There wasn't a lot in it last night. But for a stupid mix up the game may have ended very differently. Unlike in some games in the last 12 months I think last night was less about tactics and more about a lack of quality with the final pass repeatedly misplaced. Burnley were back to full strength at the back and they are capable of shutting out much better teams than us when they have their best defence (the only team to get a clean sheet at Anfield in something like 60 games). I was veering towards Roy out, but there are signs of improvement and I think he should steer the ship until the end of the season providing we don't see a cataclysmic slump like the end of last season. Stick Cahill back in and we should look a lot more solid and actually have a leader on the pitch.

There of course has been criticism of Hodgson's style of football.

I have just perused this in relation to Sam Ricketts whom Shrewsbury relieved of his duties today :

"Ricketts’ Shrewsbury were built on a solid, compact backline. Ricketts’ ethos was safety first, be secure, keep a clean sheet, don’t concede more than one.

It brought some results – notably in the FA Cup where there were some brilliant memories in fourth-round runs and a 15th-placed finish was, historically at least, pretty good.

But fans, who barring 1,000 in September have not been in the Meadow since March, demanded a more exciting, attacking style.

In doing so, the side lost its identity, forgot what it had previously been good at and became trapped neither here nor there. The squad – big, unbalanced and patched up – lost its way"

Edited by Willo (25 Nov 2020 5.01pm)

He had 4 defenders on the bench because he wanted to get the 1st goal, then defend like Brighton match perhaps?