Conjo

I've just assumed he's never chosen his own username or avatar after his first, and just rolled with whatever the mods have bestowed him? Or has it always been Froggy?

I hereby put Liverpool on notice to accept any offers for Allison because Kelleher will provide a ready-made replacement for him.

Granted Mbuemo had a nasty ankle injury this season, but his injury record is impeccable otherwise. If it was between him and Olise I think I'd prefer Mbuemo as Olise seems to have a hamstring made out of uncooked spaghetti.

Links with Olise, Tierny, Smith Rowe, Chiesa etc scare the hell out of me, especially after this season

Plenty of big names has gotten jobs they didn't deserve, on even less merit than Kompany, and go on to do great things.

Some football philosophies are more suited for players with more quality than what Burnley could muster in the PL. Think he'll do quite alright at Bayern.

Please buy Fraser

3 hours ago, Choppy Chop Chop said:

36 pages on our `meltdown` SMB so appropriate 

Tbf there are some proper weirdos supporting us that has had meltdowns going by what they've posted in that thread , well worthy of that amount of ridicule. Quite a few posts on here could easily end up there to extend the thread to 40+ pages too.

Guess who's going to concede a goal from a cut inside from the right and slotted into the far side of the goal if we sell Almiron to a PL club 

4 hours ago, Ronaldo said:

I love Eddie and I’d be gutted if he was sacked, but I’m far less confident in him than I was this time last year, if I’m honest. Elite managers need to make bold decisions and he consistently avoids them. Pope not playing against Man U is a decision / indecision that looks pretty indefensible now. Not bringing in a keeper at almost all costs in January was brainless and almost everyone on here could see it.

 

Hopefully he’s learnt. 

 

 

 

Pope looked shaky af against Brentford, so don't think throwing him in earlier, in a more important game, really was the right choice after all, and I'm not entirely sure we'd have done better this season if we signed De Gea on massive wages and threw him straight into the team after 7 months without a club like you wanted to

What a season it has been  Pretty decent all in all, despite what feels like "literally everything" going against us.

1 minute ago, Ronaldo said:

We can’t expect to keep Isak, Bruno, Gordon just being alsorans. They’re better than that.

Good thing we aren't alsorans then.

No brainer if true, even if Popes shoulder is fine. No matter how good Pope is at sweep-to-throw-in (think that part of his game is pretty overrated personally since we rarely convert his pro-active actions into possession) and between the goal posts, a keeper of similar skill but with an ounce of ability with his feet is a massive upgrade to how we can play, especially how we deal with a high press which we've really struggled with since forever.

Adebayo is the type of player I imagine every opposition player dreads to face. The striker version of Joelinton, just hard as nails, but fairly quick and dare I say it better in front of goal.

Would love him here.

Just now, Optimistic Nut said:

 

I think second half of his last season maybe. First two and a half you knew what you were going to get. Played the Championship season with the same sort of system he used back in the Premier League. Still convinced that first season was used almost like an "apprenticeship" so the players knew exactly what their roles were and how to set up when we were back in the PL.

No doubt he was implementing a system in the championship season to prepare the team for a more challenging PL season. We could have swept the Championship away with the quality in our side with more free flowing attacking football.

Strange game of football

3 minutes ago, Magpie said:

When I click those three dots I only get these options 

 

Poch has to have wanted this too surely?

Or was Poch Poch'ed like Adkins?

1 hour ago, madras said:

Re rotation.... and Barnes thats when he got injured. Willock out nearly all season cuts down the options as did Tonali's suspension, Longstaffs injury and Joelintons. We had a 16yr old keeper on the bench in Europe in September just to get numbers there.

Not disputing that we came to a point where rotation wasn't really possible due to all the injuries. I was hoping for rotations way before the injuries started becoming a limiting factor. First game we had some rotations was the home game against Brentford.....right after an international break ironically enough  

Last season too, although it wasn't as critical to rotate to keep the squad fresh, would have been nice. 

I just think Howe values a settled 11 way more than a manager competing in 4 competitions can allow - so I'd like to see an improvement in that area. He's done it so well during the last two pre-seasons to get everyone up to speed and familiar with the tactics, and then just doesn't seem to either trust the fringe players he gave time or don't want to rock the boat...or a combination of both.

3 hours ago, madras said:

The rotation thing. We did, but players got injured. Isak and Wilson were swapping almost game for game in, Barnes got injured while.playing instead of Gordon, Murphy instead of Miggy in Milan or do we want 5 maybe 6 changes per game ?

 

Bonus fifth, that comes with not having to play inexperienced 17yr olds and players who are still injured and having a midfielder banned for most of the season.

Agree on the bonus fifth - that will (or should) naturally improve with not having as many injuries. I'd still like to see it though  Consistently through a whole season.

I see rotation as being subbing players some time after the 60th minute mark here and there, but to rotate more within the starting 11. Not 5-6 changes per game obviously, but more than the rare but occasional Isak - Wilson or Almiron - Murphy swaps.

That back feels like it's deliberately trying to get people to buy number & name on it. Minging.

I'll buy it anyway. First kit without a hint of Ashley stink on it.

Without going into transfers, there's four things I'm hoping we do better next season:

- playing out of a high press

- less aimless clearances that just ends up inviting more pressure on our goal

- taking our time a bit more on the ball in transition when we don't have runners in good positions 

- squad rotation BEFORE injuries starts cropping up

A bonus fifth: make our midfield harder to play through 

One of the few positions we have genuine quality in depth, which we've been screaming out for the last two seasons across all positions, and there's talk of shoehorning Gordon out right to make room for Barnes

Lets get a quality RW that can slot right into the side, with Murphy, Almiron and/or Minteh providing cover so we can fight on all fronts next season without fear of not fielding a good enough team to be competitive or risking fatigue injuries.

20 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

Hall is 100% starting next season, can’t see any other possibility now. 

Taking into account Burns last few games at LB, how much better he's done at CB while Hall has taken his chance to impress at LB with flying colors I should be 100%.

Howe fucking loves Dan at LB though  I won't allow myself to assume LB is Hall's place to lose from now on until I see a starting line-up beginning of next season chosen from a squad with plenty of injury free players in all positions, and Hall starting.

Fucking Dubravka should have saved that. Pope can't get back soon enough.

17 hours ago, Ronson333 said:

PSG away was as good as it gets.

Was it? I'll admit I can't remember all the details so feel free to correct me, but can only remember one great save, which was one that I could easily see Dubs also pull off.

58 minutes ago, duo said:

 it is no coincidence that our form plummeted when he came into the side. 

It isn't, but it certainly isn't mainly down to Dubs no matter how many times its said on here. He came in just as our injury crisis was peaking. Our form would have plummeted regardless of who was in goal.

Pope is clearly better, but he is getting better and better the longer he is away to some. Can't remember him having a standout game since his farcial Liverpool send off. 

Good to see the knee jerk reactions are kept to a minimum after a dissapointing result on wednesday.

Nothing wrong with what he's said. Still a class player and vital for us on and off the pitch.