SteV

Not 100%, but I think if two out of Spurs, Man Utd and Chelsea go through that should be enough. I think if two of the Italian teams went out, that would also be enough. And I’m sure there’s a combination of the two (as well as other scenarios) that I can’t work out.

The extra CL spot could be mathematically secured tomorrow, but it’s all but done anyway.

I don’t know. Tuesday to Sunday is a pretty decent recovery time. Wednesday to Saturday and I’d be definitely be thinking it would be a factor. More happy that they’ve suffered a pretty big psychological hit. That would have really hurt last night. Maybe it’ll have a lingering effect, maybe it won’t, but I’d rather that than them having the high of winning the shootout.

Doesn’t really make any difference. It’s 99% assured.

Of course, as I said he overstepped the mark, but when you want your plays to play on the edge that will happen occasionally, especially, as you say with younger players.

Well aware of that, and ultimately, rules is rules etc. But for the ‘offence’ that was committed to result in missing a prestige cup final, is really very harsh, even if nothing can be done about it. We demanded that the players were to go out and ‘forget about the final, and play at 100%’. Then one of them oversteps the mark and it’s ’fucking idiot, can’t believe he did that before the final’.

And Duran didn’t miss any cup finals because of it.

He pushed someone so he deserves to miss a cup final?

There won’t be ID checks mate. Only issue will be if she’s a concession and you aren’t. Even then I would probably still risk it. Congratulations. You found the Wonka Golden Ticket.

https://www.archivebuttons.com/articles?article=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6187887/2025/03/11/uefa-premier-league-11th-qualify/

‘If it wasn’t for me coming in and saving them, the club would have went bust’. Another absolute classic from the Ashley playbook.

Think people will be spread out all over watching the match tbh. There’s a few watchalong’s at various places organised by the Trust, but they’re ticketed. I’d just ask about when you’re in and around places on Saturday.

Tbf I think he probably meant it in the context of it being a choice (even if it’s not). And he’s partly right in that outside of finishing top 5, it would be immaterial to a degree.

“Barnes closing in”

The Wembley Wor Flags surfer is revealed…

All the teams in and around us would have fancied us dropping points tonight given the circumstances. Excellent counterpunch from us.

Only scoring 4 against the team third in the league.

Only if we win it…

It’s a European game. If the they were in the Europa / Conference League, they’d be playing on Thursday. UEFA aren’t going to give a shiny shite about domestic second tier cups.

Best off staying around Kings Cross. Won’t get in anywhere near the ground, not that there’s much there anyway.

Apart from that though?

There’s nothing really official about it. Sounds like people will start gathering from mid to late afternoon and it will just get busier from there.

You can probably apply a similar description to everyone in the league bar Liverpool and bottom four. It’s been an odd season all round.

10) Steve McClaren