Armchair Pundit

Reckon the St James' curse is still in place then, must have just been having a hiatus...

Fucking hate LiVARpool, bunch of wanks.

Good old Woody

So I assume they're going to lie through their teeth and claim they're not state owned by the same people who own PSG then? Or are they confident of FIFA/UEFA changing their rules?

Would never have happened to Collina...

I just think we've been lucky to maintain a league position off the back of an amazing bit of momentum from last season's takeover and the incoming of a brilliant manager, but it's probably too soon for the current squad to be winning anything. If we do, then great, but any league position we're in now is more down to an incredible first half of the season compared to the draw-athon we've had since coming back from the World Cup. I think the players are struggling from a bit of burnout if I'm honest, they've done tremendously to get where we have but we need more quality in depth. The hope and optimism I had during Miggy's purple patch, where there was an air of confidence about the team and fans seems to have waned so now I'm trying to convince myself that if we don't lift the cup it's because it's we're not ready yet... but those times WILL come.

It seems to me that we have two camps on this: a blindly optimistic camp who's ignoring our numerous draws, recent lack of pressing, lack of intensity and poor passing since the World Cup and a nervy, pessimistic camp (of which I'm currently belonging to) who are convinced of a stark contrast between the pre-World Cup drive of the team where our recent performances seem to show us as either having been found out, too tired or gone off the boil. I'm hoping that something changes this weekend and convinces me that we've just been saving ourselves, but memories of the aftermath of two consecutive heart-breaking FA Cup final losses are eating away at me. I couldn't have gone to the final if I'd wanted to, so have arranged with one of my best mates (who happens to be a Man Utd fan) to go and watch the match in a pub... but as things stand I'm kind of dreading it now, I'm starting to think I'd rather watch it alone where I can just go into hiding if we don't turn up or bottle it. I should have more faith, I want to have more faith, maybe by the 26th I'll have settled down.

The team looked flat, tired, out of ideas and their passing was dogshit. Whatever we had for the first half of the season has gone, whether that's other team's sussing us out and us having no plan b or whether it's the players losing their focus and motivation I don't know. Either way, there's no chance we're beating the Mancs in the final if we keep playing like this, I mean I'd like to think not having Bruno is a factor but we were drifting this way before he got suspended. Maybe it's burnout, that'd be kind of unserstandable, possibly distractions off the field with cameras from Amazon (if that's been going on yet), I'm just fed up with the current lack of intensity and precision which we had before the World Cup. ... and before anyone says "calm down, it's a knee jerk reaction, we're on this many points better than last season, etc, etc", it's great where we are and I appreciate that, I really do, I'm not expecting to win the league and yes, we ARE a position a million times better than we were under Fat Mike et all - but it doesn't change the fact we look f*cked and incapable.

I'm still dubious about anything claimed by the Premier League, after how much crap we went through with our takeover and their attempts at frustrating the whole process, not to mention arseholes like Richard Masters and his cronies.

Personally, I'm kind of hoping nothing comes of this. I don't like the potential negatives that could come from it and affect us long term. I know that's selfish, but I also get the feeling the tighter these regs get, the less incentive there will be for owners like ours to stay in this league and potentially more leanings towards an American model for the Premiership, if that happens I'm out.

Can't help but feel we've just not been the same since the World Cup, whether that's because teams have got used to our tactics, the players are having a dip in confidence or something else, I just don't know. We've just not been as precise in the passing or covering each other in defence as much perhaps. At least Gordon looks alive though.

Reckon we need Gordon on for ASM, maybe Murphey for Pillock too - hopefully sooner rather than later.

Think we've been rumbled, teams are used to us and how we play now. Can't say the players are tired really, I mean they look it but they shouldn't, most weren't heavily involved in the world cup.

Defence looking a bit heavy footed

Miggy running around like a headless chicken, while Pillock keeps running into his areas.

I didn't think his name was pronounced "Pak-et-ah"

What the fuck was that...

That's a shame, still, we're probably in the mix for benefitting either way hopefully

Something that's occurred to me (and it might have been mentioned already), I assume us getting to the final gives us an extra opportunity to be in Europe next season - not from winning the final but with the other finalist being Man Utd, so as long as they finish in the European places we'd essentially get their spot from the cup if we don't manage it ourselves? All in all, we should be in Europe next season unless something drastic happens.

Ah right, was Hi-tec or Gola trainers for me as a kid

What are 95s?

I guess another reason people think these things could happen - hope. Hope's something we didn't have for a very, very long time previously... now we can dream

Lol, not sure anyone's losing their mind are they? Besides, why so pessimistic?

I suppose it's unlikely, but a late bid does seem to keep getting mentioned from what I've seen in the last 48 hours.

Gordon, Ashby and Maddison this window, that'd be 'some' window! How much would it impact FFP though? Or are they banking on a top 4-6 finish?