Smal

that’s nuts, he’s been out for ages already and they’re still not sure whether he needs an operation or not? How does that even work?

Joao Pedro does look like he’s got the potential to be a very complete player. Really like what I’ve seen of him this season.

he has looked slow, unfit and incapable of challenging for anything since he came back from injury. It's everything to do with fitness.

ignore the contents of the bad tweet but Isak definitely looks like someone who is not physically ready to play there. Don't know how/why he was on the pitch. The ref outruns him comfortably.

We really were fantastic in the first half, which makes the second more gutting tbh. Lost our composure more than anything.

I do wonder what's going on with him, like. Physically he's nowhere near neither with his pace, fitness or strength. Is he just having injections to play with an injury without pain?

Pope almost certainly saves that one, and I reckon he has a chance with the first as well tbh. Ah, why am I doing this.

Trips can hardly walk by the looks of it so we can let that sub go

I can’t believe the Trippier sub, man. That was really poor.

4 minutes? What a fucking joke

Was Trippier injured? That sub seemed very odd

Really need the fans here

was that first time as well? I was in shock

Miley for the goal is just silly btw. Nobody else in our squad makes that assist. Kid is creative.

.59 xG assigned to that Miggy chance (a penalty is .76 for reference). Absolute sitter.

can we talk about Lascelles’ passing tonight omg

Got to try and target their left hand side. They've a left back at centre back and Florenzi on his wrong side at left back. Need Trips at his best.

Cal is going to set the tone tonight hopefully

EL might be our best way of qualifying for the CL tbh. Also… a chance at winning a trophy.

even the boos were half arsed

The Champions League is what the players spent all season playing out of their skins to qualify for, like. Get arsed about it!

I've always been of the opinion that Bruno works really well as the "6" in our system (it's not really a 6) and that we don't need a defensive midfielder, but the more I think about it the more I think Phillips can do that role for us and allow Bruno to play as one of the outside centre mids/8s where and help give us a bit more technical security, control and maybe some extra creativity in there, all of which we really lack at times currently. Bruno's role is essentially to receive the ball from the centre halves when we have possession in the first phase and look to progress it or switch it. Out of possession he has to press high and run back as best he can once the press is beaten. We ask him to cover a lot of ground. Phillips is really well suited to the in possession role (though not as good at it as Bruno obvs), and arguably better suited to the out of possession part because he's more mobile than Bruno (when fit). Phillips, Bruno and one of Joelinton/Willock in midfield is a pretty good balance tbh and allows us to maintain our physical dominance. I like the idea of Phillips in there doing Bruno's current role, then having Bruno in midfield happy receiving the ball too. Those two picking out forward runs from Gordon/Miggy/Isak/Wilson/Joelinton/Willock, or switching it out to Trippier/Livramento sounds good to me. Longstaff and whichever of Willock/Joelinton isn't playing to come in as a sub/rotation too. Options! We need them!

I don’t think there’s much in it between him and Lascelles so I would be getting Burn into the team to replace Lascelles purely so we can put Schar back on the right. It gives Schar his better passing angles, it gives us better build up down that side, and defensively him and Trippier have a much better understanding.