Coffee_Johnny

Grim. Seedy bastards.

Shelvey, Targett, Bruno (and new flair up), Maxi, Isak, Anderson—feel like I may be missing some—all picking up injuries. Mostly muscle-related. Is there a problem with the whole ‘intensity is our identity’ approach? Any manager would want the fitness possible team, but is he pushing too hard?

Good on you, man ?

Not sure about Thauvin, but I’d add Tomasson and Toney to the list. And wish Sir Les had stayed. Oh! Plus Milner, and Wijnaldum.

Not enjoying unpredicted side effects of giving a shit again. Namely injury-related palpitations: IRP Syndrome, it’s a thing.

Nice touch. One of the few/last one club careers.

Even I could do 10m quicker than that ?

Hope on the pitch is the best place to pick up noise from all sides. Guessing you really need a low roof extending close to pitch size for best acoustics. Must be a known issue and hopefully any new stand, or even ground, developments take that into account as much as capacity and aesthetics.

That’s a busy fifteen minutes!

Have a pie and a pint, mate. You’ll be reet ?

? Murdryk, Murdryk! So good you praised him twice. ? (Thought I’d get in early with a song—just in case… .)

You’ve shown great restraint not to put that particular page to use.

What a night! Twenty five years!! ?

Clurb, sounded a bit Northumberland. But not much else. North Tyneside??

Corrected ?

More incentive to get a lonnggg way from home?

Yep, I know it is tried, tested and favoured (by many) to have a pure defensive/water carrier (with more negative slant) type player sitting in front of centre backs. I’d just prefer a more fluid flexible set-up. That doesn’t exclude them having relative strengths, just all able to interchange and be able to do everything, even if to a slightly lesser degree, is better I think.

Never drawn there this century. somewhere around 9 losses and 5 wins.

Not sure it is fair to say he did a better job than Rafa, the numbers so far this season don’t support it either. Last season, there was certainly not the kind of new manager bounce you would expect, based on the theory that Rafa was in some way a toxic influence at least. Personally, I don’t want to see Lampard fail. In fact, and I may be in the minority here, but I have a soft spot for Everton. Know the area reasonably well and in some ways it reminds me of where I grew-up. Similar people, similar struggles. I do, however, think he will fail. Hope I’m wrong.

Not that it matters much, but I’m not a fan of the one-man one-role notions for a midfield three. Bruno, as he says and as we’ve seen, can do everything required. Joelinton is very strong on some attributes and, oddly given why we bought him, less reliable in terms of finishing and creating opportunities for others. Another one to join who is a bit of an all rounder (athletic, can tackle, pick a pass, calm head, good tactical awareness), but stronger in terms of creativity and finishing than Joelinton, and we have a fluid flexible trio who are much harder to mark/generally cope with. I hope this is the plan, rather than bringing someone in to mainly sit and mop-up so Bruno can go.

Great news for the lad. Money talks. Speaks volumes re what they are seeing in him.

Not sure it’s fair to say Rafa ‘failed and deserved to be sacked’ by Everton. Think it was obviously a risky appointment (both sides) but if you appoint, you have to fully back your manager (particularly one with ‘control’ issues) and give him at least a season. His half season there looked pretty much like the second half of the season under Lampard. Benetiz: Everton P22 W7 D5 L10 Lampard: Everton P21, W8, D2, L11 The above is all comps. In the league, Benetiz picked up 19 points (1 point per game) and Lampard 20 points (1.1 ppg). Lampard has thus far achieved the same kind of return this season. P7 W1 D4 L2 (1ppg). Though just thinking, if it is still 1ppg by December, he might well get sacked too!

Or another all rounder alongside him and Joelinton would do very nicely.

Fair point. But you still need to apologise to the people of Cheltenham, Worcester or Alnwick (amongst many more!).

Wrexham? Wales you say? Check this out! ?