WilliamPS

Now just have to hope for an absolute thrashing to do equivalent mental damage

double post

Absolutely insane that £409m is leached out of the game like that. It’s equivalent to 460 per seat at SJP, so basically tickets could be half price if all that spend wasn’t required

Amorim told his players to play out from the back against one of the most aggressive pressing sides in the league, it directly led to two goals. It’s pisspoor tactics, what did he think was going to happen? You can see it in the number of turnovers won in Man Utds half. It’s inept management and then it’s blamed on the players performances - that’s hanging them out to dry.

The manager has hung his players out to dry this season, it’s totally indefensible and explains why the players have so little fight in them. The playing out from the back reminds me of battering Brighton two years ago - if you try that tactic at SJP you better be good at it! Overall I’m pleased as it shows a total lack of flexibility that probably can’t be fixed, even if he gets his own players in they won’t be able to adjust to different challenges. One of Howes great strengths is his ability to adapt to each game and opponent.

Having players who can stretch the play by staying wide and delivering good balls into the box is a big asset, but I’d be happy enough for that to be Murphy. A few clubs are experimenting with 3 at the back (Palace) and I think that’s in part a reaction to having inverted wingers who will be coming inside. If you have a winger who instead goes wide I think it creates an issue for those teams. Good to have options

We absolutely want Villa and Chelsea to miss out from a hard headed rivals perspective. If Chelsea snuck into the CL their ludicrous project might start to come together. And Villa are well ran peer and going from strength to strength, if they get CL again next season they’ll be very strong. Am sure some people will hope Man City miss CL for the comedy value

I reckon they’ll go through in the EL and them and spurs must be the favourites for the tournament, however if they bomb out are they really going to stick with Amorim? It’s not just the tactics, he’s destroyed a load of the players confidence. Pundits claim you cant blame the manger when there’s high turnover but in our experience when you have a terrible coach why keep them around? McLaren, Bruce, Souness, Fat Sam, Dalglish all should have been sacked way earlier, they were shite, the issue was hiring losers in the first place, not letting them lose for even longer.

Comfortable win but I don’t think that’s the team in top gear, didn’t need to be and they definitely took the foot off the gas after the third then fourth. The next two games will be a lot tougher. Tonali superb, despite being an Italian international I feel he’s still flying under the radar a bit given his quality. The press tend to focus on Bruno. Also praise for the ref, let the game flow and didn’t let players get away with going down softly. If the ref gets fooled by that penalty claim dive it’s a different game (like the one Arsenal conceded last week)

Insane wages, high risk of failure, one to avoid

Dropping Casemiro, Maguire and Hojlund strengthens them - Maguire vs Isak could have been brutal!

When there’s 4 games on a Sunday they should do the decent thing and shove one on at 1230 for those of us hungover (as long as it’s never Newcastle…)

I am a pessimist and even I’m not worried about this! A Fernandes shot from Rangers what you should be worried about!

Southampton are so bad that the most you can hope for when they’re playing a rival is that they make the game last 90 minutes

I got the impression he was told he was done at City rather than choosing it himself.

If Palace are content to do a deal at that price in June maybe, but good chance Palace mess around and start by asking for 70m or something and they don’t get real until August. If that’s the case I think after last summers shambles they’ll move on

The transfer budget won’t be fixed until they know what European competition they’re playing in next season, so anyone who claims to know what it is talking rubbish

How long does the concussion protocol rule Willock out for? Didn’t realise it lasted over 10 days, thought he’d be cleared by this game.

Either spurs or Man Utd will win the EL and Chelsea will walk the EC. Time to make your peace with that. A spurs / Man Utd final would be pretty funny, the loser will be wrecked.

Given the current approach to goalkeepers they’ll sign all four.

Yes, the way to losing against Man Utd is to not take chances and then find Fernandes punt one in from range on 87 minutes.

I was hoping VVD and Salah were both off, would be a huge blow to replace them at once. Liverpool are arguably the only PL side who could do with a striker and could attract and afford Isak, so having them need to buy replacements for TAA, Robertson, Salah and VVD would be very helpful.

Well part of the reason it’s so hard for the promoted clubs is that the midtable teams are all currently well run, that will change and someone else will get a chance. The PL used to have some dreadful teams hanging around 13th-17th, including Brice era NUFC, I think having a competitive midtable is a decent offset to having the promoted teams being really competitive. If Potter sorts West Ham next season it might only be Everton that are an active avoid. Although this season was probably a bit too extreme

The Chelsea away game is a bit of an oddity as there were no fit midfielders IIRC, Longstaff, Willock and Joelinton were all injured, Shelvey had gone so it was Gordon and Anderson alongside Bruno. Still it was a lovely day out in the sunshine baiting Lampard, good times!

Not sure Forest will feel pressured when they’re having such a lovely time of it, and have lasted for 31 games already. Zero chance fans get on their backs, or the manager feels pressured. Agree with the above, nobody is betting on Everton or Spurs to beat Forest. Spurs is away but if Spurs get booted out the EL 3 days earlier then you’d probably prefer to play spurs away - the atmosphere will be toxic, Ange will either be sacked or it could be his final game, Forest will be all over them