Lush Vlad

Really? I’d be extremely surprised and massively worried if that happened.

It is a bit of a conundrum. Do we stick or twist? All the cliches about 2-0 being a dangerous scoreline apply. Not sure I'd want us going with a back 5 and defending from the off, mind. Especially as Howe has barely done that from the start since, what, his first season? He seems wedded to his 4-3-3 and I think we'll just play this like we often do against Arsenal at SJP. The last two meetings have been incredibly tight, with neither side creating much. I think Botman and Pope should come in, mind. As I think they'll be reverting back to Set Piece FC for this.

Clutching at straws? Possibly. Am I nervous as fuck already about Wednesday? Yes. But I didn't get the dread and fear I was expecting after yesterday's game. Especially considering they won 5-1. First goal is a defensive fuck up from City. Admittedly they should then score again from another defensive/goalkeeping blunder. But after that, I thought City were the better side and Raya makes two top saves at 1-0. City then deservedly get it back to 1-1. Second goal Foden plays a ridiculous pass and they get a massive slice of luck with the deflection. The third is appalling goalkeeping. This place would have a meltdown if that was Dubravka or Pope and rightly so. Fair fucks. The 4th is a great counter and goal. City their usual wide open selves at the back. The 5th I think is bad from the keeper and all. Not much pace on it and not that far away when it goes past him. Just waves it away into the corner. Looked like an outfield player playing in nets all night. That didn't feel like a 5-1 game for a good hour and Arsenal were very open by their standards. We won't be as gung ho and light at the back as City were.

Can't see it. He has barely been getting a look in of late and he is awful on the left. His last game against Barrow he was our worst player by miles. You can't move Bruno to the left. As he doesn't have the legs to cover Gordon/Hall and won't link up down that flank in the same way Willock can, or at least used to.

I was more meaning the fact he came off with a knee injury and is now wearing a locking knee brace. Could just be a precaution, of course. But he surely won’t be anywhere near full fitness with such a quick turnaround.

I’d imagine Willock will be playing in place of Joelinton as well. Murphy on the counter, too. Plenty of pace in the forward areas and we won’t be wide open like City every time we attack. You’d like to hope we won’t gift them chance after chance from individual mistakes either.

“Well…. I mean…. You know….. Errrm…. Like. Jacob Murphy did kick the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net. But. Erm. He’s just not lush.”

‘Mistakes’ being basically nearly all of the billion pounds they’ve spent in recent seasons?

Seems mad that he has been struggling for form and also playing through an injury. Which I’m guessing has been a massive contributing factor. He has been playing through injuries and niggles for ages. I remember Howe commenting on him playing through 2-3 injuries all the way back when we beat Fulham 4-1 in the game with THAT Miggy goal. Got to admire the fact he always wants to play. But does seem like we could try and rotate him at times.

Very good Not glad the Fishmonger got injured. But considering the way he carries on. It’s hard to feel sympathy for him.

Let’s go Magpies. Let’s go! DEE-FENCE. DEE-FENCE.

They do. They just sound shit as they’re sung at 180BPM.

I would have thought this game would make me more worried considering it’s 4-1. But Arsenal have looked uncharacteristically open for a lot of the game. From 15 mins or whatever until City scored. I thought City were miles the better team. Just the usual poor defending and shooting themselves in the foot from City. Looking for the positives

BOOM BOOM BOOOM. MATETA’S IN THE ROOM. THERE AINT NO STRIKER BETTER. THAN JEAN PHILLIPE-MATETA.

Papered over some Grand Canyon sized cracks with some of their results. I don’t think I’ve seen them perform well under Interim. Maybe the Liverpool game, actually. They were well worth the point there. Apparently they were good against the club formerly known as Steaua Bucharest in the week.

I love that Mateta chant

Bit of a shit poem, that.

We know what we arrrrreeeee. PSR Champions. You’ll never sing that.

Yep.

Noticed that. It was against Bassey. There was definitely an opportunity to try and play the ball near the box. But decided against it and then he was the wrong side of the man and the ball. Certainly not worth giving him shit over. But I did think it was a bit odd he didn’t challenge for it when he had the pace. Side note. Bassey did really well against Isak yesterday. He looks a cart horse at times. But he’s a right unit and probably their best player after Jimenez. The service to Isak was mostly shit, mind. It was also the second home game in a row where Isak and the wide men often stayed high and not as involved. Doesn’t work at all. Especially for Isak.

Great business and certainly seems like we are trying to be pretty ruthless with moving on any sellable assets we have, if they’re not contributing much. It is a more aggressive approach and maybe more of a gamble than before. All the noise around Kelly, Almiron, Targett, Trippier, Longstaff, Dubravka. It looks like a bit of a mini-rebuild is on the way in the summer. @ponsaelius had it right. We actually have a lot of senior players. We just have a lot of, well, harsh to call them dead wood. But not far off. They’re not really viable options for the first team. I agree that I think we would be better off moving on 2-3 of the squad filler types if it means one first team starter or genuine rotation option kind of player can come in. Some of the current starters are realistically going to be more bit part moving forward if we want to be consistently competing for the top 4.

*Killer Joe. Although Fritzl would be worse and more drawn out

Is it extra time after 90 minutes if level on aggregate or still straight to pens. Arsenal 5/1 to qualify….. Worth the reverse jinx

Scummy cunts.