Trent Alexander-Arnold

[Harv]

He was playing really well tonight. Injury looked a bad one. Could be the end of his career with us? When he and Macca went off we lost a lot of our shape and attacking intent.

Ive done an ankle the exact way he did and it took me 3 mths to get back running without pain let alone playing.

Obviously he'll have better physio and recovery than I did, but still. It's a bad way to do an ankle with all your weight on it.

[danperkins]

Yeah had a very good game and it killed any real threat on that side when he went off.

[Buzzo]

He was playing really well tonight. Injury looked a bad one. Could be the end of his career with us? When he and Macca went off we lost a lot of our shape and attacking intent.

[SB]

Had to face all four of their attackers at different stages of the game but was very solid tonight. Deserves plenty of credit for his concentration and application.

Yep stood up when we needed him tonight. Kudos

[DerKrampus]

I thought he was excellent, didn't let us down at all.

[peterbread]

Had to face all four of their attackers at different stages of the game but was very solid tonight. Deserves plenty of credit for his concentration and application.

[DerKrampus]

Danny Cademarteri award!

[Harv]

Shows they still have a small time mentality if they are celebrating that as a Big score for them, we kept a clean sheet won comfortably 2 - 0 but they got the ‘most dribbles past’ award.

Doku with no goals and no assists no big chances created yesterday.

Its ****ing hilarious innit

Yeah well done lads, you have the new Aaron Lennon

[BG1973]

Luckily on a couple of occasions Salah dropped into the RB position and covered him, made a couple of nice blocks for Doku’s crosses. Great teamwork but really highlighted Trent’s weakness.

It's a bit chicken and egg for trent.

If teams focus attacks on one side then that side is eventually going to succumb. Esp when you throw in fancy feet but **** all else Doku.

[Buzzo]

They do seem to leak goals though, which is encouraging. 2 nil up by half time again lads please. That made for a very relaxing second half.

[danperkins]

The Newcastle front line will give us a lot more trouble than City did that's for sure. Their work rate from midfield on up is very impressive too, so we have to match that.

[Sus]

Whether TAA is currently playing well, badly or somewhere in the middle, it really does not matter as we have nobody available to come in and replace him.

All our cover options are either out injured (Bradley, Gomez) or needed elsewhere on the pitch (Jones).


Quansah I do not include as cover at RB as I think he should never be played there and looked a fish out of water whenever Slot tried him there.


Tomorrow night will be interesting though. Will Slot try the 4222 and gamble on being able to cut out the wide threats Newcastle have, or will he return to having three attackers and three midfielders in front of the back four.

Newcastle have widemen that like to cut onside rather than go down the touchline and an inform striker that can do a bit of everything but who really thrives on through balls that inverting wingers can provide or help to set up.

Not sure I would want to give Gordon the same licence to roam that we, as a unit, gave Doku.

Gordon, unlike Doku, is good enough that he becomes a goal threat himself when given a bit of extra space. Doku for me is more a provider whereas Gordon can be used as a provider or a proper goal getter in his own right.


Murphy being another that likes to thread clever through balls and that has become a bit of a late bloomer in terms of being a goal threat/provider at PL leevel.

I also think Isak will give them a focal point City were missing on Sunday, so it's likely our CBs will not have as much opportunity to be spare men as on Sunday

[BigChief]

It was unbelievable, the defensive lines and general formation was rock solid, at one point I thought I was looking at red magnets on a white board. Like you say it was like watching a masterclass. I was left wondering why we couldn’t play like this much more but I guess it’s a mixture of you can only play a given way with your opponent on the day and Slot’s tweaks starting to finally stick now, players seem to be loving it too, long may it last.

Magnets is a good image. Just so well organised and why I was continually impressed by Trent. Wasn't dropping deeper than others out of fear of Doku's pace. I really enjoyed it.

[kingfunk]

I think the second half was 100% a tactical masterclass. The instruction definitely was to make sure Doku could not cut inside and instead force him wide and that was done by getting Mo to play deeper and have Grav and Ibou cover behind Trent. Personally I think it was executed perfectly - could Trent have got some tackles in? Of course but it was ultimately a disciplined tactical play from the entire team not something that happened on the hoof.

It was unbelievable, the defensive lines and general formation was rock solid, at one point I thought I was looking at red magnets on a white board. Like you say it was like watching a masterclass. I was left wondering why we couldn’t play like this much more but I guess it’s a mixture of you can only play a given way with your opponent on the day and Slot’s tweaks starting to finally stick now, players seem to be loving it too, long may it last.

[Buzzo]

I think the second half was 100% a tactical masterclass. The instruction definitely was to make sure Doku could not cut inside and instead force him wide and that was done by getting Mo to play deeper and have Grav and Ibou cover behind Trent. Personally I think it was executed perfectly - could Trent have got some tackles in? Of course but it was ultimately a disciplined tactical play from the entire team not something that happened on the hoof.