Lush Vlad

It‘s not exclusive to this game. He does so much right and is so fun to watch with great physical attributes. But I always feel like he gets a bit greedy and tunnel vision too often.

Osimhen is so good. Whilst simultaneously a bit shit.

Decimal odds, no? That’s around 11/10 and close to evens. For an away game in Europe. That’s not exactly a generous price I don’t think. I’d expect us to be bigger than that.

What on earth….. Much better than the matchday graphics we keep using, at least.

I agree with this. For all Murphy can give you that moment of magic or deliver a good cross, a cut back etc. He is usually atrocious on the ball and makes some very strange decisions. He's getting away lightly with the fuck up for the pen/no pen on Gyokeres, for example. Rice did great tracking him off the Bruno through ball. But never once did I think he was going to get a shot away on target or get his body between the ball and the Arsenal player. I just think he has severe technical limitations and to make things worse. He is supposedly playing through an injury. I'm not saying Elanga has great technical attributes and neither does Gordon, really. But I feel like they would be our best two to partner Woltemade and for us to try and find some consistency in the final third. On the one hand, it is great that we are managing minutes and rotating. As we haven't done this enough in previous seasons. But it's not really helping Murphy or Elanga in particular. Certainly can't be helping Woltemade, either.

Barely seen them myself. But we've hardly set the world alight. We've already played in what are probably the two worst games this season against Leeds and Bournemouth

I watched ref watch and they managed to go through loads of our game. Even discussing the towel incident. But they didn't look at the Gabriel handball. Jay Bothroyd is terrible, as is Dermot, TBF. Not shocked that the Youtube comments were all Arsenal fans saying it was a blatant penalty on Gyokeres and somehow linking it to a Saliba penalty from ages ago. Strangest online fanbase. Even worse than the e-Scousers, somehow.

Ah. The moral arbiters of football are here. We are light on sanctimonious Liverpool fans on this forum. Welcome.

Hmmm. Not sure. He was very important in that top performance against Serbia. Two runners from the wings beyond Kane is what we need. He played well that game. So there is some hope he can start to link with Woltemade in time. Madueke is injured and Saka has been coming back from injury too, I think? I’m sure he often misses out on England duty due to a ‘knock’. I’m not even sure it would act as a kick up the arse TBH. He had a mini run of form around the turn of the year, from memory. But I don’t think he’s been much good since the start of last season. Not really seen anything in his game to suggest he is playing like he has a point to prove or that he is close to recapturing his player of the season form.

Needs the OG Clare Balding trim. He was unplayable at times with that lid. The budget Legolas locks are no good for him. If he could also start concentrating and not fucking up promising attacks with shit touches, loose passes and shots weaker than a 10 yard pass. That would be helpful, too.

Has he? Seen him do it a good few times already. Usually followed by his trademark hoof. He was nearly on the halfway line against Liverpool in the first half did it against Arsenal a couple of times and all when needed. EDIT - I know Kaiz loses his mind if anyone mentions Fbref. But if you go on there and compare to other seasons. His average defensive actions are basically the same as his best season for us and higher than other seasons. I think it was 18.4 yards this seasons v 18.2. More defensive actions outside the penalty area, too. Albeit a much smaller sample size this season, of course!

So we used to press high because Pope was so good at sweeping and covering the space in behind. Then we had to sit deeper whenever Dubravka came in. As he was always rooted to his line and we got caught out with it a lot after the first Pope injury. Great with his feet in comparison, however. So you’d think we could press higher up. Owing to the fact he can kick in a straight line? Now we sit deep because Pope can’t kick it? He’s never been any good with his feet. So I’m not buying that’s the reason for the change. That doesn’t sound right at all. I don’t actually disagree that we have been far too passive and negative. I just wonder if Howe is deliberately doing that to make us hard to beat. Before slowly trying to evolve and adapt. As we have lost some of our identity, for sure. I suppose it does make some sense. We’ve had a disrupted pre-season, he’s trying to bed in some new players and whilst also having very good options at the back in comparison to midfield and attack. Whether due to the time here in the system or just more depth at each position.

except Chris Wood was terrible as a target man and that isn’t his role. Nor do I think it is Woltemade’s, TBF. The ball barely stuck at all when he was up top and he was basically just up there to press and be a presence between the posts. His touch was atrocious and we just benefitted as a team due to the fact he had actually played there before and be wasn’t ASM. Always felt there has been a load of revisionism about Wood and what he actually did for us. Drawing parallels between Chris Wood and Nick Woltemade seems ridiculously harsh and not accurate in the slightest from what I’ve seen.

Mick Quinn?

I think as in most on here would rather City won the league over Arsenal or Liverpool?

