Just feel like we have some players with wonderful dribbling attributes in Eze, Olise, Zaha, Ayew, but without the central steel in midfield they're without the foundation to flourish. We're just scrapping for possession without some brutal f***er in there to dictate who's in charge.

Doucouré played for an hour with 75% of a red card, but dare I say it, had we had a Conor Gallagher/MacArthur-esq all-action midfielder to be taking some of that burden we wouldn't have had to take such a risk of going down to 10 men. He probably wouldn't have been the one making all the tackles.

Genuinely about half hour in I spent a good three or four minutes trying to remember who our third midfielder was. Doucouré... check... Ayew... check... who's the other one...? Then eventually I saw Eze, and realised that it was probably him. He showed in the final 20 minutes what he can offer (the confidence to try the lob in the final minute was brilliant to see), but it worries me that we've never quite established a consistently effective position for him. He's 24 now and by the end of the season he needs to be undroppable, but he does have that worrying tendency to disappear. Credit to Zaha and Ayew, even when we're struggling for possession, they're in there, scrapping away for 70/30 balls whenever the play comes near them. If we're getting out-classed, we know they still exist.

In an ideal world, I suppose we would reduce Ayew's playing time, and replace him with a more central-specialist midfielder. This might allow us a better base, to push Eze up a bit so he can float with freedom. Shlupp's done okay but feel he should be wide left. Ayew's done well considering but feel he should be wide right. Eze's been non-existent/a match winner but feel he should be further forward. To lose Gallagher and Kouyaté and only replace them with one player seems insane. Just how skint are we?

I think we'll spend to improve that position. In the summer o feel we were always holding out in case Gallagher became available. But now that ship has sailed I'm sure we'll move onto other targets. We've just been linked with a Celtic midfielder today who Dougie was apparently watching. I'm sure there'll be others.

Thought we started awfully today, even I could have predicted Leeds would have started at 100mph before eventually dropping off. Why we then tried from the off to pass it slowly around the back etc I don't know as it played into their hands with sloppy passing, dithering and indecision rife. Hence they got their goal. No shock and again I could have told anyone that off the cuff and bizarre we weren't prepared for it.

We improved as the game went on. As they tired we started to dominate and our class shone through as the game went on. Guaita looked poor for their first goal for me but that was only after the correct usage of the phrase 'allowed to run through at will' could be applied for whoever it was who did. Vinnie soon made up for that with a fantastic save from the Bamford we all came to know and whilst kicking still looks awful he kept goal well.

Goals were well crafted and taken, we looked the better side, Andersen being back is a much needed gift and my favourite note from the match was whilst not particularly noticeable otherwise, Wilf worked hard until the end to ensure we saw out the game as a unit. Yes he should be doing that of course but hasn't always and spoke volumes that he did for me. Edouard with 2 in 2 could well be promising given the run we now have.

A much needed win, a deserved win, and things feel very different now than they did pre-K.O!

COYP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited by Nicholas91 (09 Oct 2022 6.35pm)

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

I suppose, if you want to make excuses about our start, we looked like we weren't that sharp - we haven't played much. Also Schlupp is not usually in our back four, or Olise in central midfield. Second half we started to flow and around 65-75, we were massively on top. We kept our foot down and kept the head. The worry is that Leeds are possibly sh1t but looked better than us for a decent time.

Red and Blue Army!

The current situation I was referring to was the players available not results - not obvious !!

I see 'painter' you were the character having a pop last week too. Grammar is not the best either.