Lush Vlad

First win in the blue kit? I love it, but we’ve put in some horrendous performances in it this season. Probably more to do with the away form and not because it’s cursed like the old one was

He was clearly blocked. Botman doing a crap job moving VdV out the way. Pope not being smart enough to make room for himself. I’m just not sure he was ever getting to that cross and so I’m not blaming the goal on him. Barnes marking Sarr and doing a terrible job of it and then everyone standing watching the second ball get slammed home from 6 yards was more of a worry IMO.

No tah. He is far worse coming off his line (Pope one of if not the best on crosses stopped in the league, I think) and he had less than a 50% save ratio last time I checked. Pope needs upgrading. But Ramsdale is nowhere near the answer. Short memories on here. He was getting pelters when he was partly to blame for seemingly at least a goal a game when he was in nets

I mean. It looked crap from him. But not really sure him getting blocked by VdV and Botman cost us a goal. They’ve looped it back in no bother and Gray has a volley unchallenged from 6 yards. That happens all the while at corners every week in the league. It’s the Arsenal tactic and now everyone does it. Plenty of errors from him this season that have led to goals. One on Saturday even Not sure I’m pinning this one on him.

VAR is anti-goals. Shower of shite across the board most weeks.

Said it in the match thread and the Gordon one. He might have a bit of a formula to work with here. Fast and fluid front three. Runners either side of Bruno. Back to our basics and what we are good at with pressing and getting numbers forward. We look better with so much pace and mobility. Along with players that aren’t giving it away every 5 seconds. I get we can’t play like that all the while. We’re not going to play teams as bad as Spurs every week plus it will be interesting to see how we can rotate with that setup? Osula for Gordon at this rate….. Murphy for Elanga/Barnes. Willock could also push up into the left wing role, too. Midfield we have a few options. Or at least we did!

Wilson rolling back the years a couple of minutes ago. Just got his pace from 5 years ago back there

Brilliant for the winner. I like that the front 3 has some fluidity to it. Barnes takes up some lovely positions inside and often looks for the run between the FB and CB. Low bar. But Elanga looked decent first half and at times in the second. We lost a lot of FRET™️ when him and Ramsey went off. Gordon drifted out wider for the goal and was then direct there like he was most the night. Despite not rating him as a striker and his finishing being erratic as fuck. Maybe him pressing and being part of a fast, fluid and mobile front three. Is a way for Howe to go back to basics and what we are good at? Still pretty damning that he is starting up top ahead of the two summer striker signings and to a lesser degree, even Osula.

Should have come off when Ramsey did. He was looking fucked from about 55 minutes It won’t always work and it is probably more suited to away games like that one. But the legs of that front 3 and the runners either side of Bruno in the middle gives us some much needed energy and mobility.

What has happened to this Italian stallion? Looks half the player.

Hoping it is cramp. The way he suddenly went down made me think it was a bad cramp that got him. He did gesture like it had gone, though. So fuck knows.

Buzzing for him. Robbed of an assist and scored the winner. I’m still arguably more impressed with him in our own half, though. Always looking to play out of trouble and not shy asking for the ball. Might be playing a bit more if Bruno is fucked and he certainly deserves to be.

Bit sloppy towards the end of that half. Some ropey clearances and caught on our heels time and again for simple passes. But fuck it. We needed a win any way possible and we got it. Thoroughly deserved it. So happy for Ramsey. He needs to start more games. He might have to if Bruno is crocked.

*still not taking my own advice about complaining pre-game about the lineup. But my word. That looks grim. Going to get rinsed down both flanks and I don’t think Ramsey plays well in a 3. Him and Willock also leave a lot to be desired defensively. As @joeyt says. 3 strikers (who cost £130 odd mill) on the bench and Gordon preferred. Damning, indeed.

No Bruno? Not sure Wissa has done anything to warrant a start, either. But we’re hardly spoiled for choice up top, I guess.

No idea what he is like. But Trippier needs to come out the firing line. I mean Murphy in a 5. Thiaw in a 4. Tonali?! I don’t even think that is being hyperbolic to suggest any of those are worth a go ahead of him.

Time to try some other fucker at right back. Trippier can’t keep doing 3 games in 7-8 days. He looks past it regardless of fatigue.

Ha. Had a week off. That's like a month for most on here.

I listened to that Adopted Geordies pod with Dan Burn. He, like everyone else who has worked with Howe. Was saying what a workaholic he is and how he seems to never stop. He'd said in some really short window of time, I forget how long. That he had watched the previous 8 games Villa had played in full, prior to our game with them. It's also well known that he is pretty much always the first to get in and the last to leave. I think he has finally started to look and sound like a man that is suffering from the pressure and burnout of it all. It is one of the reasons I stayed off here last week. I felt myself getting more and more negative towards the football we have been serving up and in turn, Howe, I guess. When he has done more for this club than basically anyone in recent history, it's not really on to be like that and I think I hated myself for feeling that way. All that said. I just can't see how he turns it around from here and he genuinely looks like he is out of ideas with how we are playing IMO. Not that I think it is through a lack of effort or anything like that. He has put his heart and soul into this team and there are genuine excuses and reasons for a lot of it, too. Just like last season, I hope he proves me wrong yet again and barring some catastrophic run of results. He deserves the rest of this season as a bare minimum.

The home end might be. Away end isn’t. Tiny little serving window and nowhere near enough staff on for a pint. The floor ends up like a slip and slide, too. Seen three old boys go over on it and do serious damage.

Ah fuck. Beat me to it. Been saying similar to my Spurs mates for ages about this game

2-1 Loss. The moveable force meets the stoppable object. Their awful home form vs our dreadful away form. -1 each?

Not a chance you let Mainoo go now that chancer, Interim has gone.

Lamela is stretching it a bit for what he cost in those days vs his actual output. I know plenty of Spurs fans and he used to get pelters. Eriksen was obviously quality. The summer after that is irrelevant as is Kane. We could spend well this summer. It’s not a complete bust, the same way theirs wasn’t. As I still hold out hopes for Ramsey in a slightly different role and Thiaw has been mostly great. It just wasn’t a good use of funds and we’ve wasted on a few players, for sure. It’s hard to defend the rest. I like Woltemade. But I have no confidence in him fitting into a Howe system or him adapting enough to be consistently useful in it.