We need to talk about Branch.

When Aina spammed that left footed shot from about 30 yards as many yards wide I wondered if it would be an idea to bring Netz on for him with Neco swapping sides, giving us a left footed curling away from the keeper crossing option as opposed to CHO cutting inside and offering Sa catching practice.
Knew it would never happen though.

Well we have 12 games, not 10. So I was working on 9 points from the next 10 games, then try and get perhaps a draw from the last 2? Giving us 37 points. I do think that should be enough. West Ham surely can't keep this form up ....

While I thought most of the team worked hard last night for the club and the fans (if perhaps not for Dyche) Aina was one of the exceptions. He looked disinterested most of the time. Thinking about it, he was the player that Colin Barrett was most critical of when we met the other day. Don't know what's happened inside his head since last season (apart from the loss of Nuno who he seemed to like a lot) but if the new manager can get a tune out of him for these last dozen games that will be a major positive.

In the 82nd minute (when we were lining up for the Anderson free kick from the left wing), the three baldies starting franticly crossing their arms towards the players. Took a second but realised they were telling Hutchinson and Ndoye to switch to their "natural" sides. Didn't work in the sightest obviously (Hutchinson was still cutting inside, just onto his weaker foot) but it strike me as a bit telling that it took so long to even think of giving that a go.

Aina was the one i was particularly thinking of when I talked about bad body language. I think he was trying though, he was definitely running up and down.

when you cannot score from a 6 on 1 you are well and truly fucked. Wolves were the worst side I have seen since we got back in the Premier league. They really were abject. They also know when they sit deep we are clueless at breaking them down. And that happened under Nuno too.

At that point, just fucking throw caution to the wind and pile in jesus and Taiwo.

I mean it's not as if the other team would break up the pitch and score....oh...

I cannot really see Pereira doing too much else other than react with subs. We generally cannot score for toffee unless we take a lead...

Feel for Dyche in a way but boy was that hard to watch last night.

Perplexed McAtee and Taiwo have been ignored since they contributed... Weird.

I expect more of the same with this new geezer unfortunately.

Chicago: Looking for internet games for next season..

Pereira is a 343 man. Or he was at Wolves. Which is good news for Cunha, and we'll probably find out whether Dyche was right about him. Not so good from the perspective of 6 players competing to be the two behind Jesus (or Lucca or, please God, Wood), unless any of them can play as a wingback, which I doubt Aina is up for. And it's urther indication of the lack of joined up thinking at the top of the club.

AI tells me this about his style of play:

Vítor Pereira plays a pragmatic, tactically flexible style of football, often employing a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 structure focused on defensive stability, high-intensity pressing, and structured, patient build-up play. He uses a mid-block to "cook" the game (waiting for opponents to trigger a press) before launching quick, direct attacks.

Key features of Vítor Pereira's tactical style include:

Defensive Solidity: Pereira prioritizes a strong, organized defensive base, often utilizing a back-three system (3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1).

"Cooking" the Play: He often encourages patience in possession, using, for example, a 3-4-2-1 formation where centre-backs move forward and the team waits for the right moment to trigger a press.

Tactical Flexibility: While favoring a back three, he adapts to the squad's strengths, having used 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 previously.

Wide Overloads: He employs high-pushing wing-backs or full-backs to stretch the pitch, while advanced midfielders (like a No. 10) operate in pockets of space to create central overloads.

Positional Discipline: His teams are known for having clear, consistent movements and strict structural organization, regardless of the opponent.

At Wolves, he has been noted for transforming a struggling defense, increasing passing accuracy, and emphasizing a competitive, high-energy approach.

Will any of that help us actually score some goals?

An overlapping Murillo might be fun.

Until his calf goes again.

Maybe AI can sit in the dugout too so we can finally quit fucking about with this team coach bollox.

AI is in - this is its team for Victor (3-4-2-1) to beat Fenerbahce

         Matz Sels

  Milenković   Murillo   Boly

Neco Williams Danilo Domínguez Aina

    Gibbs-White     Hudson-Odoi

           Chris Wood

Still better than Dyche's selection against Leeds.

At least some thought has gone into it. Maybe someone needs to let Google know that the special one has gone though.

Now if only Dyche had used the Google, he might have come up with some corner routines.

Aina as LWB? Ah no.