Lush Vlad

I hope for his sake he is ill or feeling something. As that performance has been Boumsong levels of bad. If he comes out for the second half. Howe needs to be sectioned

So fuck. They’ve not been good away from home all season. Yet again teams press us and go brave and we have no answer.

Howe isn’t known for his proactive subs. But Wissa for Big Joe and Botman for Thiaw would be good at HT. I didn’t think Joe was bad. But lost his head since the pen and his dive.

I mean pen or not. Outside of a 10-15 minute spell. We were abject as fuck. Outplayed by a mainly Champo level side at home. Not good enough.

Still an absolute mess at the back. But at least we woke up after they scored. They’re not able to press so high and successfully now. Pushed them back a bit. Both teams wasteful in the final third. Get Thiaw off please. Mistake waiting to happen every time he goes near the ball.

Botman is on the bench

Nah. Chelsea and also some of his super aggressive positioning getting him rolled and then booked. Not seen it 3-4 times in half an hour mind.

Get Thiaw off FFS. What is wrong with him

Been coming. We’ve been utter wank.

We’re better playing around a press with Bruno in the 6. But if teams go super aggressive on him. We’re still utter shite at it. Just get it wide and then lose it or hump it to nobody.

Thiaw needs to come off. Looks pissed.

Fucking Don Goodman on comms again. Thought I’d heard the last of him on our games in the Championship. But he’s on every week these days.

Joelinton clatters people aye. I always think he’s a bit of an oaf and almost blatant with it. Which somehow makes it better somehow Cunts like Caicedo and Yates are such snidey, cowardly fuckers with some of their antics.

Caicedo is a disgusting player. Just deliberately stood on Berge and tried to elbow him before that.

Brentford’s scouting is superb. Lost Toney, Wissa and Mbeumo. This lad seems to be doing better than all of them. Absolute unit. Looks a nightmare to play against. I wonder if Brazil with give the unfashionable guy a go. Has to be a better option than Richarlison or Gabriel Jesus.

Chelsea’s discipline is atrocious. Need to start betting the overs for their cards.

Ah fuck. Awful news. Always forget his age as he isn’t really in the limelight these days. So my memories of him and his appearance are from 15 plus years ago. Coming up 75. Get well soon, King.

In his defence. This system relies heavily on the wingers. Losing Isak to play Gordon up top for a bit and then Woltemade. Who is a totally different player, hasn’t helped any of them with their form and performances. Murphy has been carrying two different injuries across the season and has lost that automatic connection with Isak. Barnes has been shunted around a bit and does tend to drift in and out of games. As much as I love him and think he is our best option off the left. Elanga has been piss poor and looks totally devoid of any sort of confidence or understanding of said system. All whilst the team has been very up and down and trying to transition away from just being about pace, power and off the ball intensity. That’s not to say I’m excusing him, though. I don’t think he has been anywhere near good enough and like I’ve said 100 times. I don’t like the way he plays the game the last 1.5 seasons or so. Whether by mistake or design, he is all the worse for it. I’d agree with his comments about stats if we were still seeing aggro, radge Gordon. As that’s when he’s at his best. But we rarely see that now and he’s not really good enough technically to be anything else.

Delivery has to be spot on too. Arsenal have Rice, Odegaard and Saka. All brilliant with dead ball delivery. We’ve been crap most the season. But been much improved the last month or so. Bruno suddenly realised he can whip in a mean corner. Tonali now and then. Miley. Hall was good against Palace. Just need to keep Trippier off them when he’s back in

Yeah they both will. But Barnes is pointless right wing from the start IMO. May as well play Willock or even Joelinton there I don't think Barnes has been amazing or anything. But he actually scores goals and looks to get crosses into the box. It seems like his first thought in the final third is trying to work something towards goal. Fuck knows what Gordon's is, but it's often wrong and ponderous. It's still a handful of quality games or halves, even, from him this season. Then just very up and down outside of that. Mostly down. We've done it to death back and forward though. So not much point repeating ourselves. I just hope he plays a blinder tonight and maybe Howe's comments work as some kind of motivation, confidence booster or kick up the arse.

*Has been the better player. But not for a long while. Not for NUFC, anyway. It's not all about G&A and there has been a lot more to his game than that. But considering other parts of his game have been severely lacking and Barnes actually seems to makes things happen in the final third. It just really irks me that he always has to make way or go to the right. Whereas Gordon can just be massively up and down or consistently crap on the left and that seems to be ok. Barnes is a great impact sub when the game is stretched, mind. So there is also that to consider.

I've seen the rest of those quotes. But I feel RUHRL may have added that bit in. Just to see all the people that are complaining about his barnet kick off some more

I may have been being tongue in cheek. But if he keeps progressing like he is. Then who knows?! I certainly wouldn't have had Elliot Anderson down as being one of the most combative and highly sought after midfielders in the league. Yet here we are.

With the way all of our midfielders play, I'm genuinely not that sure. I don't even think it's a bad thing and it's what we need at least one of our midfielders to do from time to time. But none of them seem capable of it. Bruno would be able to I'm sure, but that isn't his game at all and he'd be wasted doing so. He's shown from right back he can pick a pass between the lines. Just need him to start doing the 20-40 yard diagonal switch of play like a good few of our players have mastered and he'll be one of the best in the league

That ship sailed long ago, but I'd still love him here. However, he really isn't very imposing as a CB. He is still quite aggressive with how he plays, but he's fairly weak by a centre half's standards. Crap in the air and all. His reading of the game and ability on the ball are what makes him stand out to me. His passing must be up there with the best in the league and the likes of VVD.