Lush Vlad

The dirty team and dark arts accusation their entire MO is being super aggressive and then shithouse, niggly fouls to stop counters if their press is bypassed. As for the Toon fans turning on Howe. Not even worth a response.

Better fit for them than Isak. Should continue to keep him out the team.

This is one way traffic.

Me neither. Watched it back so many times since. Best team goal we’ve scored in a long time and possibly the best under Howe? Recency bias and the quality of opposition probably playing a part in my thinking here.

Gambling is a dirty word in this country now mate. You’d be better off telling people you do skag. Probably draw less attention That said. The FOBT’s and online casinos are a disgrace. As are big corp bookies with their antics. Anyway, back to Amorim. Must be 4/6 that he makes some comment after tonight’s game. Just daring Sir Rat of Chemicalshire to sack him, again.

Am I alone in thinking Paddy Power’s banter is absolutely shite? Seems like most on here find it hilarious. Maybe one for the unpopular opinions thread.

I’d try Elanga left and Murphy right on Sunday. But I think Barnes is being made a bit of a scapegoat TBH. I guess certain players have more credit in the bank and Barnes’ timid style doesn’t help him at times. I don’t think he’s amazing or anything. But every game it seems like he is copping the most flak when I think we have players that have had far worse games.

Bruno’s scored a few headers for us

Yeah. To caveat what they were saying. They said they won’t keep getting away with playing like they have this season and getting late winners. I don’t think it was a like for like comparison on their game vs us and Barca last night. I suppose it is more that they play in Europe all the while and face that kind of style. Even if Barca are probably the best team to ever play like that. We are just a very unique team in how we play and are certainly awkward as fuck to play against.

Few Liverpool (I know, I know) fans I was sat with last night were saying similar. They said they hadn’t seen loads from Barca that would really worry them. But yet again pointed out how hard it is to play against us and they were actually complimentary about how difficult we make it. They would not want us over 2 legs in this comp, the way they were going on. Unlike a few others in the pub who just made out like all we did was shithouse, we’re dirty etc.

Joelinton is shite in a midfield 2 for a start and I just don’t think Howe likes wholesale changes too often if he can avoid it. Tried that formation at Leeds with a fair bit of rotation and it was a disaster. Only really worked well a couple of times against Liverpool and Arsenal from memory. Everton and Leeds was shockingly bad. It was actually more aimed at a couple of others. Where it seemed more like the team we’d put out against Bradford

The video of him where they ask him what the best atmosphere in the prem is and he says “St James Park. Yes” in a real squeaky voice. Gets me every time.

Some of these lineups Everyone is going for the TBG style today, it seems.

I get people not being happy with that front 3. I wouldn’t usually be and plenty weren’t beforehand. I didn’t mind it for last night. Made sense tactically and Howe’s managing Woltemade’s minutes as he’s our only striker for the foreseeable. But people seem to be speaking in absolutes. Like if Big Nick started. Then he would have scored, we would have had the same level of control early on from the press, the same threat in behind for their CB’s to worry about. You gain in one way and lose in another. Ultimately, we needed to be a lot closer to perfect than we were last night and we needed to make the most of our big moments. I’m not in a rush to blame Howe for the lineup or how we attacked it. It made sense but we couldn’t get that early goal. I do agree with most that Gordon is crap up top. But we don’t really have anyone else to fill in there as it stands. Osula has been even worse.

Guessing Thiaw/Botman will be in for Schar. I’d go with Elanga off the left and Murphy right. Maybe Hall to come in? Was Trippier off with cramp or an injury? Tino was miles off his usual levels. So he could come in for him, if not. Either way, we need to get Hall back in the starting lineup ASAP. I don’t think Howe will want to make too many changes unless forced. But we need to start using the squad better. Now that we actually have a few options.

Isaac Hayden on the radio made similar points to others in this thread. Poor in transitions, rushed the pass or picked the wrong one and turned the ball over too often. It was very noticeable. But then against a team who are the polar opposite. It is obviously multiplied ten fold and it’s far more obvious. Our press was great and we were brave with that. We worked the ball into acres of space at times and all. But it was as if the players were a bit tense and almost too fired up off the crowd and occasion. So many heavy touches or passes that were a good yard or ten overhit. Must be hard though. Knackered after chasing shadows and desperate to get it back. Then when you do, your technique lets you down owing to how much effort you’ve put in. I think/hope we’ll learn a lot from tonight and the players can settle down a bit in the next CL game.

Malick Cruyff.

Do tend to agree with most of this. I thought he’d look more like he did against Liverpool that first half hour. But he had that air shot. Then I didn’t notice him until near half time. Unless he was just falling to the ground like he loves doing. I’m not having he looked better on the left, mind or that he’ll miraculously return to pre-Brighton red card levels. Where he’d been on a good run of form, after a bad start to the season. Got to go back to the season before where he was consistently one of our better players. I thought he looked equally as poor and telegraphed what he wanted to do every time out wide. His technical ability and touch got exposed tonight. But he wasn’t the only one and it’s magnified playing against a team like Barca.

If he genuinely has yet another head injury/concussion. Then it is a really bad look on our part that we didn’t flag it and get him off the pitch. I’m sure similar happened in the cup final against Man U and it was used as a reason by some. Plus he seems to get a knock to the head every week. So it is surely something he is susceptible to?!

Everyone assuming he’ll be great back on the left. I’m not so sure. He had a quality run of games there middle of last season, 7-10 games, maybe? But he was crap/pouting before that. Then he got himself sent off and for the most part, we were a better side without him and he rightly didn’t walk back into the team. Not looking to pile on, as we need him. When he is on it, I’d say he is one of our top 5 players and his energy is infectious. I’ve just rarely seen that over the last season and a bit and IMO. Feels like he is overpaid for what he delivers.

Not really disagreeing with any of that and it is a weird argument for me to make when he scored. But Gordon went on the left and was somehow even worse than he was up top. Just a player in a proper rut and in a chronically bad run of form. Or if you want to be cynical. His limitations are being exposed and he’s been found out. I didn’t want to come on and be negative. I thought for the most part we matched them to varying degrees. Low scoring games in sport are decided by variance or moments of brilliance and that is what has done us tonight. I didn’t think after 67 minutes they were worthy of a 2 goal lead or that they were creating much. But they score a great header off the back of crap defending after 50 odd mins and a 1 in a 100 thunderbastard off the bar and in not long after. Harsh old mistress the Champions League.

Despite the goal. Barnes was miles better on the left than Gordon. That’s not to say I think he was great. I just thought Gordon was poor all night.

Played well for long spells. Their ability to retain the ball when it matters is a joke. Don’t take your chances when you’re on top against an elite team and you’ll probably lose. First two shots on target and they score. Still. Have to pinch myself a bit that we’ve given Barca a game. Imagine saying that 4 years ago under Bruce

Superb showing. Naturally fell off a bit after 25-30. But if Gordon wasn’t wearing Pope’s boots. We go in a goal up.