Allardyce content with victory but sees room for improvement

At least we are getting a solid base to build on; fancy footie can come once we have the players. Confidence and organisation to do it, that will come with time.

Pickford
Kenny Holgate Williams Baines
Rooney Gueye Sigurdsson
Bolasie Calvert-Lewin Barkley

With: Schneiderlin, Jagielks, Vlasic, Lennon, Davies, Lookman as subs.

Things are looking up – we just need a world class striker and a left-back (Baines replacement) in January and we can look forward to significant improvements in the run-in to the end of season. Would also get rid of Mirallas, Besic, Schneiderlin (or McCarthy if he is still struggling for fitness). Keep Klaassen and Sandro and give them occasional opportunities.

He will never play for us again. Some fans need to wake up.

Kenny reminds me of a right back version of a young Stuart Pearce. His commitment and controlled aggression have been an absolute joy to watch. I reckon a partly a catalyst to our improvement.

Martina and Williams deserve credit where it is due.

The midfield have helped the back 4, Rooney's creativity and Calvert-Lewin's tireless performances are getting us points.

I am hoping that more composure on the ball in possession comes next. The wins will have given the lads more confidence. I expect a good performance on Monday night.

Saw the length of the scar over his hammy. That had to be some major surgery on his hamstring if they had to peal open the back of his leg like that.

Curious to see how long it will take him to get back up to full-game fitness.

If someone has an injury from last night then fair enough, or if Allardyce sees someone doing better against a Swansea weakness, then also fair enough but if possible I would stick with those who are slowly getting us out the mire.

You may prove right ultimately, but it's better to have a manager stating he wants him, as opposed to the one that publicly tried to push him out... whatever the eventual outcome.

I hope we start to evolve, but steadily and realistically.

Spot on. Good to hear some sense being spoken

Big Sam has only been in for a few weeks – it will take time to alter the style of play permanently. But for now he's battened down the hatches and got results

Can't believe anyone criticising that...

Step by step, we are improving and after January we may well see some more joined-up play. Until then, I am happy to see us climb out of the mire.

I agree same again v Swansea.

Will, 11,

Did you not think we knocked it around well in stages last night?
Passages of play when we kept possession for 20-25 passes. All on the floor.

Kase,

Dead right mate but don't hold your breath on the Sam critics maintaining the stick.

Let's see what January brings and give Big Sam the chance to show us what he can do. He has the players at his disposal to play some expansive football if he can motivate them.

If not, then ship them out because he will be the third manager they have not responded to. That says the players are at fault and cannot be fixed.

A top striker, left back and another centre back on the shopping list please. Rooney and Sigurdsson are slowly coming along nicely. A fit Seamus and Bolasie and we might start enjoying things again.

COYB!!!

"...Allardyce got lucky that Unsy stumbled on the right Back 4 combination in his last match in charge."

Whilst I don't agree with Sam being credited with the 4-0 win over der 'ammers – that was David Unsworth's win – as some do, including Allardyce himself, your statement doesn't really ring true.

In the previous game, the 4-1 mauling at Southampton, Baines and Keane went off injured and subsequently, Jags was also added to the injury list before playing West Ham.

Basically, Unsworth had no other options available to him but to draft in Martina and Holgate (neither of whom made as much as the sub's bench against the Saints), and promote Williams who was a sub.

Our lack of cover at left back is well recognized. The injuries left us with no alternatives at centre back.

This was highlighted all the more so in the Europa League game in Cyprus when Allardyce prudently sent a makeshift team with a back four of Charsley, Besic, Feeney and Baningime – 3 kids and only one of them an out and out defender.

Such limited options available makes the organization and resilience that the whole team – not just the back 4 – is now displaying all the more credible.

I thought we knocked it around well at times – probably some of the best passages of play I've seen from us this season. It wasn't anything particularly clever, just quick passing and movement, with some changes in tempo. It will take time to turn that into something that gets us on our feet cheering, but it's a start.

Unsy leaving out Rooney wasn't clever either. We should be better with the ball and be capable of making lots more chances with Rooney and Sigurdsson in the team... not that I've seen much from our record signing. Anyway, I've complete faith that Sam will be realising what we need and buy better that the last pillock we had (though I though that was the job of Walsh). I'd take Mhkitarian off the Mancs, Bertrand or Shaw, and have a go at Giroud on loan. Giz a job Bill

He will do this have no doubt, but anything more is wishful thinking. If we have learned anything from last time, the recruitment process should already be underway. Paulo Fonseca perhaps?

Altogether now, 'We found love in a hopeless place.'

His confidence is back up, I haven't seen him bury his head under his shirt collar in self disgust for 3-4 games now (every game under Koeman). I think he and Sam A are made for each other. His rediscovered form will also take a lot of the pressure of Micheal Keane, and allow him to develop out of the limelight for a bit – which I think he was crying out for, early season.

