In truth no prem game is winnable unless you are tactically ready for it or if not going how you expect you are able to change it during a match. Last night and dare I say many times under Hodgson he doesn’t change things other than a player for a player and playing them the same way. Last night it was obvious that the two central defenders together with the keeper weren’t able to pass it out of defence to a midfield player. They all mostly lumped it up to two small forwards who then lost it in the air giving it back to Burnley to play keep ball. Schlup who isn’t bad in the air came on for Reidewald late on when it would have been better if he had gone into his normal wide midfield position with Eze going alongside Bats. Ayew was poor, at least Townsend who played badly didn’t hide? Then even later Benteke came on which then gave us two players who could both win balls in the air. Those changes should have been made far earlier or perhaps they both should have started knowing how Burnley play. It’s a thin line and if we hadn’t of made a mistake and Pope hadn’t of made that late save from Benteke we would have got a point or three. However I feel we set up wrong from the start and then didn’t change it early enough. Hodgson and Lewington got it wrong last night. Perhaps we didn’t need the long ball if we had played Cahill and Sakho?

we didn't look too bad until we got to the final third then we didn't quite click, poor choices, over-hit passes etc Ayew was unusually poor, Andros was appalling, he's OK but is quite predictable as an out and out winger, he'd be better as a wing back but we don't play that way, I've been a bit anti-McArthur not out of opinionatedness, I just think he belongs in the championship now helping a team like Sheffield Wednesday or Birmingham, very little attacking threat and gave the ball away at crucial times. It's no disgrace to lose at Burnley, they do what they do very well, and we probably deserved a point, but Pope is a bit good. I hope we can get safe asap and go for a cup run otherwise it will be as boring a season as the last one. Contracts are up in the summer so I'm looking forward to a shake up, I think we need a new midfield, keep Reidewald all the others can foxtrot oscar - we are crying out for what Loftus Cheek gave us a couple of seasons back, mind you we played through the park quite well yesterday, but Burnley shut us out when we got close extremely well.

You are very very wrong, Kouyate played like a rabbit in headlights and he was the reason we lost because he headed the ball into our box instead of away and into the path of Rodriguez how on earth is that the fault of Mr Hodgson, Kouyate gave our team no reason at all to settle and build, and how on earth can Mr Hodgson be blamed for the best move of the first half to be ruined by McArthur overhitting a simple pass for Batshuayi to score with an open goal. if you look for negatives you will find them.

Watch it again! go to first half and 28.46 (or 22.08 on actual time on pic) .....

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Our general passing under pressure is very suspect and has been for many many seasons, this is completely down to the ability of our players and not the ability of our manager.

Edited by Tickled pink (24 Nov 2020 9.19pm)

We were set up to ,win the game, and if Kouyate, had not have given them their goal, and McArthur, had put the ball on Bats , toe, we would have all been happy. Second half the tactics were spot on, the application wasn’t , played reasonably well but couldn’t get past a good defence, and a first class keeper. It happens we have won matches in that way on a good many occasions . Tactics can only help , Both ,Bats, and Big Bent, could , should even have finished but credit Pope, whatever the tactics were seen to be we could have won , and at least not have lost that game.