Missing in action.

[jwarry]

Yesterday we needed fullbacks that are good at defending and that have positional awareness.

If either Mings or Engels had a bad game yesterday, we could’ve had ten put past us.

Yes I suspect Dean thinks Freddie is for VP games

[Dave]

Slightly concerning that he thinks not conceding many goals in the Championship run in is in anyway a reasonable basis for picking a team away at Spurs.

If that logic is to stand up to scrutiny then Steer should also have started over Heaton.

[Dogtanian]

Guilbert was just not picked according to Smith:

https://audioboom.com/posts/7338793-dean-smith-on-defeat-at-tottenham

Very slightly concerning that he thinks not conceding many goals in the Championship run in is in anyway a reasonable basis for picking a team away at Spurs.

Very concerning or slightly concerning? if Guilbert wasn't up to speed and ready what would be the point of throwing him in?

You've heard the cliches hundreds of times of settled teams, partnerships on the pitch, building understanding etc. Perhaps there's something in that, perhaps throwing three new defenders into a game away at Spurs was a recipe for a 5-1 instead of a 3-1.

Given how they defended for 60 minutes I think the decision was vindicated however concerning you think his justification was. That game was lost because of our front six, not our back five.

No but Taylor and Elmo are not good going forward they offer nothing in attacking or overlapping or
even passing out of defence so using other defenders who might be better in those areas could have given us more bite going forward

it's all right defending but retaining the ball as a team to take a bit of pressure of at times is also important and those pair struggle footballing wise

I just don't rate either as premier league players
if they are still are two first choice full backs in 10 games time or even sooner well have major problems imo

I'm not Elmo's biggest fan, but tbh he is better going forward than he is defending.  I don't get how you could say he offers nothing going forward.  Let's take our previous competitive match, didn't he put the ball in for the opening goal?

[brontebilly]

Elmo is a solid championship full back, Taylor isn't even that let's be honest. I'm all for new players having to earn the jersey but this selection decision reeked of conservatism in a Steve Bruce type of way. Same on the bench with Lansbury and Kodjia ahead of Marvellous and Davis.

[Dogtanian]

I was surprised Gilbert and Targett weren't starting after pre-season.  Having thought about it I felt that Smith might have looked at it and wanted to present a more settled, less-changed side for the opener, and not immediately replacing two of those he retained and making them feel dumped when we were facing a team we were expected to lose to anyway. 

Had they played out their skins then fantastic, if they didn't then they can't argue about being replaced for the much more winnable game against Bournemouth.  Also, had we made the two extra changes and lost then it could have been all in the media about how our team hasn't gelled and we are going to be this season's Fulham.

[Dogtanian]

Elmo is a solid championship full back, Taylor isn't even that let's be honest. I'm all for new players having to earn the jersey but this selection decision reeked of conservatism in a Steve Bruce type of way. Same on the bench with Lansbury and Kodjia ahead of Marvellous and Davis.

Nobody has seen Marvelous yet and we know he went on strike and didn't have a pre-season, let's leave it to the coaching staff to judge how ready he is to be chucked in.

Regarding Davis, he's a similar player to Wesley, big and strong and hold-it-up.  If that approach was working, then he wouldn't take Wesley off for Davis, and if it wasn't working he'd want a different type of player in Kodjia in order to try something else.

[john e]

No but Taylor and Elmo are not good going forward they offer nothing in attacking or overlapping or
even passing out of defence

What a nonsense. especially regarding Elmo. He gets forward and creates very well for a bloke of his age. You forgot last season already?

As for Taylor, i'm 100% sure he played yesterday because of his defensive discipline and he played very well IMHO

If we'd started with Targett and Gibert yesterday and they'd defended like they did against Leipzig we'd have been murdered. You can't have bombing on full backs against a team like Tottenham.

Your quite entitled to your opinion on them I just disagree

you think they are good enough for this league and I don’t that’s it in a nutshell really

[Matt C]

Taylor did well yesterday but Targett will be in soon enough I’m sure.

[john e]

Taylor did well yesterday but Targett will be in soon enough I’m sure.

hope not according to Baltimore if we play Target we Gona get murdered

don’t know why we bought him, maybe back up player

[cdbearsfan]

I hope Targett doesn't play for a while as it will mean Taylor has continued to play well, as he did yesterday.

[john e]

I hope Targett doesn't play for a while as it will mean Taylor has continued to play well, as he did yesterday.

I’m not saying he doesn’t have games where he ‘does a job’ or ‘doesn’t let the side down’

Never the less my heart sinks every time he’s named in the starting line up
can’t help it, he’s not good enough for us in the premier league imo

[john e]

Same with Elmo and Hourahane I hope they are all replaced in the starting line up by Christmas
they are not the level we need for this league even though they are all capable of a decent performance at times

[rob_bridge]

Surprised that Taylor was picked but not shocked. More surprised Jota didn't start.

[danno]

Same with Elmo and Hourahane I hope they are all replaced in the starting line up by Christmas

I think you'll get your wish. I just wont be surprised if the new players are phased in gradually. Results will of course play a large part in how quickly that happens.

With Hourihane do you think he isn't good enough for that defensive midfield position or just not good enough full stop?

[ChicagoLion]

Elmo is a solid championship full back, Taylor isn't even that let's be honest. I'm all for new players having to earn the jersey but this selection decision reeked of conservatism in a Steve Bruce type of way. Same on the bench with Lansbury and Kodjia ahead of Marvellous and Davis.

Nobody has seen Marvelous yet and we know he went on strike and didn't have a pre-season, let's leave it to the coaching staff to judge how ready he is to be chucked in.

Regarding Davis, he's a similar player to Wesley, big and strong and hold-it-up.  If that approach was working, then he wouldn't take Wesley off for Davis, and if it wasn't working he'd want a different type of player in Kodjia in order to try something else.

The problem was that we did not hold the ball up front, the situation got even worse when Kodija came on. As it is Davis strongest attribute, we would have been much better off with him coming on. Unfortunately he wasn’t even on the bench.