Lush Vlad

I was thinking about the Arsenal game and looking further ahead, the Chelsea game, whilst out walking the hound this morning. I wonder if he might go to a back 5 or change the formation and style a bit, at least? Not exactly spoilt for choice with bench options in the midfield and forward areas. Yet fairly stacked at the back on comparison. Arsenal are free scoring and even if Willock and Isak are available. How long can they realistically play and how sharp will they be? Certainly can’t be risking them yet AGAIN in this. Chelsea are not great but recently played us off the park at their place when we had a similar team out and should have scored a lot more. Just concerning how easily we have been played through and how wide open we are against far worse teams. Pretty much been the case since mid-December and surely there has to be some give at some point. The few tweaks at Forest give me some hope he might alter things.

He was much more bearable than usual on this. Find his tactics stuff incredibly annoying and unfunny. Whilst also being interesting. Norman was also good. He should be on more. More succinct and accurate with his analysis. Too many regulars on there just kind of waffle on and bash out word salads for a couple of minutes. Resulting in fuck all of use actually being said.

I can’t say I’m arsed about him leaving. But really don’t agree with that middle paragraph. His first summer was gold. Pope, Botman and Isak. Targett made permanent was a no brainer (at the time). Been plagued by injuries/Howe wanting Burn for his system, since. Gordon in the January. Which took a while to come good. But fuck me, he’s been our best player by miles this season. Last summer was three great buys, IMO. Tino, Tonali and Barnes were all players we needed. With perhaps the former maybe being a ‘too good to turn down’ kind of deal. But either way, he has looked very impressive when given a chance and has age on his side. Hall is the only real head scratcher, IMO. You can use hindsight to say the windows have been disappointing because players have been unavailable and perhaps we did neglect certain areas. But it wasn’t like we were gambling (Tonali, cough) massively on players with patchy fitness records with those that we got in. Just genuine hard luck or something within the club that has been set up incorrectly (Ashworth and Howe to take some blame here, if so). But then we have also seen that FFP is a genuine issue, by all accounts and not just for ourselves. So we must have been hamstrung by that and you’re never going to please everyone or get as many in as you’d have liked. I guess you could argue about how much input he has actually had with those signings. But then that works both ways. Whether you think they’re good or bad buys.

Saturated Fati.

I thought if the contact carries on into the box. It’s a pen. Same as Burn on Ogbene. Schar was in the box.

22 fouls. Plenty of them slide tackles from behind or cynical ones stopping attacks. 3 yellows Wasn’t a footballing action or words to that effect. Wasn’t involved in play and going for the ball? so not deemed offside, I guess. Seems a bit odd that you can then give a penalty if he’s not involved. But it was a clear shirt pull.

Not having a striker was a hinderance yesterday. But it was compounded by Almiron’s decision making when we had some great opportunities. As is so often the case with him. He makes the wrong decision or takes so long to make his mind up. That the angle/opening for the pass, shot or cross is gone. He is in the same boat as Burn and Longstaff, for me. No lack of effort and have played important roles plenty of times over the last couple of seasons. So it is hard to be too critical. But they are constantly below the level required now and it’s magnified with so many of our regulars missing.

What have they scored now, 11 in 2 games was it 3 against Liverpool the week before and all? In the words of Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino “things are gonna get fucking ugly”.

Some of it is, sure. Nobody is perfect.

Give it another watch. The stills from the Burn thread make it look even worse. It certainly isn’t close range.

I have a feeling that we might play a back 5 against Arsenal. So probably getting worked up over nothing. But if Burn is playing in his usual isolated role against Saka. Without the help he was afforded against them from the wide men and LCM, like the last games against Arsenal. Then a lot of the flak coming Howe’s way about favourites and blind spots would be warranted. He’s been given the runaround against far worse players and teams. It would be suicidal tactics.

Yeah. That’s fair. Although he has never been quick and it is now being even more exposed for a number of reasons. We only have pace in our front three, currently.

I feel like Grealish has been turned into a Pep player and lost his maverick like tendencies. Now he’s done that. The fucker can’t buy a start and Doku who is much more of a throwback to direct and tricky wingers. Gets in ahead of him The technical level of players and coaching has gone to mad levels. But it can be fucking boring to watch. My favourite players growing up were Asprilla, Martins and then Ben Arfa. So always been a fan of a loveable, inconsistent rogue that in some ways, played their own game. No room for that in football now. Probably fair in Martins case. As looking back, he just wasn’t very good still love him, mind. It’s all Pep’s fault if you ask me bunch of robots.

