Yorkie

If his behaviour had been 'very poor' he'd be nowhere near the squad. Isak literally wasn't even allowed near the rest of the squad in pre-season. Just the usual made-up shite about a player people are just desperate to loathe.

He's in the matchday squads so clearly not ostracised.

Had a look at KUMB to see what the vibes were around Bowen. Consensus seemed to be that he's a club legend but for whom the magic's gone and has had a bad season. The forgiving among them reckoned it was because he's been carrying them for so long and/or because he's got an injury. The guy has barely missed a game of football since becoming a first-team player for Hull nearly ten years ago. You can definitely see the appeal for signing someone like him given what we've lacked this season, and given we'll be losing dressing room leaders, but I'd worry about how much he's got left in the tank. We've signed three ~30.y.o players since the takeover; two have been absolutely immense and one has been a disaster.

Absolutely love it when he gets on the scoresheet because, while I have plenty of doubts about him, I really want to believe that the idea of him is true. He's reminded me of certain others in that sense - where the idea of him seems to exist in theory but without much evidence (different type of player but Luque always comes into my head first). At the end of the day, he's shown glimpses and has got eight PL goals this year. It's not good but it's not disastrous. If the other new striker haf scored more than an eighth of that, the conversation around him is probably a bit different imo.

5 in 6 since he's started leading the line. Without wanting to start an argument - well done to him and absolutely well done to Howe on backing him to be the one to give us a fighting chance of ending the season well, and getting Europe. It almost certainly won't happen now but not through any fault of the CF.

We're gonna need far too much positive juju at this point, but the fact we still have Europe to play for even at this point at least dispels the notion that it's been some catastrophe of a season. Stick a second goal on top of our initial 1-0s in just a couple of games and we'd be basically there.

*P7 W6 D1 L0 (86%) If he can figure out a way for us to regularly capitalise on leads again, he will get us back on track. Easier said than done but that's what's been at the centre of our success under him - winning by force rather than grinding stuff out. *P8 W7 D1 L0 (88%)

Absolutely hilarious amount of space for him

Well said that man. Though I do think there's a place for an exceptionally well done classic design, and I feel like we're probably due that at some point... 17/18, 22/23, 23/24 were all close but two of those efforts were butchered by Fun88, and the last just had that Castore stink. Maybe we'll track the Juventus steps and get something for poor old @Kanj next year. Truly unusual (like this) or truly classic (like this year's Juve) are both immeasurably better than: a poor copy (last season) or a shit-looking, half-arsed, who-knows-what-it's-supposed-to-be (this season).

I've no idea why you lower yourself to this drivel, man.

Yeah you can tell from the Noon patch that that has a milky sort of filter on it.

Might just be being pedantic but I thought Palace was more of an interesting/inspiring result than a great final. I guess I'm just craving a better match in the final. They always seem like such cagey and drab affairs.

What would actually make a great FA Cup final these days? I feel profoundly non-plussed almost every season and my default reason is because of the teams invariably competing in it, but it's not a new thing that a small number of teams dominate it.

Fancy O'Reilly not putting his foot through it then.

Yeah he's dreadful. Obviously based in the north cos he does loads of our games. Awful whine on the big moments.

Cheers, was just looking that up. Hopefully they do it today and qualify for the Champions League. Really shake up the finances in that league.

These lot all just nervous or is the standard always this piss poor? Possession just bouncing randomly from one team to the next atm.

Bless him. Pity we didn't see more of him really cos he's a good player, just been dealt an absolutely awful hand with injuries. Hope he has a great end to his career somewhere. Favourite memory has to be him returning from well over a year out, being thrown in at CB against Man Utd in the cup, and being absolutely mint.

I watched Bradford/Bolton last night and it dawned on me that we played Bradford this season. Not even right at the beginning either; it was our seventh game.

How is me saying Villa have been shit on occasions 'happy clapping' or claiming Newcastle haven't had a poor league campaign?

What's this in reference to?

They're literally just through a run of: throwing away a win against Burnley; an absolutely pitiful surrender at home to the worst Spurs team in two generations; and a defeat at Fulham. Points dropped against Leeds and Forest and lost to Wolves in the recent past, too. Even the disgrace that is NUFC avoided doing that this season. Villa are good and they're better than us this season. But framing your latest bout of NUFC cryarsing around them never being shit didn't really make any sense.

Ergh, good God, man. You said they hadn't been shite; they have. Plenty of times. They're where they are on merit and credit to them; they're a good side and Emery has objectively done a terrific job. But what's got them there was an absolutely unstoppable run between October and Christmas. Other than that they've blown hot and cold.

Sorry, my bad, I forgot the season started in January It's just a stupid observation. Villa have been absolute shite plenty this season, including against us in the cup when we beat them comfortably.

That tonight puts them level with us in terms of league games won in 2026.