Stottie

I tend to be overly positive anyway, but this could be just the opposition we need, a defensively suspect team who will be playing to win and not setting up in a low block. We've only conceded two in the last six, both flicked on corners that can be worked on in training. There's no reason to suggest Liverpool will do something Arsenal and Man U couldn't do against us. On the off-chance its a case of either/or and risking injured players, then by all means write this game off and go for it in the final.

With respect, there is no way Tottenham or Liverpool are getting to 75 points this season. They have far too many shortcomings. fwiw, in the last six games, we've still got the joint best defence, with only two conceded. Yes, we've only scored three in those six games. and that is poor. As it happens, a team with far more attacking talent than us, Chelsea Football Club, has also managed just three goals in their last six games. That's by a team with so much depth that Raheem Sterling becomes a forgotten man. This shows that its not just about squads, strength on paper, and yes I'll mention it, whatever fantastic sum you've just spent in the transfer window.

All transfer talk from fans involves speculation, but it cuts both ways. About players who are avaiable and not available. Ultimately all players are available if you pay enough and push hard enough. For the level of player we want, high-level desirable players, pushing hard enough may include paying them more than another club they have their heart set on. However, unless its Arsenal or Man City, where competition will be fierce, such players are now just as likely to get Champions League here as at any other English club. We are a much more attractive proposition now we are sitting near the top of the table. Unless Tielemans has a deal set up already with Arsenal, PSG or someone, presumably he was "available". The selling club would have no option but to sell. Leicester are not in a position where they can forego the equivalent of 1 million quid plus per game (in lost transfer fee plus wages) for him. Even if our January budget and FFP meant it was only one of a forward (Gordon) and a midfielder, there is still scope for us fans to debate which of those choices should have been made. This is a football talking points forum and it is a valid football talking point. The fact that we did sign one expensive player tells us there was money there to be used. Had we paid a higher fee for Gordon, but in installments, there may have been enough money for two players. Despite us giving Everton cash, they promptly went and didn't use it, suggesting they didn't actually need cash in after all.

Very poor performance today. Also concerning is that the main circumstance for it, the lack of squad depth, will be with us until the end of the season. We're still well placed, and have to be favourites or second favourites for fourth. So no panic stations, none at all. However, this was much more concerning than the draws against Palace and Leeds where we created lots of chances. West Ham was so-so. Conceding two in two games from flicked on corners is poor, and amplified by our (new) inability to create chances at the other end. Without Bruno, the midfield lacks creativity and can be dragged down into a battle of who can outmuscle the other. Joelinton seems headed for a suspension soon, but I doubt he'll leave a hole as big as Bruno's speed on the ball. We have a playing style that has evolved this season without ASM, Isak, and (obviously) Gordon, so hopefully the team and coaches will work on this and we'll see them click in better in coming games. All three have the ability to contribute more, much more than we saw yesterday.

Given how dawdling we've been on the ball, it's good to have Gordon on already, who looks to move it as fast as Bruno does.

Nice goal, and something to build on. I hope it gives Miggy some confidence back. Double figures for him, so well done lad! Bit of stinking first half, another crap goal conceded from a flicked on corner, but it ends even stevens and the match is there to be won.

Pleased with the lineup and quietly confident. Howay the Lads!

Just to wind up the Scouse Mackems, because it's their tune. Anthony Gordon took a notion For to join Eddie's team (or For to join N U F C) And he left Everton behind him Lying in the bottom three

As the xG or Haydn's list says, we're still creating chances, and what is important, we are creating them in a difficult game state where the score is level and our opposition is defending. As a pacy team, we'll create more on the counter attack when leading in games and are opponents are forced to try and score themselves. The West Ham game was disappointing, but no Bruno, no Isak, and a bit flat after the Carabao Cup semi explain that. Credit to West Ham too, who are not bottom half material. If he's going to play, ASM needs to be integrated back in, because the link up play to and from him was poor. Several passes in his direction were easily cut out, so its not just his fault.

Yesterday was the first time in ages we drew a game that finished level on xG. All of the other draws were us missing chances. Yesterday we didn't create so many. I'll personally start worrying about whether we are good enough for Top 4 when our xG falls off. An eyeball test of us missing chances would do too of course. It is possible to miss out due to us having good xG (i.e., creating chances) but not scoring (i.e., taking the chances), but that would mean that our strikers and AMs were not good enough. This is something many of us would have suspected anyway at the start of the season. Play Gordon and Isak and I think we'll be okay.

It's very tempting to think he'd have made a difference yesterday. It's vexing/frustrating that he had to miss the game, but perhaps not something to dwell on. Other teams have much worse luck with injuries than us.

I thought he did okay but that there was little understanding between him and Maxi, which lead to moves breaking down in turnovers.

