midds

Absolutely, we've had 3 windows to try and close the gap and that's nothing in the grand scheme of things. Let's see the 2 sides in 5 or 6 window's time, it's not doom and gloom looking at the bigger picture. Sensing lots of natural disappointment in threads tonight but the big picture is largely positive

We did and we also took our chances, Almiron had the 'hot hand' but that seems to have disappeared. I'm just a bit down tbh

Had no chance with the first and was bang unlucky with the second imo. A better keeper maybe saves it but it screws up off Botman's instep and the flight/spin of the ball changes in the air a yard before it gets to him. Anyone having a pop at him for that needs to have a word with themselves, it wasn't an error, he just couldn't react in time. Everything else was fine and maybe now commentators, pundits and fans can shut the fuck up about him and let him get on with his career.

Game sums up the season for me. Plenty of effort, plenty of pressure decent moments in the final third. Half-chances created but not taken, no genuine chances where we really opened them up, shots were blocked, saved, blazed over or scuffed wide. They on the other hand went forward a few times and looked dangerous virtually each time. Good quality into the box and a free header. 3 good passes and they've opened us up and it's 2. And from then on they looked in control of the game. We tried hard but they're better than us in lots of key positions and saw the game out like we were doing in October. Fans were superb but Wembley is a place for winners and their fans will go back smiling tonight, it happens and I'll take it on the chin but I'm sick of coming up short. I'll take the praise from neutrals but I'd rather beat teams like that and win things and we're still well short. Trophies >>>>> (patronising) praise. It'll come with time and we'll be back soon

Can't think of a worse squad of players to inherit from a ego point of view than this Chelsea lot. They've always given the impression that the power the players have at that club is ridiculous going right back to Terry, Lampard and Cole et al. They give off that arrogance and I honestly think they're better than Potter and they deserve better. They're playing like they did just before Tuchel got the bullet and deciding they want someone else. Sad thing is they'll probably get what they want in the next week or so. Don't think Potter has covered himself in glory or is blameless but when your squad effectively gives up then the writing is on the wall for the manager.

Starting the underdog will suit us I think. I'd hate to go there and be expected to win by most fans including the neutrals, had we been playing Wolves or something like that then I think I'd be shitting it in all honesty. Having nothing to lose is good and the pressure being on them is also good. Neither Keegan nor Robson led us out at Wembley in a Cup Final and Howe deserves tomorrow, it's a huge acknowledgement of what he's overseen in the last 15 months or whatever it's been. He's picked us up, organised us, motivated us and got us to a Final and we've got a decent chance of winning the fucking thing too. Yes, we're the underdog but if it's still 0-0 after 65 mins and we've got Isak and ASM running t them then 1 chance, 1 goal might just be enough. But please please please just show up on the day. Give the fans something to fucking cheer, run for 95 minutes and don't leave anything behind. Put a fucking performance in. The players deserve it and the fans deserve it too, just show up, minimum respect, don't stand off them and let them feel the pressure. Get in their faces and fucking stay there all afternoon. This is more than doable, we've waited long enough. KTF

Don't want to see or hear a single word about these cunts all weekend tbh.

It's clearly already in his head and it'll now be in the head's of his players. The 0-0 we ground out in the Autumn will have been burning away quietly in the background and we need to keep it as tight as we can for as long as we can and the doubts and anger will surface Go 1 down early and we're probably fucked like

Watched the ten Hag thing earlier and he seemed more than a little rattled to me. He was consciously drawing the attention to things the officials should be taking care of and seemed to be more than a bit prickly about the thought of not winning. 6 years, for Man U, without a trophy is a long time and he'll be under huge pressure as favourites to win the game and the Cup. We, on the other hand, have zero pressure on us which I like. Love being the underdog and there is no pressure on the team nor the manager to win the thing. We can go about our business and annoy the fuck out of them from the first whistle and try to get under their skin (we already have btw) and be as cuntish as we need to be to compete and level things up. Think it'll be a lot closer than many think although it the match was to be played 100 times we'd lose far more often than we'd win. But it's just a game of football and funny things happen now and again. We'll see

Tells me 2 big things: 1. We're finally looking in the right places and at the right players. These players are diamonds and need to be discovered early. 2. some cunt needs to keep their mouth shut and not spill the beans. Not necessarily the club's fault, could be the selling club or the agent etc but we need to be sneakier to actually sign some of these players in future.

