Heron

No rests no nowt. Demolish them.

These are class

Definitely stealing that and shamefully presenting it as my own next time I'm at the pub

Should see our throw in tactics.

Heard the Blues have been purchasing drones to film the Reds training footage...

Wowowow! You said no swapsies when I declared Red was a vile and disgusting colour and I wouldn't entertain wearing that colour shirt (or that I simply didn't own a Red top)...

Not that I'm aware of mate.

Absolute madness like. Think they'll have a sticky time again next season if they don't come up. Praying it's Coventry to do it

I really don't see them gathering enough momentum to get them through the playoffs either. Wouldn't surprise me if the Mackems are calling for the managers head come June.

Winning 8 away games out of 17 in a season is canny decent, I'd have thought, to be honest. Unless you're league winners. Whilst writing I checked, and in the 'Away' league we are 3rd, compared with 5th at home whereas last season we were 11th based on away results and 4th at home. When we got CL last we were also 3rd and 5th away and at home respectively. Which is perhaps a good omen at present. I mean for me if you aim to win all your home games and draw all your away games you're looking at a pretty hefty return. So I guess it's more turning the losses to draws than the draws to wins for us this year away from home but that is just the nature of our play. We're a fairly shit or bust team now compared to two years ago.

I felt we started with the wrong tactics and kinda went in too open. It could have easily been 4 - 1 at half time let alone full time. If we started the game doing what we seemingly did at the start of the second half and sat in, looking to break out, and kept it tight then I think we'd have fatigued less and not been pulled around so much. Our midfield 3 were stretched apart often trying to cover full backs too much and trying to help struggling, slow centre backs. By the time the second half came we'd been chasing the game to get it level and were fucked. I get why we kept stronger players on for so long in recent games but this was always the danger tbh. Their change in personnel then won them the game in the scoresheet but performance-wise they got what they'd deserved from the first half. They're an excellent side, with an excellent manager - it has to be said. Champions League is vital to both clubs though to sustain this breaking down of the "big 6". It really does demonstrate the sheer ineptitude of the likes of Spurs and Man United that they have had such a fall from grace this season with such squad depth at multiple levels and time at the 'financial top'. Villa have rolled the dice on loans to get them to the CL. I feel they'll do similar next season with maybe an addition of one big summer signing. I think that works until they slip up one season and then they're pretty much out the frame. We're not rolling the dice and running a similar risk - expecting the same players to achieve or in some instances over-achieve relentlessly. Good old FFP eh...

Got our tactics a bit wrong and started off on the wrong foot performance wise. Somehow managed to keep a foothold in the game through their inability to make the most of their opportunities which then clicked second half and they subsequently battered us. Was always a risk here for me. Disappointed but not shocked. Gotta put Ipswich to bed next week and then hopefully one or two results go our way to ease the pressure.

I knew it wasn't a pen last night from the Strawberry Corner... 😉

Mackems father/brother.

Mackem.

Aye this

Aye I was in a similar position. Couldn't have possibly helped by doing owt at that stage so just waved a big wave instead to help detract.

Haha this isn't true.

I think the sample applies the other way though. I don't think it's entirely luck for a striker to step up and hit it hard with accuracy from 12 yards. Adding complications to the run up is adding opportunity to fail, and we seem to see these kind of fails fairly regularly, and they're embarrassing.

I have to say I don't agree. It's not data based so happy to be proven wrong with data but effective penalties more often seem to be ones where the striker remains in decent motion and simply strikes it with assertion. This modern phenomenon of penalty taking is absolutely, embarrassingly wank and made Eze look an utter tit and cost his team the game tonight. Or at least a chance to remain int the tie. Good goalkeeping from Pope/heads up from Trippier but irrespective a penalty should be scored.

Knows exactly what he's doing.

We've had a few mistakes over the years but aye...this wasn't good. It happens...I guess

Can we put a short term ban on anyone talking of replacements please for say 6 weeks?

...and folk questionning the likes of Lascelless, Ritchie, etc... It's a squad. The most likeable squad in my lifetime. Everyone plays their part. If you don't you've been shipped by now.