Hanshithispantz

Potter switched it round loads, think he played LWB, LB, and CB in a 3 for them?

I reckon Cucarella would be class for us tbh, he's more in the Trippier mould and with Livramento on the other side we'd have a pretty varied selection of fullbacks. He seems a bit underrated defensively, and wouldn't have an issue dropping into a back three in possession if we go that route.

If you tot them together the Ben Arfa & Tiote double whammy vs Everton. was areet like.

Chillwell was miles offside.

Regarding Emery's style not being suited to league football, I don't really get it? Tactically sound managers will probably go further in cup competitions (which Emery is), but yesterday just seemed like they got their press triggers completely wrong. That would be the case regardless of whether you're playing in the PL or in a cup final Different styles suit different competitions but it seems like a bit of a reach to just group 'league' and 'cup' into two seperate categories and declare they can go far in one but not the other due to how they press. They'll be limoted in both unless they get the right plauers for the system.

Who was it that did the Zidane turn early on, must have been about 3-5 minutes? Think it was either Trippier or Bruno? Outrageous anyway, we need some footage of it.

They played through our press with some nice patterns from the back a few times, which most teams will struggle to do, but we'll never play against a higher, more dissorganised line all season. They'll sort it out like, unfortunately, as they pointed out on MOTD they just gave us far too much time in midfield to pick out a pass, it was the same in pre-season.

Our squad being absolutely shite pre-match, and then us being cheaters bearing the fruits of Saudi-blood money post match, is going to be one of my guilty pleasures to read throughout the season.

Aye this is what I mean, he passes the ball accurately to somebody and is already ahead of the defender seemingly instantly. It's weird.

Holy shit

The speed in which he gets the ball off accurately to a team mate and moves himself forward is mad like, I cannot think of any other player who's as quick as him doing it. As good as Diaby looks, Barnes looks like he'll score for fun.

I cannot stand it when people cannot just answer simple questions without trying to sound profound. Filling the airtime with pretentious nonsense they've just made upon the spot. Trying to get into the mind of a supporter who's paid 40-50 quid for a ticket man, what the fuck is he talking about?

I think seductively sucking your 18 year old daughter's toes is up there tbf. Certainly a step beyond what Rooney, Giggs, and Rio have done

All I want is to see Eddie Howe's speech pre-Man Utd, followed by highlights of us absolutely spanking them. I don't care about anything else.

I don't think I've missed the point though, you've pulled this "do you go to games? " craic a few times. It's a completely irrelevant point. Usually to people in skandinavia or something, as if their opinion is irrelevant because they're not in St James' Park every week. I'm just saying, I've got friends and family who go week in week out, they don't bang on about time wasting, or the offside trap, and I don't think they agree with you - atleast I've legitimately never heard these objections other than on here? So I'll take their POV from being in the ground as all that matters? Or is that not how it works? If you want less timewasting then fair enough, argue why it would be good? Like I say, I think on the whole it would be worse for the league. It woupd favour the top sides. You don't have to try and validate your point of view with a veneer of elitism though.

Loads of people are football fans LFEE. There's 52,000 other people in the ground and someone would replace you heartbeat. With all do respect your opinion isn't as validated as you seem to think it is here. Like am I meant to be impressed that you enjoy going to matches or something? I know loads of people who do? "The length of the game doesn’t greatly affect a teams style of play." I never said that (although to an extent I think it inevitably would). Longer football matches will naturally benefit teams who want to dominate possession, which (other than Brighton) is basically the sides with the most expensive squads.

Are you trying to patent this phrase, LFEE? Not only do I rarely go to games, I actualy think the experience is massively overrated and prefer the pub I've felt like this since like my early 20s. It's completely besides the point though as what you're suggesting isn't really obtainable. The current most widely held belief amongst people who want to stop the clock is that we play 60 minutes of actual football (75-80 is a lot), which would be in line with Man City's current average. As for entertainment, how is a Luton fan going to enjoy watching their side have even less of a chance against sides with far stronger squads than them? Football is played in bursts and a 50 minute game isn't necessarily going to be less exiting or end to end than a 60 minute one, forcing longer game time just suits a slower, more methodical, possession based, rigid possisional style play.

Should be called Craig Mope

Again we had this last season. It blatantly favours a select group of clubs too, I just cannot see how this is great for fans in the ground?

We could do that last season and players were still absolutely fucked at various stages of the season, adding an extra 15-30 minutes (depending on the team) per week would be massive man howay The new rules won't do that, but any push for more playing time is pointless imo. Players clearly don't want to be spriting about ever more.

75-80 minutes of actual football would be insane week in week out man, howay. Would be like permanently going beyond extra time.

I propose 'The Super Seven'

Tielemans at AM?

Hard to say yet though isn't it? We've signed Minteh, Ashby, Kuol, Alex Murphy, Reece Byrne, Jordan Hackett, Jude Smith, Amadou Diallo, Isaak Westendorf & Alfie Hughes. We're seeing with Miley that we may have players in the academy the previous lot would have just ignored too.

Should have a bell that goes off when there's 1 minute to go, with the seconds counting down projected onto the centre of the pitch. The crowd can count down with it, and a horn will sound signalling the end of the game. Maybe set pieces can be removed during this time, and even an extra ball thrown onto the field. The lights could dim during night time games, with spotlights following the balls. Cheerleeders run out onto the touchline, a jet could pass over releasing smoke in the teams colours. The most exciting minute in football. The coaching staff can form a conga line as the 1-man-in-the-technical-area is lifted, and the referee rips off his kit to reveal an eye-catching lycra skinsuit, he stands onto a crane hook and is hoisted high above the turf, his mic is turned on as he bellows out God Save The King. 4 tigers are let out, tied to each corner flag by 3-metre rope. The perimeter of the pitch caves in forming a moat, piranhas patrol and the water runs red. A sniper team emerges from the roof, emptying hollowpoint rounds into anyone not joining in with the anthem. Rob Hawthorne and Jamie Carrgher are comically ejected from the ground by giant springs, and are replaced by Ray Hudson and Jerry 'The King' Lawler. After a double take, who's that suspended in lycra? It was Earl Hebner all along, they've brought him back from the dead and boy can the man sing. The ball is in the net and it's Dummett from 83 yards with a literal rocket in his boots. Not even the great Gordon Banks, aided by a gas-propelled jetpack, could get anywhere near it. Golden Goal rules and Newcastle United win the tie by 1 goal to 5. A stage rises from the centre circle and we're joined by Toots & The Maytals, "Pressure Drop", a fitting end to a cracking game of football. The tigers burst into a puff of smoke and Penn & Teller emmerge, a staircase cascades from the heavens and Bobby Robson joins them on the pitch. The moat fills with champagne and fireworks erupt above St James' Park, home of Europe's largest indoor rollercoaster. A pit roast hog is served, a dance is shared, and an effigy of Howard Webb is set ablaze. It's been a fantastic night in the North East as a scale projection of the Twin Towers dominates the skyline. The band is winding down and Earl has taken over the vocals. Sir Bobby heads back towards the staircase, which is now an escalator, with Sharron Tate and August Ames on his arm. "That'll do for me son" he says with a wry smile. We all clap.