Yorkie

I just can't make up my mind about Europa. As I keep saying I really love it as a competition, I've got some really strong memories of it feeling like the one that would finally bring us silverware. And I think it's for that reason that I don't want it to feel like a consolation or, much worse, seen as an inconvenience. It should be a pleasure to be in, and something to be celebrated - an achievement, not a failure. Just being in Europe is class; it's not all about the bloody CL. The bottom line is I want us to progress in 1st or 2nd of the group we're already in. But, if we do drop, I dearly hope it's not seen as uncool to suddenly be in a competition that we could actually win.

You gonna do the honours re Wilson, @54?

Fair enough, we'll agree to disagree. I thought they stifled us better than any other team this season, notwithstanding our own stinking performance at Brighton (and I can't remember Man City ).

Bullet header from Giroud! Commentators clearly in a studio, aye? What a nod, though. Gerrin.

Only Wilson's fluffed chance and Joelinton's header were big chances for me. Everything else you've listed there were from the first match and were half chances, which is the least you'd expect from us at home. It doesn't factor in the chances they spurned, either. I don't see it as that controversial to say that we've been tactically outdone in both ties tbh. Not embarrassed by any stretch, obviously, but in both games we've looked like newcomers to the competition.

I don't think there's anything sentimental about saying Burn has been a huge part of our success (as a LB) under Howe and has more than deserved to be first choice this season. Happy to admit that a better player there could improve us generally, I just get mildly triggered by the 'CB at LB' thing when used as a pejorative. He's every inch a full-back.

Definitely fine margins but I think if we'd done enough to get a result we probably would've got more than 0 points out of six... We had two really good chances across the whole tie with BD imo; aye, you hope our attackers do better with the efforts but you're relying on a 100% hit rate if that's all you're creating. They mostly shut us down incredibly effectively - that points to the tactical battle having been won imo. Can't stress enough that I'm not seeking to be overly critical, it's obviously a miracle that we're here and we've been incredibly competitive. I don't even think qualification is over, far stranger things have happened.

Dan Burn has been generally brilliant in that position (or at least good and vital tactically) for well over a year now. 'CB at LB' is some really unnecessary shade at this point, he's been huge for us. Tino obviously has the spot nailed down until he's back, like.

We talk about the players learning from this experience, which they obviously will, but I think wor Eddie's had a bit of a lesson too. Not being overly critical, he's exceptional, and it's a new experience for him, but he's been tactically outdone three times out of four so far. Goodness knows how many times he moved the various pegs around tonight, but Dortmund still came out of it with barely a hair out of place. Limited by the selection troubles of course but we haven't had an answer in 180 minutes of football there. The great thing is you know he'll make the best of it and adapt. It's not too late this year either.

Yeah, I think this is a really good assessment. It's been strange seeing us being completely unable to force the issue in three out of four games, when you're so used to watching us play in the ascendancy with a lethal press, even against the best PL teams. It's just a noticeably different 'type' of football this, as you say, and we haven't really adapted tactically.

Finish 3rd and we go into it. First up would be a play-off two-legger against one of those who finish 2nd in a Europa group.

Really disappointing but just got to say fair play to Dortmund. They've had our number both home and away. PSG next. We had their pants down at SJP so who knows, maybe we can get a bit more out of them.

Willocks fine

What a bloody pleasure this is. Immense pride whatever happens.

HTL

Really looking forward to it. These CL weeknights are just great. Confident we can get something too. At SJP they provided a blueprint of how to nullify our threats and exploit our weakness so I've confidence in us formulating a plan to counter that. Win this and we're back in business.

Not deliberately trying to jump on the Ange bandwagon but I did love his soundbites on reffing from last night. This is what I keep prattling on about when it comes to the impact of VAR; that, while it has its benefits in theory and sometimes in practice, since its introduction the whole landscape of officiating is more toxic than ever, with ever-increasing amounts of scrutiny, debate and anxiety. I can't believe refs prefer the job to how it was before. There's no need to throw the baby out with the bath water but currently it's implementation is too pervading and it needs to be reduced.

I'm suspecting we are based on Schar wearing what I assume to be the 'away' training garb in his presser.

"... this club that I love so much... best time of my career... it's my second home..." Absolutely love hearing that from him. You know he's gonna be around for years after he finishes playing, so I look forward to years of him saying how much he fucking loves the Toon.

Just watching the presser. Christ are the dopes like Ryder ever gonna stop asking "eee I bet ya never thought you'd be in the Champions League when you first arrived/when you were in League 2 with Bournemouth?"

Pinned it. Why the fuck not. Nice one, @54

For all the first half bordered on unwatchable, the second was great entertainment. Jackson up there with some of the worst strikers to have notched a hat-trick. Thought he was gonna fall over on his third goal.

What an incredibly tedious affair, brought to you by VAR. Another thing they should consider introducing is a time limit on these seemingly interminable checks. Absolutely annihilates any sort of flow to the contest and precisely no one can be fucked with 12 minutes of added time.