Tomaszk

Didn't look bothered to me.

Very very bad today. Didn't see the clonk on the head at all from the one replay I saw, hope it's not bad. Wouldn't surprise me if he just wanted to come off.

I got him wrong and I'm sad. I thought Smith could get performances out of him consistently. No. No one can. He's a mercurial underachiever with probably as much ability as Grealish. Mentality isn't there though, never will be. Best we can ever hope for is three good games in a row, may as well give him a couple of weeks off if he ever gives them to us, bring him back and see if it clicks straight back in. I'd try him up front immediately. Try and spark something. Everything physically and technically he needs to be a fantastic player is there.

From page 1. Maybe it did say something? He looked absolutely not Premier League quality from his "best bits" of goal output. I like that he tries...can't really say anything else positive. Zero football intelligence.

Vile. It was over when he came on. I'd expect most matches this season will be.

McGinn suffering from the "plan" to sprint around as much as you can directly at the ball for the first 30 mins of every match. He leads the charge and is shot for the rest of the game. Tell Gueye, Kante and Steven Gerrard in his pomp to do that and they'd be knackered as well. It's a silly idea being carried out terribly by all. We'll go down if that's what the plan is, and it does seem to be that at the moment. 4-3-3 every match, incredibly advanced, sprint as hard as you can in a straight line at the ball. Hope to be 4-0 up by half time.

Neil Taylor's fault. McGinn desperately trying to not give him the ball as he knows he'll lose it. He had to and he did.

There was one truly vile pass second half when we were in a good position. Didn't think he was too bad aside from that. Left to defend on his own all the time. The system is the problem, not the personnel.

Really good aside from the tired tumble at the end. I actually think he played fairly conservatively. He's got the look of a guy who could head 30 yards forward, receive a square pass from an advanced Guilbert, dip round a midfielder and play someone clean through. I think Engels still just comes back in for me. Well no, if it's me we play 352 and they all play. We need headers of the ball v Newcastle. They play a grim 5-4-1 and play off knock-downs from set-pieces.

Did you ever bring this up with Brucie?

Oh yeah it is, but he's had moments this year when he's wandered around not looking interested. He didn't do that, which is good. He was still really crap, which is bad.

I actually thought he worked hard today. Still played like absolute crap like he has for most of the season, nothing today was new or unexpected. Looks like he can't play football. Didn't know Maupay was £17m ffs. Thought he was over £20m. What's the justification for signing off on Wesley but not Maupay from Dean and the team? With the market the mess it is, busts are now very expensive. He's not got long before January. If we sign anyone even average he won't start another league game this season.

Issues. We have to change shape and I don't think Smith will. Players not good enough for this up front, all three constantly lose the ball, midfield has no chance to get up and support them. We can't play out because too many are scared and don't show for the ball. We need to go 4-2-3-1, or least play it properly if that's what it was today. Marvelous as a one man screen is silly. This high press is the reason we are always tired, and certainly players like Wes, Trez and El Ghazi don't have the intelligence to press while covering angles. It's very easy to bypass. Atletico Madrid would get tired doing the amount of sprinting we do in the first 30 mins, it's unsustainable. We are so rushed in possession it's infuriating and another reason we get tired. There's very little relaxed possession other than the keeper to defence, we just sprint forward as quick as we can then cross it is. Crossing overall abysmal today. FFS Dean be reasonable, Neil Taylor? What are you doing with this waster in the squad? We all knew there was no chance with him on the pitch. The players certainly knew it, they clearly try and keep the ball away from him. It's scary how much we looked like a vessel for Jack Grealish to win us a match today, and he wasn't playing. Newcastle at home, my word. Anything other than a win is unacceptable for me.

Steer a concern for me. I think Kalinic is better all round and even Nyland better with his feet.

Heaton, Engels, Grealish all missing. Steer, Konsa in.

New contract at the start of the season. Presume clause for £30m+? I think we can do better for £30m, not that I think we will spend that money in total come Jan! Be exciting if we did.

I absolutely can't believe it. You get this inconsistency in international football selection though. Jack playing out of his skin and better than almost all the midfielders in the squad doesn't make England, up and down Wes gets into Brazil squad. Bit of a shame it didn't come off the back of him bagging a hat-trick v Wolves. Hope he uses this as motivation.

Give us a performance Wes. Give us some battle and some determination without the huffing. We won't be beating teams of Wolves' level and up without the big man playing well.

Always happens with the little blighter. Champions League charge from the match he comes back though?

Very unsure of this now. Jack news right kick in the balls. Feels a real flip of a coin as to whether we'll play well or not. Going into another international break on another defeat would be a shame.

When he was sat on the bench alongside Harry Kane?

Did he really! That's funny. Making himself look a mug. We've got a great young squad and a manager who doesn't know what he's doing.

If he doesn't get in this squad that's it for euros chances which really is just silly. No one else can do what he can. Southgate is out of his depth and getting by by tickling media balls just like Bruce does. I'm not fussed to be honest but I don't want it affecting his confidence for Villa.

Think I've mentioned him before but Takumi Minamino would be so perfect for us. 18 months on his contract in January. Salzburg likely to be out the Champions League by then. I'm sure the owners would be up for the far Eastern coverage that would be generated as well as him being a great player.

I struggle to not find his lackadaisical style funny. Phenomenal technical ability, just finds football very easy. He's made individual errors that have led to a couple of goals this season though so hopefully he's learnt from them. I'm sure costing us more games will help me find it less funny.