Maybe as folk say, his time is coming to an end with us. If it is, I'd first like to see him play for thirty minutes on the same side as Trippier and Bruno. Just to see what happens and to mix things up on what teams will know about us. On the left, Maxi gets doubled up on with little attacking help from behind. We've had good moves down the left this year, but they are invariably counter attacks with Willock or Joelinton carrying the ball from deep in one-on-one type situations. I can't recall many times we've overloaded on the left and passed a way through. Had Bruno been playing, perhaps first sub yesterday should have been Miggy. Switch ASM right and play Gordon left. Since Rice was dominating the middle, the logic instead became take the guy who can't press off.

Disappointing. A bit of a hangover from midweek, which in turn was a hangover from 14 years or whatever from Ashley. I say that because the team should not have been nervous and Bruno should never have been sent off when we were two goals up at home. I think it happened due nerves emanating from a history of habitual failure, the lingering smell of Ashley. That free kick also sidelined Isak, a big potential difference maker today. Maybe its little stuff at the margins, maybe its the butterfly batting its wings in chaos theory, but these are little things striking me as linked in one way or another. As takeaways from this game, ASM is not something we can just switch on and off, he needs to play and be integrated in the team, which he wasn't today. While he scored, Wilson had a couple of great chances he didn't take, so not quite the great return to form. Gordon looked like the Everton player of last season, and his cameo was the clear highlight. Some laser pointer passing from Rice, who excels against us. It gets an asterisk due to Bruno missing, but a great performance from him.

Their goal was a bit jammy, but after that we're lucky to be level after letting the CH go at that free kick. Our attacking play has lacked the Willock/Beg Joe understanding on the left, with slack balls into and more forgivably from ASM. ASM has the beating of his man, but it's all looking uncoordinated and rusty on that side. Trippier and Miggy quiet down the right, so we need a bit of inspiration from somewhere. Maybe Gordon can do it. Great ball from Longstaff, btw. fwiw, the Mitoma pullback for Japan looked out from some camera angles, so I don't think you can say that is definitely out based on an inclined camera angle. The Japan one was only in when viewed from directly above.

My my hey hey Anthony is here to stay They chased his car, and he won't go back So he's out of the blue and into the black ... 'n' white, Black'n'white! Black'n'white! Black'n'white!

Bruno won't get to play against his mate Paqueta. It might have been interesting.

Fantastic result and great to be in a final! We beat three Prem teams, one who knocked out the favourites, so it's a great achievement. What a year! Great first half, with two fantastic goals, but also the most viciously punished loose pass of the season. The second half was quite nervy, in spite of us being two up at home with our great defensive record. It felt like the old feelings of disbelief creeping back in. If we do become more established, such nerves and collective bad memories will surely dissipate and we'll be in a better mental space that does not get red cards with 15 minutes to go. Along with Isak concussion, Bruno's suspension probably means we'll see more of Gordon and/or Maxi than would have happened, so I hope they can take the opportunity presented to them. It would normally be "Can't wait for the final!" but we're also competing at the top of the league, so in this case, there are three games to look forward to before it. HWL!

WOW!!!

If we signed Gallagher for less than Everton's reported bid, this becomes a 15 out of 10 window.

Since European football looks nailed on for next season, it would be good to start bedding in a CM now. If FFP is what it is though, maybe it can't be helped for the standard of player they want to bring in. Before the season started, there was still suspicion that Joelinton was not disciplined enough, with the ball or fouls, to play in a double pivot, but I think he's proved that wrong. If he can, that would give us three CMs who can play in a two with various options at #10, or the four who can play in our current three. Gordon left, Miggy right would let us play both strikers and still be defensively strong.

You didn't have to be Mystic Meg to see this one coming. Especially with all the Bernardo Silva to PSG links.

I expect us to have a nibble at getting someone's CM, but that it may well fail due to overcharging based on Jan window, us being Saudi backed NUFC, and us being Top 4 rival NUFC (for Chelsea in particular). Our lot keep stressing that we won't overpay. I see Gordon as a two-footed version of Miggy, and he eases the route to 4-2-3-1. If two of the front four can press that hard, then you don't need 3 in midfield. Not against every opposition anyway.

I would imagine the physical and tactical demands of becoming a professional footballer these days are so great than all of the genuine arseholes are filtered out long before anyone reaches the first team. This was still possible a generation or so ago, when players would have five pints on the night before. Back then, there was still enough scope to make it with talent and not so much application. Even the poster child for modern arsehole footballers, the now-aged Christiano Ronaldo, keeps himself in incredible physical condition. On the flipside, players are paid so highly these days that it is reasonable to expect far more of them. Football is one of the few places left for working class people to shine. Former opportunities in pop music and acting/entertainment are increasingly drying up, so we should not be too harsh on the few working class people left on our tvs. Not to the extent that it can affect them mentally anyway.

Sorry to big up myself, but this occurred to me when Eddie Howe came. I am pleased to say that winning the league now now looks a much bigger possibility now in Jan 2023 than it did in November 2021. If the high notes are a non-starter, even a DA-DA-DA chant would be a great salute to EH.