Lush Vlad

Aye. Save of the season. Based on recency bias and because I can't remember any other saves

I can’t see us agreeing to let him leave unless we are very close to a replacement and have a few options for the position. Doesn’t make sense to let him go, otherwise and I’d agree that it would be a mistake. If that is the case.

Hoping for a wide forward type, that can cover as a 9, if need be. It would be great to have a genuine option to come on for Miggy and perhaps more of a goal threat than ASM/Big Joe/Little Joe if played wide left. Howe and Ashworth have both referenced shifting players, before we bring anyone in. So let's hope this sets the wheels in motion.

We really need some solid transfer news I come in this thread now and then hoping for some positive updates. But I just have to trawl through 2-3 pages of squabbling. Just to get to some nonsense link that probably belongs in the Twitter BS thread. We’re absolute fiends. Getting all arsey and fighting because we can’t get our transfer fix.

My Grandma on my Mam’s side of the family were all from Durham. Most moved to Leicester when they were quite a bit younger for work. I spent loads of time with them as a youn’un and knew the Blaydon Races as a song before I was a fan. As my Grandma and Great Auntie would sing it to me as a kid. Never really had many football fans in the family. My old man is allegedly an Arsenal fan. But I’ve seen them live more than him. Leicester was sort of an option. After that, the local team is Cambridge. Then it’s about an hour to Ipswich, Norwich, Arsenal or West Ham. If you’re talking bigger clubs. Nobody really forced anything. But my Great Uncle gave me a couple of old Toon shirts when I was about 6-7 and it stuck from there, really. It did help that we were good at the time, of course. But we have mainly been shite since. Only really got to a couple of games in the CL era with Robson. But it’s mainly been Clubber Lang style PAAAAAIIIIIINNNNN for most of my life.

Agreed. But they could perhaps make it not look so cheap and shit. I know wor flags has gone from strength to strength and perhaps I just wasn't paying attention. But I don't remember it ever looking that poundshop.

Whaaaa? Is there footage of this anywhere?

Gallagher and Loftus-Cheek would be decent, I reckon. Maybe loan with options or obligations after certain criteria are met. If that was somehow possible. Ziyech seems very hit and miss. Not sure he’d be the type to fit this setup. McSauce either looks like one of the best players on the pitch. Or like he hasn’t played football before. He’s a weird one. He also has the worst nickname in the prem Not sure any of this is true, of course. But I think the awful twat did call Wood and Pope correctly.

Just come in here to post similar. I think it'll be Wilson from the off, Isak to come on with him later in the game. Or if we are lucky enough to be heading for a good result, maybe in place of Wilson, with Tuesday in mind. Either way, I can't see Wilson starting this and Southampton. ASM in for Bruno the only change I'm expecting.

Class, this Funnily enough, on a similar theme. I was sat with an Arsenal supporting mate watching our game yesterday. I was talking to him about a game we both went to v Everton a good while ago at SJP. It was when Ryan Taylor scored one of his long rangers, off the bar and in. He started celebrating the minute it left his foot Top anticipation from @Paully here.

I was expecting to see a bit of a love in across the board. For his new found unselfishness and better work rate. But I've just read 2-3 pages of a pissed up Heron slating him to fuck and constantly comparing him to Sean Longstaff for some reason

I thought he was really effective. Not his usual cavalier self and wasn't skinning players for fun. But he regularly had 2-3 players on him. Which then gave us a bit more space on the right for a change. Once Isak came on and started drifting about. The extra bodies they had on ASM, meant he found plenty of space to operate. Joelinton was similar. He looked for the give and go a couple of times and all. He has looked a bit static at times since coming back in, always wanting it to feet and not stretching teams in behind. So that was another plus. You have to think he'll start against Palace now. So I'm hoping he will be the positive to come from Bruno being out.

Chelsea to overpay for him in the summer to beat others to his signature. They'll offer him a 7 year deal and £300k a week.

Burn does need to stop giving players the chance to go down and the refs a decision to make. But that was never a pen, IMO. The daft twat is in on goal, feels Burn with the slightest of pulls and goes down like he's been hit by Mike Tyson, somehow turning his legs into jelly. He was a moaning prick all game and it's hilarious to me that he decided to try and cheat, instead of score and it could have cost them the game. Feels like it needs to be said every week now to opposing fans. But contact in the box doesn't automatically mean it's a penalty. It's also one of those stupid unwritten rules, that means that would be a foul in the middle of the park, where it doesn't matter. But a ref or VAR are never going to give something so soft, if it results in a penalty.

Certainly hope so. I thought we needed one before Bruno got injured, with another one to follow in the summer. As I can't see Shelvey staying and we need rotation in there. Even if Bruno is only missing for a few games. I still think we need another CM this window. If Bruno is out for a month or more. Then we desperately need one in.

True. That is a bad example from Gate4. But when you go through their team. It’s not like necessarily individually they would get in ahead of players at City or Man U, probably not even Liverpool or Spurs for some positions. Or that they look outstanding all the while as an individual. But they are greater than the sum of their parts and all contribute massively to what Arteta wants.

He fits the system and Howe regularly praises him for his tactical understanding of the game. He does still need to improve and can be frustrating. In time, I’m sure we will replace him as a regular starter. But I really like what he brings and Howe seems to trust him. Which is good enough for me. Can’t have a team of superstars and we have shown that it is more about the system and the right personalities with us and players that fit. You could say. A bit like Arsenal:

Same comment as always. Decent player for the most part, on and off the ball, across 70-80 yards or so. Just seems to go to shit whenever he gets near the box. Snatching at chances, wanting too long to make a decision, not on his toes when the ball comes his way etc. Think he’s going to be playing deeper for a while. Hoping it might suit him. As he was better sitting in today, I thought.

I love him. He’s possibly my favourite player, TBH. But I think whilst he gets about and pressures well. He’s never going to go crunching into tackles and often feels like he shirks challenges at times. Not even a massive criticism, plenty of players do that from kids football up to the top.

I still don’t know what his best position is. He gets through so much running and is great getting forward on and off the ball. But the same as Longstaff, the quality is often lacking in the final third. Unlike Longstaff, he doesn’t seem like a typical midfielder. In the sense that he doesn’t put a foot in or have much of a passing game. The same as Joelinton. He’s just a bit of a hybrid, who really suits Howe’s system. You could replace him and Longstaff in the XI and I think we will in time. But anyone coming in wouldn’t necessarily have the same intangibles or fit in so well with our high intensity game. I think as the team evolves. Willock and Longstaff will become rotation players and not starting every game.

As if we got Andy ‘he has to be hitting the target with that. He should be doing better’ Hinchcliffe twice in a week. Felt like muting the fucker after 10 minutes. Schar or Miggy MOTM for me. Longstaff was arguably better dropped deep. ASM and Isak both impacted the game positively when they came on. Bar the pen, which was dubious and a couple of half decent looking counters. They created absolutely fuck all. We really are a nightmare to play against.

I’ve thought I’ve ruined my ankle ligament before. Swollen up for a couple of days, struggling to walk and then fine after a week. But I also didn’t realise I’d ruptured my ACL. So fuck knows

Awful that Bruno is crocked. But the main positive to take. Is that we now have a solution to teams that sit in with everyone deep. Isak up top with Wilson, with ASM pulling 2-3 players over to him. Huge win.

I thought he looked off it for a while against Leicester and then grew into it. Think the same again today. Brilliant play for both his chances. Second one was just a tame finish. Bruno being crocked is a disaster.

Not sure what their options are? With Antoneeeeeeeeee Robinson being suspended.