Brighton (H) - 27/12

IronHerb

Surely not a six pointer already? 😂

Cuz1

Lol no but beat the teams we should and nick points off the big six and who knows where we might end up 😂😂

yoyo

It would be criminal if we easily beat Leicester and Wolves but don't win games like this

ASLEFshrugged

Okay this is weird. Back 3, wing backs, 3 CMs, Haller and Bowen up front?

Fabianski, Coufal, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Johnson, Rice, Soucek, Noble (c), Bowen, Haller

Subs: Randolph (GK), Fredericks, Dawson, Diop, Snodgrass, Lanzini, Yarmolenko, Fornals, Benrahma

IronHerb

Moyes out!

Hamstew

Noble starting is absolute lunacy

steve

If Benrahma cant start a game like this then he stands no chance

Hamstew

Fornals, Lanzini and Benrahma on the bench at home v Brighton

Cuz1

If he persists with noble he should be wants a younger team of players and he recalls him for Chelsea and I will let that one ride but Brighton at home NO!!!!!, that’s it noble man of the match and hat trick 😂😂

Pearces_Left_Foot

I can’t believe noble is starting I know formals has missed some chances but he does a lot of closing down makes runs noble is a modern jan molby who barely get out the centre circle !

ASLEFshrugged

Hamstew said:

Noble starting is absolute lunacy

"Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't".

Polonius, Act 2, Scene 2, Hamlet, W Shakespeare, 1602

IronHerb

I'd rather Hamlet play than Noble.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Really poor and negative line-up.

Noble in ahead of any of Benrahma, Lanzini and Fornals is so disappointing.

yoyo

Strange

Lukerz

Always struggle against this lot &, seeing that line up, that will continue today.

OldCastleSwift

I can't quite believe that. Home against Brighton and Noble is in ahead of our two most creative midfielders 🤔

Really struggling to see what Noble brings to the table in this type of game.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Now I'm a huge fan of Moyes.....but I can't understand the logic here.....

Like I know he likes experience, and Noble is not nearly as bad as some are making out....but we have so little pace already and we are now slower

Fornals was out of form so needed dropping, but Benrahma is the obvious choice

Really not impressed with this, and it's very hypocritical of Moyes saying he want the new West Ham while picking a old dog over an exciting new start

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

No players who can beat a man, except Bowen who beats his man and then wastes the cross or shot.

Nobody who can pick a pass.

Basically just hoping Soucek or Ogbonna score from a set-piece.

OldCastleSwift

Pearces_Left_Foot said:

I can’t believe noble is starting I know formals has missed some chances but he does a lot of closing down makes runs noble is a modern jan molby who barely get out the centre circle !

This is the thing. Fornals is more mobile than Noble, and Benrahma and Lanzini and more creative than Noble. If you want graft, surely you choose Fornals; if you want creativity, surely you choose Benrahma or Lanzini. Other than experience, what does Noble have that the more progressive players don't?

I mean, I understand Moyes will need to rotate the players with the amount of game we have coming up, but I'd have thought it would be better to go stronger against Brighton, who we have a better chance of beating, than Southampton.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

When will we have our first shot on target? I'm going for early in the second half.

buffybegood

Moyes's crystal ball says we're finally getting a penalty today, can be the only reason.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Can only imagine Soucek will be allowed to get closer to Haller

Going for physicality over guile....

This is going to be a tough watch

EXETERHAMMER

I just do not understand why Noble is starting. Love the man to bits, but don't get this one
Please prove me wrong.

OldCastleSwift

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

No players who can beat a man, except Bowen who beats his man and then wastes the cross or shot.

Nobody who can pick a pass.

Basically just hoping Soucek or Ogbonna score from a set-piece.

And no pace in the side whatsoever, Bowen aside, but his decision making in the final third is average at best.

Can only assume Noble is sitting with Rice and Soucek will be the target man with Haller and Bowen feeding off the flick-ons.

Just feels like this game is taylor-made for Benrahma.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Also big game for Johnson

Not sure hes ever played the LWB role in an actually competitive fixture yet (think he played LB in a 4)

thornburyiron

Another game where we don’t score. The Rice Soucek combo is overridden once again.

Hamstew

Can only think he's going to bring on some flair later on. Who knows

Pearces_Left_Foot

Hoping Johnson means back 5 with him taking the lwb role allows coufal to get up a bit more as well and maybe creswell will play better

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Hamstew said:

Can only think he's going to bring on some flair later on. Who knows

Which is inevitable, because we’ll be struggling to score or create chances with this side.

Masuaku has been such a loss to our attacking play. Johnson isn’t going to recreate that. We need Benrahma or Lanzini.

ScotHammer

Glad we have reverted to a back 3, but of all the creative players we have, Moyes picks Noble and a (mainly) right sided defender at LWB.

I don’t understand. I’m obviously missing some brilliant strategy😜