Interpolic

Not sure if anyone mentioned Arshavin yet but if not, Arshavin.

How many we lost at home to the "Big Six"?

Me too. Now got 2 days of getting pissed off that nobody is benched for his points to come in

What a weird little football club.

It's not bizarre aggression - it's because I'm sick of reading this viewpoint that we shouldn't be paying him already. It's rarely reasoned as anything to do with finances, instead it's labelled as a disgrace morally and for some reason the player is compared to the man in the street. Are you another that thinks we shouldn't be paying him? So say we get the lawyers in, take the player to court for his salary. How do you see it playing out from there? In what world is the signing then going to be a success? The club are playing it the right way, which is putting it down to bad luck and getting on with it.

It hadn't occurred to me Tonali might read any of our comments, it just annoys me seeing resentment towards him building when we go through a bad run of form. It happened, it's been and gone - the club are doing all they can to try to ensure the signing is still a success and I hope he is. If he gets flak in the ground next year while finding his feet I'll be well pissed off.

Beth's a bloke, lads

As human beings, we're all the same but this is just a completely different kettle of fish and you must know that. The 2 situations bare absolutely no relation to each other.

So the principle of it makes you boil with rage? Footballers aren't supermarket workers, they're coveted assets whether you or I like it or not. We've paid £50m+ for Tonali, it's doubtful it's even legal to stop paying him depending on what is in his contract. But it doesn't seem the cleverest move to explore that, when he's probably at a very low ebb anyway because of what's happened. The best way to throw that £50m away and lose a potentially very valuable player is to cut him loose and antagonise him by not paying him. The way the club are playing it is the best way - keep him in training and support him as he settles and tries not to let the ban derail his career. The sooner we stop trying to compare top level footballers to bloody supermarket workers the better.

Why do you give a fuck, seriously? Even if you're a season ticket holder who pumps hundreds into the club shop every year, we're wayyyyy beyond that being the lion's share of the club's revenue anymore. It's not your money. If we're paying him full wage then fine, I don't give a fuck personally.

If you're not a mackem you're a fucking misery.

No need. Fuck off. We made those changes as it was necessary to win the tie. The alternative was throwing it. You're focusing on minutiae in one game where Howe got everything right. Laters.

He made 10 changes for that league cup game. In an ideal world we'd have been 4 up at half time and not needed to play any of our big hitters. But we needed to make those changes to win the game, simple as that. The changes weren't crazy either - Bruno played 45 minutes, as did Gordon. Miggy played half an hour. Schar came on in injury time so can only assume you were being disingenuous or hoping I wouldn't look it up. If you are wanting to prove a point about Howe's squad management then I think this game is about the worst one you could have picked.

Tbh one of the main things I remember about earlier this season was loads moaning when Murphy or Wilson started. Nice easy argument to crowbar in now we're suffering though.

Sheffield United, 24th September Pope Trippier Schar Botman Burn S.Longstaff Guimaraes Anderson Almiron Wilson Barnes Man City, 27th September Pope Livramento Lascelles Dummett Targett L.Miley Tonali Hall J.Murphy Isak Joelinton I've highlighted in bold the players that started the 2 games consecutively. Won't take you long to count them. It's a goalkeeper as well. If you're complaining about the subs that Howe made in that game then sorry to say but you really don't know ball. They murdered us first half, Howe made the subs, changed the impetus, we looked a different team and progressed against the best team in the country. All the while making sure nobody played 2 consecutive 90 minutes and plenty of key players got 45+ minutes rest.

Which game are you on about? Because if it's Chelsea it's completely irrelevant to the discussion we're having, that Howe can be accused of causing the injury crisis due to lack of rotation earlier in the season. If it's Man City you're wrong, if it's Man Utd Ritchie played.

Full backs - Burn broke his back ffs and Trippier hasn't been injured, so that can't be put down as a contributing factor with a straight face. Subs fine you have your preferences, but absolutely nothing Howe has done could have been foreseen to lead to double digit serious injuries. Maybe a handful, which could have been managed.

Man City was much changed without needing to use Ritchie, he did start at Old Trafford, and he was on for nearly a half at Stamford Bridge. The latter was a quarter final which most agreed was a priority.

I don't see any evidence of that. He was rotating the squad fine before rotating the squad meant giving Matt Ritchie minutes.

and the game is just different now. Almost every team in the league has most of their players running around, pressing like nutcases. You need a squad to manage it. Every single other side in the league would suffer badly if they had 11 fit first team level players for over a month. Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool - the lot.

This is an incredible thing to say like. We've had like 11 players out, most with serious injuries like broken bones. Of course it's bad luck and of course it has stretched his ability to manage the squad to beyond breaking point. All these posts saying Howe has fucked up the management of the squad and this can't go on in future seasons - he presumably won't have to contend with a whole team out in future seasons and will have a deeper squad. It won't be an issue. It's got nowt to do with how he's managed the squad and everything to do with a lot of people not being able to handle the downturn in form and wanting to make this into something it isn't. And the way Howe has performed before having to navigate these ridiculous circumstances, you'd expect a bit more leeway tbh.

@Dr.Spaceman sorry looks like I was wrong about Livramento

Corporate power move hard-on klaxon.

Mad that like :lol: I know 8 of ours were in 1 game versus Sheff Utd but we have scored double the goals they have (36 vs 18) and conceded 2 less (21 vs 23), them having now played 1 more game. It's astonishing we're only 1 point ahead of them.