A very assured performance against some top strikers

My mom.

I saw a stat the other day and I think he was ranked 4th this season in the league for clearances.

Him and Esteve were imperious today.

Brilliant today and great in our other games this season.

Becoming visibly more confident.

There is definitely a permanent place for him in our team. Against the league champions as well.

Another assured performance, always been good on the ball, just never a player for a high line.

Got to worry for Worrall after Laurent starting ahead of him in the back 3 today. Parker obviously doesn’t rate him.

Ekdal has always been reliable for us.

I can't believe some if the negative comments on here at times.

This season's CJER. Growing with each game.

Vino blanco wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 6:14 pm

My mom.

?????

BigF wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 6:38 pm

?????

Are you American? lol mom man of the match, it would be ‘mum’ here.

More suited to the prem, he will head it and clear it all day long and his lack of pace isn’t exposed by our “low block”.

Great game today.

Row Z wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 6:30 pm

Another assured performance, always been good on the ball, just never a player for a high line.

Got to worry for Worrall after Laurent starting ahead of him in the back 3 today. Parker obviously doesn’t rate him.

Laurent ended up right wing a few times in first half . Not sure if a bit of flexibility like that was why he started there ahead of Worrall

Laurent has more speed than Worrall and is better suited to be the cover on that side.

Row Z wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 6:30 pm

Another assured performance, always been good on the ball, just never a player for a high line.

Got to worry for Worrall after Laurent starting ahead of him in the back 3 today. Parker obviously doesn’t rate him.

Why would you worry for Worrall?

Very assured performance by Ekdal today and also Laurent

I thought Ekdal was absolutely imperious today. I thought he was our best player and hats off to the way he's responded to getting his opportunity.

There's still a worry about his pace in those games we'll play when we're a bit higher up the pitch, and whilst i thought he was fouled ahead of Ugochukwo's first yellow card, perhaps Ekdal can still develop a touch more physicality, but he's certainly earning the shirt at the moment.

As for Laurent, that seemed like a bit of a masterstroke to me. When we did get the chance to move forwards he had clear licence to break out into midfield and use all his athleticism to good effect, and his pace and athleticism helped us deal with Liverpool's threat when we were defending. Said it before but the one area I'd like to see Laurent improve is as an aerial threat - he ought to be a real goalscoring threat at set plays.

Ekdal superb today.

Hard to judge when you’re under the cosh against quite possibly the best team in the world right now . There was no lack of total bravery and commitment, though in the 2nd half when we parked the bus its simply a siege mentality . Against Forest will be a typical tough prem game but one we’ll be more “ classically “ in formation. Hopefully Ekdal and Steve can carry on in this vein .

You have to hand it to Parker-last year persevering with CJ who quickly became a very effective defender. This year the same has happened with Ekdal, who played a blinder today- he has a very good football brain- our current "Steve Davis"

We need a shout for our other brilliant centre back. Let's hear it next week:

Esteve- STEEEEEEVE
Ekdal - SWEEEEEEDE

Ah, this is where I meant to post this

Laurent was mainly playing right wing back. Think he occasionally dropped into the middle when they needed a bit of height but it was mainly Walker as the third centre back

Just need to keep him fit. Hes a premier league quality player

aggi wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 14, 2025 9:24 pm

Ah, this is where I meant to post this

Laurent was mainly playing right wing back. Think he occasionally dropped into the middle when they needed a bit of height but it was mainly Walker as the third centre back

That's misleading, Laurent was definitely RCB, but pushed up on our rare attacks.

morninbob wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 15, 2025 6:48 am

That's misleading, Laurent was definitely RCB, but pushed up on our rare attacks.

This is right. The picture above is completely misleading because it is only his touch map, Laurent made 19 touches and didn't win a single aerial duel (though still did well) hence why he appears to be playing wide, but he only broke that way sporadically. To the naked eye at the game Walker was playing RWB and long may that continue because he is world class in that position, still.

On Ekdal, he also had few touches but was coolness personified, excellent.

Laurent was definitely right centre back, when he did move forward he did push into those areas, sort of an under lapping CH in the way Wilders Sheff Utd did quite well in that first season of theres in the prem.