80

Yeah, it's a fair argument. Specifically re: Burn, rather than another tall CB/LB, the counterpoint is how much weaker in various other areas he and we are when he's out on the left, though. If size is the killer point for Howe though it's going to be a struggle for Hall as the one thing he probably can't do is grow...

https://archive.ph/9hWyt Thought this was worth posting. In relation to Salah and Klopp, Shearer talks about the end of his time with Robson. Never really seen him reflect on his behaviour in that time e.g. the Valerenga match the season before Robson was sacked. I remember that being especially destabilising. To be honest, in this article he still doesn't seem to really grapple with the rights and wrongs of it, given the context of his stature at the club back then as Mr NUFC, which he'd never shied away from.

To be marginally ahead of Dummett in the pecking order of course, everyone knows that. But back to the original subject, eh?

Hmm... Fuck. Makes sense I suppose.

So is there any prospect of Everton getting another points deduction this season at this rate? I've got the dumb and dumber gif lined up.

Yes, this is where it gets silly - when there are attempts to gaslight you into not believing the evidence of your own eyes. Every combination of defenders that didn't involve starting Hall was used until finally Targett, Livramento, Trippier, Lascelles and Botman were all simultaneously injured and we couldn't avoid moving Burn to CB. That's the only reasonable explanation for why Hall has had a run since the West Ham game which crippled our backline. Clinging onto the belief Howe just happened to think Hall had finally stepped up his game in time for the next match is mental. Now, I have a lot of sympathy for @Kanji's point about Joelinton and Ciaran Clark. There's a lot of serendipity in football and life, and a lot of what separates great managers from the rest is the ability to take advantage of it. See Bobby Robson and Francis Jeffers. So this issue doesn't need to get litigated to death, what's done is done. But just making up stuff to match your feelings that Eddie Howe is the best dude ever and anyone who doesn't know it stinks is stupid.

There have been little noises around. Take it for what it's worth, but there was a snippet in the Athletic recently saying one reason we were keen to loan Kuol out again this season was to save on his wages, which superficially is a stunning statement. Scarily, the implication was he thought a chemicals company would be messier and splashier than a football club, like he's Mr Burns or something.

Honestly think the missus is a major factor in Bruno staying here

I think so, yeah. I'm not certain of the procedures, but I meant he could've blown for a foul and then kept his card in his pocket, and waited to see if VAR called him back because the offence was actually on the serious side. Which it wasn't.

Felt like Eddie was experimenting with something for next season, yesterday. I like it...

I'm more than happy to pile in on this idiot, but is it possible Anderson was carded for kicking the ball away after the whistle? I just wondered it at the time. If he really thought an offence had been committed he should've expected VAR to check for violent conduct...

Yeah, I think it's premature to say it was a great piece of management. I'm not sure Eddie would say it was himself, to be honest. Him playing well now doesn't prove he couldn't have played well when he wasn't playing. It doesn't disprove it either, in fairness - it might well be true that he shouldn't have been on the pitch back then, even in an attacking position ahead of Burn at LB. Time will tell ultimately, it'll be interesting if the underlying story ever comes out.

The pass was decent but the aggression and speed of transition after intercepting was better!

He did, but there were loads of bits that didn't come off for him, often one after another. He doesn't often sky his shots 15 yards wide and high!

Thanks Makes sense. Considering what the ref was giving out cards for, I don't blame him for being infuriated. Have to agree. It stands out that he/we've gone from being religiously attached to 433, Burn at LB etc to suddenly being so fluid. Shows it can be done. But I'm more than happy to let it be water under the bridge. I'm far more interested in the future than the past, this season was always going to be about learning lessons. You're right in principle, and I'm not confident we haven't got another one or two Palace or Luton performances in us this season. But we're at the stage of needing to look at what we can do well with a view to next season, and we can do a lot of things very well. Also, our trajectory is definitely upwards over the past 3 months, in terms of form, physicality and tactics. It's not entirely clear why certain bad things have happened over the past few months, but if they're ironed out by the time next season comes we don't necessarily need to care. Seemingly some of those problems are large enough that they just can't be eliminated this season, but it's entirely plausible that Eddie can nail them when he has the time, space and transfer window to do so over the summer.

I could even accept the debilitating fitness issues if FFP didn't exist. But it does. If selling players like Wilson can help us keep Bruno and add to our squad, it's a no-brainer. It's not ideal, but perfection isn't an option we've got. We need to learn our lessons.

Always a mystery to me why people make hard conclusions on a player based on their bad performance in a game when all of their teammates were similarly bad. You're right, Brighton away was always the game quoted as being the one that proved he had to be seen as a left back or nothing.

Worth wondering how many careers we've wrecked without even knowing it!

Aggressive pragmatism is probably a better way of putting it, now I think about it. I think sometimes people conflate adapting to the opposition with being reactive and negative, but it doesn't have to be that way.

Off game today but still bagged. Opposition was still rightly terrified of him.

Krafth continuing to not let us down. Deserves more acknowledgement.

Do we know what happened? I was struggling with connection at that point in the game. Missed the penalty and goal. Different ways of interpreting today's game. Burnley's predicament kind of reminded me of games we've had i ourselves in years past where we've started with promising huff and puff and frightened a slow starting opposition, before they come back with a bit of ruthless precision and end up absolutely demolishing us. We're extremely effective once we get the bit between our teeth. Always enjoy seeing Wilson and Isak on the pitch together. As others have said, I appreciate the proactive pragmatism Eddie's shown in recent games.

Totally schizoid performance. Certain decisions I'd be ok with, but when you take into account other decisions made in this game, along with the last 15 years of refereeing precedent, they were mental.

Trying not to get too excited, but it's hard not to...

Well, not long till we find out at least