McCormick

How?

Respectfully, it doesn’t really highlight anything. We practically put out our reserve side, man (besides a few first teamers here and there). That kind of cobbled-together second-string team is never going to have the kind of cohesion you’re looking for. We won while resting some key players. Take the positives and move on.

The reaction to this game is a bit over the top. It was an xi that haven’t played together this season and we controlled the game against a team that took no risks at all and parked the bus well. Not an enthralling game by any means but at no point did I think we were in any danger of not going through.

this kid.

Is there a particular reason why, beyond it being a bit of a flat game so far? Worst reaction to a goal I’ve ever seen at St. James’ Easy to moan sitting at home, I know but it’s oddly lifeless.

Crowd is so dead. Shame.

Crowd makes a huge difference (wew hot take); they just don’t seem as up for it at home against “lesser” opposition which probably doesn’t help.

Someone needs to stop Villa, man. Can’t stand them .

Like with most players, especially at our level, you have to take the good with the bad. Very few teams will have the perfect player for their position. If he had the press-resistance and ball-playing ability of someone like Bruno for example he’d be the best cm in the league. As for now, he’s got a lot of useful attributes to work with.

Yeah, or cut back to give yourself more space if you’re not taking it first time.

We get that if the other pen wasn’t given. Ref bottled it. Coward.

Neom, The Line, Qiddyia, Jeddah Airport, Jeddah uptown, downtown and corniche projects, Haramain railway line, Kingdom Tower, KAEC and I could go on. I’m just mentioning the newer ones too; it’s been this way for decades.

I imagine It’ll take longer than we’d want for the bigger ticket items to get sorted but, while I don’t think we’ll get anywhere near the likes of Man City etc., we’ll end up being a much better outfit in the long run. If there’s one thing PIF do very well it’s hiring the best in class (*ahem) to manage their projects.

I’ve said this before but every PIF project follows the same arc; “this will be the best x in the world”, delays , delays, restructuring ambitions due to the high costs of reaching said ambitions, delays, delays, finished project is good but a shadow of what was promised initially.

They want 40m and he’s a right-footed left midfielder. Definitely a talent though.

You’re getting less player as well.

All right Anderson, nothing like using your platform to dig at a 20 year-old just breaking into the team.

Hope the PL lose embarrassingly. Anything that weakens their hand and eases the stranglehold those monopolistic clubs have on the league is good for us.

Of course pundits are mentioning it, it’s a big story and the rift angle was all our own doing. Ridiculous interview from Mitchell that’s fueled all of this nonsense; if he didn’t think the scouting was fit for purpose (funny how the only poor window we’ve had since the takeover was the one he oversaw but anyway) then that could have been highlighted internally. It read like a power play and seemed like an exercise in self-preservation rather than having the best interests of the club in mind. All he had to say was something like “we understand the window was disappointing but as a result we’re all pulling together to work on ensuring that we have a best-in-class scouting operation in place for the future”. Done. We then wouldn’t be having to deal with all of this negativity/uncertainty on the back of a great start.

Didn’t think we were that bad at all tbh. Good subs too.

The Prem’s tough. That’s a good away win .

8 minutes is a pisstake.

Schar makes such a difference to our play.

Pope’s got an absolute spade of a foot, man.