*Points to Matt Ritchie “Right. Give us a hand moving this (to a new club).” Howe “MATT STAYS.”

His passing was off for a lot of yesterday I thought. Even when it wasn’t to Bournemouth. A lot of the time it was fizzed in about waist height to someone who had a man marking them I know pace is an expensive commodity and perhaps it’s a lazy and obvious comparison. But whilst I think Botman is a better technician and ‘defender’. We could really do with someone like van De Ven on that side. Especially when Burn plays. That is such a slow left sided pairing. He has been noticeably and understandably sluggish since the injury. We really need some pace adding to the back 4 in the summer. Not sure who comes out? As Schar and Botman have been quality and Trippier is our talisman. I’m not sure we’d spend a good chunk on yet another left back, either. Plus we know Howe, and most managers for that matter. Are not keen on rotating the back 4. But this season really highlighted the need for more depth and genuine options. Across all positions.

Jinx is desperate for Howe to fail and get moved on. Been consistent and got in early with his dislike of Howe, at least. So can’t even call him knee jerk.

Not sure I’d read too much into that, myself. Botman has been troubled by plenty since coming back from injury. He was never fast, but he looks less agile and not as dominant physically. He was given a hard time by Awoniyi last week. He is a big fucker, TBF. Watkins was awkward for different reasons. But the back 5 were decent as a collective against Villa. Not trying to be smart after the event. I’ve said this a few times of late.

Kelly was good a lot of the time. But there was plenty of space in behind him. Luckily for him, it was mainly Almiron wasting the opportunity. Be decent on a free. Solanke was a handful. He missed two great chances, mind and got gifted the first. He’d cost far too much money in comparison to how good he actually is.

I think that’s fair. I think Joelinton has loads of intangible qualities.

Clicked on it and I have him on mute. Obviously regularly posts shit then.

I said in the match thread. Hard to be mad at him for the slip. As he kept us in it first half. They were decent saves. But one tame shot and then one straight at him where he reacted well. You’d expect pro keepers to be saving those. Said similar in here and all. The second he was poor, mind. I don’t think there is a narrative. If you’re suggesting people like to blame him all the while. It feels like there are posters on here that will stick up for him regardless, just as much as the other way around.

They were mostly routine saves, I thought. The second Solanke chance he did brilliantly to react, TBF. But it was straight at him. I thought both the first half ones were more poor finishes than world class saves. I’d be annoyed if Isak or Wilson (LOL, like they’d be fit) missed both of those.

I love that he scored and booted the flag. Was too busy laughing to celebrate. Just at him seemingly, inexplicably trying to head it across goal. Resulting in him playing an accidental one-two with the Bournemouth player and then nearly blasting it over the bar. I had just gained my composure to do a fist pump. Then realised he was heading for the flag and started laughing again

I thought he looked really shaky first 5-10 from the early corners and free kicks. Then he was great for the rest of the half. Don’t get me wrong. All of his saves today are ones I’d expect my keeper to be making. But he still made them and they were quality stops. But then he goes and gifts them a goal and along with others, he is at fault for the second. Proper cat flap keeping. Tough gig being a defensive player. Hero to zero in seconds, minutes.

Shocking that. Didn’t even celebrate the equaliser. Was more laughing at Ritchie’s attempt to miss both chances I think he’s had ready made excuses for most of the season. Can’t really remember criticising him much in the heat of the moment or otherwise. But the fact that time and again Howe seems happy to set us up to play chaos ball like that is worrying and struggling to stick up for him based on today. Not anything beyond that. Been played through time and again at home to Forest, Luton and now Bournemouth. Yet not felt the need to change personnel or formation before or the match. Then reactive during it. I thought maybe there might be a slight change in tact after the tweaks last week. But this was the worst performance of the lot (Forest x 2, Luton and Bournemouth). A lot of pressure on Willock and Isak to stay fit and have an impact on our season. Because if we keep playing this wide open, with these players. We’re going to get battered a lot of weeks.