ohmelads

Coutinho's been out ages and last started when they were losing games. Cash hasn't played in the last three, and Kamara's started one of the last five. Bailey though is good news for us but for context we're missing our top scorer.

Sounds like Rashford might only miss one league game, against Forest. We probably want him back fit to face Spurs mind. They're the easier side to finish above given the table now and the game in hand. If Spurs beat them, it gets a lot tighter. Still not counting out Liverpool considering their run and returning players, plus the fact us, Spurs, and Man U play each other, and the tougher fixtures we have. Yes they need a big winning run, but we ourselves went on a five-game winning stream as soon as our tough spell ended.

Looking at their full backs, the fact we're missing ASM and Almiron, and how poor we looked with one winger and one full back that can attack, this could be Gordon's chance. It'd be a bold move but I don't think Howe will care about the optics. We played far better with Gordon on and our injuries limit our options.

That's the Guardian nowadays. They write for a pretentious middle class chin-stroking crowd. Their podcast is the same. Mitrovic got an 8 game ban for little more. If you are making an example of Mitrovic and being consistent, you have to give Robertson some sort of ban.

I think even if we get CL, our strategy will be to look for more Brunos and Botmans - players who stand out in their leagues in Europe and we reckon they can succeed in the PL (imagine what those two would go for now.) We've done that well so far so I don't see a major shift in strategy now even if we do need to look at improving the first XI in one or two areas. I think we are actively trying to avoid bidding wars with the kinds of clubs who have far bigger wage bills. The one marquee Premier League signing we tried to do was Maddison but that was probably because of their financial situation and we seemed to have a clear run at it at the time. Otherwise, I think the strategy has been going for potential that has yet to peak like Gordon, or those who we think have flown under a lot of people's radar (like Burn, Targett). I don't see us spending most of our transfer and wage budget on someone like Rice. He would want the same wages teams like Man U or Liverpool would offer him.

Brentford are happy to let teams have the ball. We went for solidity with Willock out wide and consistency of lineup despite a busy week but clearly it isn't working. Burn is tired and out of form. Longstaff needs a rest. One full back, one winger and one striker gives us little threat against a team happy to sit back, and they'll do that even more now we're a goal down. I'm a massive Howe fan but he got the lineup wrong and needs to make the changes now.

Need to stay at 0-0 til we can sort it out. I'd go with Gordon or Anderson on for Longstaff and Willock back in the middle.

We look very leggy. Burn especially has for a while. Willock out wide against a team happy to let us have the ball isn't working.

What more does McTominay need to do to get a yellow there? Was the ref just not watching?

Very true. We've waited all season for them to turn a corner. I just think the the quality of returning players like Diaz, Jota, plus Gakpo or Nunez potentially finding their feet and showing some form, it just takes a couple of them to hit their stride or some dodgy decisions to pull them out of trouble. I think they're no worse than Spurs this season with more potential, and Man U are now entering the business end of Europa League and FA Cup with decent opposition. That's why I'd keep an eye on Liverpool perhaps the most.

I think Liverpool are still the biggest danger, just because they have the highest ceiling in terms of pedigree and players coming back and the best squad and experience. Their Arsenal game is massive because a win there would give them a massive lift. Just takes three of those weekends where they've got Southampton or Forest and we've got Arsenal or Chelsea, and they have the easiest run in of everyone.

Don't know the stats on this but the 'eye test' suggests we are transitioning into a more possession based team. More teams are letting us have the ball and getting bodies behind it.

Not sure if I've missed something but the McTominay rumours look like the media guessing based on him potentially being surplus and Howe liking high energy players. I reckon it's probably bollocks because no way would Man U give us a deal worth doing. Maddison on the other hand is a far more concrete link because two bids were reported.

Agree but maybe Howe is looking to change our style to make us more adaptable and turn those draws into wins. How many of us had Burn holding down left back all season or Joelinton in centre mid? Our style and system has adapted through Howe's time and what's become clear is the number of draws because we can't open teams up when they let us have the ball, and more athleticism won't solve that on its own. Agree on the injuries though. Not sure we can afford to spend possibly our biggest fee of the summer and then see him miss loads of the season. It'd be a slight gamble.

