alexf

Comfortable win for the Arse I suspect. Unfortunately.

They will win it comfortably. There's no tough games for them left really unless they really shit the bed against West Ham but I can't see it. City will drop more points away to Bournemouth in and around the fa cup final. Rodri was always gonna be a miss for them when he went down injured a few weeks ago.

Been saying for ages I fancied Arsenal to win it purely because of this game and the away at Bournemouth that City had coming up. They are harder than anything Arsenal had left and it's being proven. Not a chance West Ham will beat Arsenal. West Ham are getting relegated.

Garner wearing gloves on a nice summer's evening in may.

You can tell a lot of his misses are classic "low on confidence, out of form" type misses. Because he gets in good positions but has zero composure and snatches everything. Which is odd because when he first came back from injury he looked a very calm and confident guy. So gives me hope he could regain all of that and be a useful squad player. Even post injury and being older he has more mobility that Woltemade which is 100% why he is getting on the pitch ahead of him yesterday. But Nick is by far a more talented player that doesn't unfortunately suit Eddie's set up.

Will stand corrected on the starting line up. However few could have predicted Burn pulling out one of his rare headed goals and Willock remembering he's a footballer. But clearly Eddie saw evidence in training and picked what he thought was best. Felt we rode our luck first half however. Their keeper making a lairy error and getting punished where as we didn't for Pope's. Second half was same old familiar feeling and felt like we were sleep walking into throwing another game away. Probably should have done but for Minteh's miss. We wait too long to change things when the pattern of the game is going against us and wait til we concede every time. Felt the changes were wrong as well at the time. Just invited more pressure and we had out ball. Hall didn't brilliantly however and Wissa should have killed the game. Likewise Joelinton should have squared to Barnes. A win is a win and we can now forget about this season and any relegation nonsense and try to use the last few games to try things out and finish on a high. But the game didn't convince me we have turned a corner or anything it was a familiar pattern but thankfully the luck fell our well this time.

His pace is a cheat code. Some of the better defenders in the league are struggling to cope with it recently. If he can just put the rest of it together then he could develop into a really decent player. Hopefully he's a late bloomer.

Would give anything for a comfortable seeing out second half for a change and go on to bag a few more goals. Game seems set up for Gordon to come on at some point and get space in behind.

I'd say atleast if we are still in the game then things should improve when players come on but we can only use 5 subs so at least 2 or 3 of that bench aren't getting any minutes today. There has to be more going on behind the scenes. Something like he said a few weeks ago about only playing players who are committed? If he feels like the likes of Hall and Gordon aren't then he's gone back to his trusted old guard. but it's pretty bad that 4 of our big money buys in the summer are all on the bench by the following May. Fuck me that maybe one of the most negative line-ups we could have picked from the players available. I'd love to be proved wrong but I have very little optimism based on that set up that we are going to be able to score goals.

Murphy, Burn, Willock and Wissa should not be starting ideally if Tonali, Gordon and Hall are fit. Arguably Osula doesn't deserve to be dropped for Wissa or Murphy.

You have to remember twitter/x isn't quite reality.

I understood starting Burn for the reasons he said. But that went out the window once they scored from a short corner. It also massively hamstrung us second half when we needed more quality going forward but we used 5 subs and Hall wasn't one of them. So we still had Burn trying to run up the wing and offering fuck all. If he doesn't play today against one of the fastest agile wingers in the league and we leave Burn exposed and massively reducing our attacking intentions then I will start to believe that Hall has either told the club he wants to leave in the summer or a bid has been tabled by another club. It would not shock me to see City swap from a bid for Tino to a bid for Hall instead, so that O'Reilly can move into midfield. Pep seemed to really like Hall when we played them loads this season.

Posted this in the match thread but seems more topical in here. Hard to underestimate just how important Bruno being back and getting fitter each week will hopefully make to performance and function of the team. However I'll be really pissed off if he starts Burn instead of Hall. They seem to be trying to claim last week as a much improved defensive display but for me we looked shaky as fuck in that first half. Madueke was getting in at will past Burn multiple times and that's before we even mention the atrocious nature we conceded. The only reason we didn't concede any more is because Arsenal played with the handbrake on as usual with the added title race anxiety in their legs. We play a defensive left side of Burn and Botman tomorrow and they will get pulled apart by Brighton's quick movement. Hall pocketed Yamal for the majority of that first leg vs Barca so I'm not having anyone try and suggest he's a defensive liability compared to Burn.

Hate to say it but unless there is a dramatic upturn, I wouldn't be happy with Botman being our number one cb any more. He's falling into the Lascelles type 3rd/4th choice for me. His body seems to have deteriorated too much for the premier league pace.

I mean if we'd of had the isak of last season instead of Elanga, Wissa and Woltemade I would bet decent money we probably finish in the top 6 comfortably to be honest, maybe even higher. So that's just one player. Problem is we likely lose at least two of our better players in possibly Gordon and Tonali so we will need to replace them to even stand still.

I'd have to listen again but that wasn't the vibe I got from what he said. I think he was saying ideally ajd normally successful teams just top up and add rather than overhaul but I think there was acceptance than we may not have a choice this summer. I dunno maybe it was the opposite. If so we are in trouble I think as I feel the bulk of this squad has run it's course.

Don't hate it. But 3/5 at the back at home if it doesn't pay off will be extra pressure. But I much prefer it to the idea of 4 at the back with Burn left back getting skinned by Minteh all afternoon and Wellbeck giving Botman the run around.

Yeah but I think they are currently top of the form table and we are likely bottom. So sometimes you have to take those things into consideration. Including also the fact they are one of our bogey teams, like Bournemouth. I'd honestly take a point and some evidence that we can go into the other games, like the West Ham home game, and get the results needed. Brighton are decent this year and currently in pole position to finish top 6. Where they finished last year is irrelevant.

I'd even take a point tomorrow. Something to stop the rot, show the players can still put in a performance. If not I'm fearful we don't get a single point and are relying on one of spurs or west Ham failing to catch us.

His finishing in that game was also atrocious. I remember he missed a couple of sitters and it was he first time I thought "uh oh, is he actually just shite?" But then we barely saw him play after that. So you are probably right, Eddie probably saw enough in that game to think he couldn't trust him.

Hey don't bundle us all together . I said from day one when we were first linked that he was just a sprinter and I stand by that assessment.

I've watched a few man u games where the crowd were right up for it and supporting other players but you could hear the audible groan every time Ugarte misplaced a pass or lost possession. It suggested to me that this is a regular thing the crowd have got used to and their confidence in him is low which means they are starting to voice their displeasure at his presence in the team.

I keep seeing the excuse that he hasn't had large numbers to train with. But why couldn't he just play in the reserves/behind closed doors games like injured players returning used to do in the past? Unless he was, but it seems weird that they keep mentioning that he hasn't had the rest of the team to train with as the reason why he can't get fit.

Seperate to results and performances this season....I'll forever be grateful for his composure and sensible reactions in press conferences and post match interviews. Seeing the likes of Arteta and Emery etc. in the last few days being so dramatic and over the top just reminds me how nice it's been having a sensible talker for the last 5 years.