Kid Icarus

I'm really not sure what you find so bizarre tbh, there are plenty of other people saying the same thing. Agree to disagree though, I think.

It's like we're speaking different languages really. I basically put what it takes to win games and whether a team was pleasing on the eye and comfortable etc as be separate things, that's the best way I can describe it. I don't think we were unlucky to not win, we missed big chances, bit I do think we created the chances to win, which for me is the biggest thing.

A bit of a cheat answer but I went crazy over Watkin's goal for England last year. In terms of hate watches, probably when Man United equalised against Pardew's Palace after he'd done the dance.

For a wild take it seems to be one that I've seen plenty of other people saying like. As I say, for all that they had quality on the ball and have undenyably talented players, what they did in an attacking sense wasn't much. I don't consider relying on the opposition missing two huge opportunities, scoring from your first shot on target (and due mainly to a concussed defender) and a worldie, before still hanging on at the end anyway to be much to write home about personally, but each to their own.

The most infuriating thing is how often Trippier takes them. I love him to bits but his corners and free kicks are useless, especially when Tonali and Elanga have shown that they're better at them.

He played much better than how his form's been recently, so hopefully the improvement continues. It's just a shame that both of our left wingers are in rubbish form and both of our big chances fell to them. If you're picking our strongest XI right now you probably try and play both Elanga and Murphy.

Definitely. I feel like a lot of the plaudits they're getting is largely because of the name (of the club and the players) more than anything. They played pretty football but it wasn't really all that effective and had very little to do with the result.

Liverpool 2-1 Everton Brighton 2-2 Spurs Burnley 1-2 Forest West Ham 1-2 Palace Wolves 2-1 Leeds Man United 1-2 Chelsea Fulham 2-1 Brentford Bournemouth 1-0 Newcastle Sunderland 2-1 Villa Arsenal 1-2 Man City

Don't believe for a second he'd have ever left a striker in the box like that if he hadn't been knocked out. Up until then he was rolling back the years.

You talking off the ball positioning stuff Neesy? I was watching at home but I thought he looked very good, but it was mainly based on what I saw of him on the ball.

Don't think anyone was happy with Gordon up top tbf.

Absolutely makes sense why Howe signed him to complement a striker we now don't have.

I don't think textbook away performances include relying on the home team missing sitters and then seeing out the last 7 minutes tbh. It looks good with hindsight but in the moment they weren't impressive

Yes, nothing to do with it at all. We missed huge chances, their goals had nothing to do with whatever control they had, and beyond that we still had them worrying at the end. There was some nice football, but it had nothing to do with why we lost or even why they won.

He desperately needs to get back to his bread and butter for me. There's the chance that the enthusiasm and failure at CF affects his wing game. He's a wing forward, and a fucking class one. I don't know why he needs to think he's something else

That's all well and good but that clinic had nothing to do with why they won imo

I don't agree at all that they won comfortably. Their win was made possible from us missing huge chances we should have buried - something better teams will punish - but the goals that they scored themselves weren't at all as a result of how they played. And then on top of that we still scored at the end and made it uncomfortable.

I was very impressed with Kounde and they had individually quality performances, but in terms of it amounting to anything meaningful? That was Rashford really.

Never seen anything like this

Was very annoying, especially as he's shit and was otherwise shit tonight.

I thought Barca weren't great tbh, they massively rode their luck against a team from the lowest pot and still only got through it due to us not taking massive chances, concussion to a player that was absolutely bossing it, and then a worldie. It's not the type of performance I look at and think yeah, they've got it.

He's a legend, but his biggest strength in recent years (being press resistant) has become his biggest weakness.

I like

They're kind of related though.

The gameplan was fine in that we created big chances and that their goals were Schär being concussed and a worldie, but we basically played with no striker. The execution at the knife edge didn't cut it unfortunately and that Gordon fluff felt like a massive moment, he connects with that and he could go on to have a great performance, he misses it and has a shocker. Not the end of the world, a lot of positives and I was really impressed with Thiaw too. Pope: 7 Trippier: 7 Schär: 8 (just gonna assume the first goal was due to concussion Burn: 7.5 Livramento: 7 Bruno: 5 Tonali: 6 Joelinton: 6 Elanga: 8.5 Gordon: 5 Barnes: 6 Thiaw: 7.5 Willock: 7 Murphy: 7.5