There were rumours Botman preferred AC Milan, and let's face it, he probably did. We all know how that turned out. I wouldn't necessarily hold that against Maddison even if it is true. We're ahead of schedule, and back in the summer when we went for Maddison, he'd have been thinking we could be a few years away from challenging the top 4, especially considering that the powerful ESL cartel were (and still are) looking to kick away the ladder through all means possible. Maddison is as close to a safe bet as you can get - class every season for an average side and knows the league. Whether and how he fits into our system I don't know, but I trust Howe and his staff do. He doesn't have the athleticism but he cuts teams open. As more teams fear us, they're putting everyone behind the ball and we find ourselves needing a Maddison type. Plus he's versatile and can play wide or centrally. The major question mark is his injury record. Also think we'll have more rivals for his signature in summer because of his contract and the fact Liverpool, Spurs, Man U and Liverpool are probably all looking for that type of player.

Reckon that'll be the only change given we're just off an international break. A few weeks back West Ham let us have the ball and looked for the counter, but I'm hoping these might have more pressure to come out at home, which would actually suit us more.

I agree. They'll make an example of someone like Mitrovic but allow the likes of Bruno Fernandes or Klopp to give officials constant grief. Was Mitrovic more aggressive than Klopp screaming in the linesman's ear not too long ago? The difference is the physical contact, clearly, but Klopp was arguably being more aggressive and intimidating. For context, Klopp got a 1 match touchline ban for that. A huge punishment for Mitrovic won't stop the more systemic problem of the Klopps and Fernandes's putting officials under relentless pressure.

A very good player with different attributes but don't think he's ever been in the same league as prime Shearer. Shearer was in some really poor Newcastle teams and had major injuries. Like Kane he deserved to have won much more, but Kane's generally been in a consistently strong 'top 6' team.

If we want McTominay we'll probably have to give them an offer they can't refuse even though he rarely starts for them. That's probably not a smart move when you're trying to box clever financially to stay within FFP rules, and I don't like paying above market value to a rival for someone who's started 7 league games from 26. I suppose the counterargument to that would be Man City selling Jesus and Zinchenko to Arsenal, who now have a huge chance of pipping them to the title. Man City will be regretting that one I'm sure. Could this be a similar scenario? It's always possible, but I don't see Man U making the same mistake, despite their transfer record in recent years. Look at what they quoted us for Lingard, and we were far less of a threat to them at that point.

As a squad/rotation player for a cheap fee and reasonable wages, it makes sense. That is his role at Man U. He has started 7 out of 26 league games this season and if we want to be competing around top 4 positions, someone like McTominay is not a first XI signing. Man U will see us as potentially direct rivals and therefore would not give us a good deal. I reckon this is all paper talk.

While there's some interesting quantitative data in the last two links, correlation doesn't prove causation. What they haven't considered is all the decisions not given, such as a non-award of a penalty or red card, which are just as vital. That's a huge thing to ignore when trying to determine home bias or any bias, but that is something which is of course impossible to analyse quantitatively. Likewise, the accuracy of decisions can't be objectively verified. It is always just an interpretation of the wording of the laws of the game and the incident itself. Take, for example, this line from your 2nd last link: "Lastly, we validated all VAR decisions by examining video recordings via youtube.de of the respective situations."

Agreed. Do we need a legal team in the VAR room next to pore over the meaning of every word in the rulebook? Common sense says 'instinctive' refers to situations where a ball is blasted and someone has a split second to respond, or it's pinball in the box and someone has reacted based on instinct and not made a conscious attempt to play or in this case clear the ball. There will be borderline cases but this isn't one. It's someone making a mess of a clearance after the ball has travelled 10 yards at a relatively slow speed.

If you let the first defender off, the focus then goes on to the second defender who also deliberately played the ball, so he certainly matters. The ball travels 10 yards to him at a slow speed. He should do far better.

Agree about simplifying rules, but then 'clear and obvious' was designed to be as simple as possible to understand, with the acceptance that there will always be borderline cases but that common sense prevails and fluid gameplay trumps guesswork. Yet we have situations where VAR are taking minutes and guessing with imprecise technology, and still deciding to rule out goals based on that guesswork, so I'm not sure complexity of rules is the issue here. At worst I think there may be a problem with integrity of some officials, and at best there is an issue with consistency, guesswork and not following their own rules and guidelines.

You are aware that a second player also deliberately cleared the ball? Seems you are focusing on the first sloppy clearance and not the second one which is beyond dispute. I don't think any amount of mental gymnastics can get VAR out of this one.