Lush Vlad

I’m just not sure pressing a team to death who will probably look to go long and play for set pieces anyway is a great tactic. Alderete actually looks like a neanderthal and their team is full of brutes. Not saying Woltemade is a physical target man or anything. But just don’t see Gordon getting joy there. The same as he didn’t against Everton and we changed it early. Although TBF, that was equally to do with Joelinton wide left and Woltemade midfield, I guess.

It won’t be Gordon’s sort of game up top at all. Not that he’ll get much space on the left, either. I’d be tempted to start Woltemade. Maybe Barnes and Gordon either side of him. Can always interchange and shift formation a bit with those three and the likes of Joelinton and probably Willock starting, too. Murphy and Elanga aren’t going to get any space to operate down the right and this game probably won’t suit them from the start.

Saw him last year. I thought he was class!

I thought this. As it’ll be all long throws and set pieces from them. Maybe even the odd counter, where Pope is superior to Ramsdale, again. But they’ve both been poor overall. Not sure rotating them in and out the side because of injuries and now form, has helped either of them. Not sure I’d trust Pope to come in out the cold and play well in a big game. His confidence seems shot to bits.

Soft as fuck that. Looked nailed on in real time and when you’re going at full tilt, it would knock you off balance. All that said. I’d be fuming if that was a pen and a red against us!

They will appoint Carrick and it will go south, I reckon. Not that I’m any good at football predictions or betting.

Been an awful game. Might come to life now. But I doubt it.

Didn’t a Blackpool fan do the pint challenge in about 30 seconds once? I remember a young Spurs lad doing it and just chundering on stage into a bin in front of a packed house Didn’t they have a dentist chair on the stage and at one point, a buckin’ bronco in the corner? Halcyon days, these. Take me back.

Ah. I’ve been a bit harsh on him then. He has a genuine excuse for going from crap to shit.

Aye. It’s my favourite song of his. I know they’ve played it for quite a while. But I never remembered them belting a out few lines of it and it being such a forced, pre-match ritual. That feels fairly recent?

Vaults used to be my go to. Greggs for a steak bake and a chicken bake. Ladbrokes to put an acca on and play the roulette waiting for Vaults to open. Get in there for £2 a pint and the rippers. I’d like to say I’m more cultured these days and I look back on that and shake my head. But I’d be lying. It was fucking class, TBH

Nike kits have been shit for a while.

Not even sure they are on the wind or trying to be polarising between them on each episode. I just think they are even more reactionary than this place/your average fan. We win a game and from all of them it is all ‘we are mint. We are fucking class. Bring it on. We’ll beat anyone.’ With loads of praise for players across the board. Whether they’ve played well or not. If we lose a few. They’re all doom and gloom, leaning into Howe out, everyone is crap and we’re a mid-table side. Hodor and Charlotte are unbearable. There are a few decent lads on there. But again, all very reactionary and not even close to being objective in any way.

I thought that was the idea of Steele being there. But maybe Ramsdale is the other training keeper

Ramsdale I know he’s picked 5 keepers and one of them is Jason Steele. But even so. That just highlights the lack of depth we have in that position.

He’s such a Barca fanboy. Whilst allegedly supporting Espanyol. He loves a bit of VAR and FIFA/UEFA, too. I reckon Julien Laurens hates him deep down. I swear he is always disagreeing and shouting at him on that podcast

I agree. Your brother should leave the country.

Got Euro Leagues on. No surprise to anyone to hear that the bootlicking bellend Balague. Is saying it is the right decision. To think I used to like that clown when he was on Revista back in the day. Can’t stand the smug cunt now. I seem to disagree with him on almost every topic

Shame we didn’t get a double penalty shootout. But one is better than none.

Yeah. I’m sure Steve Bruce would have gotten us to a knockout tie vs Barcelona

I feel ya. I didn’t get the usual anger and disappointment from conceding a goal. Then another. Then another…. I just felt a bit melancholy and down about it all. I think deep down most of us expected to lose after it finishing 1-1 in the first leg. But it felt harsh to get annihilated like that and the tie didn’t feel like an 8-3! Up until that point, for the most part. We had been brilliant and arguably the better team. I think I felt a bit sad and sorry for Eddie and the squad. As they had put so much into it and performed admirably. Only to get battered, anyway. I know they’re multi-millionaire footballers. So why feel sad for them. But they seem like a decent bunch and very easy to like. I also feel like it is the end of an era for certain players and that is certainly the last chance for some to play on such a big stage in the CL for us.

I think their movement caused us far more bother than we were expecting. Either because they got to grips with how we pressed and/or they didn’t show their full hand the first 3 halves. We didn’t adapt and they punished us. We could have sat deep and still got battered, mind. Burn, Thiaw, Tonali and everyone else, really, were getting pulled all over. Then they have the ability to play that killer pass, or have that touch that takes defenders out the game. Usually then followed up with a ruthless finish. I can take the moments where they carved us open. It can be naive or sloppy defending. Whilst also being a brilliant attacking move with wonderful movement. I can almost applaud it after the event. But conceding from a corner and a set piece and giving away two needless penalties across the two legs is an absolute killer. It’s hard enough against these without giving away soft as fuck goals. Half the goals we conceded in the tie felt totally avoidable. Oh and Ramsey’s assist but I think everyone was just fried by that point. I thought PSG and City have been the two best passing teams we’ve played in the last 4-5 years. But this was another level up. They took the absolute piss that second half and completely ended the tie in a 15-20 minute spell. When they’re on it. They are the best attacking side in Europe and it showed during that spell.

Have they? I doubt that somehow.

Who has been saying or implying this?!

Might actually be the game to go for more of a 4-2-3-1 and get Woltemade/someone in behind Gordon. Especially considering our options and how they are likely to set up.