Lush Vlad

I dunno. We weren’t always seeing more of the ball last season, were we? The more he gets on the ball, the worse he looks. He was always good off the ball. But he is lacking that agility with this injury and seems to be lacking aggression because of it. That’s before even factoring in his limitations. I think Joelinton, Willock (not in his current state) suit the setup as it is. Maybe Anderson and Miley in time could suit this midfield and also evolve and develop if and when the style does. Tonali, you’d like to think so. Not expecting a total change round in system or anything. But some players that are a bit better and more comfortable in possession would be nice. I just don’t see the point in keeping someone like that around if we can cash in and look to grow with better players.

But he is still extremely limited on the ball and has resorted to slowing our play down by playing it safe all the while, or worse. Just holding onto it and then diving. Which usually sets the other team away on a counter. He is definitely off form and playing injured, granted. But he’s hardly the sort of player you want to be bringing on in a game and if Howe is serious about wanting more control and possession. We can’t have Longstaff getting many minutes in midfield. He’s a Howe favourite and he clearly knows more than us. But I always feel like managers have their blind spots with players vs what the fans see and it has gotten a bit toxic with Longstaff. If there are any serious offers of £10m or more. I’d hope they’d look to move him on. He’s a poor footballer IMO.

Van de Ven being back fit is massive for them, mind. He basically covers their entire back line when they all fuck off up the pitch. He's ridiculously fast and agile for a big man. Bit off topic. But it would be a worry that he's already getting hamstring injuries when he relies on such explosive pace. He's only young, isn't he?

I did think he might be benched again. As the options from the bench currently are so limited, that we'd almost have to be finishing with the same 11 if he started, so bad are our subs. Possibly only really 1 change you can make, 2 if Willock is suddenly fit to play, at best. Otherwise it would mean massively reducing the quality of the players on the pitch by bringing anyone on. I also think Howe really sees Gordon as the starter on the left and I don't think he has started a game on the right this season? But it feels like needs must at the minute and we've not really had anyone decent to play on the right all season, regardless. I hope I'm wrong, mind. A slow start against Spurs and we're fucked. I can't see them being as wasteful as Fulham. It would be nice to go with what is our best available XI from the off. It's not really that hard to choose at present. It's a pool of 12-13 players

He was lively and much better than a half fit Willock. Could even argue that enforced change swung the game a bit more in our favour. Something I’ve noticed from him yesterday and in a lot of his games. It looks like he quite often wants too many touches. I mean. It’s hard to fault him when he’s trying to beat players and make things happen. But it feels like he’s having an extra touch or two in areas where he should be moving the ball on again and then losing it when we’re in a good position. It’s pretty frustrating. I suppose it doesn’t help when he was regularly up against Paulinha. He must have been dispossessed by him 7-8 times.

Great result for us that 2-2 at Bramall Lane. Shame Man U didn’t lose. But I just assumed Chelsea would win. So it’s ended up better than I expected.

Not wrong here. Saw my Grandma turn into a different person with Alzheimers. Typical Geordie. Tough as old boots she was. Hung on for something daft like 10-11 years. RIP Joe.

Chris Woodwork

How’s he missed that

I know it was a good deal at the time and he was basically terrible for us the whole year he was here. But if Forest stay up. Wood is worth far more than £10-15m or whatever the fee was. Some turnaround from him.

Chris Wood. Get him in the team of the year.

The bloke has a hex over refs, I swear. Only 5 yellows this season He seems to put in 2-3 yellow card offences every game I see him.

Fucking Liverpool. So wasteful. Man U have had about 3 shots and scored 2 Useless cunts.

That 3rd Rangers goal. Woooooooof.

FYP.

I dunno. Spurs, Liverpool and I think one of the top Italian clubs have all been linked, from memory. I’d love him here. Think he’d be a great fit for us. I adore Schar, but I’ve really noticed him getting done in the physical battles of late. It would be nice to have a different option on that side and genuine competition at CB. I think we need to sign 2 this summer now.

I thought he looked very good. Absolute unit, decent on the ball, mobile without necessarily being quick, looks a threat in the air from set pieces. I think he might have better suitors than us and/or get offered more money.

Fair. I still don’t think he’s someone who is going to beat players regularly through trickery and close control. The same way in the current team, Bruno (albeit with no pace) and Isak can, for example. I just think he is mainly a head down, get to the line/cut in and have a shot kind of guy. His mind is made up and he’s going for it. Which is fine. I don’t expect him to be twisting and turning HBA or ASM style. Nor would I want him to in this current setup. His numbers speak for themselves over the years. Excited to see what sort of goals and assists he could get in a full season for us now.

I don’t like how we match up at all. Assuming Willock is out or still playing crocked. We have even less pace than usual in the middle and the back 4 is slow at the best of times. Only pace we have will be up top again. Play an open game and we’ll get battered. Something similar to Wolves where we commit men on the counter might suit here. Anderson deserves a start regardless of Willock’s fitness. Barnes the same. I know Howe seems to like options off the bench and he’s probably being cautious with both of them after injury. But a week between Fulham and Spurs and then no game for 11 days or whatever it is after that. Need our strongest 11 from the off here.

His acceleration is better than I was expecting. Turns on the jets for the goal after the lovely backheel to him from Anderson. Did the same a good few times from standing starts on Tuesday. Whilst he’s not really skillful or technical with his play. Or even a particularly impressive dribbler. His passing and decision making is far better than I was expecting. Could and probably should have more goal involvements all ready. From what? The equivalent of 7-8 game’s worth of minutes?

Need to play in that kit for the rest of the season. He loves scoring in the highlighter pen kit.

He looked off it from the first whistle. These rumours about needing an achilles operation may well be true, then? Although on my commentary. They seemed to intimate it was from a knock. But it felt too coincidental. He was so far off the pace and it was his achilles, again.

Thought he was ok. Still very composed on the ball and he was aggressive when defending early on. Which actually counted against him. He wasn’t great 1 on 1. But I did feel a bit sorry for both him and Krafth. Gordon stayed high and Murphy played narrow off the ball. They were dreadfully exposed. Constantly had 30-40 yards of space to defend and often had a runner going beyond, as well. Also, Iwobi’s end product is shit. But he is a quality player on the ball. The same for Willian on the other side. Was happy when he went off.

Init I can understand people criticising the first half hour. As it was tragic. But we grew into it and despite Fulham having all the ball. They barely threatened second half bar loads of corners. We were a bit wasteful and arguably had the better of it on chances in the end.

Rights the wrongs from Tuesday that. 7 from 9 from these fixtures would have always been decent. Just did it an odd way round. Top quality second half. First half hour of the game was one of the worst of the season. But we had plenty of chances the last 45 and almost felt like we shaded it in the end on chances.