Take the points, move on

He's like the polar opposite of Roy Keane, nervous, peripheral and often invisible. Tom makes dreadful mistakes, but you can see he is trying manfully to affect the game.

Let's not forget we got turned over by Norwich earlier in the season by going fo them. I'm confident that, with a transfer window and a more energetic midfield being able to link the defense with the attack, we will be a bunch more dangerous and exciting proposition.

A lot of work for Ancelotti and Brands.

Tom Davies may benefit from playing alongside Sigurdsson instead of Gomes. Gomes was just as awful as Tom first half.

Defense was good against Norwich, but midfield failed in the first half to capitalise on a assured defensive performance. In the second half, Ancelotti managed to turn this around. Pickford's distribution was much better against Norwich.

Attack was better finishing because Calvert-Lewin actually did manage to lay off the ball against Norwich, though he still failed to attack the near post. Richarlison was isolated with barely nothing from midfield in the first half. He had to work extremely hard to get the ball.

Kean needs a lot of work on basics; looking up to see who is available, positioning and anticipated runs.

So Ancelotti has got the defence working and on the second half performance the midfield going.

The attack is next on the agenda. All the basic stuff; attacking near post, getting in front of marker, anticipatory runs, positioning, awareness of other attackers positioning /runs, passing ( low, attempted and completion rates) and of course finishing -finishing- finishing.

Two good results, 3 points. Before the restart, I would have been happy with that.

Tom Davies was poor last night, but whether he does it here or elsewhere He has more chance of winning stuff in his career than any of the expensive signings we have made.

At this stage of his career, Davies has fundamental flaws to his game. He hangs on to it for too long and gets caught in possession. He often tries passes he doesn't have the ability to make and even when he plays well, he can't seem to do it in both halves of a game...but he has the one essential quality that you need to win prizes - Bravery.

I'm not talking about Mick Lyons get-your-head-in-there type of bravery, or the misguided bravery we saw in young Jimmy Vaughan. I'm talking about the bravery that makes a man keep demanding the ball no matter how badly it's going. The Bravery to ask for and receive it in difficult situations knowing the hate will rain down from the stands if he fucks it up. The balls to always be prepared to help a team mate out. To take responsibility.

You can't win anything without brave players. They don't have to be blindingly talented, just look at Liverpool. Henderson, Milner and a few others are not exactly gifted, but they are all prepared to help each other out. Take responsibility. That's why they will finish a country mile ahead of our highly paid losers.

Tom Davies will get stronger. He will learn not to try the Hollywood pass he doesn't have the ability to execute. He'll learn not to dwell on the ball too long.

I hope he is armed with the certain knowledge that those who don't understand, don't matter. I hope he doesn't let them destroy him or drive him out.

We need the likes of him. That's why a succession of managers have given him more game time than any other 22-year-old that I can think of off the top of my head.

Gomes was equally as bad as Davies in the first half – lethargic, poor passing, getting caught in possession. It wasn't good enough from the senior man.

To turn the argument around, it could be said that it is Gomes's responsibility to shoulder the burden and coax Tom Davies into the game. I know Tom had a stinker but Gomes's play and leadership in the engine room was substandard.

Maybe it's just Gomes's physique and body language but he always looks like he is 10% short of maximum fitness. I think this player could push himself harder and would really improve for it.

Anyway, there will be definitely one and really hoping two central midfielders coming in soon. The club will tread water without a big improvement in the centre of the park.

Two signings in will give Tom and especially Gomes massive and healthy competition for a starting berth. It maybe is just what Gomes needs, and what will drive our club forward into the top 6 next season.

Glenn Hoddle used to talk about the bravery to hit a 50-yard pass in a tight game. It's true. You can see he does have the bravery we need, and at his age he is still capable of significant improvement.

As you say, look at the strides Jordan Henderson has made, from headless chicken to world-class lynchpin, in under two years when no longer a young player.

Gomes though, should be bossing games like yesterday, and the fact he did another vanishing act is of concern (much as I have been willing him to succeed). Key thing though, we are in good hands. Carlo is righting this team, slowly but surely.

For the money paid for him the club and Ancelotti desperately need him to be a regular and effective starter. He needs to add more goals to his game, be more consistent in his use of the ball and continue to work hard on improving his defensive play. There are however promising signs of progress. The player himself must also appreciate if he doesn't deliver under Ancelotti he never will.

The big test for both of these youngsters will come when hopefully we have added to the squad, which is way too small and short on quality. Holgate however looks the best prospect by a mile, he is the real deal.

