Lush Vlad

He's a Boro fan, isn't he? Does always come across quite well on that pod. Must be difficult to remain grounded and normal. What with every journo on there probably being the type that enjoys their own farts and would pipe themselves off if they could

I would agree with that up to a point. But his touch and decision making really went to pot. Hold up striker or not. Guessing it was due to him being physically and mentally exhausted.

I dunno. I wasn’t expecting anyone back in the next few games. Sounds like a 2-3 there should be back around Christmas time. If not a bit sooner. Willock is certainly a positive. It sounded like he might be knacked long term.

“Lost 17 years of his life.”

I just looked it up. He didn’t break a bone in his foot. Something to do with his toe and Howe saying he needed plenty of rest to let it heal and the time frame was 3 months. Fuck knows Need him back ASAP, either way.

Yeah. If we have designs on trying to compete in 3-4 competitions every season. Then he should be kept at the club 100%.

Hadn't really noticed it until last season, TBH and been going to a decent number of aways bar the Carver and Bruce days since 05. But you do regularly get people just standing where they want. It's fine a lot of the time, as some grounds have plenty of space and stewards don't care much. So you end up spread out a bit into the steps. But if you were somewhere with busy stewards, like how White Hart Lane used to be. Or a certain part of a cramped old stand like Craven Cottage. It would be a pain in the arse. Which it was last season at Fulham and Forest. Forest being a bit like how you described in Paris. Some absolute SUPER fan, who can sit where he wants, as he's older and has gone to more games than me. Only to then stand there in silence, occasionally chirping up to criticise our players. Fulham was good fun, but they had keen stewards who kept clearing the stairways. So it got a bit tight I usually go with 2-4 of us in total. So as long as we can still be sat/stood together. I'm not really that arsed. But I do also think it's ignorant and cuntish when some fans end up across say two rows, expecting you to just disperse for them so they can be with their mates. Which in turn would mean you're split up from your own mates. Then have the gall to complain if you question them on it

Light jogging on the grass and back booting balls about and taking the impact of challenges, landings etc. Are quite different things. It was a broken bone in his foot, wasn’t it? Let’s hope he’s ahead of schedule and we see him soon. Will have had plenty of time to learn the Howe playbook whilst he’s been out.

Not having the conspiracy stuff at all. Why not give a penalty for the Gordon/Hakimi incident? That wasn’t a pen either, IMO. But far more obvious than this and could have passed as being a soft one and swept under the rug. Even the Miley handball would have been more of a pen than the one they actually gave. Just sound like Arsenal fans saying it’s a conspiracy and like we’re hard done by compared to other clubs. Bit small time, really.

He scored

Almost feel sorry for Joselu now. Looks devoid of confidence and like he’s going to cry. 6 shots, 1 on target and that was more of a pass back than a shot.

Poor old Joselu has come on and missed 3-4 chances. One an absolute sitter. Bellingham looks incredible.

Our goal kicks are hardly any worse than other teams when they are leading. But apparently we invented time wasting and the dark arts last season. So we seem to be under heavy scrutiny from refs and opposing teams alike. A few seconds longer than a usual GK here and there does not mean we should have had 8 mins stoppage time. There is no justifying where they plucked that from. 4-5 minutes at most.

It would be great if they were correct. But in Barnes’ case. Has he even trained back with ‘the group’ as Howe always calls it? Been out a good while so would need to get up to speed and I thought the original prognosis was January? Him and Longstaff would be a great help. As it would at least give us another genuine option for midfield and for out wide.

Zaha always looks so good on the ball. Then regularly fucks up the shot or cross. Then reacts like his dog’s just been run over. Such a frustrating player to watch.

I’ve not seen backing off like this. Since Danny Simpson played for us. Man U have got in down the left about 5 times in 5 minutes

Yeah. That’s a heavy old pitch and it seems massive. So much space to run into. Which is encouraging Man U players to bomb forward. Really stretched now.

Great game this. Massively aided by Galatasaray being allergic to defending and Onana chucking in goals every 20 minutes.

Must be some Sunday league style shouts of “put it on their keeper. He’s shit.” What is he up to?! Two shitters from him. May as well shoot on site or try the same tactic as Dortmund at home from set pieces. Of putting everything on the keeper.

Always subjective these things and fans will always be biased, anyway. The likes of Odegaard, Rodri, Rat Bruno, KDB are all brilliant for different reasons, for example. Not comparing them as players or even their styles. But Bruno kind of reminds me of Modric when he was at Spurs. When they sold him to Real Madrid. Everyone pointed to his low number of goals and assists the season prior. Was like 2 and 1, from memory. But he is/was so much more than that. You can’t just judge every midfielder on G/A numbers alone. Bruno is the same.

I know he’s currently injured and Pep plays him all over the place when he’s fit, anyway. But a better midfielder than De Bruyne?!

100% this. I just got annoyed thinking about that Liverpool game again

I mean his frame and physique. You think he’d often get outmuscled and pushed about. But he rarely does and keeps hold of the ball when most would lose it.

He looks really one footed, not particularly strong and fairly slow. Yet he also dominates midfield battles and makes it seem impossible to get the ball off him. Really disciplined performance from him. If he had been booked, Milan would be looking a lot harder. We don't win many when he's not playing.

I am a critic of his a lot of the time. As I do think a lot of his play in the final third can leave a lot to be desired. However, the last two games, he has been insanely good. Probably our best outfield player across both games.