Lush Vlad

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.

I know it’s fashionable to blame our players that aren’t quite good enough. But our best players have been just as far off it today. Isak’s first touch has deserted him and Gordon has telegraphed pretty much all of his passes and then underhit them for good measure. Came back into it after that bollocking. Low bar. But the last 15-20 were so much better.

Class from Longstaff. Sloppy from Isak. Willock is pissing me off now. Playing like he’s stoned FFS. I’d take him off at HT.

Loafin’ Longstaff and Walkin’ Willock. So lazy and unaware both ways so far. Harsh to single just them out, I guess. As they’ve all been crap.

Wide men staying high. Full backs scared of committing as they’re often 2 on 1. Energy more like the 89th minute than 19th. So bad.