I'll give you my number and just take it from there on the night. Happy to just go with the flow like just wasn't sure if there was a plan or just wing it. Winging it is fine

Yeah this is broadly what I'm thinking. It'll be heaving pre match and tickets are absolutely necessary etc. But once it's done then it'll go back to being normal? Unless we win. Just would like to know what the general crack is for after the game tbh

I'll rephrase. I have a small window to get in and out of town for about an hour or so from about 7pm onwards. Where is the best place to head for or will the ticket thing still be in effect? Genuine question

What's the plan for post 7pm btw gents?

This is what happens when you constantly big yourself up and remind each other how fucking massive and class you are. Constant back-slapping and self praise then inevitably drop 5 points in 72 hours and fall 4 places down the league. Maybe they need to dial it back a bit on there?

Hope the bloke doesn't feel like he has to make up for anything on Sunday. He can't change the past and needs to be as calm as possible all afternoon, charging out for everything thinking he's got to make up for 4 year old mistakes would be awful. An utterly boring, uneventful and nondescript performance is what I'm after, just do your best and make sensible decisions please chap

Maybe he could just shut the fuck up a bit more and be a bit more flexible and roll with the mood of the crowd? Just a hunch

Don't think now is the time to stick the boot in tbh. They're not faultless or perfect but they've backed their manager and having a pop now serves no purpose at all, I can understand the frustration but it won't do any good now.

We were always going to hit a rough patch of form and results at some point in time and it's now come. We were unbelievably good in the first 16 or 17 fixtures and we've now hit the blip we should all have been expecting, it was going to happen. That Bruno red felt big at the time but it now feels like a turning-point in the season, with a dip in form, impotent in attack and costly at the back without him on the park to marshal people. Tonight was a big blow undoubtedly but the big picture is still very rosy. Next we have out first trip to Wembley for 24 years to look forward too and it's a chance to put a cup in the cabinet. We're underdogs obviously but it's a game of football and we've got a puncher's chance. We're also still (despite the poor form and results) in 4th and have no European football to worry about for the rest of the season. Just compare this present situation to 12 months ago - we were all shitting breezeblocks at going down. Now we have a decent chance of CL football and a Cup with top 7 looking very very likely. We're still playing catch-up on the top 6 and it probably won't happen in a year or 2 but I'm loving being optimistic and loving the challenge of competing at the top rather than dreading being in the bottom 3. My glass is still way more than half full despite the recent blows. This is what following a team is all about, up's and downs and enjoying the ride

Osimhen looks like he could take on the world right now. Napoli 2 up and cruising.

Good. He's incompetent. Utter travesty on the pitch and somehow, unbelievably, even shitter in a room full of state of the art technology, zero crowd pressure and enough time and camera angles to ensure the right result is achieved.

Not sure I want to live in a world where Chris Wood can be transferred twice within 18 months and £40,000,000 changes hands in the process

To be fair they all seem to be enjoying the way things are going and loving going to the matches which, as a supporter, is ultimately all that matters. We all want to go and just enjoy watching our own team and get some pleasure out of it otherwise what's the point? I think they're going (massively) over the top about the standard of what they're watching but they seem happy enough with it. They're currently sandwiched in between Luton and Watford and I'm yet to hear fans from those 2 bang on constantly about how fucking great they are but hey ho, live and let live.

Hope Barca kick their fucking kneecaps off

"going to be fantastic" I wouldn't have gone with 'fantastic' personally. Murder and war doesn't scream fantastic to me but hey, each to their own, sounds like he's looking forward to it so he can crack on I suppose