Stottie

We're very likely to finish above last year's finalist with the above players. That's over a 38 game season, not what you can pull out of the bag in two legged cup games.

On a hypothetical level, wouldn't Almiron fetch a fair bit if sold? Based on age, skillset and likely effectiveness in the future when we no longer have Trippier at RB, I think you can make a case for upgrading sooner while he would still command a healthy fee. Everyone seems dead set on us signing a new RW anyway.

We won yesterday and objectively made it more likely, yet the number of "oh but Liverpool" comments has exponentially increased. We also won our game convincingly with wave after wave of attack. Liverpool shipped three goals and had their woodwork hit at least twice, by a team with a temporary manager, in a game played at home.

Did well I thought, and we finally got to see some of that fabled speed. Still settling in, so he gets a pass on not taking that chance. The long ball for the third aside, most of Southampton's last ditch defending was actually pretty good, and we ultimately had to swamp them with wave after wave.

One goal every 105 minutes this season. Only Haaland is scoring at a better rate. Isak is one per 108 minutes.

65 points!

I didn't see conclusive proof that it was Almiron who touched it.

Liverpool struggled to score two against West Ham, something we and Palace managed with ease. They had to be bailed out by handball call to win the game. Spurs will probably give them more of a game than Liverpool's reputation might suggest.

Great graphic. I think we need a Bruno deputy in the summer, or a plan B not involving Bruno. If, as desired, we get a top class DM capable of tempo setting, then plan B will be much easier. We already have defensively capable #8s.

I'm surprised (but delighted) that NUFC TV (i.e., the club itself) has a match cam showing so many interesting hand gestures in the crowd. There are multiple crowd shots taken at interesting timing. I would normally expect them to be edited out by corporate sanitisation. That video actually celebrates them.

Clear dive.

Milner's only played 800 mins or so this season. No big injuries listed on Transfermarkt, and given Liverpool's midfield struggles, he probably should have played more. His stats suggest he's still got it, so no big reason for them to let him go. Their midfield is in transition (or should be), and TAA is being moved from right back, so transition at the other position they use Milner. It doesn't really make sense.

Haha, thanks! My knowledge of ice hockey comes from a 1980s game console called a Mattel Intellivision. On its game, the only way to score was a rebound. You had hit an initial shot that knocked over the goalkeeper, sorry goal tender isn't it. Only then could you score. Getting back to Joelinton, but him, Bruno, and Willock would probably all start for Liverpool. A team that was chasing a quadruple just twelve months ago. They missed the league title by one point and outplayed Real in the CL final.

I'm sure it'll be decided by final day, but still....

This must be a record signing for Brighton. If this being done is true, for Watford to agree this early, the fee must be more than we offered last summer. This also suggests we have moved onto another target, so I wonder who it is.

Isak looking very good at wide forward there. He was our best player at #10 in the league cup final. We normally don't play a #10 and have many who can play in a wide berth. With Isak and Wilson managing fewer minutes between them than Harry Kane, I think we need forward who is better than a stopgap at CF more than a big name wide forward. We could have 55 or more games to play next season. Buying the kind of dream midfielder, for me DMish but capable of deputising for Bruno, will push Joelinton down the pecking order, which is another reason to not buy an automatic starter at wide forward. Bruno out for a long period is the easiest way to derail a season, so we need an understudy. Anyone good enough to do it will be good enough for lots of game time at the expense of others. Add an attacking LB and a learner RCB and its job done with four players.

I like stats and post them quite often, but it's a joke isn't it. He didn't get an assist for our first against Spurs either. He forces a save and Murphy buries the rebound. Does anyone know if that's an assist in ice hockey? Lots of goals in that sport from rebounds. Football has stats for "big chances" and "key passes", so it must be capable of doing nuanced judgements, just not for assists. With assists being an oft-quoted, high-profile stat, its poor and only encourages folk to think stats are bollocks (they are not).

A goal resulting from where Isak receives the ball with that many defenders in place is Messi level. Maybe he'll never do it again, but wow, jaw dropping stuff.

Albert-esque!

I do not fear Liverpool, who are ropey at the back and ekeing out wins with set pieces. If you do fear them, note that they will not catch our goal difference with the single goal wins they are having.

Checking it now. Keegan and Ron Atkinson at Villa got more but not in a 38 game season. Redknapp's best at Spurs was 71. This was SBR's best total too. I might have missed someone though.

Linking for the info, not the video but wow, that's some stat. 4 wins and 1 draw to it. C'mon lads, do it for Eddie!

If he can work on his shooting, especially on body shape to keep more of them down, it'll be him, Bellingham and Rice every game for England and that could take them the final step to winning something. On combined expected goals and assists, Willock's up to 0.5 a game. That's Phil Foden, Alexis MacAllister, and yes, James Maddison level. That's on top of covering the entire pitch like he does. He just needs to finish better and turn more of those xG into G. Everything else seems to be there, discipline and (now) consistency included.

The one from the peachy ball in behind from Willock was a Mo Salah goal. Leave any space in behind and you'll need constant pressure on the ball to stop the through ball. The other option is to defend deep. A high line against that level of threat with no press is suicidal. The second by Joelinton was also a high line failure, this time to a ball over the top that was wonderfully controlled.