I know TCD is just doing a bit these days. But I think I'd rather have Trump, Netanyahu and Farage as dinner party guests than him. Ok man.

Has he ever just accepted a decision against him might, just might, be the correct call Their players and fans do mirror his antics, for sure. They've gone from being total football and being known for if anything, being a bit soft. To being king shithousers, moaning about every decision, saying teams are dirty, too direct, time waste etc. All whilst leading or being near the top in a lot of stats that suggest they are doing exactly what they are complaining about...... I despise the cunt and no doubt he has had a shit ton of money to spend. But they're becoming quite a formidable and balanced side IMO. They can mix it up by going long, they're amazing on set pieces. Although the constant fouling and blocking off helps there, mind. But they also have so many technically gifted players and they were passing round us for fun at times yesterday. Plus unlike previous seasons, they have genuine options and squad depth across the board. They need to be winning something this year with that team, I'd say. If it wasn't for Arteta being such an insufferable bellpiece. I'd be rooting for them to win the league. City seems like the least offensive of a bad bunch somehow.

Heard it come in loads in recent times. Mainly the online statto, analyst types. Some of whom I actually like. So that isn’t necessarily a dig I wonder if it is pinched from American football? As in vertical (vert) passing routes.

I’m not that arsed about the pen. It’s the lack of a red card for Gabriel or them seemingly not even looking at it that has fucked me off the most. Totally unnatural way to try and block someone’s run. So it can hardly be deemed accidental. You see players get sent off for gently pushing someone in the face. Yet throwing both arms into someone’s head isn’t even a card?!

The usual caveat that I’m not an elite athlete. But after the ops I’ve had in my knee. I would often get worried that it had gone again when playing. Only for it to just be a slight twinge or something minor. Particularly after the first op. Which was ACL/LCL and a tendon. I think the nerves are more sensitive because of the scar tissue? Something like that, anyway. It was odd that it was his left leg he was holding. As it was the right leg that jarred. So not sure where the injury actually occurred? It clearly doesn’t look good though. His teammates all looked a bit worried and made a point to come over to support and comfort him.

I get we have to sit in and soak up pressure at times. But we pressed with varying degrees of success in the first half and even at times in the second. But we seemed to abandon that quite early. The possession thing was a combination of things. I think our build up from the back was non-existent and even worse than usual. It’s been a consistent gripe of mine under Howe. Pope was getting pressured more than usual or they were cutting off his easy out ball to one of the defenders. No Trippier or Hall at full back to try and progress us up the pitch with their passing. Compounded by the fact Burn is so uncomfortable receiving the ball at left back. He was getting pressured the minute it came to him, as well. He got a fair few hospital passes. It’s never really been Tino’s game. Thiaw and Botman are both great on the ball and had top games. But I do also think we missed Schar in possession, too. They were trying to look for the passes between the lines to the midfield. But they rarely stuck or weren’t always on. Speaking of the midfield. It also didn’t help that it was mostly non-existent and sloppy all game. Joelinton and Bruno were miles off their usual levels against Arsenal. The wide men didn’t get much of a look in, either. But they were also a bit wasteful when they did get it. I actually think Arsenal played really well on and off the ball. They knew who to press and harry and what to try and cut off. They also mixed up their own passing and would go long. But also had some slick patterns that cut us apart in 4-5 passes. Bad time for us to underperform and them to click and play a more positive game for a change.

He’s too good to not be a regular starter. But then again, Burn has been a colossus. I don’t like the 3 at the back. But I expect to see more of it. Also as someone else said. Perhaps Burn shoehorned back in at left back. Which I really wouldn’t want to see too often.

He’s been nowhere near the levels from when he was our player of the season. Not sure if teams have just figured him out, if it’s a confidence thing, him being asked to play a slightly different role/him wanting to play differently. Or just all of the above. Miles off what we require from him. Isn’t he supposedly our 2nd or 3rd highest earner?! Not really contributing anywhere close to that level and hasn’t for a long while.

We’re toothless in attack and never really look like creating decent openings from great build up play or cutting teams open. I know it is early days with the front 3. But we’re very settled behind that, with a lot of players that have been here a while. Not really anything new. But our build up play and trying to sustain any pressure with the ball is shocking. I get we need rotation. But we need to try and find our best front 3 and try to get them some minutes together. Haven’t a clue what that is at the minute. EDIT - this is for the season as a whole. Not just today.

I don’t mind us pushing for a winner. But he just doesn’t have the ability to kick it out like that. So no idea why he tried it. He’s actually very good at knowing his limitations and never overplaying with the ball. Of course the one time he tries it. He does that…….