and Sterling's searing pace gets them in behind and on their strong foot already so they can shoot or cross/cut-back on their strong foot. Kent on the left is just not getting behind the full back and putting in low crosses or cutbacks often enough, he normally just vacates the position altogether and moves towards Arfield in front of the opposition defence. I think this is why his stats are so low, unless you are very gifted shooter or passer that position is no use for you.