I don't see the need to knock Allardyce and wish some of our supporters would see sense.

Koeman and Martinez could not organize this bunch to stop shipping goals yet within a few days and weeks the organization and discipline has been transformed even with a back 4 of arguably second choice players.

Our ability to trouble opposition keepers has been an issue for years even with Lukaku on board so lets give Sam some time to fix that problem too eh?

Also, Coleman can ease his way back due to Kenny getting better each game. It will be interesting to see how Bolasie, Lennon and Kenny get on raiding down the right side.

Under Big Sam, we are never going to play like Man City but Mourinho isn't exactly playing the Man Utd way these days but they are happy to be second and still (just about) in the chase for the title.

I will take being tight at the back, bossing teams into mistakes, and punishing them with a quick forward line.

Most fans I believe would be happy with that till season's end.

Will he get his place back? Or do we turn him into a latter day Andy Hinchcliffe? Full back turned midfield winger providing solidity on one flank. Won't be as good with a dead ball but more likely to score

Spot on. As soon as Holgate was fit, he was in

Don't quite know why you address me re: Holgate and Unsworth, but two things you perhaps need to consider:

1) when was Holgate injured? I don't recall any reference of him being listed as injured and a deep internet search returns no reference to him being injured. Not doubting your claim, just looking for confirmation that this was the case.

2) Unsworth oversaw 8 games in total as caretaker manager. In 3 of his first 4 games, Mason was an unused sub – at Chelsea, Leicester and home to Watford. Away to Lyon he was paired with Williams at CB. The overall selection was criticised by many because in a must-win game, Unsworth went with an under strength team, including no out and out forward in the first half. So Mason was definitely fit and available for those 4 games and Unsworth didn't love him enough to use him at all in 75% of them.

He was then not selected at all for the next 3 games against Palace, Atalanta and Southampton. If what you say is true, I presume this is when he was (possibly) injured.

He was selected for the 4-0 beating of West Ham because, basically, there were no other alternatives: Jagielka, Keane and Funes Mori, the recognized 1st team centre-backs, were all injured.

I like Mason Holgate. Like many of our young guns I believe he has the potential to have a very good career and at centre back.

But it was circumstances, not 'man-love' between player and interim manager, that has given Mason his opportunity to stake a regular starting spot.

Good player BTW.

Link

On 29 August both Pickford and Holgate (a minor ankle injury) were withdrawn from their respective England squads.

It evidently wasn't a major injury as Holgate continued to be selected by Koeman in the starting XI or on the subs' bench for the next 10 Everton fixtures, apart from Koeman's final game in charge, the 5-2 home thumping by Arsenal.

Thereafter, he was selected by Unsworth (and now Allardyce) as I posted previously.

Not saying he wasn't injured as claimed by others. Just saying I do not recall any such notification, that I haven't found any story about him being injured on Unsworth's or Allardyce's watch and those saying he was have yet to share a link confirming their claims.

Good management (by Unsie) if that was, in fact, the case: since he's come back into the side he's been quietly getting on with things in a very professional manner.

Still taking some getting used to having him as our Manager and if I'm being 100% honest, I can't see this being anything more than a short-term appointment.

I do love a clean sheet though.

Unfortunately that's only likely to happen if Pep comes calling... or on international duty .

Ahead of the Atalanta game, Unsworth stated "Mason is recovering from a groin injury".

Like the other players, he will benefit from a manager that is tactically sound and gives clear, simple instructions.

We caught his post-match interview on the news last Sunday. Straightaway, my (Dutch) wife said, 'Oh, you've got a manager that speaks English now?'

Players want simple, clear instructions. I think they're getting that now.

The point I was trying to make was – given our situation, the tactics at Liverpool were spot on. However, against certain teams, like Newcastle, in their current rut, we could have offered a bit more threat on the counter without necessarily taking undue risks and throwing caution to the wind.

Furthermore, we actually increase the pressure by simply hoofing balls out rather than trying to retain possession. We also started to defend deeper and allowed attacking players far too much space in shooting positions, hence the post being rattled twice.

Having said all of this, I'm far happier now than after the Southampton game. So credit were credit's due.

Thank you for that. I'll take your word for it.

As I say, I never heard or read anything about an injury to Mason and various Google searches also drew a blank, so not a widely reported story as some claim (and were unable or unwilling to reference).

Still, given that Unsworth wasn't shy in restoring and retaining the likes of Kenny, Davies and Calvert-Lewin in the side, as well as giving Baningime a turn, it is curious that a fully fit Mason Holgate was not selected 'as soon as he was fit' as a couple of posters are trying to claim.

Link

Many have expressed concern about his performances, but given the success the current coaching team seem to be having, who is to say that they can't turn Funes Mori's natural talent into a long-serving, more than competent left centre-back for the foreseeable future?

Sam Allardyce will certainly like him because of his potential goal threat from set pieces.