Stottie

Great points about the full-backs and Milner being the one versatile player you'd want. Pray that Henderson stays fit, because I think the whole formation will have to change if he can't play. With the pace and finishing there, the likely 11 will have goals in it, but its going to be ropey at the back and is not going to control the game against any decent opposition. An Iceland type situation where it lacks the guile to break through an organized team defending deep also looks likely.

If Rafa wanted to go to a more badly run club, West Ham wouldn't be a bad choice.

I don't think Moyes did that badly. I reckon some of it will be to gloss over West Ham's other problems, with the stadium and Brady and the club seemingly talking to factions of fans including the ICF. Allardyce was jammy as anything to get 6 points off us, with a much more valuable squad. Sacking him is much more understandable. Anyway, now the Allardyce and Pardew have been discredited, perhaps the media could finally fucking shut up about us being impatient and turning on "good" managers. On that score, it's been a great season for us.

Interesting to hear on the TF podcast that Rafa was more wound up by Penfold etc.'s inability to sign players rather than any lack of a transfer kitty. He made it sound like there was money there, but the club was too busy with petty haggling battles to get the business done.

I seem to remember Luque rounding the keeper and hitting the post in his first game. It might be old age though.

Going back to page 250, but I'd take a punt and buy Tammy Abraham, not loan him. (as one striker of course, not the only one we bet the season on)

Even on his good side, he doesn't seem to put his foot through the ball.

Plenty of go-down-soft players get given penalties. We don't get them for the same reason we never play against 10 men.

Gayle should have three or four more from the chances he's had, which is the result of getting into positions but failing to finish. He's also been denied at least three penalties, which isn't his fault and comes from playing for our club. If we have ambitions, and we should with Rafa around, he's not good enough, but there will be strikers at clubs in the lower half of the PL who are worse.

Boro last season were ultradefensive and still went down, so it leaves you wondering what the point was. It would certainly be more entertaining if more teams adopted a gung-ho Holloway Blackpool style, at least against teams less likely to punish them for making an open game of it. Realistically that means at least half the teams in the league.

I think they've got to give it to Pep if/when City beat the single season points, goals, and goal difference records. It would make a mockery of these achievements otherwise. Given the glee with which the press greeted Liverpool beating City in the CL, laying into Pep and glossing over the two big offside calls etc., I can easily imagine them giving it to Dyche however.

After the City games I thought Liverpool's name might be on the trophy and that just reinforces it. Things at the margins seem to be going their way, not necessarily refereeing decisions. City had less luck with them than Roma.

I missed the first thirty minutes, so didn't see the good stuff. What I saw was a lot of errant passing and poor application, typical of a team "on the beach". Rafa won't be happy, and there is no need for anyone who paid to watch that to be either.

50 pence heed

Rafa's going to be fuming at this.

Mitro Mk II

C'mon lads, fifteen minutes to go. Let's see something better.

Some woeful passing today.

I dunno if it was just an off-day or less time on the ball for him due to Everton's pressing, but Shelvey struggled to find Slimani as well as he'd been been finding Gayle. That's only one game's evidence, but it might be something Rafa sees as important in the big picture.

Mitro looked offside to me, but it was a great header. Mackems should have had a pen too, to add to the hilarity. Just pleased we're not in that division. Or the one below like our neighbours.

Socrates is my all-time favourite NUFC rumour, but Iniesta? That's a canny one too!

It took me seven viewings too. The ref is almost comically looking the other way and giving the play on gesture when Mitro does it.

If Salah on this form can get a team incapable of defending to the CL final, it's fair to wonder what he might do in the cagier, more-likely-to-keep-it-tight world of national teams. I think even the most ardent Liverpool fan would struggle to credit Klopp's tactics or Firminho or something else for Salah's first. That was simple individual brilliance.

I said it post-game, but I thought the ref let them do niggly stuff all game. Schneiderlin committed a professional foul to stop a fast counter about half an hour in and the gormless Madeley didn't even give him a talking to. It felt like a cue for them to just do argy bargy and stop us playing with any rhythm.

Bollocks. Pinball in our box. Fell to them. Quality finish. Pinball in their box. Straight to hand. No decision. Followed by second yellow foul. No decision. Other than that, lots of hustle and bustle and physical niggley fouls which suited them more than us. We were on an off day, but didn't get any help.