Thought it interesting that Aina, who is no great defender, comfortably put him in his pocket today.
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Wonder if Keylor fancies a few months in sunny Nottinum?
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Plaudits today for Dominguez looking like he has his confidence back, Elanga making Evans look like a 36 year old desperation signing, Neco's all action cameo at the end that almost got Garnacho sent off, and Morgan for his goal, his tireless running even when clearly injured, and just about keeping his temper despite being kicked up and down the pitch all afternoon with no protection from the ref. But I'm giving a double MOTM to Niakhate for an imperious performance at the back, and Yates for a most un-Yateslike performance - no silly tackles, no throwing himself unnecessarily to the ground, just a lot of smart positional football, simple layoffs, and strong captaincy when it was needed.
Could do better: Turner's kicking obviously, also Danilo's sloppiness at the back and Murillo's carelessness up front. But today is not a day for recriminations or criticisms, for we have finished the year with 6 points vs two teams who considered themselves to be serious contenders for European football at the very least. Seems like this Nuno fella might just know what he's doing.
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He's a good manager...but at this stage it will mostly be adrenaline and playing for the shirt. Will be interesting to see what it looks like when he's got his ideas across. You may recall I have long said that teams often look at their best when there has been a change of manager and they have a bit of the old one, and a bit of the new one. They quite often dip once it's all new one.
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Turner's problem is not just kicking. The kicking is certainly dreadful and that was apparent before we signed him and on his own admission. But it's more than that, he has obvious issues with positioning, handling, footwork, concentration and decision-making. Were he not a good bloke, a good athlete and, when he's paying attention, a good shot-stopper there is no way he would have made it as a professional footballer in my view. His flaws are well beyond not being the archetypal sweeper-keeper and I think he's comfortably the worst first team keeper we have had for a decade and probably one of the least experienced in terms of high level first team experience. Jordan Smith, Costel Pantmillion, Stojkovic and most of the other average keepers we have had are better. I am not sure if Vlachodimos is definitely worse, there's not a huge amount to go on as he's only played 4 or 5 games. He looked decent in a couple of those, and had stinkers in the others. Turner though has a stinker in nearly every game i have seen him play. Over 100 appearances as Benfica's number 1 suggests Vlachodimos might have something more to offer, but he clearly isn't inspiring confidence behind the scenes and in Nuno I trust.
And in Nuno I trust because he has made an impact. Not just in the results, though of course today and Newcastle have been outstanding. But in the way we have been approaching games. I don't know the stats and haven't looked at them but I am sure we must have had more possession in those 3 games than in any other premier league games we have played this season and quite quite possibly last season too. We just look braver, the players look braver, substations look braver, people who we haven't seen for months are getting chances. For whatever reason, he's getting more out of the squad and it is looking like a better squad than some people gave it credit for. These players are not bad players.
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It was pleasing that Manure were as reassuringly shite as they have been most of the season. When you look at them, it's hard to fathom how they have accumulated as many points as they have. Apart from the transparently bent refereeing, obviously.
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The point about possession is well made. 50% in this game, and frankly it felt like more. Perhaps it's just 'playing for the shirt', 'new manager bounce' etc, but it looks more like a group of players freed up to play with real confidence in a more possession-based system, a system that they relish. Long may it last.
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I think it may be a confidence thing with the manager as much as the players. There was sometimes a sense with Cooper that he was wowed by being in the Premier league too, understandable as it is the first time he managed there. I wonder whether this, combined with it not working out in those early games last season where Cooper tried to play more on the front foot (when we had a much worse first XI than we do now, keeper aside) could have led to him setting us up to approach teams with too much respect and whether this might have held us back? I remember the Spurs home game last season where we went for it and did well in patches but then got tonked and after that it shifted to a much more cautious approach. Nuno on the other hand has multiple premier league seasons under his belt, and the experience of managing two premier league clubs through good and bad times. Maybe he is a bit more stoical and objective. It's hard to tell with Cooper as he was such a confident media performer, but I wonder whether behind the scenes there were some cracks in that confidence and whether that influenced the players.
(Being able to speak Portugese, Spanish, French and English fluently may genuinely help a bit too and I have noticed in his interviews that one thing Nuno has already mentioned is he feels there's an issue with language and that all the players need to speak english to each other).
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I hadn't realised how dumb Man U fans are - as well as squealing about how Morgan should have been sent off for two yellows during the little fracas, they're also up in arms about how the ref didn't give an indirect free kick for a back pass when Turner caught his own miskick from Niakhate's pass. Although in fairness, the commentators (I don't know if I get the same ones as you) were also asking the question, so clearly they don't know the rules either.
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They are laws.
...or at least were.
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You're correct, they still are. Although my error is merely one of semantics, rather than actually not understanding how the game is governed. So I'm still better than them.
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You are better than most refs too. Which is luckily not a high bar.
No dig at shorties intended.
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Tricky misses the lunatic.
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Yes I thought Niakhate was the best player on the pitch as well.
Disappointed by some mugs booing Turner around me. Shit mistake but the fans can do better.
Still, it's been a belting few days. All the better for being totally unexpected
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Quo!!!!!!!
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Turner was shocking. His inability to use the ball hands over possession to the opposition. He made a couple of saves he should have made but he also palms the ball into danger. He should never play for us again. That being said, booing your keeper mid match is the action of a bell end.
