wormy

Here I was hoping for a thread bump because he might start tomorrow. I just want one player thread that isn't talking about them leaving.

You just know these fuckers are going to perform like they're already on the beach come tomorrow and I'm going to finally hold a grudge against Brighton.

That chart is abhorrent.

The Ramsdale move doesn't make sense to me if we're paying £15m+. He'll surely want to be a guaranteed starter, as will Pope. And I don't see how Ramsdale is so much better that it's worth that risk of upsetting squad harmony. Then again, I could've provably posted this word for word about Pope two years ago so what do I know.. All I keep thinking is if we're assigning money to a 'keeper it has to be someone that is either clearly a No 2 or upgrade on Pope. But that narrows down the suitable options and I guess we have to do something. Because we're fucked if we have to rely on Dubs again to any extent.

Time to make a double swoop for Tickle and Cox.

Or we just think he's an insufferable cunt. Don't think many on here ever begrudge how much of an outrageously good manager he is. Both things can be true.

So what's the deal with Slot? Is he suitably cuntish for Liverpool already or do they need to train him up a bit?

Can we also give each team one chance each match for a 15 minute half of their choice to be simmed via AI?

Wow I've either completely missed or forgotten this. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/england-ukraine-poland-glasgow-trent-alexanderarnold-b2405142.html So he's already been in Southgate's sights which would make even sense him having an outside shout.

Just think about how our backline would've looked half the time this season if we'd invested elsewhere rather than in these 'for the future' lads like Tino and Hall. Love that he's starting to get a bit of attention. I dare say an England call up may be a bit soon. But could you have pictured halfway through this season that there'd be talk of Trippier maybe missing out and Hall having an outside shout!?

Sack it all off. Challenges ffs. I don't think the NBA actually implemented the idea that badly tbh but it's still absolute bollocks and has done nothing to improve the actual refereeing of games. It'd be the same at best in football, likely even worse though with the inevitable shit show implementation. For all the talk of 'we'd be fuming at decisions if we revert to no VAR'.. Everyone is still fuming now. VAR is still manned by staff whose standards are shocking. That's not going to get fixed with a revamp of VAR.

Even by online football forum standards it's impressive how swiftly it looks to have swung in here from the consensus that these end of season friendlies look mad considering the lack of break our internationals may already get after the injury-ridden season we've just had, to deciding a player is out of touch and unloyal disloyal for agreeing with said consensus. But I guess now that he's put in another ropey performance on his return from injury and people are gearing up for a potential wind down/exit we must pick holes in anything he says which will be joyous when it's one of our most influential and vocal players.

Didn't he want to leave anyway? I was too young and not in to football enough so my knowledge is entirely second hand so happy for someone to tell me I'm wrong. But from what I've read and soundbites I've heard he strikes me as someone who wants to have his cake and eat it. Uncomfortable with the adulation from our fans at the time so was happy to jump at the Man U opportunity. But now he looks back, realises he was just a cog in a machine at Man U and regrets it as he just slips in to being another good player in the history books.

We're only a few years off non-'pro' versions being three figures, aren't we?

I will say we need to re-find our dogged shithousery. Ironically though, a number of players that many of us wouldn't be too sad to see moved down the pecking order for assorted reasons were pretty integral to that. Murphy's wumming, Lascelles's antics on the sidelines, Wilson getting under defenders' skin up top. I still think Eddie made an active move away from it because of all the 'cracking down' that was threatened. We need to find that balance of being annoying pricks to opponents again but not shooting ourselves in the foot with the refs for it.

A waste of a summer bargain iyam

Fucking sick of the word ruthless right now.

Is there absolutely any credence to this 'fall out/huff' talk or is that a silly question? Not saying on here specifically but it feels like people have been gagging for him to kick up a fuss ever since Isak secured first choice, when he's appeared to be nothing but professional when available.

With this resource in mind I thought I'd take a brief look at Chelsea and Brentford with them being above and below us in total games missed through injury. Chelsea have thirteen players with 30+ appearances in 50 matches. https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-chelsea/leistungsdaten/verein/631 I know they're in a completely different position but even Brentford have eleven with 30+ having played just 41 matches. https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-brentford/leistungsdaten/verein/1148

Fucking about in places like Albania not only gives us another year of Howe learning to balance the extra competition but also a coefficient boost that takes us one step further away from the absolute stitch up of a group we got dropped in this season.

But we're owned by Saudis and they're ruthless and all our players will immediately want to leave etc etc

'Isak is anonymous half the time' is one of the wilder takes I've seen in recent times and that's saying something. I'm bewildered that people are bewildered that people would let Callum leave if a worthwhile offer came in. That offer may not even come in and the whole discussion is moot. But if that's the case it sums it up. He can't be trusted to actually play football matches. Cliche time but the best ability is availability and we can't keep carrying a back up striker who isn't available to replace our first choice (who is rightly first choice). And I love the guy, I wish this wasn't how I feel.

Can't be arsed to wait for each page to load and read back to get a general feel for whether we're asking questions of Eddie tonight or not. But I can't be upset at him tonight. We weren't outplayed. It was an even game. We can laugh at Man U being a shit show all we want but even as a shit show we're playing catch up with them. They didn't roll over for Arsenal and weren't going to roll over for us. Another day that's a win for us with some top quality chances going begging for us. Same old story. We don't have the squad for this. We could've thrown all those players coming back from injury in to the XI from the off and then what? One of them breaks down again/he keeps them on and we run out of steam/he subs them and Man U capitalise on those lesser players coming on? It's all ifs and buts when you're relying on a squad of mostly solid pros but clear back ups with genuine quality smattered in between. Howe isn't perfect but he's a damn sight closer to being so than the squad he's managed to keep in the hunt for Europe all the way down to the final day.

As much as I'm gagging for Pope back in goal it's not exactly outlandish to see why he'd prefer a 'match sharp' Dubs over him, but if we needed to call upon a 'keeper off the bench it's a no brainer of Pope over Karius when neither are 'match sharp'.

EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Gordon handed £50,000 fine and ten match ban for questioning VAR. The man is spot on, though.