Tom is learning and if he stuck and executed basics and kept the momentum of the move going and intercepted and closed space like Lee Carsley, did for Everton, he could do a lot worse.

For me every game he seems unsure and hessitates and we loose the ball and in many occasions,we concede free kicks in dangerous positions.

But in Toms defence he doesn't shadow box with the shadows of the players who've gone past them, he tries to make amends.

All injured players considered, and that impact, our midfield is too pedestrian and we have very rare advantage points in games, as we repetition pass crab and back for 60% of our possession in any game.

How can you win a game, but you play to limits of your players?

Darren H – All this learning that you think he will eventually do; when? And why hasn't he done it already? I watch other young players who have latterly broken into Premier League first-team midfields – Joe Willock, Bukayo Saka, Steven Alzate*, Mason Mount, Reece James, Hamza Choudhury, Scott McTominay, both Longstaff brothers, Todd Cantwell, Oliver Skipp, Declan Rice*, Morgan Gibbs-White – and in my opinion they are all now ahead of Davies in terms of development/ability/potential. At best he is treading water, at worst he is already going backwards. What actual signs of improvement are there for us to hold on to?

* I marked out these two because I think Alzate is going to be a very very good player, and Rice because he is currently the most over-rated footballer in the Premier League.

The midfield is absolutely atrocious at times, I'm but just talking about the inability of Tom Davies either but the entire lack of movement across the pitch.

Two players that have really not kicked on since about October or November of 2018 are Bernard and Gomes.

I thought back then that Bernard would be our modern day Juninho, a similar small in stature player at Boro in the 90's but ultimately a class act.

Bernard just doesn't seem to get involved in games enough does he?

Gomes, look I know he had a quite horrible injury in November but I'm talking about his inconsistencies before then, another guy who should have been bossing many games but looks like he runs in treacle more often than not, just hasn't kicked on from those promising early days under Silva.

Davies I'm sorry I know fans want him to succeed and he's a decent fella but he hasn't got any of the attributes that make for a top level midfielder, is he quick, strong, aggressive, can he pass, can he shoot, can he really win physical aerial duels?

How many of those boxes does he really tick?

As for the rest?

Iwobi looks ok coming inside but still can't see what he's meant that be, he's not a winger and he's not disciplined enough to play in the middle, maybe he's what they would have once called an inside right forward, I don't know.

Richarlison still let's too many games pass him by without knowing he's in the game, probably our only real game changer when he's in the mood that is.

None of these three would get a game for Liverpool, Man City, Leicester, Spurs or Chelsea. They are decent players with significant shortcomings. You get what you can afford.

I am not against keeping him for the time being, because he probably earns peanuts and is another body - but he is clearly not the answer in the middle of the park going forward.

There has been talk of a load of centre backs and a load of right wingers in this upcoming window, but for me, central midfield is where we have major problems - for the remainder of the season it needs to be Gomes and Sigurddson.

To me Gomes needs to be sharper, fitter and more focused. I see him as a thoroughbred racehorse that needs some special training regime to get it race fit. Also he definitely needs a complimentary, more combative midfielder to flourish. He will have one next season so we will see.

Tom is young still but next season his opportunities will be diminished. I think there is still development and improvement to come from him over the next year or two.

If he went on loan playing week in week out to a decent club like Derby for a year it could be the making of him. Especially if he is a driving force for them in getting promoted. I don't want to see him rot on the bench or miss the squad altogether and this solution could be the best option for him and the club.

I like Tom and I really hope he pushes on but I'm not quite sure what his basic skillset is. He's not quick or strong, he doesn't seem to anticipate well or break up play frequently. I think he passes forward alot and has decent vision so maybe this is his strong suit but if so then is that too similar to Gomes? Perhaps it is enough if he improves incrementally across the board to become a more accomplished all-rounder. I have a feeling that the best thing for him at this stage could be a loan to a good championship team and getting 30+ starts for a decent team to really nail down his game like Mason Mount did.

Then, three days later, he flags in the heat when doing all the running again for André. His qualities are energy, tackling and, as alluded to above, bravery.

To be fair to Lee Carsley he was a bloody decent technical player certainly never got the plaudits that Tommy Gravesen alongside him got.

I remember Cars hitting some delicious freekicks in his time here and he was a hard man's tackler and reader of the game.

I'd put Carsley more in the Gareth Barry category than Tom Davies.

How can anyone compare Miller to Davies? Milner was an excellent player at Davies's age and he'd still run circles around Davies now. Some say send him on loan. I think he would struggle with the physical side of the Championship.

Germany got a mention. The pace may suit Tom. However, they are very high on technical ability that rules Tom out.