Lush Vlad

Aye. He was flexing his ankle and rolling it. Just a sprained ankle, hopefully. Not bad ligament damage or a broken bone like someone else seemed to be suggesting. I can't see that at all. I just checked when he last did his ankle. When the way he went over arguably looked worse. It was back in January 2022 against Fulham. He was back the next week against Palace. Fear not. I reckon he'll be back for Liverpool.

FFS. People don't do sarcasm and tongue in cheek comments on here, do they. I even put a saftey smiley I've already addressed Roderick on this. Who also totally took it the wrong way.

I wonder if it was some sort of shuttle run or an American Football style 3 cone drill. As I could totally see that. Accelerating, changes of direction, gearing down and then going again. Pointless having a shit load of torque and speed if you don't have the wheels to control it. Yes I was always good at shuttles and the 3 cone. Can you tell?

My Leicester supporting mate was always adamant Barnes would be better and more productive for us. I know Maddison has had his injury problems. But he wasn't wrong there!

Had the radio on last night on the way home and Pat Nevin (yes I know) seemed to be suggesting he thought Bruno hasn't looked right for a while, despite playing well. Praised him for playing through the injury if that was the case and said a rest might help. He was also waxing lyrical about Miley, so it's not like he doesn't pay attention when he watches us Not so sure on that myself, can't say I've noticed him being less mobile or seeming hobbled. But when he took his boot off, he did look like maybe he had it slightly wrapped? Could just be those grip socks they wear when they cut the bottoms off their football socks and them being quite padded. I know he did his ankle quite badly a few seasons ago. I want to say a shit game against Fulham? I don't think he missed many games if at all and that seemed far worse at the time from memory? Not sure if it was the same ankle. But they're always a bastad when they've been sprained or worse and seem susceptible to going again.

Plenty of players run off knocks or when you roll your ankle, hyperextend your knee etc. You have physios that can give their opinion. But if Bruno said he was ok to continue and wanted to test it, then there's not much more Howe could do on that situation. Perhaps he then should have got him off sooner after that. As he clearly wasn't right. But that's also on Bruno for not going down or getting the ball out of play so that the sub could be made. You have to admire him wanting to continue. But it's also daft on his part.

He's not quick, but he is quick, somehow. He won't beat many full backs in a foot race down the line and even when he's played in behind. It is more about the intelligence and the timing of the run than raw pace. He's possibly even our 'slowest' winger in terms of sprinting speed over 20 yards or more. It's more in tight spaces and when it is congested he can come into his own. I think it's his ability to shift the ball and get plenty of quick touches in to then fashion an opening for a pass, cross or shot is criminally underrated. At least it has been by me, anyway. He's really good from a standing start at just changing direction or finding an angle to move the ball. Much better feet and skill than I think I realised. That or it is something he has worked on as a player. As it used to feel like he was just a poacher that played wide who was lethal at finishing. But his all round game is much better than that.

Not sure we've seen that 4-4-2 shape off the ball much if at all this season? He used to often press from there and be the furthest forward. I noticed a few times Tonali dropped in between the CB's and sat deeper, as well. But not as much as someone else on here suggested. So that must have been a clear instruction for both of them and it totally nullified PSG.

Well, I am usually the first to give him stick. I thought he played well Apart from when he somehow totally fucked up that attack. Where he had a pass across goal, a cutback to Wissa or to go it alone. Yet he nearly ran it off the pitch and then we lost it. Like I said in my post last night, though. I think some of his decision making is poor when he has been playing at a million miles an hour. I don't mind it so much and can see past it when he is putting in effort levels like last night or Chelsea. There are certain players where you can tell what sort of game they are going to have within the first couple of minutes after kick off. Gordon is certainly one of them.

Scored 16 and conceded 6 in Europe’s premier competition. Outrageous.

I don’t think it has been a slow build up? Wasn’t his sort of game on Sunday. But he’s been one of our best players in basically every game since returning, IMO. My MOTM tonight.

After last night’s soft as fuck shocker in the Spurs game. I was worried that they might get VAR to look at Bruno’s. Proper Euro league reffing. No way he meant it. But it was more of a red than the Dortmund one, I thought.

He’s gonna go full Ben Arfa at some point. He’s been close to getting by the last man a few times.

TBF we can’t always press. Especially if teams just sit in a mid to low block and give us the ball. Away from home when teams have done that. That’s where a lot of our problems have come from. Not scored in 6 away games I think now and I’m sure we saw a lot of the ball in those games. At least for long spells or a half. If teams play open like tonight. We will always have a chance. Not saying we wouldn’t lose to better sides or have our press bypassed. But we would create and look a lot better as a team.

Not getting at least a point at Marseille and not holding onto the lead in Leverkusen is now more annoying than it was. We’d be sitting pretty. That said. It’s a quality return to the CL. Been in every game we’ve played and dominated in four of them.

Infinitely better. He executed the press to perfection. Seemed a lot more comfortable on the ball and went looking for it. A goal and an assist, too. Not too bad! Maybe he was just rusty and I was being far too quick to judge. As he looked a totally different player tonight. Albeit in basically the perfect game set up for him.

Chill out mate. He’s missed some easy chances back post this season. Barca, City (2 chances TBF) and I want to say Spurs in the cup. It was a tongue in cheek comment about him having such a back collection of top goals. He doesn’t want the tap ins. Just the bangers.

Terrible chin strap and all. Turbulent old night for him. He was shite.

Loved that tonight and just what we needed after a couple of iffy results and performances. It played into our hands and they were suicidal for most of that game. But a lot of that was down to our press and energy levels. Great that the front three all bagged. Wissa looked miles better, as did Gordon. Hall was superb again. But I thought Big Joe yet again went about his business and dominated. I think he’s been my MOTM 3 or 4 times since he’s come back from injury.

The best thing I can say about him. Is you knew it was a goal once he worked that space in the box. He really does just tend to score worldies or clinical finishes. When it’s a tap in or an open goal. He usually misses

Loved what he brought tonight. He is a joy to watch when he is back to his radge best and tearing about like he hates everyone on the other team. I get he can’t play like that every game. Either because of how the other team set up or his own energy levels. But the difference in the way he goes about it one game to the next has been really noticeable IMO. He is still indecisive in the final third a lot of the time. But I’d imagine a lot of the time it is because he is knackered.

If you’ve jinxed this. I swear on the old Gods and the new…….

Just be a sprain. He’ll be back for Liverpool I reckon. Maybe even sooner. Didn’t he do his ankle far worse early in his career here? We all thought he’d be out for weeks/months and he was back the next game or the one after.

It’s not ideal and I would have liked more rotation. But I’ve learnt the hard way with going too early with slating the team selection before a ball has even been kicked. At least wait until half time and we’re 2-0 down before you all start crying and moaning hey lads?!

I said I didn’t think we’d rotate much. But was thinking a bit more than that! Barnes right wing again is shite and Big Joe is getting run into the ground, again. Ah well. Into these stroopwaffel wankers.