Kid Icarus

Neither of them pens. Half his games were at left back as well. As reductive as ever, never change.

I really like him from what I see of him as a person and would love nothing more than for him to do well, so I'm not saying this to be an arse or owt, but I remember earlier in the season talking on here about stats not meaning everything in the context of how Ginola changed everything in 95/96 and for a few months was the best I've ever seen. I don't know how my brain made this connection, but think about how people think of Ginola's season in 95/96 and Longstaff's season this season and then look at this. Ginola 95/96: 5 goals Longstaff 23/24: 7 goals

He was instrumental in 18/19, 2 goals and 8 assists for a relegation battling team. This rewriting of his peak era with us is just daft.

Loads of them are, arguably all of them are, and some more than others. Yet for some reason Ritchie is singled out, then on the other side of the argument with the likes of Mark Gillespie it's 'best job in the world' or they're just not even brought up at all, it makes no sense.

Have you ever known him to come on when 1. There have been better players available and/or 2. The game hasn't already been wrapped up? That's why it's a 'who cares?' - if we were 1-0 down and he's coming on with better players on the bench, my reaction is nearer to yours, but because that's never happened it isn't. Ritchie coming on at all reflects our injury situation, same with Dummett. You're taking it too seriously and going hyperbolic imo, if I may say so something that's not uncommon with you once you've made your mind up and started spinning yourself a yarn about a player. I haven't made that switch from him being the personification of the triumph over adversity Rafa-era player (if you ever did) to the personification of the lowest form of ambition under Ashley, post Rafa. Admittedly I tuned out in the Bruce-era, but if life's taught me anything it's that success and ambition really are a personally motivated thing and we have no idea how he measures it, some it'll be money, others game time, others a settled family etc. We have no idea what Ritchie's is, but it's never once been obvious to me that his effort for the club has waned for whatever his motivation is. And again, I think we've gone through this before, but we really don't know just how much of an impact he has behind the scenes. I'm not advocating paying tens of thousands a week under FFP for a cheerleader long-term, we apparently had that with Alan Smith in 09-10 and I absolutely hated him, but I had to admit that if the players kept saying it (as they do with Ritchie) that it was probably a net positive not really worth kicking up a fuss over in the short term. Whatever you think of him, it seems that within the group he's seen as someone who is professional and keeps the standards high, even if it's only with his personality and not his own performances. He's over the hill, that's obvious, but I fucking loved him for a good few seasons and I don't think I'm alone on that one.

Me with the content after a satisfying win

Aye, I always get the feeling that he wants games put to bed as soon as we get the first.

Yes, excellent, again relative to our ceiling at the time, as were the likes of Rondon, Perez, Diame who weren't excellent in the grand scheme of things but were relative to our ceiling under the restrictions Ashley put on Rafa's side. For the second part, yes, but you could say that for loads of players in our squad, so not sure why Ritchie needs to be singled out when he contributed far more than most in that era, effectively putting in the performances that clinched our promotion and then clinched our survival.

Bollocks. He was excellent (relative to our ceiling) under Rafa in the PL. I don't believe in the 'servant' thing for any player tbh, but I wouldn't single him out for exclusion from it, they all should be when they're earning an annual wage every week.

Don't clap too loud lads, a funeral might break out.

Longstaff being on 7 goals makes me understand the links with McTominay a bit more now.

Even RTG would probably understand the reference

Get your hog out Eddie, you've earned it.

I was 100 points up on 2nd place in the league with my mates 3 weeks ago, despite having relatively decent weeks I'm now 3rd Unbelievable.

I know it's Burnley but he was notably brilliant today. The amount of times he cleanly dispossessed their players was ridiculous.

Shows how relatively easy it is staying fit and playing for Man City like. Haaland has been shite this season and will still probably walk off with the golden boot.

It's a measure of how much I hate them that I'd prefer Man City.

The 'clear and obvious' rule being used willy nilly

Nothing, he's been damned by our dominant performance because he was never tested. Just one of those things, 6 isn't bad though.

I'm beginning to see it.

Would have been lush if he'd scored to make up for it. It'll take a lot for me to not love Matt Ritchie, but I'd prefer it if all my memories of him were left in the past.

As if they need decisions like that.

He's famous for being absolutely shite. He's so so bad.

An absolute breeze once we went 1 up. Only disappointment is Isak not going to the top of the scoring charts in a match where we could have hit 5 or 6 more. In a non-Sheff United season this lot are bottom like, they're so bad. Dubravka: 6 Livramento: 7.5 Krafth: 7 Burn: 9 Hall: 8 Murphy: 8 Bruno: 8.5 Longstaff: 7.5 Wilson: 8 Isak: 8 Gordon: 7.5