ponsaelius

There's almost no room in the game anymore for players who are technically superb but aren't athletically optimum in one way or another (be that raw pace, height, cardio). You're now getting to the point that this selection process is happening at academy level, so you're not even seeing outliers anymore. That combined with a tactical shift towards possession based and by the numbers football means there is very little individual flair left IMO. Personally I think it has made the sport far less interesting than it was, even if the overall level is arguably as high as it ever has been.

Yeah he has been pretty good for Chelsea this season, their best player after Cold Palmer

I'm all aboard wanting MGW like, think he's a good mix of adding technical quality but having the physical profile that is perfect for Howe. Could see him stepping up a level like Gordon has. I'm thinking he'd play wide right rather than in midfield 3, like would have been the case if we'd got Maddison.

Any of that final four winning would be a #goodstory

I've also applied for a Europa final ticket on a whim, so those two going out massively increases the likelihood of winning the ballot.

Missing out altogether, EL or Conf League are all as much of a muchness for me like. I'd definitely love some obscure away trips that nobody else could be arsed to go to, please bring on FC Ordabasy. But I'd also be totally comfortable with us going again next year with clear midweek calendar after this shitshow of a season TBH.

If we do finish 5th I'd just console myself with the fact that we'd have probably not done so if it was a CL place Spurs were going for. All too hypothetical to get invested in IMO.

If we were sitting sweet as a nut in 5th it'd obviously be totally different, of course.

Yes, it's immediate and delicious. The coefficient thing is just far too hypothetical and uncertain for me to be invested in at all, honestly. I don't think we're getting 5th. And I have almost no preference between Europa League or Conference League. If we end up in 5th I can slap myself in hindsight. I'm not gonna worry about it now.

Nah I'm with him. Coefficient is far too nerdy and hypothetical to get invested in, when delicious schadenfreude is on offer. Plus it was basically already gone anyway after last night.

That is an absolutely terrible change. They've kept replays in the early rounds where they are of little benefit to lower league clubs who suffer from fixture congestion/midweek travelling anyway, but got rid of them in the later rounds where they actually benefit said clubs It should literally be the other way around.

Guardiola has been going on for ages that Ederson is supposed to be the best pen taker in training tbf. He was flirting with the idea of him being pen taker when they had that run of everybody missing (perhaps not fully seriously).

It's been called Longbenton station even when it was a railway station.

We have done stop gap signings in Targett and Wood. Wood was fine in the end because we almost got our money back. Targett has been a poor signing permanently. I remember at the time it was said he wasn't our first choice for left back that summer, but we were struggling to make transfer progress so we got it done to move on. In hindsight you can now see why Howe wasn't convinced - and unfortunately with the injuries he's looking a bit of a dead weight for the fee we paid. I can see similar concerns over Kelly/Tosin. Neither are ever going to be worldbeaters, and the free transfers may lumber us with slightly inflated wages for players of their level. Injury concerns probably add to that. However they would add solid depth at the back to prioritise spend in forward areas.

They've largely been as good away as they have at home, so not sure how much of an advantage it would be. Considering the games they've had it may be better rotating over the final two fixtures to conserve some energy for a midweek QF. Plus I think Halifax are a bit of a dark horse going into the play offs and would be best avoided! A lot to be said for momentum too though I guess. I think it's going to be too much for them with the backlog, but I'd love to see them go up. Been to a fair few away games with Heed over the years as a mate supports them and I'd just love the chance to tick off a load of L2 grounds

Surely something like xA can be massively down to how a player is being used in a team.

No, he was shite.

Bromley have Oxford City tomorrow so unless they lose that there's next to no chance they go straight through to semis. Could potentially move up into 4th/5th to at least get a home quarter though.

Yeah - and I'd also say how many bodies we can get back for May. Winning home games with 13 players is doable, much harder to get away with it on the road.

The only thing I'd say about Sesko is that he's struggled to make himself first choice at Leipzig, which is one of the reasons he might be moving on. Would being second choice to Isak be any more favourable to him? I know he'd get plenty of game time but I think he probably will want to be nailed on first choice somewhere. We need another forward, but getting the right profile is vital. Somebody who is adaptable/versatile is optimal.

Kelly didn't start for Bournemouth because they know he's out the door and not a long term option. Injury prone I think is fair criticism, but he'd still be a good squad signing. To be honest I think he'd go straight in to start for us at LB.

I think the probably 50/50 split on how people pronounce his name is the reason no chant has ever formed/stuck

That's got to be one of the luckiest penalty wins I've ever seen. Most disputable fouls or handballs have at least involved some play on behalf of the attacker to engineer the situation. That's pure pinball fluke and the rules should be changed to make that not a pen.

He doesn't have the running power and pace with the ball that Barkley had when he came through but definitely agree that his build and gait are similar.

I think MGW could play RW very effectively for us as well.