The College Dropout

Dan Burn will start on the weekend unless injured and rightly so.

Ok let’s rest Nick Pope on Saturday too.

He's got to go too

It’s good for him. As a human being. Aa he said the Schar head bash is a running joke. But it’s no longer funny. He’s had 2 or 3 head injuries this year from memory. And been back much sooner than the protocols suggest. I don’t think it’s intentional in this case. But Eddie does like to push his players. I think in the past he’s purposely not done concussion subs because he wants a chance to reassess the player later. I think other teams/managers Schar would have had a previous concussion sub which would have prevented him playing games in the past. This time we’ve done the cautious thing.

He's one that genuinely needs a rest and he won't get one

That's an injury. Not a rest. I don't think Schar should play at the weekend because he has a head injury and has had several head injuries recently. He needs proper time to recover. If Dan Burn is fit and has no issues with cramp - he should start and play. He doesn't need to "rest".

From memory - Arsenal seem to have a few routines that they do and they challenge you to stop it. Ours seems tailored to the opposition a lot of the time to no avail.

Central Defenders rarely need rests.

Solano was a much better passer - heck footballer. But strictly crossing - Murphy of the last 2 years has been right up there.

He needs to be examined by the Doctor

It's the quality of delivery on set pieces that's poor. Saka and Rice can drill it right on top of the keeper 8 times out of 10. We struggle to do whatever we are trying 4 times out of 10.

Murphy can't defend as a FB. Not now anyway. We don't have too. We haven't thus far having signed 3 wingers.

I'm a little older than Schar and very active. I've noticed in the last few years my resistance to injuries is sliding massively. Doing the same things that I used too but.. I can't do it without issues,

I wonder how he feels about that Rashford brace vs his own performance. I view them as very contrasting players but yet both pretty mentally fragile. Are all wingers mentally fragile? Think Gordon, Barnes and Rashford are.

Genuinely worried for his long term health. Give him proper time to recover from this.

He’s got a bit of magic in terms of final product - at times. But that’s it.

Don’t post owt like that

Where can I get that jumper?

It’s definitely easier now for small players in this league than in previous eras. Far more protection from the referees. Damsgaard isn’t elite and has no physicality and is able to get his game off in this era. 8 years ago Cattermole would’ve booted him out of a lot of games. Wirtz has no excuse.

Silva dominated this league. Santi Cazorla played CM in a more physical era. So far Wirtz just doesn’t have the minerals.

It’s a dichotomy between intelligence and skill vs random happenstance or some unquantifiable magic that just happens. The game of football is about disguise and unpredictability. It’s difficult to stop what you can’t predict. When it’s used to describe a player it’s to say ‘yes they’ve done a good thing but it wasn’t intentional - some element of luck’. For Lahm what he’s saying is ‘yeh he’s scored some goals but look at him, it’s not natural or repeatable.’ It’s a backhanded compliment. A compliment is ‘he’s an instinctive finisher’ - he may improvise his finishes but he has that ability to find a way to score.

he did that thing they do to downplay black/African players ability to Nick but in a very German way. ‘He doesn’t know what he’s going to do next!’ Lahm didnt say one genuinely positive thing about Nick the entire article. Anything positive he spinned to a negative ‘top scorer at the U21 - ah the best talents have outgrown that tournament and he was old to even be in it’. Im livid.

Can’t believe that article like. He’s shitting on Nick W there. Not only his ability but his character. A lot of it comes from Nick W not bowing to Bayern and just biding his time to get his move. He doesn’t seem Newcastle competition. Some of what he is saying is correct in value but the way he is saying it is to put Nick down and to big up Wirtz. And there’s no need for it. German football has this thing about hierarchy where everyone is expected to be a cuck and follow the natural order. Wirtz is in the Goethe build, the chosen one, starboy. The sun shines out his arse even though he’s had a very slow start. He’s right that Wirtz has the pedigree and that will be reflected in him earning probably 2.5/3x the amount Nick W will be earning. But that’s not mentioned in the article. He’s also right that Nick W doesn’t have the same pedigree. Last season was his first scoring in the Bundesliga. But players development a different rate. Didier Drogba didn’t score his first Ligue 1 goal until he was 24. So rather focus on Nick being a late bloomer and his potential to have a career like Drogba or Vardy, he’s just shat on him and belittled him. Nick will read this and it should fire him up for a long time to come. Honestly fuck Phillip Lahm

Would love for someone to take UEFA to court. Their rules are crazy.

Pretty much.