Beren

Mateta's celebration is great. A vintage Howe 25/26 performance. Only really looked effective attacking on the break. Bad ball retention and couldn't control the tempo. Defensively sloppy, no real ambition to seal the game second half. No real improvement or change in approach. If Howe is still learning, it's at an unobservable glacial pace. His gameplan is embarrassingly stale right now. Bright spots: - Osula was decent. Not just the goal but did better than I can remember him doing with his back to goal and holding it up. - Tino has taken himself firmly out the shop window. He's been so unbelievably poor aerially since he came back from injury. Against Barca, the Palace chance hit the bar, then their first. Has he always been so poor in the air? My affection for him as a player as really blinded me to it

It's the kinda shit you do messing about indoors at home as a kid.

Fair enough. I know what you mean, but it seemed like he was running ever so slightly away from goal so he couldn't quite get his thunderbastard of a foot around it to get his normal power. Will check the highlights later.

Osula sorting his body position out for the goal was quite impressive, you know. Good lad.

Don't think the angle was quite right.

Iraola will have some offers at the end of the season you'd think. Defence thoroughly gutted last summer, Semenyo poached in Jan - still got Bournemouth punching above their weight.

Arsenal are so far ahead in the table. Bit annoying with so few games remaining otherwise they'd absolutely choke.

Agree with Decky. It's probably around the edges but presumably it's marginally positive for our European coefficient or whatever they have now.

PSG pasting Liverpool to look forward to anarl. Hopefully Isak can play in that.

Might ruin another pre-season for him.

I really enjoyed watching Germany's two games too tbh. Usually hate international football.

If memory serves, @B-more Mag might be a more lucrative conversation

I am accepting bribes for him to support success poor NBA/NHL/MLB teams.

Won a raffle - got tickets to the NUFC vs Brighton game. Taking my 7 year old. My curse vs his disgusting sporting luck (won the League Cup and a Superbowl in his first few years of supporting NUFC/Seattle Seahawks respectively). Buzzing.

Agreed. To do it against Desailly was something.

I like the idea of NFL style usage - where manager's get one 'challenge' per half. Think it would be hilarious to watch someone like Arteta burn his challenges in the first five minutes of each half. Meanwhile, someone like Howe would have the lowest challenge rate in the league because he's too prim and proper.

Ian is never beating the Pardew allegations ( Ian W)

Vaguely recall him being deployed as the wide man in a 3-4-3 towards the end. Didn't go well. He had stamina, his tenacity was underrated and he was proper scrappy for his size - but not well suited to RB duties. I think he'd excel as a wide forward in today's game. Could finish, cross, play a killer ball, get a yard on a defender.

Germany and Switzerland both play such lush football.

That's some bullshit.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c0mjzmyx80ro Come get iz plea. To someone.

Although where we're at losing leads to all and sundry is hardly painless, mind you.

One of the "for" arguments for Howe is that even if we got an Alonso, Iraola or Cesc - we've got a Howe-ball squad (however you feel about that) who are focused on being fit. Although I do think there is a higher technical standard in there than what we've seen - the transition would be painful and prolonged.

Pace yourself everyone. 20 days until the next match.