02-11-2026, 12:34 PM
(02-11-2026, 07:27 AM)Man from delmonte Wrote: Fair summary and I agree with most of that but I think you're being very generous to O'Leary. He made a couple of good saves but his inadequacy on crosses can't inspire any confidence in the defence. If I were an opposing manager I'd be focusing on getting lots of high balls into our box as he looks terrified by that.
I think you're forgetting Diakite's suicide backpass which could easily have been Swansea all over again. He's a player who serves a purpose but I wouldn't be taking up our option on him in the summer.
As for Dike, I think even a 5 is generous. Across the last two matches he really has achieved nothing. He looks slow, ponderous and the ball never sticks to him. It's sad to see but I think Ryan Mason was right on this one unfortunately. I think Maja is going to be a better option in the run-in even is he's not exactly Mr Commitment.
That was probably the one dodgy moment for Diakite that stands out. It's to easy to dismiss a player by picking out individual moments of calamity. Semi and Barts have histories littered with spectacular brain farts, but the each played around 200 games for us and frankly are missed now they've gone. We don't have anyone apart from Diakite in the Yacob/Scharner mould, and sometimes that's what you need.