Tumbleweed

Any game when you have the chance to get 3 points and at the same time deny 3 to your opponent has got to be more important. This is also a big game for us, sure we don't need the points to retain first place tonight, but we don't want to lose momentum at this point and see our rivals catch up. We are on a decent run, and victory would put an auto place within touching distance. I expect them to start fast, press hard and put us under pressure right from the off. I would not be surprised for them to get the first goal but for us to finish stronger. I predict 1-1 which will be Ok for us. TBH I think away at the league leaders they won't be too upset with that either.

Martin Peters at 10 would be superb in a Farke team. Chippy an upgrade on Mario and either Kevin Drinkelll or John Deehan as striker. I'd like to think Huckerby might but we play too slowly to get him into spaces where he would be dangerous.

Interesting stats, although Hugill has not played many minutes and the data is therefore probably not statistically reliable, that he pretty close to Pukki in minutes per goal, conversion and accuracy. With a decent run he could work out well. I think the issue is more about how the midfield perform, they are the ones which need to create the chances for the strikers and at the moment we are simply not getting them into dangerous positions enough- adds to the pressure to score when a chance appears as they are happening rarely.

Reminds me of the debate about England at times. Weaker teams sat back, England sat around passing the ball with 70%+ possession and struggled to snatch a win. Margins are very fine. The slow possession game we have means we need top quality players or the wonder pass to open teams up. Preferably both. Not having the quality meant that we just couldn't really compete at PL level last season, the games we did well at I seem to remember we played more compact and on the break. Its not all or nothing, I think we just need to mix it up a bit more. Slow, slow then sometimes maybe a bit more direct or with much more pace of ball movement. Pull back and tempt the opposition out if they let our CBs keep the ball on the half way line. The slow sideways possession game is easier to defend against and easier to press into mistakes. We have the personnel to do it. The other thing for me is how "pumped" our team is at the start and restart. Sometimes we seem so languid and only get tempo when chasing the game, do we need a firebrand assistant manager in there getting everyone really fired up? When we had the unmentionable guy now down the road in charge there was no doubt that although we didn't have the most skill we could match anyone for determination right from the off.

I'm not sure that the lineup is the issue. For me its the tactics and leadership Too slow, the team don't seem fired up until up against it, and posession obsession is killing us. Natural instinct, flair and risk taking seem prohibited. Its ok against a certain open set up, anything compact, direct or high press and we struggle badly.

Kenny at 10 makes a lot of sense, plus Sorensen alongside Skipp. Mario is clearly a good playmaker but for me he is an impact Sub, not a starter. I would actually be quite happy with a 0-0 tonight, although perversely our results and tempo seemed better when we had more injury worries....

I would just like to see us moving the ball more quickly. We need to be the ones sitting a bit deeper I think and use the pace of Hernandez or Placheta to run into, with Pukki slicing through the middle. We seem to have got more and more languid as the season has progressed, there will be space tomorrow but we have to find it when its there and not pi££ around too much just inside our own half letting Swansea get organised. I forecast another 0-0 sadly.

My main worry is that we still seem a bit one dimensional. At times I wonder whether DF is a bit too obsessed with possession. Very interesting watching Liverpool yesterday- they can play some great possession based football but seem to know when and how to pop it long and mix it up. Our rather languid pace of play makes it even more difficult to break down an opposition which plays deep, compact and physically strong. This is what we will come up against in the Prem again if we go up. Our tactics seem to have evolved only to the extent that the FBs don't get quite so ahead of the midfield as often as they used to, which is why there is less space behind for the opposition and helps us remain solid. But I do think we need to be more direct more often, especially as we have Hernandez and Placheta in the squad. Against really deep defending I do think Hugill with his aerial threat is a good bet- maybe 3-5-2 in those situations? Against a strong well drilled PL team (which will set up very similar to MBoro on Sat) I think we still lack a really physically strong midfielder who can shield and protect the ball well. Skipp, McLean, Rupp and hopefully Soresnen are all great but relatively lightweight and need to move the ball on, when pressed it all becomes too hurried and negative. That stronger physicality would perhaps allow Cantwell and Buendia a little more licence to roam and create.

Vrancic should have taken the free kick in the first half. Seems to get a bit more whip than Emi in those situations.

In fairness we do seem a bit shot shy at times. Buendia, Vrancic and Cantwell can all score from outside the box, worth trying a bit more, but this is the hardest league to get out of so even to be top and a few points clear is a big achievement. Hubris is an enemy.

Had an off day but didn't lose. Shows why we struggled in the Prem tho', strength and pressing hurried us into mistakes. But a point gained in many ways, down to 10 and they didn't really trouble Krul after that . T.

Nothing much has changed with them since they won 1-0 at our place a few years back and cheated for 90 minutes.

Unbelievable.

Hanley our MoM so far. Onel for Vrancic needed.

Losing possession too often and too easily. They are the better team at the moment.

Need to play some longer balls over the press. Get Hernandez on and play through the middle less.

Their bench looks pretty strong too. Warnock will have them going for this, won't be easy at all. Looks like they'll try and keep it tight, then bring in Akpom, Assombalonga and maybe Roberts for the last 20. For some readin I'm more worried about this game than any other for a while.

Without fans the Cups are a bit pointless. Chelsea at a rocking CR might have been worth it, but a confidence building exercise for Lampard to save his job in a silent stadium? Can't get excited by that I am afraid. Good to see some guys get some minutes, thats about it.

TBH I'm really not fussed about this other than I never want us to lose. But as its Chelsea probably next who we haven't beaten for about 20million years I am just pleased to see Dowell Pacheta etc getting some game time and Onel and Rupp having a run out too. We may need all of them for the promotion push. I may have felt differently had I not known the next round, as normally I love the Cup. What it does illustrate though is that we still need a more combative midfield. Otherwise if we do go up we may be seeing a repeat of last time.

Well hopefully Farke will soon sign a long tern contract.

I think the FBs being so high is a mjor reason we got relegated. The space in behind them was continually exploited with CDMs being pulled across, then leaving more space in the middle. Prem teams were very adept at a higher speed and skill level to exploit this naivety. This season I don 't think the FBs have been quite as gung ho, but as has been pointed out (1) skipp has been an upgrade so better able to cover, also Rupp when fit, and (2) I agree the quality of opposition has been poorer than 2 years ago and teams defend deeper against us much of the time, so less pressure on the defence.

Yep, the Safri one was terrific and I seem to remember a game we had to win in an ultimately failed attempt to stay up. I was there also for the Fashanu goal v Liverpool, amazing game. Have to include Marc Libbra and aso Darren Huckerby got one where he picked the ball wide left and seemed to run through an entire defence- v Cardiff maybe? Was the Jonny Howson dipping volley v Forest at Carrow Road? I'm picking though a Greg Downs screamer, I think in a cup game many years ago. Greg didn't get many but that was a 25 yard thunderbolt.

Pretty much my first choice line up except Krul. Need to move the ball quickly to exploit Cantwell's industry, Vrancic passing and Emi magic.

It really is all down to Farke now. Look at the squad list as it is (and even with one or two more departures in line with what most seem to expect) and it looks very strong, certainly should be enough to mount a very good challenge at the top. There can be no excuses that we have not invested for success in a sensible way with some ostensibly good additions. Get the tactics right, have that Plan B and make sure we start games strongly (rather than seemingly having to play our way in) and there is no reason not to be quietly confident. I would happily take a draw to start with just to break the sequence and get us into first gear.

I think Middlesbrough will be one of the teams to be right in the mix this season. Warnock is a shrewd operator and knows exactly what he is doing.