Mattoon

Watkins isn't it I'm afraid, amazing for Villa on the counter but in a possession based system he looks clueless. Kane really is the jewel in the crown, not sure how we ever replace him, he has to be kept fresh.

Grealish looked OK but he looked scared to take a player on, maybe worried about losing the ball and ultimately his spot on the plane, but made some great passes and kept the ball well.

Eze was easily the most impressive player on the night, fearless and dangerous. Some tough decisions for Southgate after Friday.

England aren't exactly the most expansive team, we're set up to play safe and look for openings, but then playing against 3 narrow CBs in a low block and basically 2 banks of 5 it was always going to be a rough watch trying to tire them out.

Proper poachers goal

90 ywar old Harry Kane already doing more in 5 minutes than Watkins did in an hour, we're so screwed when he retires

13 minutes ago, STM said:

What's truly frightning is that Southgate is sitting on the bench scratching his arse.

 

I'd be going absolutely mental.

If he does end up going to Man Utd it'll be 2020s Ashley/Pardew dream team again

So boring even the CBs are falling asleep!

Trippier looking a lot sharper

Eze so good, proper wildcard for us this tournament, everything Grealish thinks he is.

Just now, gbandit said:

Barely played any football here, these are infuriating to play against 

All dirty digs and falling over, we've not been able to get into any kind of flow

Like a good feigned injury this lot don't they?

5 minutes ago, Ameritoon said:

 

Not a shame at all really

That Bears team of the mid 80s was quality, Walter Payton was my first sporting hero, its been nothing but pain since

2 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

 

Dying at that

 

Sounds absolutely awful, but presumably they were deserved winners? That's the thing with this Real Madrid side, it's been years and years that they've won like this, without them deserving it, without them giving a shit. 

 

When they won in 2017 it was on the big screen at a festival I was at in Barcelona and it genuinely ruined the mood

They'll always be remembered for Jordan, but that team had Rodman, pippen, Kerr, Kukoč, they were just stacked across the court.

1 minute ago, Mike said:

 

I'm a Knicks fan. Let's fight.

I don't even like Chicago, just fell in love with their teams when I was young  it's been about 20 years since my last fight, shouod be worth a laugh.

4 minutes ago, Mike said:

 

The best way to describe the Bulls of that era is to steal a bit from Marvel. They were beyond good. They were inevitable. You never ever felt like you had the best of them. Being ahead in a game felt like keeping their seat warm and being ahead in a series didn't feel like having an advantage. it felt like being on the precipice of history. They were undeniable. They had answers for every question and contingencies for anything anyone could throw at them. They could beat anyone, anywhere. Home and Away meant nothing.

At the center of it all was him. I will never as long as I live see an athlete as undeniable as him. Supporting a team he devoured was like being psychotic. It broke you every year.

 

When my dad was a young man, he used to be wild and out of control. Fighting, drinking, fucking, all of that. We used to ask him why he was like that, and his answer was simple. "It didn't matter, I was going to die in Vietnam". Supporting an NBA team in the mid 90's was the same way, superficially. Had a good season? You're going to lose to Chicago. Best team you've ever seen in your shirt? You're going to lose to Chicago. In October, you knew what was going to happen in June. It would have been freeing, if it wasn't so god damn inevitable. All roads led to the meat grinder.

 

It can never be overstated how horrific they were.

I loved watching that Bulls team, got me into Basketball and playing at college level (yes I'm that old) albeit in England. Truly were a sight to behold, just pure domination, shame the Bears team have never lived up to that standard bar a brief moment in the 1985/86 season.

Unbelievably undeserved 

1 minute ago, midds said:

Dortmund are rugged as fuck like. Stingy and hard as a coffin nail. 

Solid yellow brick wall

How have Dortmund not scored yet?

Definitely 12 men on that Real side and yet Dortmund still look the much better side. Bellingham been anonymous. Dortmund have waltzed through that Real midfield with ease. I just hope Dortmund take the 1-0 win they deserve and its not another scabby Real win, just feels like the ref will have a say in the result here, some dodgy ass penalty shout.

Just now, Nucasol said:

Is what it is. We’ll struggle to match their wages and will continue to until we bridge that gap. Hope he isn’t the one that got away but generally comforted by the fact we can get better. I’d have been far more pissed to lose Sven at the time.

I don't think we'll ever know if he's the one that got away because I genuinely can't see him getting much play time in that squad.

The gift that keeps on giving, don't ever change Sunderland

Hang on, the idea of this, which just happens to have transpired when the sly 6 all get back in Europe, is to prevent "fixture pile up" by basically giving them a bye into the next round, ergo more games? Make it make sense.

Twitter (I know) is awash with supporters re-reviewing the season a week after reviewing the season based on a game played by another team.

Europe or no Europe 7th is a minor miracle after the season we've somehow slogged our way through. Yes, the Conference League would have been great for a shot at silverware we'd have to be favourites to win and of course for the co-efficient, but players aren't considering us as a destination or staying with us because of that, they're buying into the project. We are still on the way up and next season is going to be immense!

Provided we stay relatively injury free and with no Europe, I genuinely think we'll worry some teams who thought we were a passing wind after this season.

Welp it was fun while it lasted

Proper hangover football this