Lush Vlad

Yeah. Fair play to the Spuds. Showed some fight and also some quality the last two games.

Is the art of defending dead? Or have these games just ended up as total mismatches for whatever reason? The absolute state of these aggregate scores

Are the knockout games usually this one sided? Absolute hammerings all over!

They have more celebrations than Bruno. Raphinha and Yamal alone must add on 2 minutes of stoppage time for every goal they score Vini is the same.

Fermin, too. He was great tonight. He wasn’t in the first leg.

I was at the Emirates for that one. That was sort of similar with how we capitulated in 20 minutes or so. I think they scored 4 at the end of the game. After we had got back level three times

Hate that super noodle haired smug cunt.

Mick Quinn was next to me. But he usually is in my local watching our game. Loves the Toon and chatting about NUFC. Just don’t mention the horses.

I thought he started terribly. Then from the first goal onwards he was great. Again, I’m not counting the second half and grading any of our players for that 45

I do think that fatigue isn’t as pronounced if we go in at 2-2. Mentally it must be so draining to get back into it twice. To only concede shit, needless goals and be back to square one. I felt like we were going to try and soak up some pressure for a good 20 minutes or more at the start of the second half. Then the fact we were 3-2 down, they really went for the jugular knowing another goal probably kills the game. It felt like fine margins for the first 135-140 minutes of the tie. Then that what? 20 minute spell absolutely killed us and ended the contest. Brutal at this level!

I worry about him at every set piece and his control of the box is woeful. But even as one of Pope’s biggest (and remaining) fans on here. I think you roll with Ramsdale until the end of the season. Neither are good enough moving forward. For varying reasons.

Got beat off Barca and Thiaw (along with most the team) makes a howler or two. Your first thought is to come in here to give it the big spuds about somehow being proven right. Even remembering the name of the poster who called you out and then tagging him Pure Partridge ‘needless to say I had the last laugh’ behaviour

You tell em lad. Bet you’re buzzing

Hope he can kick on now. But it is telling that his three best performances have come against Barca and their suicidal high line. It’s a shame we couldn’t get him involved even more or stay in the game long enough to cause them bother second half. Game was done after 51 minutes.

He seems to have no spring or power in his dives and he often seems to react late. Not that it matters tonight, as there was some ruthless finishing. But he has always been like that since getting here.

Our CB’s always play super aggressive like that and I think it’s an instruction. I think it’s a strength and weakness of Thiaw. As he is good at it. Mobile and strong enough to make it work. But when he does end up getting done. He often then follows up with a massive hack and a yellow or he gets sent the other way and teams are straight in on our fractured defence. Which is what happened tonight. He had one of his more Bramble’esque games tonight. Some amazing stuff. Some brain dead decisions and moments.

But then sitting off them and letting them get up a head of steam would/could have been even worse. It is also hard to legislate for some of the criminal defending, the slips, the set pieces. Chuck in the fact they also carved us open with some great play, as you’d expect and also that their finishing was ruthless for the most part. It was like a perfect storm. We needed to take our chances and make the most of our decent openings. I think we had say 4-5 in the first? Whilst riding our luck, defending a lot better than we did and hoping they missed loads of sitters. They didn’t create loads more in the first hour or so. But they ended up 5-2 up. The Yamal one was the only real howler from them.

Thought he was cooked at half time. Was doing A LOT of pressing on his own. Should have done better with the one chance he did get. That’s about it. He helps us in games where we have space. But we do also suffer with not having a centre forward in the 11. But the three other options are no better. He’s still our best option up top. I don’t think Sunday against the mackem orcs will suit him, mind.

I feel like you may be biased because of your love for RM

He started the first goal by showing a bit of bravery on the ball. Demanded it deep in our half under pressure, took 2-3 players out the game when he turned inside and got us rolling. Whatever the fuck was he doing for their last goal, though?! he’s not even looked. There’s being a risk taker in possession and there is being stupid I thought he was one of our better players first half. I’m only judging the first half. The second is null and void

No. Your main team are cunts and all Hopefully their deal with the devil has now expired.

Not hanging the blame on him for the defeat and wasn’t like he was particularly at fault for any of the goals. But that performance shows we should not be spending decent wedge on him. As a starter or a backup.

I agree. I just think Barca’s defending is suicidal and a good side that can defend space better than we did, will beat them with a bit to spare

Ah well. In some ways, we did better than I expected. But some of that defending is just so bad. We just seem to switch off in big moments or at the start or end of halves. Hard to be too harsh on the group, mind. Barca are unplayable going forward at times. Just a shame the score got a bit embarrassing and we gifted them goals. Barca will get dicked off someone like Arsenal. They are woeful at the back and we just couldn’t hang around for long enough to test them some more. That penalty totally knocked the stuffing out of us and changed their gameplan for the second half.