Gallowgate Toon

We'll take decent confidence from that and hold out for a 1-1.

Feel like whenever we have a break I really miss watching Bruno, Gordon, and Isak play footy. Sneak a 2-1, Gordon & Isak to score.

For all everyone says we need a sitting mid as all top sides do, Rodri is very positionally fluid now. Presses high as well. Liverpool don't play Endo much either.

He's just stating the obvious but it is weird for him to be so on the nose in public. Potentially a slight shot across the bows for Joelinton too. He loses a bit of bargaining power with a longer term injury.

Actually think he'd be quite a logical stopgap for us, tbh What he's better at is what we're lacking. As long as it doesn't go past the loan period. Can't see Spurs doing us a favour though.

Taken down by Adam P. Divnt mess.

Feels like we'd make him an 'attacking' 8 with license to rotate into the channels.

Gibbs-White is very talented but inconsistent, like. Coming to an age where you'd expect him to iron that out though. Seems like he might be available at a decent price considering Forest's finances.

Not sure Rojas is that solid anymore. Pretty sure he went through a period of having digs at Miggy after some games about his lack of right foot Seems to rarely post about him now. Jacobs will have been given this info from a Saudi source, presumably.

He's absolutely infuriating sometimes but I think he'd be a really useful member of the squad still. Minteh is meant to be very similar in profile (really good presser/defender from the front (probs doesn't have the stamina), isn't he? Wonder if we think we have Miggy's squad replacement sorted for next season already.

Pizza Rob's hit rate is reducing, tbf. In fact, his inaccuracy has increased since it came out that we were leaking fake rumours.

Selling him now with our current FFP situation for decent coin would be objectively decent financial business but I'd be fucking gutted. He's such an important influence on many levels at the club as well as still being a very good player. He & Bruno are the soul of the current group.

Isn't he good mates with Kane? He probs just wants another pal there for when Dier's craic gets boring.

Pretty low, iirc. Joelinton and Bruno's defensive numbers were massively ahead of everyone else last season, from memory.

Don't think he's going anywhere quite yet but the day he does I'll be really gutted. Watching him for any other PL club would be tragic too.

He doesn't need to do the Shearer or Wilson-type battling, tbf. He can work towards channels more though - when we were penned in on Satuday, we were playing long balls down the line to get some relief but Isak was staying central. It was probably just fitness related, like, but I'd expect him at 100% to be doing that running in that scenario. Helps to split defenders too so if they win the initial knockdown then he has a better chance of collecting and making something happen.

Totally agree. If one of Bruno/Longstaff had dropped back for KdB, he'd still have an awful lot of room to run into, a quick knock past one of them and he's in a similar position with acres. They either all need to drop, defence push up, or a CB takes responsibility to fill the gap.

Two of their goals didn't come from this problem though and they don't play with a dedicated AM much, they're exceptionally fluid positionally and basically have multiple AMs at any one time. Case in point, KdB is in a completely different position for the winner. I actually thought one of our CBs could've done better for the second, they both chose to track the run instead of one making the decision to close space.

Is there any meaningful proposed reform for FFP? We seemingly get daft rule change suggestions every month now for on-field matters.

City managed the first 15/20 of the half perfectly - constant possession. They could've easily ramped it up a few times in that period imo but strangled us and kept their FBs a little more restrained to help win the second balls. They knew if they stopped the counters then we didn't have much left once Isak and Gordon gassed.

His talent on the ball is unquestionable. 10 years ago, he would've been a languid AM, maybe like Gourcuff or someone. Lots to improve physically and off the ball, as you'd expect. Think in today's game he's potentially going to get moulded into a deeper playmaker, unless he can develop a better engine.

Always comes across so well in interviews - evidently a very switched on lad. Interesting comments around mental fatigue.

Nobody will care about finishing 7th once we lift the FA Cup!

You sure this is true? To my knowledge, only one of our sports scientists has ever worked with Howe before. We've got a few that were hired before he arrived, iirc.