Lush Vlad

Fucking hell. Same knee, I take it?! I know they have more data than us and a lot more expertise. They probably want a player of that age to avoid an op. But that is terrible management. Could have been back and had a full pre-season. Now he’ll be back at the end of 2024 if we’re lucky and the need for a centre back has just got even greater. Seemed like when he came back it was clearly still ailing him. So a strange call all round.

I wanted pens. But was fun to watch as a neutral in the pub. Fair play to Man U.

That’s fair. But we all live in hope that Liverpool fall off when Klopp leaves, City finally get punished and Arsenal carry on being bridesmaids. Chance of us squeezing in there again

David Fofana as the possible back up/development option up front? I know he missed a sitter yesterday, we would be helping out Chelsea (again) and they may not be willing to sell or demand too much. But I have liked the look of him in the small bits I’ve seen. Which admittedly is mainly the odd cameo for Chelsea and highlights for Burnley. But 4 goals in 8 already for them and only 21. If Chelsea really are in the shit and need to shift players. Then thought he might be one they look to make a profit on?

Wasn’t sure whether to post this here or the FFP thread. But some interesting points. Whether or not the Saudis get the right people in place across the board to enable success and if we can do it within the constraints of FFP. I don’t know and nobody really does. Either way, I agreed with most of the tweet.

Willock has been out most the season, Anderson supposedly was barely ready to do 5-10 mins against Blackburn. So guessing he hasn’t been an option from the start? Miley seems to blowout after a half/55 mins. If he keeps starting after the international break and putting in such nothing performances. Then it would be a real head scratcher.

I agree with this. I’m actually partly relieved that it was confirmed he was playing through an injury. As plenty of people thought that was the case and whilst I’m not his biggest fan. The drop off from last season was alarming and unexplainable, other than him carrying an injury. I know Willock and Anderson are not long back from injury and Miley is just a kid and needed a break. But I do hope Anderson and Miley start getting some meaningful minutes in place of Longstaff moving forward. Especially as we now have two weeks until our next game.

He talks really slowly, though. So probably makes it seem worse than it is.

Depends on your outlook. I understand and appreciate this season hasn’t gone to plan. So there will be negativity. I was raging after Chelsea and felt that was one of the worst so called performances of the season. I understand the frustrations. But more and more on here. There are posters that seem so dismissive of Howe, the players, all of the factors and circumstances involved. It’s depressing as fuck across most NUFC related threads. Rightly or wrongly. I feel like plenty of fans on here, at the match, on social media and beyond. Have become impatient. After years of dross. A rebuild that takes more than 2-2.5 seasons is unacceptable and we need a change. That’s how it reads to me.

Truth hurts for people like you, obviously.

Plenty saying how they expected 6th or 7th as a bare minimum. But have seemingly decided to ignore genuine reasons and circumstances for why we are where we are and how that ‘might’ now be beyond us. Despite the fact we have 10 games to go. Their minds are made up. Reactionary nonsense about Howe, tactics, certain players being unfairly scapegoated (I’m guilty of this as wel, TBF). No patience whatsoever after our best season for 20 odd years. Thinly veiled digs about wanting Howe gone. It’s obvious reading posts who wants someone else in in his place. I’m not 100% happy with everything Howe has done. But even Klopp and Guardiola get things wrong and cop flak from fans. Nobody’s perfect. We have become a bunch of expectant, entitled wankers, it seems.

Based on your last two posts in here. You’re obsessed with odds from months ago and not looking at any genuine reasons or mitigating factors. Odds change all the while depending on results, circumstances and variables. Why would you quote out of date odds when you have a load of evidence to suggest things have changed since? Disingenuous? Or you just don’t understand how odds and betting works.

I tend to agree and I don’t see him as a CB in this team. However, Dummett isn’t far off the current version of Botman (jk).

This place is full of reactionary, manic depressive, negative cunts after a loss. But we’re the best team around when we manage a win and all of our players are top (apart from Burn and Longstaff, of course). The media had it about right when they said our fans expect too much and have delusions of grandeur. Didn’t take long after years of shite. For fans to become impatient, entitled arseholes. Bunch of absolute strokers.

We have played a lot worse against bad sides this season. Actually been better than I expected. But undone by some bad defending (again) and some hard luck. Think it will end up 4-5 nil to City in the end, mind.

Such a shame this. Played well in patches and have looked a threat going forward. But some of the defending is comical. We have been unlucky with the goals, mind. Although I’m not sure why Botman decided to glance that in. Probably harsh basing it on the slow mo. But such an odd decision.

Reguilon is having a turbulent old season

Sorry, but this sounds like Paul Merson levels of basic, simplistic analysis. Sort of talk you hear down the pub (team). There is no correlation between Coventry having a go away at Wolves in the cup and anything we do away at City this evening. I hardly think Howe is going to be using this match in his game plan. From what I’ve seen of Wolves recently against us, Fulham and Sheff Utd. They have looked wide open on the counter and susceptible to conceding a lot of chances/goals. With a lot of their first teamers missing. City have looked vulnerable against the counter at times, on the diagonal especially. Like our game, when we got two goals from it. The only games I can remember where teams have gone toe to toe with them and outplayed them. Were Villa, when City were missing Rodri and Liverpool last weekend. Both away games for City. Nobody really manages to take the game to City at the Etihad. It’s a bit suicidal. Especially with our slow midfield and defence. Also, we played some of the most cautious stuff of the season at home to Wolves and won 3-0. Then tried being very aggressive away at Chelsea and got undone by 3 pieces of pathetic defending and individual and collective mistakes. Plenty of fans were questioning why we changed tact from what worked so well against Wolves. We could play with plenty of belief, confidence and with the handbrake off and still get taken apart 4-0. Purely down to the fact they have better players and a better manager. Why not just enjoy a brilliant cupset. Instead of using it as some stick to prematurely beat Howe and the players with?!

Comparable.

Fucking hell. Scenes in the Wolves game. Just seen the score and the goal times. Was 1-1 the last I saw and just assumed Wolves would go on and nick it.

I’d rather Krafth and Hall as wing backs if we are lining up like that. I mean, I’d rather not play wing backs, at all. But that back 5 looks horrible and totally imbalanced, to me.

I’ve sprained my ankle before and thought it was me done for, for months/the season. Only for swelling to not really come out and be fine a week later. My first knee injury I had felt more painful than when I properly wrecked it the first time a good 5-6 years later and the subsequent 3 other injuries that all required surgery. Had to come off, felt horrendous. Again, swelling wasn’t too bad and I was back in a couple of weeks. Human body is fascinating/weird, I guess I said it in this thread. He’s like a rubber band man. Apart from when he first signed and he missed 4-5 weeks or more, I think? He has had loads of injury scares that have you fearing the worst. Then he’s back the next game.

That penalty

I knew Luton had injuries. But didn’t realise they had so many first teamers out with an already small squad. Lokonga, Adebayo, Bell, Lockyer and Potts (no idea on the last one) all start for them, don’t they?