Yorkie

Well we signed six players in the summer, leaving us with two goalkeepers, four full-backs, four centre-backs (five before Lascelles went), six centre-mids, four wingers and three centre-forwards. Where's the gap there, numbers-wise? Not even sure how much it is his job to build the squad anyway. It was just something he was thrown into at the start of last summer.

Yeah. Literally played more games than any other team on the entire continent this season but mental and physical fatigue ain't got nothing to do with it. They're just shite.

Horrified to hear he was booed by our own fans. Absolutely stinking way to carry on and he doesn't deserve it at all, nor the majority of flack he gets. He and Barnes have shared 'stepping up' duties in broadly equal parts this season as all others have flailed.

He spelled it out in his post-match interview on Prime: he thought it was crucial to win the game in order to reignite the home form. It might have worked out had his goalie not provided an assist to Everton's CF from four yards out today.

Oh for sure, I was being completely hypothetical to make the point that the keepers have been a bit of a disaster this season. Missing out on Trafford is arguably as impactful on our session as missing out on Pedro/Ekitike.

If we're not in Europe and sold no one good, I think we could literally just improve the keeper and that would deliver a far better domestic campaign. For all we've often been shite this season, it's usually fine margins so the howlers are always pivotal. That hypothetical scenario assumes the strikers improve a bit too.

"Why did we bother to compete for the trophy we won last year?" - packaged as Howe criticism - is pretty fucking mental, like. I appreciate that I'm already one of the types to say you're not allowed to criticise, but that really is quite the bullshit take.

Would recommend this school of thought to everyone. We've been saying all along and X result being the turning point and it's total bollocks, it's never been coming this year, there's too many issues. We'll keep picking up good results and bad results and in all likelihood the season will just peter out. Do some good work in the summer and go again next season, and hopefully the next time we have a four competition season the rug isn't pulled from under us before it's started.

Another absolutely hideous result in the league. Got to say I kinda expected it really, we're a soft touch in the league with a small, dysfunctional squad running on fumes. Europe probably not on the cards unless there's a surge once we're out of the cups.

It's going some when you consider he's got three triple-A clangers I can think of off the top of my head (Arsenal throw, Marseille open goal, Beto assist). There's plenty more in the tier below that too. Love the bloke but liability is an understatement.

Misfiring CFs + accident-prone keepers is the perfect storm really. Put Pedro and Trafford in there instead of Woltemade and Pope and we're several points better off. League campaign does have an air of hopelessness about it given all of our issues.

Thought we were a bit shite but just about deserved the equaliser. Pope might as well have taken a goal kick directly into his net. So frustrating but just feels a bit hopeless at this point; we will achieve absolutely nothing with these goalkeepers.

That's an underrated shout TBF.

It gets worse cos her number two was Isak.

I asked my lass ages ago who in the squad she'd go for and Tripps came out on top. She has absolutely brilliant taste too.

Totally respect that guy's approach and the spirit of the finished product, but it's just a shit version of the current badge.

Interesting comments in Howe's presser today. Hope asked him what the long term plan was with him from a position point of view, but Howe stressed in the first instance that he needs to adapt to the league first and foremost. Think he probably sees him as a versatile attacking player going forward.

Good schout Hasn’t Dango impressed for them, too? Wouldn’t mind a look at him either Both proven to be very effective in the Premier League. Avoid.

I see Villa and Forest are on the same side of the bracket for the Europa, which is good. Definitely the harder cluster of teams, with Roma/Bologna waiting for Villa should they defeat Lille, which also feels like one of the toughest draws they could've got. Forest will have to beat the side Ange orchestrated a miserable home defeat to earlier in the campaign (Midj), then Stuttgart or Porto. Last thing we'd want is another all-PL final, so that's something. Fuck all on the other side like, and Lyon and Celta Vigo have each other. Would've assumed they're probably the best of it on that side. Stuttgart-Lyon my optimistic non-PL prediction for the final. Palace have Larnaca again and then Fiorentina, assuming they don't totally shit the bed like they nearly did last night against the Poles. Strasbourg or Samsunspor to meet them in the final most likely.

Pains me to jump into bat for anything relating to this horseshit format, but I think it's just about right to have as much incentive as possible to finish in the top 8.

He's literally not stopped for any meaningful length of time since he joined, despite having two kids and getting married in that time. Hope he's having an absolutely class time with his family, fucking legend that he is. If we're still somehow in contention going into May, it's all good, and maybe he can make the difference in those last few fixtures.

Rafathinaikos won on pens 💪 Get them specs in that pocket.

Exceptional delivery from Wharton for Palace's regrettable opener against Zrjinski. I'd love us to sign him in the summer but remembered he's a Premier League player so it's probably a foolish idea.

Rooting for Panathinaikos tonight. Hearing that Rafa is already under pressure there despite being in okay form and winning away at Olympiacos the other day. Knocked out of the cup by PAOK though so I guess he could use the Europa progression.