The College Dropout

I don’t think he was good. The Joe boys saved him from the dry roasting. Which impacted their own ability to attack.

Need better options off the bench than Murphy and Wood.

He's a bell.

Arsenal - are at worst - the 3rd most succesful club in England. The idea that they are "imposters at the top table" is such nonsense that I didn't even want to respond.

Think you're right. Walker was the first of their big money fullbacks. So it's just KDB then.

B. Silva is still only 28. How many top level managers have signed their squads 1-25? I would assume only Simeone. Pep still has Walker, Stones & KDB. Klopp Milner, Firmino & Henderson.

Fundamentally, nobody cares significantly if we finish 5th, 6th or 7th. That just means we're coming - emerging. Finishing 4th means we are here. We have arrived. We've taken their seat.

Leicester did it twice. West Ham did it. Finish top 4. We can start to eat their dinner. That's what really matters.

Kicking someone out of the top 4 matters. Kicking them outside Europa or Conference - does not.

Sorry it's Spurs we are only 4 points ahead of.

Chelsea are poor everytime I see them. Spurs are poor every time I see them. Arsenal City Man U Liverpool Finish above one of these and we get CL football. It's criminal that we're only 4 points ahead of Chelsea.

I think he can do all the pressing and defensive work Longstaff does - minus winning headers. At least, he has the physical capacity for it.

I think he could offer us something similar to Longstaff with better end product. That would greatly help the top 4 push.

It’s not. Liverpool have the same problem. It’s difficult to find technically superior or highly competent midfielders with excellent stamina, pace, strength and work rate. I can’t think of many outside the top 6. One I can think of that is perhaps superior physically and technically - Rice - would cost a bomb and likely out of reach. Although I think those are the types of players Ashworth and co. can find. Bissouma, Caicedo etc.

What I will say.. is we need a better plan B. For that I do think we need different weapons in the squad.

Chris Wood doing Chris Wood things.

We barely concede any goals or chances. Because we have protection when we attack. And we create enough chances to score goals. We just lack a bit of quality sometimes in the final third. Get Isak in there and another quality attacker and we probably win that.

Looked really mobile today. But his box movement is for crosses - nothing else.

Ox was brilliant In his first season until he did his ACL. He’s never Been the same player since. That Arsenal generation: Walcott (ACL), Oxlade(ACL), Ramsey (broken leg), Eduardo (broken leg), Wilshere (dozens of ankle injuries), Cazorla (Achilles tendon)

Needs the right manager and setup. Moyes is a good manager but he’s never going to get the best out of a Brazilian 8/10. Paqueta’s spent this game chasing shadows and when he gets the ball he’s so deep with few options. Ends up losing it in silly positions. I don’t think he’s the right profile for us. But he would look a lot better in a progressive setup here or under Rodgers, Arteta or similar.

Happy that I got this right. It’s pure Pardew ball. Gets credit for finding Iwobi’s best position.

It’s going to click and Darwin Nunez is going to score a shit-ton of goals. At 23 his movement is elite. His blend of pace and power makes him unstoppable at Times. The finishing and composure improves 20% and you have a prolific goalscorer. I rate him. Re: Paqueta - I think he has poor mentorship. He’s WASTED under Moyes. They play without the ball loads, play awfully deep. He should play under a manager that really wants to play. I like Moyes but he’s not progressive at all.

Agreed. Had he scored it would've been 2-2, with it all to play for. England were the better side for 10 minutes at 1-1 but created little opportunities. After that France got on top for 10 minutes, had 1 big chance saved and scored the other. Very typical of the sides. Beyond that game. It's a theme for both countries. England have never beaten a team with the standing of Spain and Portugal on neutral ground at a major tournament KO round. Had England beaten France, it would have broken a generational curse or institutional PTSD - whatever you want to call it, it would be true. It's a narrative that many bought into going into the tournament not devised in retrospect.

Didn't get a yellow the first time. Should've been given yellow the first time. The other on-field antics I don't mind. But throwing the ball away like that is a yellow card. The Mbappe stuff on the bus is pathetic. He's clearly an overall dickhead too.

I've enjoyed Carl Anka on the Tifo podcast. I do think there's something to knowing they can get the job done that France have and England don't. Also largely true of the Real Madrid's, Liverpool's compared to the Newcastle's.