Blakey Thu 02 Jul 2020, 10:33 am
What a cracking result. Always nice to do the double over Chelsea but that bit sweeter to ram all Lampard Jr's vitriol back down his throat.
I know it's been a while since we've won, let alone seen a performance like that but lets not get too carried away.
Yarmolenko's goal was a peach, but it's how he's scored almost every goal for us. Cut in from the right, left foot drive to the bottom corner. He only got away with it because of his run down the pitch, (which Alonso should have tracked), Rudiger was on his own, (Chelsea too committed to try and get a winner), and is generally very poor. The key, was the Antonio take down and give & go with Fornals before the sublime cross field ball. That was pure class. Yarmolenko's celebration though, what was that all about. He was definitely sending a message to Moyes.
That was a good team performance and I think everyone, (except maybe Lanzini who was poor), played well. There is still a lot of work to do. Our passing was poor, Lanzini was prevalent at miss passing / giving the ball away. Antonio, for all the good stuff he did, there was an equal amount of poor stuff. His passing, looking up, trapping the ball, first touch, all need work.
Soucek, on that display I wonder if Noble will play again. He did everything right that Noble fails to. He was very very good and will only get better, especially now he has a legitimate goal under his belt. I would play either one of Fornals, Lanzini or Anderson, any combination of two of them is detrimental to the team. Wilshire did well while he was on, I'd like to see more of him, he's a grafter, something that neither Lanzini or Anderson can be accused of.
Bowen, ran his legs off, again. He has been a good signing from what he's shown so far. He's still a bit rough around the edges but i think he's going to do very well here alongside Antonio and Haller at the top end of the pitch.
Cresswell. What to do about Cresswell. He's shot, in the same way that Noble is. At the moment hes the best option we have, it's either him or Masuaku for the left back position. And as Arthur regularly says, "I'm not a left back, I'm a midfielder". Although that's pushing it, he does play better as a wing back alongside a back 3.
Newcastle next. You can guarantee they won't be a push over. Lets see what Super Tactician Moyes can do up in Geordie land.