Lush Vlad

Man U with a very similar block to the one in cup final and not given offside. What are the laws, again?

He is. Feels like a lazy link because of it. Fair few Ipswich fans round here and they all seem to say he’s quality when I ask about him. Stood out on the few times I’ve watched them. Cracking delivery.

I always say it and I know others do. But Joelinton basically plays 2-3 positions at once. He plays like he has aggression 20 on his FM stats and is always chipping away at the ref, the opposition, anyone within ear shot. I definitely feel like he has plenty of qualities you can see and quantify. But also loads of intangibles. Every time we play against a mate’s team. They all comment on what a beast he is and that they didn’t quite realise how dominant he could be at times. Fuck lining up against him in midfield but if you had the slightest bit of athleticism. I think you’d look at the current 3 and fancy yourself in a battle against them. Assuming you’re a prem level midfielder, of course

Jokingly said to a mate last night. Going out would have been a blessing. To avoid the inevitable City or Liverpool away in the quarters. FFS Not sure a team has ever had worse luck with cup draws. Hopefully we get all the luck next season, instead. That could be 5-6, easily, the way we’re playing.

Throw in the fact the players back from injury. Clearly look like they’re playing earlier than ideal due to needs must. Or perhaps for other reasons. They have been taking a long time to get up to speed post injury. Isak and Botman have not looked right pretty much all season. Barnes hasn’t even got to grips with Howe’s system and has missed 3-4 months. Willock has played what, the equivalent of 5 x 90 minute games all told? Not having it that Longstaff is fully fit. He is that far off it. Trippier and Burn have been nursing injuries. I’m sure I’ve missed a few. Murphy?

Do other fanbases HOUND™️ their managers out quite like ours? I feel like he has had a few flaws and blind spots this season. But I’d say most managers do. He’s also been dealt consistently shit hands at every turn. The performances haven’t been great and there are some baffling things where most fans seem to be in unison on. But fuck me. I can’t quite believe how quickly we have turned on him. Loads on social media wanting him gone. Plenty of thinly veiled posts on here making it clear enough they want him replaced. Seems like everyone has got fed up of the perfectly reasonable injuries excuse and in turn, the ‘fatigue’ (NO™️) discussion and lack of rotation. So they’ve now just concluded that Howe isn’t good enough and he probably won’t turn it around. One season back up in the big time and we’ve become what the media have always said we are…..

I personally thought his performance was really positive. There were a few times where I remembered why he could split opinion. Held onto it a bit too long, a loose, casual touch resulted in losing the ball and sometimes overplaying a bit. But watching him glide about and burn past players again was exciting. It might be because outside of our front three. We’ve been slow as shit for so many games, that it stood out even more than usual. Either way, we’ve certainly missed that from the both the Joes for most of the season. Think it was a nice building block after Arsenal. Just hope he can stay fit now.

Based on CH’s work yesterday. He’d probably beat him

He now has that rare blend of pace, graft and attacking output. He must be close to our fastest player and you certainly can’t fault his workrate. That corner in extra time where he got back 50 yards or so to stop a counter. Was still sprinting full tilt after 100 odd minutes. His numbers are really good this season and all. 9 goals and is it 6 or 7 assists in all comps? Plus the penalties he’s won. Despite his numbers, his only real weakness I have noticed is his finishing. I’m sure he has had plenty of one on ones this season and even a few last season. Where he never looks confident or like he has worked an angle. Ends up going safe a lot of the time, or worse. Sort of rushes it and snatches at it a bit. Hard to criticise him at all. As he’s definitely been our best player. He’s available all the while and has been our work horse this season. Whilst consistently contributing with goals and assists.

Fully expecting another crazy, wide open game. Their game with Spurs was like that the other week and again at the weekend. Sheff Utd had loads of decent chances against them and they seemed to play a really high line and/or didn't leave many back on the cover. Their counters and the amount of men they throw forward is kryptonite to us with the players we have available. So I'm hoping we make a few adjustments. The Miley-Bruno-Longstaff midfield 3 will be totally ineffective if that's what we go with again. I actually thought Willock looked really lively last night, despite obvious rustiness. He was only a few loose touches and bad passes into him away from getting into some really dangerous positions. So I'm hoping he can play a big part. We might even get 10-15 minutes out of Anderson. Unlike Willock, Isak still looks miles off it. But guessing he plays and his workload is managed again.

I think he's actually pretty good and proactive coming for crosses/corners. It's more when he has to make a decision to sweep up. Generally, it's when he needs to come off his line to collect/clear or close an attacker down when it's on the deck, that I worry and you'll see him in no man's land or just rooted to his line.

He was Bramble’esque tonight. I thought he was brilliant until the mistake. No nonsense, aggressive and was passing it about with far more confidence than previous seasons, again. Then one monumental fuck up and he went to shit. Fell apart after that.

I agree. But like Gordon last season. He needs time and has barely played for us. Thought tonight would have been a good chance for a start for him. But they sat so deep and were so organised. That he didn’t have much space to operate. Just seemed a bit timid and playing scared.

62% Paulinha sounds like it’s a good stat.

I’m not complaining Felt like it was getting away from us. I’ll take it.

Dubs saved us with a couple of top drawer saves and all, though. For all the possession we had. We didn’t create many clear openings and a lot of the chances came from their fuck ups/the break of the ball. We’re through, I’ll take it. But I didn’t quite agree with the narrative Murphy was going with. It felt like they had plenty of chances to score too.

I felt like the quality of their chances were just as good and they actually made the keeper work. As opposed to straight at him. I suppose we were wasteful as fuck, mind. Just felt like they got their gameplan spot on. We certainly didn’t.

Stupendous performance. Their chances felt just as good, it not better than ours. 2-3 of them were more top class saves as opposed to twatting it straight at the keeper like we kept doing.

Blackburn deserved the win, really. Played so well on the break and I think a lot of our chances were from ricochets or lucky breaks. We were ponderous as fuck and toothless in the final third. Finishing was poor when we did get shots off. Still. Fucking get in. Dubs saved us in the first half, right towards the end and then again with the pens.

I thought Mad Dog was responsible for them? Was getting loads of credit after the Bruno goal at Forest?

Pathetic performance that. Hopefully their keeper dives for all our penalties. As we’ve been hitting everything down the middle all night.

Can we get a set piece coach next season? Fed up of every free kick in and around the halfway line. Taking a minute to take and just a lofted ball up to a a centre back.

We’d only get City or Liverpool away next round, anyway. May as well save us the pain here.

Lascelles in a nutshell there. Thought he’d been solid and no nonsense all night. Then goes and does that. Felt fully in control after the subs/goal. But think we’ll struggle now.

Not sure the half time team talk worked we’ve somehow managed to get worse.