Stottie

I'm waiting for someone to say Thierry Henry or Luis Suarez. Andy Carroll has to be clear winner as most overrated NUFC player. That fee was about 100M in modern money.

Older Scholes as a deep lying playmaker hitting pretty passes but liable to get booked every time he tackled someone - yes. Young Scholes as an AM or box to box, hell no.

He beat Rio Ferdinand to a header in the CL final!

Yes, he did much better and they were great chances. The Wilson one was almost Cityesque interplay. The one criticism is that ASM snatched at the shot he sent over the bar after cutting inside. He had a lot to aim for and you should be working the keeper from there. Anyway, the Wood header, the Lascelles header (which was before the offside), the ASM cut inside, the Wilson one-on-one, and the Wilson airshot should add up to more than 1 xG. There is something wrong with the calculation there.

Even with Tottenham and the City game yesterday, it's still only 19 conceded in 17 games since January 1st. Fifth best in the league. 9 conceded in the other 15 games, including Chelsea away and Liverpool home (!) Given how rarely we get a two goal lead, the defence has done brilliantly to get us so many points. I would sign a CB and Targett, and look toward improving all the backups. There is so much deadwood in the squad.

He's looking increasingly like a write-off, not good enough to be kept even as third choice. He was signed under extreme circumstances, so there is no need to lament it. Blame Ashley for us going into the season with Wilson (good but injury prone under Bruce), Joelinton (a non-prolific second striker who looked lost at CF), and Gayle (so out of favour he never played). That's why we needed to hit the panic button in January.

How many of those were under Bruce? 20? Under Howe, we should have beaten Man U and came close at Chelsea away. These are only glimmers and we're still miles away, but let's count the positives. The summer transfer window should be another big step forward.

This sounds like a Chelsea away-type setup. I hope it works as well again (and we get the pen this time).

If you want a beautiful story of redemption, it would be Coutinho scoring a winner against them.To all the plastic Liverpool fans at least, he became instantly shit the second he left them, as did Raheem Sterling. My own suspicion is that if Liverpool don't stump up and pay Salah want the Football Writers Player of the Year deserves, he'll be off, and its goodbye to 90 points a season. He's still their key player. Of course, to their fans, Salah will be instantly finished the second he leaves them. The only reason they can give for not paying him is "because Liverpool" as if that's supposed to matter to Salah.

Small picture, this. Big picture, we've just been outclassed by the team in second, but that's how meh the team in third is. We nearly beat them at their place ourselves with missing midfielders, an experimental formation, and only two-three days' preparation. In the big picture, Everton are irrelevant to us.

Not a problem. Get him signed.

Ah well, not that bad. A big gulf between the sides, but we were one decent cross and header or ricochet off a point. A huge improvement over Bruceball. When the lads watch the video, I hope they focus on the tactical fouls, the playacting, and blocking of early freekicks. All of these can and should be copied.

Well played Krafth.

Poor from Wood, but we're still in this. It doesn't matter how much the commentators lick the Liverpool ring.

We're losing, so there's probably only a point out there, but we've got the equivalent of a Rafa "20 minute game". Where you stay in it with a stout defence and have a go in the last twenty. We've forced them to use Salah and Fabinho, so that stops it being a walkover.

Keep this up and there's a point out there to be grabbed. Just continue pushing and get a bit of luck.

Got me rattled though. Keep it up lads!

Just like the ref stopped the game at Anfield when Hayden went down, not. Bent as fuck league.

Disappointing. Gifted them a goal by stopping after the "foul". Liverpool look to be in second gear, but we're not making much traction. Nice pressing in the first 10-15, but it didn't last. We need to change it up, and I hope Eddie does it soon.

Should be 2-0 there. Thankfully a team on the beach counter attack.

It was a gift, but still only one in it. Stick to the task lads!

The other way, it would be "he went to ground and was not in control blah blah">

Dive #1

Neutrals cheering on a European Super League team!? Fuck that sideways!

In fifteen games since Jan 1, we've conceded 13 goals. West Ham have conceded 19. This is in spite of them having a better DM. I think this is fair evidence of their defenders (and goalkeeper) not walking into our team. fwiw, in those 15 games, we've also scored three more goals than West Ham.