Kid Icarus

The main thing for me, and I'm sure there's a fair explanation for it, is that the target for ages has been Maddison and he's in my eyes, nearer the finished article and exactly what we need when we're playing against a low block. Both this season and in the future. Yet that's gone silent and we're now spending more on potential, in a different position. Seeing will hopefully be believing, I just can't visualise it right now.

Easy to forget that managers often do things that leave fans completely baffled as well like. Howe has a long way to go before he does anything that gets the reaction of Keegan selling Cole to Man United.

We grew up in the Keegan era and I'm sure you had older generations telling you that it wasn't always like that and that we should enjoy it. I suppose that's our job to do that now. Twitter doesn't help like, that place is an enabler of the spoiled football fan mindset. Dunno if you read that class article by the Liverpool fan about it, but the same thing happened with them when they were winning the league, Champions League, and on the verge of doing a quadruple - even in those circumstances some of their fans on there wanted FSG out because they weren't spending what Man City and Man United were - it's mad like, it's as if to some the success is based on how much is spent in the transfer market on established players rather than what happens on the pitch or how players are developed.

I feel sorry for anyone like that to a certain extent, it's pretty obvious that for them it's more about buying the shiniest toys and that they'll probably never get any joy out of this. I mean if you can't enjoy it now, when the whiplash from last season to this one is so extreme that no one should have had any time to take things for granted, I don't think you'll ever enjoy it.

That's from years ago IIRC. He's having a class time.

27 followers man, howeh lads

* "a virgin"

Or watches England matches

"A couple of England matches" but reckons he knows who should be playing for England

Should probably watch more England matches then

Man of many words eh.

Just thinking out loud, I wonder if Howe basically sees Gordon as a much better David Brooks.

Pope is, without question. It's not as simple as that though, Pickford's absolutely class for England.

Don't be a plonker Rodney

10

The media Pickford has been consistently excellent for England for years now, it's really weird how some people just totally ignore that.

If I have any critique of him it's that he's trying to be too much of a team player, if anything. He's clearly listening to Howe, he might not have the defensive nous of Joelinton or Willock, but he's putting the work and more than deserves to start if we keep missing chances.

Should have bagged himself a hattrick tonight

It felt like he almost single-handedly controlled the midfield tonight tbh.

Yes bruvvva!

Definitely. Everything went through Trippier, Schar, and Bruno. Burn had a poor one in all aspects I thought.

The tie's not over by any means. Definitely need another switched on, professional performance, hopefully with much improved finishing. Joelinton should have a hattrick really and it should be dead and buried with us going back with a 4 or 5 goal lead. Pope was brilliant, with another keeper that's potentially an absolute sickener of a result. Pope: 10 Trippier: 8 Schar: 8.5 Botman: 7.5 Burn: 5 Bruno: 8 Longstaff: 5 Willock: 5.5 Joelinton: 8 Wilson: 5 ASM: 8 Isak: 8

Murphy doing the Pollux Troy wave from Face Off

Class from ASM

I LOVE THOSE MAGNIFICENT VIRTUAL ASSISTANT REFEREES!!!