Have we...

[Zippity]

...passed peak midfielder Joelinton?

I believe we're beginning to see signs, sadly.

The sad irony is that we let a player go to Forest who would have been able to step in and offer more than just breaking up play and running into people.

For years, tbh, we've missed a player who can unlock a defence. Bruno can make some sublime passes but he's not necessarily a playmaker. A team plays a low block against us and we've had it. 74% possession and, not only did we not look like scoring, they scored the next bloody goal.

It's no good turning up for Champions League games if we don't do it for league games...no that that will be a problem next season unless we have a shift in thinking.

We've changed our approach to cope with all the extra games but it's making us...well...bang average and actually a bit shit at times.5 points off fifth, aye, but 5 off 18th, too. And we're not playing like a team who are going to make a push to close the gap above us.

And yeah, I know that we're missing our full backs but we can't put being 13th after more than quarter of a season just down to that.

Rethink and rejig needed, imo. (apologies for the negativity but with 10 games gone, whatever we're doing isn't working)

[toptoon]

No. Im not having it!!
I love big Joe and he will be ?back?.

[Zippity]

I do, too....and I hope he'll be back.

I just think we need another midfield option and, out of the three, Joe is probably the one you'd look to rotate a bit more.

[Jammy89]

We do seem to have lost something.

Not sure what but I do wonder if the way we play now, doesn't work as well as it does to Big Joe anymore.

I don't know but you could be on to something Zip.

[Guybrush]

I think we have needed another JL for some time now - he is the bite in our midfield which we miss when he doesn?t play.

But we miss him more than we should because he makes silly challenges, reacts badly etc.

If we had someone who could fill his position - and I?m not saying we need to drop him - when he is unavailable - I am damned sure he would at least try to 😆 make sure he is unavailable less and we would see the best of him again