Lush Vlad

You asked. I mean. Gordon as a RWB? We barely try him right wing and he seems to sulk there when he has played. Often looking reluctant to go down the line. That back 3 in both looks immobile and has a midfielder instead of a wing back on the right. They’re not getting much protection there. Why are we trying to shoehorn Osula into the team? What’s he done that’s so special? He looks like he has potential. But plays at a million miles an hour and a bit of a clown show at times. Do many teams actually play a 3-4-3 set up like that and with two strikers on the pitch? The back 3 and midfield 2 would get torn to pieces no? The second one is better than the first.

Willock being on that side and linking up with his old mate might. Barnes rarely looks fast for us, either. Makes some clever off the ball runs, mind.

No.

Yep. I was half quietly confident against Man U. But that soon went to shit. My expectations for his final are a lot lower. They are as their odds suggest, heavy favourites (80% chance). But teams have overcome worse before. Usually in a final. You’re going to be playing against a top side or at the very least, you’ll have to have beaten a side better than you along the way. Not many, myself included, gave us a prayer against Arsenal over two legs. Yet we done them 4-0.

I love Rafa. But if Howe were to move on. I think we will be aiming for a more progressive, younger manager.

I still think that Nunez game is the worst I’ve felt after a defeat in a long time. Completely blew it and should never have drawn, never mind lost that game. Barely said a word the rest of the afternoon and evening

Yeah. That was what I was referencing. Joelinton always seemed high and a bit wider. Unlike when Gordon seemed to be playing behind Wilson at Anfield.

It was more noticeable and blatant that day. But Bournemouth was similar. We never tried to join the party and just let them do it. Is it only Arsenal we shithouse now?!

We didn't play 4-3-3 the last two games, mind. If anything, I'd like to see us go back to it. As it seemed arguably even easier to get between our midfield and defence. Especially seeing as the left hand side has taken a big hit. In losing the starting LB and LW for at least 3 games by the looks of it. The return of Big Joe and Little Joe on that side might shore us up a bit. It worked to some degree earlier in the season. I think it was Arsenal and Forest where that helped us turn round the dodgy run of form. Although I have it in my head Joelinton actually played most of the Forest game on the right.

Krafu. Your time is now

Well this thread is absolute AIDS. Shall we start a combined XI thread for every team.

Why would his ban be reduced to one game? It's either violent conduct (3 games) or it's not and it'll get rescinded. News flash - it isn't getting rescinded.

I'm sorry. But what does that even mean? If we somehow win against Liverpool, a one off game. The Gods of Football will decide that we have used all our luck in one go. So no fortunate decisions, bad finishing from another team, flukey goals for us etc for the remainder of the season?!

Yep. Can hear the McCoist commentary now 'what a ball that is by the way.' Probably managed to get a IT REALLY IS in there somewhere and all

E. I feel harsh rating him so low as he was so good for us for a good few seasons. But you can't really say 'when match fit he is a C'. As he is never match fit and looks totally past it when he does play now. I think even if he stayed fit between now and the end of the season, I'm not sure he'd suddenly start looking a lot better. Injuries have caught up with him and he is a shadow of the player he once was. Even last season he looked like he was more of a D than a C. When he first signed, he would have been a B or a C. But with every injury he's got. He has got just that bit worse. Maybe a lower level PL club or somewhere abroad would take a punt on him. But his injury record makes for grim reading. For the sort of wages he'd be after, I'm not sure many would risk it.

We did appeal the Schar one, didn't we?

He was on the overlap basically every attack for the 90 minutes. Not surprised he was cramping and struggling. He must have got through an insane amount of sprints.

He should be backed properly in the summer and then we will find out. Unless there is some monumental drop off now and no European competition whatsoever. He has earned that at least. I learned my lesson after severely doubting him after the Brentford defeat. I think we’ll regain some level of form and by all accounts. We will spend a decent amount in the transfer window.

We didn’t play 4-3-3 the last two games and we looked even worse, I thought.

Yeah. The word favourites being punctuated was referencing this. I think/hope once we start to get better options or we want better options. Howe will move players on. Sounds harsh typing it out like that. But football at the top level should be.

The stars have aligned. We will get the Big Joe/Little Joe axis back for at least a few games and we’ll rediscover our form. Maybe.

Are you off your meds? What is this absolute madness

This is an Anthony Gordon level head loss. What a cuntish take.

Tend to agree. I think we’ll start to see his ‘favourites’ moved on Longstaff has been frozen out. Almiron was similar. I think Pope is the next for that treatment, too.

Some context is needed though. Net spend is always iffy using us. Seeing as we barely had any saleable assets and we needed a total overhaul. Which we’re still not close to achieving. Brighton’s scouting network is the envy of basically the whole world. They have sold players for eye watering profits. Forest took a points deduction after spending beyond their means. So were always going to tighten up a bit. It has finally clicked this season. Is what they’re doing and how they play sustainable? I have my doubts. Bournemouth is a fair one. Again, much smarter recruitment than us and they have a superb manager. Who is being tipped for one of the top clubs. Again, are they going to do it consistently and over multiple seasons? They did also get £60-70m for Solanke. As someone else said. The new owners inherited a shell of a club. No youth development, coaching staff, players that we could sell for decent money, loads of ageing players who aren’t good enough on bloated contracts etc. We still should have been a bit more aggressive and ruthless with our selling, mind. I don’t think that’s being smart after the event in hindsight, either. Plenty were saying it.