Abacus

That's because nobody kicks him up the arse like they should do.

I think sometimes you just need to give credit to the opposition. Under Moyes Everton are a different prospect. And sometimes you can have an off day yourself. Think Isak was carrying an injury and has been for a while. Probably a few others too we don't know about. But over the course of the season with all the ups and downs, we earnt that spot and really turned up in the Cup and that Chelsea game in particular. Howe won't like any defeat and he'll be honest about learning things. That's really not a bottler, and if you look at his team there are so many who have outperformed AGAIN. Wouldn't say any of them are either - they've earned it, and the table proves it. So, he also got it right by saying you have to look back over the whole season and not just one game where the better team won. If I voted for manager of the season from the teams above us given the circumstances, I'd say it's only really Slot. Or from the teams below, maybe Emery, personally.

Not sure we'll sell Vlach. If we really paid £20m for him, you'd have to wonder what we could realistically get for him. Whatever that is, it's likely to be at a big loss, which means less headroom this year. That being the case, reckon we keep him in that 3rd choice spot. Then again, you lose a few million every year for someone who isn't playing. Not a great deal for us and he might be alright for all I know, but it was probably the best of a bad situation at the time. 2-3 first team players and some talented development squad players please. Obviously, with a sale that changes.

Wanted them to win the Europa purely because they turned up against Chelsea unlike Spurs in their last league game before the final. Turned up again today with nothing to play for. Fair play.

That's good news. So he might be playing then.

Dreadful game. How would either of these play in the PL? What a farce.

Maybe they put it in the wrong knee.

Yeah, I don't think he's questioning the job Howe has done at all. Just pointing out that Amorim needs time and resources. I quite like that attitude. You can imagine the online knee-jerk responses even on here if roles were reversed. I was mainly asking what Amorim had done to justify that faith. If their fans see it, fine. There however is a huge risk if they get it wrong as well, and stick with someone who turns out not to be right, having rebuilt a team for his system before then getting fired. We really hit the jackpot with Howe.

Well yes, I don't think Howe would have jumped either, can't fault you on that. I quite like Amorim for what it's worth, and I think he's been quite honest about what has needed to change. That said, in Howe's first transfer window he brought in some crucial players, like Trippier and Burn, and started from a far lower base before turning it round. That then bought him the luxury of having earned fan's trust and the trust of the club to carry on and rebuild. My question really was whether Amorim has earnt that same trust. Not from the genuine fans of which you're one and credit that you're sticking by him, but more from the club's hierarchy. You'll have a better view on that than me. Bad luck, by the way, I'm not rubbing your nose in it, just asking where it goes from here.

The question for me is whether Amorim gets the funds for his rebuild and how far he's trusted to do it. Plus, with the players they need to go, whether they can actually get rid of them profitably. If they do stick with Amorim and it still doesn't work then there are going to be question marks over Berrada next and Radcliffe (if there aren't enough already). Whereas Ashworth seemingly got sacked for recommending Howe for the job instead and however much I dislike Ashworth, you have to laugh at that.

Bad luck @Froggy Don't know where that sudden compassion came from. Congratulations @leffe186

This is probably the worst major final of all time.

Sticking to my guns and being in the 7% wanting Man U to lose slightly less than Spurs, since they are least turned up in that league game against Chelsea instead of bottling the league altogether.

I wanted Spurs to win more, so they might have kept Ange. But after the league performances where Man U actually bothered to turn up against Chelsea, unlike Spurs gutless showing, I want them to win. Or, to be precise, want them to lose a bit less than I want Spurs to.

This is an overreaction to people pointing out that he hasn't had the best season compared to what we have seen he is capable of from the year before. Calling them out? All they are doing is wondering why that is and isn't indispensable. Also don't agree he should be sold but it's total bobbins that anyone is driving him out, it's just that he needs to be in the team on merit game by game. He'll probably start and get a hattrick now as well.

Yeah, I was mainly talking about the start of the season. Whether it was confidence or carrying a knock, I don't know. And at the same time the whole team was playing a bit patchily. Like you say, there have been no real hints that he's unhappy since. I was only really saying that he's not an automatic choice at LW given how Barnes has been playing, and at RW I think Murphy has been better than either, not something I thought I'd say at the start of the season. Still, I don't see them in training so what do I know.

I do think his treatment by Southgate has a bit to answer for as well, when it was obvious that England needed a left winger and he barely got a chance. Never quite got going at the start of the season after that. Maybe he was indeed just knackered given his great season prior to that and no real break. Saying all that, I wouldn't sell him either given the choice.

I reckon he wasn't great at the start of this season. There was some speculation on here at the time that the possible Liverpool switch might have turned his head. It might be that the stats don't back that up, I don't know. Not having a go at him, I think he's class and on his day unplayable. But Barnes to me has added more on LW late this season, and Murphy is better than either at RW. What a season he's had.

If Isak is fit, I'd be playing Barnes and Murphy next game. And that's from someone who was a bit wary of Barnes before his latest spell. Off the bench, if we're ahead, Gordon can come on and stretch them on the break. I always thought it would be the other way round with Barnes being the sub, but that's probably the form right now. Gordon didn't play badly in the last game (in fact the whole team played pretty well) other than one mistake, but I think he needs his confidence back. He hasn't really been the same player as last season except in spells. But I still wouldn't like to play against him if we sold him in the summer, not that I think that would be sensible or likely anyway.

Agreed. And would've tattooed Bodo Glimt on my forehead before an important work event / wedding / funeral if they'd been the option instead.

Can't see Chelsea dropping points now and they might go on and score more. We'll do it ourselves anyway. But at least Man U have given it a go, unlike Ange and his "spirit of the game" nonsense. And that just that makes me want Spurs to lose the final now.

This Villa game is pointless now. It probably was from the start, but I've no idea what Spurs are even trying. Over to watch the anti-Chelsea game

Caicedo such a cheat

Looking at it again, I'll probably just be watching for a laugh. I suppose there's always a chance Caicedo just runs around kicking lumps out of people again and a ref finally sends him off, which would be nice.

I'll be watching the games tonight more in hope than anything else. For all that players will be concentrating on the final, surely a few will want to come in and stake a claim to be playing in it? And surely neither will want to go into it on the back of a hammering either. Anyway, while yes there's always a chance, like most, I do think in reality it's all most likely to go down to the last game.