Yorkie

Get in you fucking legend

Thankfully I have guests tonight so won't get to see this latest painful Anfield episode. We could do everything right and something would still fall their way.

Also the chances are it's a mock-up based on other leaks (maybe yours!) because the one she's wearing doesn't have the fat shoulder stripes in line with their new branding.

What made you think this was authentic as opposed to fan, btw? The plain round collar was on the fan one this season is all.

Out of interest, what takes precedence for people when it comes to their view on shirts? Whether it looks 'right" and/or good as a Newcastle kit which the team wears on the pitch; or Whether it's something you'd want to wear

Feels like a rare win for Europe that he'd choose them over another bottom half nowheresville PL team.

I don't like these fat Adidas stripes, mind. Their iconic brand has always been perfect; no idea why they're fucking with it.

What's this horizontal line? Don't think it's the watermark? If it's a part of the kit it's unusual; if it's her shirt underneath the shirt quality appears very dubious. Texture looks a wee bit like the Nike authentic thread too. It's a strange kit. Don't immediately hate it, think it's quite European. Not certain I like it but I'm interested!

Not a red herring?

Didn't realise months was an option.

Eh? Feels like an unnecessary slag. How am I a 'wet blanket' for cursing what the powers that be have done to undermine the UEFA competitions? The post you've quoted I'm only talking about the Conference League. A PL team with desires on the Champions League should canter to that title since the reforms, as Chelsea did (they did it with a +35 goal difference while playing their second string throughout most of it ). It has literally been designed for smaller clubs with smaller squads and less resources. It's like Homer winning Frank Grimes' children's power plant contest. The post you've quoted doesn't apply to the Europa League, which is a different competition. It was always my favourite club competition of all, and if there was anything I could've wished for, it would be that we could win it and vanquish some of my painful childhood memories. I'm not saying I wouldn't be ecstatic if we did that; but I'd like the assurance that it isn't just a gimme for PL teams in the new format.

Yeah, by a fantastic Atalanta side, who went on to win it - beating that unstoppable Leverkusen team in the final. The context I'm talking about is since these latest reforms where the Europa brackets are a lot weaker than years prior.

Yes but you appreciate the context is wildly different how. The team who finished 17th in England won it last year.

Forest in line to face Fenerbahce or Benitez's Panathinaikos in the Europa play-off. Would be so fucking mint if Rafa's Greeks knocked em out.

It's a European trophy that last year Chelsea won whilst playing every fixture wearing slippers. It was an underachievement for you by not winning it but it's an even weaker competition now with no Europa dropouts. The seeded teams this year include a Cypriot side, the second best side in Czechia and two La Liga and Bundesliga sides each in relegation scraps. Hopefully Palace continue to shit the bed and someone like that, for whom it'll mean the world (like Olympiacos) can bring it home.

My take on it was that we did well to even be in a position to concede an equaliser really. Leverkusen are a good side and started the game well. We did extremely well to turn it around and were unlucky not to get the killer goal before they started forcing the issue and found a way through. Don't think there should be many regrets about that one.

I feel like I need consecutive seasons where a PL team doesn't win it before I could get really excited about a Europa run. The new format opens the door wide open for a PL entrant to win it every year. Feel like I'd actively not want to see us in the Conference. You'd basically be massively underachieving by not winning it and that undermines the concept of being champions. Palace have been an embarrassment frankly.

Nah I thought that was a good result really and a fair one on the balance of play.

I felt quite deflated at FT and still do, despite having immense pride in the performance and enjoying the match itself. It was a fair result against an exceptional side, full of quality and guts from our point of view. Just feels like such a pisser that ultimately is was all for nothing, as a defeat by literally any margin would've wrought the same outcome. Hopefully we can buck the trend and actually take something from our European exploits into the league, but with the historically vile fixture in front of us - and even more tired legs - doesn't give me much optimism. To reiterate, I thought the lads were brilliant and in isolation it was a great night, just wish we had more to show for it. One thing I do take solace from is that a draw at the Velodrome - which I feel is the most we could've realistically asked for - wouldn't have been enough. I think 15 points was a realistic ceiling for us given our fixture list, so to be one shy of that is very good going.

If we weren't playing them three times in seven days it might be a bit less unappealing.

If Monaco are no great shakes then that has to comfortably be our preference. Baku would be a 5/6hr flight minimum and preparation would be a lot harder. We can't take any more physical stress on the squad. That first leg will be between Villa (a) and Man City (a).

If a 15 minute cameo in the final throes of a game against the European champions won't do it, nothing will...

He drives me up the wall but he played his part tonight, certainly. He troubled their CBs and more often than not helped us get the ball up the pitch I thought. His shimmy to force that chance which eventually fell to Ramsey was quality, and it was really unlucky Hall couldn't quite take it in his stride. Technically I think I - from my sofa - was closer to converting his header than he was; and I shouldn't have watched the Napoli-Chelsea highlights. What we could've had instead with Joao Pedro...

I know our results are mixed at best with that formation but I generally do like it. As @Rich says, surely there's something in deploying our entire battalion of massive CBs all at the same time? I like how fluid it is too; you see Burn and Thiaw popping up in wide attacking areas and it adds another dimension.

If you'll indulge me in some miserable cuntery for a moment, a drab surrender with a depleted team at Stamford Bridge would feel like a fitting end to this altogether unremarkable European campaign. So while I can see the appeal of facing a theoretically weaker team, I think I'd rather give Barcelona another crack, as we hunt for something special.