Lush Vlad

Oof. Heard ‘minor’ hamstring strain from the commentators and thought it might just be a game or two. Can’t be playing Tino for 90 mins every week. He’ll be fucked by the new year.

Just realised watching MOTD that he won the corner that led to the goal and he recycled possession for Murphy to get his cross in. Also involved in all the carnage near the goal line. Embarrassing that Donnarumma thinks that’s a foul Arsenal do far worse every week and it’s never even mentioned.

Not always a fan of passion merchants. But when it is combined with quality and it feels and looks so genuine. It is fucking amazing.

Should is a bit harsh. I think could have, for sure. His two goals were harder chances than the two he missed. He made the second look easy. The first was barely a chance. The open goal and what would usually be a Barnes special in the first 30 seconds are bad misses for him.

Since I’ve been watching football. They almost never get given. So I’m not sure they can have many complaints. Seems to be one most weeks and the commentators give it “he’s done just enough to put him off there.” Which is usually a foul after the ball has gone

I’d love him to stay. But depends on what he is asking for. Bruno is our highest earner, I think? Based on reports anyway. That’s probably deserved if true. Gordon allegedly next, which isn’t deserved. If he wants somewhere in that bracket. I don’t think he would deserve that for his role within the team and his injury history. But at the same time, Burn and Schar aren’t getting any younger. So we’d be replacing 3 CB’s in a short space of time. I think he has mainly been brilliant in the CL this season. But had some iffy games in the league.

We managed to get him involved more last night, mind. Missed a sitter and another great chance. The build up for his goal was class from him. Scored two. Was unlucky with some great play to not have an assist when he played Woltemade through. First half, despite the misses. His all round play outside the box seemed much better. His decision making on the ball was usually spot on and looked dangerous whenever he drifted infield. Even nailed someone with a slide tackle at one point

Oh I don’t disagree on him looking like he has lost some self-belief and is unsure of himself. I just can’t believe the amount of people moaning that he wasn’t chasing lost causes and tearing about like a Springer Spaniel/Osula I’m sure those were the tactical instructions from Howe

Yep. We definitely needed a headless chicken when everyone else was camped in our half and defending like a unit, really tight together.

I thought the corners looked better last night. Not totally shit, anyway. Didn’t the goal come from retaining possession after a dangerous corner? It looked like we were trying a variation of one of the Arsenal corners from a season or two ago. Although the timing was a bit off. We had everyone at the back post close in on goal. Who then all came into the 6 yard box and right on top of Donnarumma. A few times the delivery was excellent from Tonali. I think he has tried before and been a bit crap. But it’s mad that Murphy is our best crosser of the ball from open play. But is never considered for set pieces.

I can’t believe he didn’t go and press 4 players on his own. While we sat with deep, rigid lines of 5 and 4 behind him. Who weren’t pressing at all. At least make yourself look busy. Even if running about like a twat isn’t good for the team and you’ll get bypassed with ease. Shite. Get rid.

6 goals and 2 assists already this season. He’s had a goal involvement every 104 minutes. Small’ish sample. But he simply has to be starting games regularly. If he hits a bit of a rough patch. He has surely earned a bit of time. Shouldn’t be shifted to the right or dropped for Gordon on all known form this year.

I thought he was no better or worse than usual. Just very lenient and didn’t want to get his cards out. He was never giving that penalty.

Many happy returns. I hope you get a bonk on your birthday.

I still refuse to believe he can carry on being this bad. But a lot of things at play here. Maybe his injuries really have caught up with him and he has lost his agility and pace. He’s never been one that could manage an intense 90 minutes anyway. 60-70 at most. Maybe he has lost all his hunger and drive now he’s made it and got to a big club and huge payday. Certainly looks more and more like he downed tools for us after the final. Must be quite hard to turn it off for so long, go on strike and miss pre-season. Then try and just turn it back on again. Finally, it is also becoming more apparent. That our style and players suited him down to the ground. Fast breaks, direct attacks, wingers who were always trying to find him, midfielders and defenders wanting to find him early and in space. Now he is playing in some slow build up shite, he isn’t the main man, his skillset doesn’t suit and he’s a big part of why they look so disjointed. Well, that and because Slot has been serving up slop for a while now.

The Ed Reed of proper football.

Loved that he was ready to stove Pep’s head in at the end. He’s such a mental fucker. Full head loss Does cost us now and again. Still funny though

He is such a likeable lad as well. Really humble and cheerful all the while. Maybe could do with getting some lessons from Shearer on how to be more of a nasty cunt when he needs to be. Although not too far. As we have VAR nowadays

All the tactical analysis pieces about our bad form recently focused on this. Basically how teams had wised up to him and how good he is on the ball. But also his lack of pace to go behind. Centre backs regularly following him about and getting very tight on his first touch. We haven’t really figured out how to exploit the space this can leave, until tonight. No runners beyond, nobody there for him to lay it off to, wide men 20-30 yards away on the touchline etc. We seemed to want to move the ball quicker and with more purpose tonight and it certainly helped. Said for a while out of all our wide men. That Barnes will be best suited to playing with Woltemade. Glad he is now showing that. At least I got something right for once

So he could or he couldn’t care less? Sorry, always hated that shite American take on that saying.

Someone did. But he may have been taking the piss Like I said. I can’t tell who is being serious out of you negative nitpicking Nellies.

Perfect team for us to play in a sense. Obviously they’re full of quality and world class players. But Howe seems so good setting up against teams like that. When there is space to work with and teams don’t fully respect us and sit off and a bit deeper. That’s when we’re at our best. Small tweaks around the positions Woltemade took up, Bruno moving central and deeper, Schar coming back in to give us a bit more quality on the ball and some leadership. Then the return to pressing like we did a couple of seasons ago when we had the chance and looking to go fast and direct with attacks and counters. Having two elite full backs helped and all. Not a bad way to return to form! Now just to sort that away form out.

He just falls into the sort of, not good or bad category, for me. Or not long enough on the pitch to even rate him. The same as the papers when they do their player ratings. Felt like Pope, Botman, Joelinton, Willock and Elanga. All were just average. Neither good nor bad. But for some reason there’s people in here frothing at the mouth. Because his laziness somehow nearly cost us the game and they’re fucked off that he wasn’t sprinting about aimlessly like a twat. Go and have a victory wank and calm the fuck down.

Not even sure who is taking the piss and who is being serious now

Loves an early cross. He isn’t great on the ball or when he drifts in field. But when he stays wide and plays like an old fashioned winger. He’s pretty lethal. Could have had 2-3 assists tonight.