leffe186

Got an old friend who’s a Newcastle fan and it used to wind him up that I was always the “Voice of Reason”. Again, I’ll say what I’ve said all season about Son - if he gets enough rest he’s still got it, just obviously he’s older and it’ll be in shorter bursts. He’s still had a handful of brilliant games this season. The plan was to rotate him with Odobert, Moore, Werner and Richarlison on the left. Odobert and Richarlison have barely played due to injury, Moore has been out with a virus for months, and Werner has had injuries too…but is also just Werner. If his legs were truly gone he wouldn’t have had those great games at all. Plenty of Spurs fans think he’s gone, but they tend to be the reactionary ones I think.

Don’t think so yet unless he’s “lost the dressing room”. I’ll say the same thing I’ve said all along, we’ll be able to make the judgements next season after another proper transfer window. At this point you could still argue that the squad isn’t strong enough all round to mount a proper challenge in all competitions. He wants them to play a particular way and a few players are either not capable, young and developing or just exhausted. The bigger question is whether playing that way is sustainable or is inevitably going to result in the sort of injury list that precludes a successful season. I’m still in the “benefit of the doubt” stage. Obviously if we fundamentally changed the way we played it might yield different results but I think you can still call us a club in transition. If we’re seeing the same issues next year then I think you can reasonably say “mate, it’s not going to work”. I mean, today’s defence was a (in truth) #3 keeper, a player making his second PL start, a couple of young defenders (one of whom is plainly worn out) and a teenage CM. The excuses are there. We’re still capable of beating anyone in a given game. It’s just obviously frustrating to keep losing games in the same manner week in and week out, and easy to lose sight of the bigger picture, which I still think is positive.

We had a couple of good chances, they had a couple of great saves. Won the xG, for what it’s worth. Should probably have been 1-1. It’s just so predictable though. We all knew this was how today was going to go.

I do get a bit frustrated with things like the BBC Text saying it was a “brilliant display” from Forest. Naah, they just did what you’re supposed to do against us - let us have the ball, be organized at the back, hit us on the break. Factor in some generous reffing and it’s just every game against us at the moment. Not brilliant, just effective.

Wow.

That or if you did try to break Rodri or someone else would just foul you and get Diplomatic Immunity.

Nah, was at work following it on BBC text. I’d written off Dec and Jan tbh, the Man U result was a nice surprise.

As long as it’s not 5.

Somebody dust off that seagull.

Can’t help but feel Luigi what’shisname got the wrong guy.

I’m too old to watch Spurs now. My heart can’t take it. What a fucking coward Bruno Fernandes is though. Running over and kicking an 18-year old off the ball when his back was turned (and luckily for him the ref’s too). VAR would have had him off pronto.

Cutting up fruit. Laundry. Just did a poo. You’re right, it was.

Keep walking in and out of the room to do stuff and every time I come back in the screen looks the same. Every Man U player back, Man City knocking it round the area.

Did the BBC text just call him Jobbie Mainoo before quickly editing it?

Oh God is it Browns time?

Faller more like, amirite?

Nah, just playing in the way that teams can against City. Get everyone back when they have the ball then hit them on the break.

Hojlund basically wrestling with Haaland directly in front of the ref, looking in the opposite direction from the ball. Nothing.

I haven’t been watching too closely, but most of you guys seem to have him either “Top 6” or Top 10 with potential of top 6 or 4. It was the fact that he’s young and English, and Ange still seems a bit wary of Djed Spence. Fair enough though, maybe it’s Hall and Isak or Gordon.

Christ man, I’m not talking about us, I’m talking about the teams you mentioned. They’re doing really well, and part of it is that they are not playing as many matches.

It’s not an excuse, it’s just a factor. It’s no coincidence that the clubs you named are all out of Europe this season.

Yeah, some of it’s about not playing a million games tbh

Yeah, based on my relatively limited viewing that makes sense. Was thinking about this the other day though. I think last year the two players of yours I would want to sign would have been Gordon and Bruno. This year I’d say Hall and probably either Tino or Isak. Partly position necessity, partly homegrown, but Hall is so talented, has so much time to learn and is perfect for us. Be interested to see which two you’d want of ours.

Ironically, I think he actually is an affective captain to an extent, and that might be an issue.