alexf

In for a hell of a test against Salah however. Salah still has incredible speed which is Hall's main weakness so let's hope it doesn't get exposed too much. Thinking more about the final rather than this next game.

Game to forget really. It's why he struggled so much earlier in his career here, has all the attributes but mentally weak. Knew after that fuck up for the first goal his confidence would drop. Pretty much every time he touched the ball for awhile after that he messed up. But thankfully the older more mature Murphy kept going and managed to bag a goal. But there wasn't much else to show for his performance. His form has seemed to drop off a little since the Almiron sale. It's weird cus Almiron was getting nowhere near a start but he was still something of competition for a place, now he only has Osula if Howe wants to put him there, but we all know he isn't starting Osula in the league unless desperate. I am just a little nervous in the final that a shithouse like Robertson is going to smash in to Murphy and rough him up in the final and chat shit to him all game to put him off. What should happen is Murph should be realising that Robertson's powers are waning and he should get after him as much as possible.

In fairness, how could he not be rusty as hell, it's been so long since he played competitively regularly. Can forgive him a little bit for not getting his head up better. The bigger issue is, even if he gets a run of games I think even last year it was becoming clear injuries have taken too much from him to be effective at this level. Will be useful as an extra poacher option if we are chasing a goal but not much more, he won't have the athleticism anymore.

Jeez, go easy he wasn't that bad. The team was playing awful when he came on which makes it even harder and he barely got a chance to go forward, but when he did he still looked dangerous, even if it was him playing out of position on that right side.

Annoyingly I am going to assume we might lose that West Ham away. Shouldn't happen but it's the last game before the final and we saw last time how it can effect players mentally. But all of our remaining home games after that all look winnable. A couple will be harder than earlier in the season, like a revitalised Everton for example. But there are 18 points available from home fixtures alone. There are a couple of tougher away fixtures in there. But if we do the business at home then everything we get on the road can be a bonus. I just have doubts about our consistency and squad depth and of course a lot depends on what the other teams around us do with it being so tight. Villa look a threat now with their injection of fresh faces going into the remainder of the season.

It is annoying the timing of this game. Reminds me of when we played Villa in preseason shortly before the league opener and we played completely different tactics. There is no real right or wrong answer, if we went full strength and played amazing and caught them by surprise with some interesting new approach to get the better of them, yes we might get the points in the league but then we give them time to analyse and fix any weaknesses for the final. The only real positive going into this is if some of our players can get the better of their opposite numbers and give themselves confidence going into the final. Thinking Gordon v Trent again, Isak v Van Dijk, Hall v Salah etc.

Dude has had a solid season, but more and more recently, in particular today and the two recent home losses where Fulham and Bournemouth clearly didn't press him on purpose, he keeps trying to play difficult passes into midfield. Just stay in your lane Dan, play to your strengths and don't expose your weaknesses. He keeps attempting silly things when there is a far simpler pass on. Probably won't happen as he is likely a nailed on starter for the final because of his form all year, and has been more reliable than Schar this season. But if he can get fit in time, Botman has to play in my opinion.

Said before but Doku is great. Must have taken on Trent about 10 times in that half and beat him every single time. Might say more about Trent's defending. I guess final ball can be criticised but I think his team mates could have done more. Probably our best avenue to get at liverpool in the final if there is any chink to their armour.

Willock such an enigma. He either looked brilliant and ever little thing comes off for him like today or he likes anonymous and can't pass water. Rarely much in-between.

Absolutely shitting this, especially seeing those horrific highlights from last year, can't surely be as bad as that again can we? Tonali is a massive miss with their counter attack speed.

Likely team I assume would be Dubravka Tino Schar Burn Hall Bruno Tonali Miley Murphy Isak Gordon Although I'd like to see Pope back in for this one. Will be annoyed if Trippier starts again.

Their style feels like our worst nightmare. Low block, usually defensively solid, rapid on the counter, number 10 who find space, clinical when they get chances. We need the recent version of them away from home to turn up and not to leave Hall, Burn, Schar exposed to 1v1's with the likes of Elanga and Hudson-Odoi.

Chelsea will win that at a canter and really Spurs should be winning the Europa but it's Spurs so anything can happen. But there side of the draw looks better. Shame to think that should have been us in the conference this year.

Sounds silly and obviously more factors involved but if we had just got conference or Europa instead of the CL two years ago. I think we would be in a far stronger position than now. A slower build might have been more beneficial. It's all about timing but Villa definitely are benefitting from when they qualified and the new format coming into play.

Injured his shoulder last season didn't he? Seems to have been wearing it ever since.