TRon

Don't know about the mentality, but some of our players definitely struggle with the intensity required for our playing style week in week out. I don't think it's the crap players either, we've seen the likes of Tonali and Bruno drop off in recent games. Then at the back we often just don't have the pace to cope when we are left high up the pitch following a turnover of possession.

If anything, I think losing the cup final will give us the kick up the arse we need. We'll have nothing else to play for, so Europe will be a bigger motivation than ever. Winning the cup final on the other hand, might see us coasting with players thinking they've already had a successful season. Not that I think they will switch off, but I think there's more chance of them getting complacent after a cup win than if we lose it.

He seems to do it most times tbh. Don't seem to hear much about him most of the season then he has a MoM performance against us, while Bruno is generally anonymous.

Decent second half in the end.

That would have been a canny goal.

A draw will do me. I doubt we are catching Arsenal anyway.

Zirkzee seems to be growing into his role at Man U. Looked comical early on, but he's shown flashes of skill in recent games.

We win tomorrow and we are 4 points behind a CL place I think. Everything is still on, we just need to figure out a way to win when we aren't at 100%.

Said this in the match thread for tomorrow. Everything is possible if we can string some wins together. After a full season every team will be where they deserve to be.

We just need to look after our own results, Europe in some form is definitely on. CL looking unlikely now unless we go on a. mad winning run.

Hopefully that will lift Spurs to get after a point or 3.

Same here, it's why I called the cup final a massive distraction.

I've got a feeling we might go with the Joelinton/Willock combo for both tomorrow and the cup final. Not only for the extra defensive cover, but because Barnes gives you some extra firepower from the bench if it's needed.

Something else to bear in mind, despite our huge injury blows to Hall and Botman, we were probably more effective defensively in our first season under Howe when we had neither. We relied on Targett and Burn and we were super hard to break down. This time round we've got Livramento as well who can play either side if needed. I think we might need to tweak our tactics a bit, as these players don't suit the press so much, but they can definitely defend if given some protection.

100%. I saw someone upset about Brighton's luck getting an injury time winner yesterday and how such results might cost us Europe. But these things even out over a season, if you end up 9th in the table after 38 games, that's the position you have earned.

This game has come at the wrong time of the season. The cup final will become a distraction, just can't see us going at it with the intensity it would need to bring off the win.

Fatigue is not a convincing excuse for us. Some of our worst performances this season have been after we've had a clear week of rest.

Exactly. Ornstein hasn't really said anything we didn't already know, but unless Liverpool are going to smash transfer fee records, they aren't getting him. Eales made a point this week specifically saying we aren't selling.

I think their style suits us as they don't press, they just sit back which gives our less composed players time on the ball. Every team we've struggled against has been pressing us relentlessly.

So he should be, he's made VVD look like a donkey every time we've played them. But why would we sell him, least of all to them?

We really are the only club who have managed to make City look good this season. It as a car crash of a performance both tactically and individually.

It's been good, but not fantastic as we've paid big money to secure his preferred targets, albeit most of them have been successful. We need Mitchell type of signings now where we buy players before they hit high values.

It's absolutely fantastic news. My worry was that at some point PIF would get fed up of PSR handcuffs and buy Man U instead. This shows they are here for the long haul.

We were giving them wide open spaces tbf, Marmoush must have thought he was playing in Egypt.

So you are judging by all time great standards rather than contemporary strikers playing today. Not the same thing. Also you used metrics like left/right foot, bravery, holding the ball up etc. While these are all great to have, it is ignoring stuff like vision, finishing instinct, pace, dribbling ability, insane first touch etc. Some of those abilities are so far above his peers that they are killer features in themselves. He has made the PL's top defenders like Saliba and VVD look helpless whereas some of those who hold the ball up better wouldn't get a kick.