Rousseau

I do like someone of Wright's profile as a #10: more of a forward that's tidy on the ball and can beat a man, rather than a pure creator; a second-striker.

I've had a 'mare today: Criticise Lawrence - Goal! Criticise Butland - bodied by @Frankie Criticise Dessers - Goal!

Well - my juju is up to speed for the upcoming season...

That is such a Dessers goal.

King on for Tavernier. I don't mind a situational back-three - if that is what we're doing and it's not just King playing RB - if it allows us to get the LB high and wide.

Watch out, @Frankie's about... I thought it took a deflection.

This side beat Dynamo Kyiv, didn't they?

This is really bringing out the GK in you...

I don't disagree, but I wasn't just thinking about this game. I feel like he's had a poor pre-season, but I suppose that's true for most.

That's another option that I forgot. I wonder if Barron could do that.

That's fair. I don't disagree with you. We were very poor defensively towards the end of last season. I just had an issue with you calling it an 'Inverted FB.'

I would like to see us deploy those high WBs as I think it would play to Tavernier and Jefte's strengths. It needs a back-three, though - and using a back-four allows for one more attacker (Lawrence, in today's case). Would we like to see Lawrence removed for a CB? Probably not.

Butland's form is worrying. He's better than this.

You can certainly blame him for being too narrow but that doesn't mean he's playing as an inverted FB: an inverted FB is a specific in-possession role. I think the issue is man-marking. Jefte should be marking the WB. Then again, that does create an overload for them in the middle.

It's not an inverted FB. It's just poor man-marking.

Jefte is covering the striker, who should be covered by the CB, IMO, leaving Jefte for the WB.

Love Tom Lawrence...

Lawrence does nothing except that. I'm not complaining per se but we need more from a #10 in possession.

The theory is sound: it helps on defensive transitions. Clearly that doesn't apply to us, though...

FFS Tav!

He seems to work on automatisms. You can see when he receives with his back to a defender he wants to play the first time pass, but his teammates are not on the same wavelength. That wastefulness is noticeable. I agree, though.

That's better from Dessers: control, finish - not, control, touch, touch, touch... lost it.

Cortes not quite able to cover for the goal, but quite frankly, I wouldn't have expected him to as it started a long way back. He did well to almost get there. Butland should not be getting beat like that. However, where was Jefte?

Has Dessers been linked with a move away? Joan Jordán has been linked so another #6 looks to be on the cards.

I would agree with that, but I am comfortable with Sterling as first-choice RB and Devine as back-up. Another RB would be good, though.