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Bearing in mind how new on the footballing block he is, it'd be interesting to hear how he came up on our radar and we made the move so quickly. Doesn't seem like the was a crowd of similarly aware teams after him.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/nov/14/jesse-lingard-nobody-really-knew-about-my-struggles-were-all-human Worthwhile reminder of the situations in which footballers are sometimes operating in.

On the contrary, my sources tell me he weeps every time he drives past a pizza hut.

That worked far better than Dancing Brave expected.

Would be a big attraction. Just a question of how much trouble went with it. I don't really think this is a serious idea by the way!

Even Trippier wasn't in all our team photos... He stopped being in them once our form improved to the point that relegation didn't look like a big threat. I think it's early to be getting antsy about Isak fitting in. We just don't know what's going on behind the scenes, but we do know that everything else going on at the club is exemplary, so why should we have any doubts about how this is being handled? Howe was talking about him a little while back, saying how this time out through injury is a good opportunity for him to learn about English football and the local area, so I'd guess that's what's happening.

Is he literally growing taller still? Looks like he's filled out. Has seemed like a more imposing presence, both physically and on the ball in the last couple of games.

He's been in at least one team victory photo post injury, so he's definitely around. He's probably gutted missing out on all this to be fair to him!

I'd like to think that of our players going to the world cup, they will turn out and do their best. I don't think characters like Trippier and Guimaraes can be half-hearted, plus, we're on the edge of a career making club season as well for people like Schar. I would guess things aren't on the line quite as much for the Chelsea players...

That is a serious coaching staff.

I don't want to see Manquillo in the team again, so yes please.

Can't argue with that draw. It'll be another battle for us. Would be nice to have Isak back in for it, sure that'll jazz things up a bit.

Heh, valid point.

Yes, Wood really doesn't compliment Maxi, so I don't think things were especially set up for a great performance last night, in fairness.

Interested to see how he'll slot in eventually. I don't mean to jinx it but hopefully he doesn't disrupt our balance Damn these luxury problems...

I think it probably can BUT the perfect penalty won't necessarily be the best penalty for a specific player to take. I'm not sure I'd fancy Pope to slam it into the bottom of an inside post at 10-10 in the world cup final...

Happy for him

Just seen someone's clipped it in the match thread He looks utterly gutted. Genuinely worrying I'm sure he'll fire back up. But yes, he's an emotional guy!

Jesus!

He wasn't actually THAT good at them... He missed more in cups e.g. Partizan. I'd back Shola any day over him. Could you repost please?

I didn't feel I was in a strong position to comment on the managerial appointments because I'd spent a long time away from following football. But from what I knew, I preferred Howe to Emery and felt relieved when the Emery deal didn't happen. I didn't think Emery would mix well with our club and light the touch paper. It seemed a very mechanistic and dry appointment. The fact he walked away proved that to me. We don't do well with life's bean counters. For Howe meanwhile, from a distance, I'd always been impressed with his Bournemouth achievements. I agree it doesn't seem like he really gets enough recognition for that. In 2010, near bankrupt Bournemouth becoming an attractive, top half premier league team would've been utterly preposterous to me. I also thought he came across well and different to the usual recently promoted managers when I saw him in interviews. As for our slow start, I always said, everything that happened prior to January was just mood music. Things were certainly dodgy, but I knew there were still plenty of points left in the season to win, and always believe in what NUFC can do once the momentum turns.

Remember, Shepherd was not wanting to sell originally, the Halls pulled the rug out from under him. You're right about his last manager change, Roeder for Allardyce. It was kind of poetic seeing him actually trying to make a rational move for the first time while running the club, just as he was about to be booted out of it.

Having seen the highlights now, he got in some decent positions to be fair to him. Lovely control of the ball before he turned and shot in the first half, and he got in a good spot for his headed chance.

In a way, these were the perfect circumstances for him to make a fuck up, so there's a silver lining in there...

I didn't see tonight's game, but against Southampton him and Manquillo had absolutely zero chemistry, and I blamed the latter for that at the time. So I didn't have my hopes too high for tonight either...