Smal

Completed the 18th most sprints in the league this season which is pretty good for a lazy bastard.

There’s an element of truth to the January signings keeping us up though. Howe clearly needed a few players to fit how he wanted to play. We especially needed a left back and a left footed centre back. Ritchie, Clark and Lewis were costing us every game. We lost to Cambridge at home, couldn’t beat Brentford, Watford or Norwich at home etc. Of course I’m not saying it was all down to the signings but they were clearly a necessary part of how well Howe has done (and he has done amazingly well even with the signings playing out of their skins).

Yep, when Bruno plays at the base of a three he’s still ended up scoring a few goals. He doesn’t really sit as an anchor at all. He doesn’t need to because our CBs tend to play very aggressively and step into midfield to follow players and make challenges/interceptions. I would like Phillips so that Bruno can play higher, but if not I’m also very comfortable with Bruno at the base and having two forward runners in front of him.

Second half of the season. Two things: 1. We need more goals next season. 2. Shipping 5 against both Spurs and Man City kind of skews the numbers a bit. We’ve been excellent defensively. We’ve not conceded more than one in any of the other 17 games! Priority has to be forwards (and Targett) in the summer.

LET ME BE ANGRY

This is appalling man. These are shite and we're just letting them do what they want.

Wood is a waste of a shirt. Just let Cork run away from him for that chance. What's the point of him.

Only player who gets us up the pitch.

What on earth are we doing. Totally lost our control since the Wood sub.

Wood on for ASM seems like such a bad sub.

Fuck off.

Probably. Trippier has been trying but he definitely looks like he hasn't played much recently.

Murphy, Almiron and ASM all want to come towards the ball rather than make forward runs much. Problem is we don't have anyone on the bench who'll do it either so we just need to tell Almiron especially to run beyond Wilson more.

Really hope we don't go near Tarkowski. Lascelles is literally better.

Ref needs to get his cards out here.

Their defenders are absolutely terrified when you press them. Proper league 2 cloggers.

I really hope we send these down. They're fucking horrible. Bruno limping around now.

Almiron at #10. Bruno/Longstaff pivot.

There was a reason Ba got a move to Chelsea, like.

Nah, he's a lot better than Obertan. At least he's direct and can kick a football most of the time. Obertan was absolutely nothing. Should never have made it as a pro.

Are you saying Lodi is going to cost £45m+? Targett has a £15m clause in the loan doesn’t he?

Dummett has been given an extra year as a kind of stop gap emergency 3rd choice left back/left centre back imo. Him being able to play two positions means he has merit as a squad member.

Hard to say exactly how important his action was for the second goal. If he doesn’t win the challenge Arsenal have a massive break on because our entire midfield and forward line is ahead of the ball. It’s potentially 1-1 but he won it and we made it 2-0. He did really well. Have to be honest, other than that I think he stood out like a sore thumb and visibly was the one in the XI who is most upgradeable.

Why not sign him and Lodi? Rotate between the two based on the situation of each game. Have a squad. Try and win a fucking cup

Henderson isn’t that much of a step up from Dubs, so I’d be dismayed if we spent more than £10m on him. His wages are crazy as well.