alexf

They match up to us quite well as they have quite alot of pace and counter well. Rashford is just in scary form at the moment and Trippier always looks like he struggles a little against Pace, plus as poor as Antony has been, he did give Burn a hard time in the league game aswell. However on the flip side, we have alot of strengths ourselves and we will give them a hell of a game I reckon, as long as we play to our level. We wouldn't be able to push Trippier forward as much as we like, but with Isak and ASM looking like they are coming into form, we have our own weapons to hurt them. Feeling nervous already and we haven't even got to the final yet ? Not sure I'll be able to handle the final if we get there.

I agree. There's so far to go still and makes me nervous when people start throwing us in as "favourites for top 4" A slight dip in form and you could find yourself 6th or 7th very quickly. Injuries will be crucial for our thin squad.

Annoying that they can rest everyone for the return leg ? Their main threat will be Rashford. Which is frustrating as it will force Trippier to have to sit back and will negate our right side. Which is probably why it's important ASM breaks into the first team as we will need our own threat from our left side aswell.

I have convinced myself for sometime that there was some kind of stipulation to the takeover purchase or like a bit of left over free Abramovich money that needed to be spend within X amount of time and that's why they are just blowing it all now. That way all the other batshit decisions they are making, make more sense in my head

Agree. Looked destined for massive things when he ripped us apart in that first half a few years ago, but never really seemed to have done anything since when i've seen him. Perhaps injuries have nullified his threat as he had unreal acceleration back in that game against us but maybe he doesn't have much else to fall back on.

Hopefully a sign of things to come, unlucky that the goalie got a a good finger tip to it to push Isak wide. But exciting to see the vision and the movement for future games.

I knew he looked quick but didn't realise he had that level of acceleration. Perhaps maybe the defender was so slow that he appeared quicker but I think on that evidence, he's going to get alot of goals and assists for us ☺️

Could be a turning point in the second half of the season, this performance. Isak and ASM starting to put in cameos that's can't be easily ignored. Hope that we find a way to incorporate one or both in the starting line up moving forward and hopefully we're even more impressive than we were first half of season. ?

Bruno was great but thought Schar was sublime tonight and probably edged MOTM. Just mopped up everything and looked so casual doing it.

Electric

Today proved that the flip side to him being weak defensively is that he pushes back the opponent right back. They had a dominant 10 min spell with walker-peters and then nothing after because they were terrified of ASM. Start 2nd leg please. So good to see him running with the ball at speed again. Unstoppable when he's like that ?

At times Bruno has looked levels above every other player on the pitch. Same old story for us of late. Dominant but can't score. However that disallowed goal was a joke.

Would love to steal him off them if we can afford in future.

Doesn't that mean any deals they have recently done will be fine but from then on after the rule they won't be allowed? Or, that they are buggered because of the deals they have just done? Hope it's the later. Actually not that it matters, they will just find a way around that aswell with lawyers or something, like psg and man city did.

Just wondering if we could flip the line ups and play more attacking line up to start and then the usual starting line up after 60+ to see out games? Obviously this is only if the current starters are still struggling for goals of course. Tactic also only really works as long as the attacking players do the business early in the game and they give the more defensive line up something to see out. But yeah i just wonder, cus clearly our 11 we field at the moment don't give up many chances and are rock solid. But instead of bringing on ASM and Isak late in the 2nd to try and create something, perhaps starting them and going for it from the first minute and then bringing on a fresh Joelinton/Willock/Longstaff (if any of them had to drop out) would be ideal for seeing out the game with high energy pressing. Would like to see it maybe trialled in one of the legs of the cup but I trust Eddie to find the best solution ofcourse.

Yeah it's annoying. If we get there, I think this current form Man U are gonna be difficult to overcome ?

Rashford would worry me alot if we manage to get to the final and it's them we face. Also Antony ripped Burn a few times in the away game this year.

These games are gonna be harder now and provide a different challenge second half of the season. First half season teams were probably thinking "it's only Newcastle" when they came up against us. Now more and more teams are going to defend deep. Which means we will dominate more and more as we did tonight, but we are going to need to find better ways to unlock defenses.

Annoying lack of time added despite the 8 subs and numerous injury stoppages. However looked like we couldn't score if we carried on playing all day.

I think it's either psychological or physical but he's not as explosively fast as he was. Think back to how rapid he looked against Everton last year or even Man city this year. Maybe he'll need a run of games to get back to that level or perhaps he's afraid of his hamstrings pinging and being back to square one. Or perhaps just the build of injuries has just slowed him down permanently. Think it is easy to forget how good he came be on his day, we were all excited to see the best of him under Howe. The man city game was a nice taster but so far it just hasn't happened yet. Hope we see it a few more times before the end of the season so if he does leave in the summer, atleast we get to see if he truly works in this team or if it will be right to let him go and get a player that Howe prefers. I think if he stays injury free, he will prove his quality and that he belongs in the first 11 still.

Yeah he isn't a fast runner. That's just a fact. He's very 1 paced. However he'll run all day and being slow is not an attribute that holds him back from still being an exceptional player.

As others have said, we might see a potential relaxing of the rigidity, possibly enforced by injuries and the personal available. But perhaps (in home games atleast) it maybe rewarding to play more attacking line ups and trust our back 5 to still keep things tight like they have all season. Especially those home games against sides we are now "expected to beat". Yes it may mean our amazing clean sheets record this season is in danger, but we would be far more likely to outscore the opposition and avoid those frustrating 0:0s. We shall see in the coming games. As mentioned, we are short on Cm's currently so likely enforced.

Would love a top level DM to cover Bruno but also play alongside when fit again and allow him to play abit more free maybe as people constantly allude to. Think all team in and around us have that in Rodri for City, Casemiro for Manu and Partey for Arsenal. Would possibly take us to another level in my opinion. Who that player is I have no idea though.

Think it's a shame if he needs to play that Bruno role now for an extended period of time. I think it's clearly he has been far more suited further forward as a pressing machine. So we lose that and also he's not as effective in that 6 role as seen when he's played there in cup games etc. Hope Bruno isn't out long and/or we get a dedicated DM signed. Think Longstaff is an integral cog in the midfield this year, even if his shooting has been erratic to say the least lately. It doesn't undermine the good things he has brought to the team.

Fair. But I think my memory might be skewered by the years under Bruce where he literally at times felt like the only goals threat many times. Btw I wasn't comparing to Messi. I was just trying to give the extreme example. ? Edit. I do remember there was a ridiculous stat back then where we lost every game he didn't play and won quite a few when did.