sushimonster85

I see a lot of people are in the same boat as me and very nervous for this one. It's a different sort of nerves than I have been used to from earlier in the season. Not the same 'fuck we need 3 points here or we truly are fucked' but more 'I really want to beat these bastards and help see them relegated.' I am not even too nervous about the 'win this and we're safe' side of it. Not wanting to jinx anything, but we have plenty of opportunities to pick up those extra 4-6 points it will likely take.

To be honest, given the PIF is already worth over £300B, I don't think any fluctuation with how much oil the Saudi's are going to be pumping will matter to us one way or another. They could earmark 1% of that for us, which would transform the club in terms of playing/coaching staff, executives, and infrastructure, and still not even notice. And that's not accounting for commercial revenue coming in.

Imagine it will be this tonight. I know people would prefer Joelinton to Longstaff, but Howe has consistently shown caution with injured/ill players. I think he will likely do the same here. ASM is the only other one I wasn't sure on. If he still isn't fully fit I reckon it could be Murphy, which would mean Fraser left, Murphy right.

Absolutely. If we can get a goal in the first 20 minutes the crowd will be all over them. If we can get 2-0 up by half time the atmosphere in ground will be absolutely toxic... aside from the away end.

I don't know, I'd still be inclined to give him that big rest. Sure, we have a great chance for 3 points, but wouldn't you rather have him available and as fresh as possible for the Wolves (h), Leicester (h), Palace (h), and Norwich (a) run? That is going to be a huge opportunity to go on a run that will properly confirm safety.

He isn't awful when it comes to the attacking side of the game. It helps that with each of those clubs he was working with one of the most talented squads in their respective leagues. He clearly massively under-performed at Chelsea, and arguably at Derby as well. He can't organise a defence for toffee.

Top coaching from Lampard..... To be, something like this is the only hope he has. The game a few weeks ago showed he (and then later Gerrard) are no where close to Howe as coaches. As for the flags and banners, the ones they have had out already have looked a bit shit. Even if they got their act together, Goodison isn't a great stadium for flags/banners/surfers. No one tier is tall enough for them to work.

If FM22 is accurate I want to say it has a release clause of around £50m...

Aye, seems like he has burnt his bridge, at least for as long as Clark is still there. Mental really, when you consider he has been one of the in-form wide players in the league since Jan, and Scotland are hardly flush with talent in that area.

Was also surprised to see how much Villa fans don't rate Mings. They express very similar thoughts to the ones we have towards Lascelles.

Agree with this. That side is largely the same one Bielsa transformed from mid-table Championship level into a PL outfit, and I think if they manage to survive this season they will have to spend big now Bielsa is gone. From those sides mentioned, Raphinha, Richarlson, and DCL are the only players really worth looking at. I would say McNeil, but I don't think he would get in our current 11 past Max or Fraser.

Exactly, under Ashley and Bruce it would have been "well, y'know we're going to go there and just try and limit them as much as we can. But we know we can't compete with them"

He clearly learned after his absolutely balled up attempt at time wasting at West Ham, where he went down injured, but totally off the field of play.

This is so weird. I am actually really looking forward to this game. A defeat (or even a draw) last night & I would've still had a lingering relegation worry in the very back of my mind, and wouldn't have been fully able to enjoy this as the totally free hit it now is. Now we're as good as safe (fivethirtyeight put us as a 2% shot at getting relegated) I just want to enjoy the match, hope the lads give it a good go and we give a good account of ourselves. Can honestly see us even nabbing a cheeky draw. BDB with a stoppage time equaliser from a corner prompting absolute scenes.

I do worry people are going to be a little disappointed when Bruno starts playing regularly and they realize he isn't an attacking midfielder.

There is still the old 'Mike Ashley's Newcastle United' part of my brain that just assumes every game is the game where the unbeaten run comes to a shuddering halt. Going to supress that as much as I can. Still think this is a tricky fixture, going to go with (and would quite happily take) a 1-1 draw.

To be honest I can see him being second choice as there is zero chance Dubravka stays if he is going to be backup. My hot guess for next season is a GK pool of Henderson, Woodman, Darlow.

Will go about as well as me entering a race with Usain Bolt.

Just to throw my realistic shopping list into the mix: GK: Henderson. Will sadly spell the end for Dubravka, as he clearly won't want to be a number 2, but just feel Howe want's a keeper who is much more comfortable with the ball at his feet. CB: Sven Botman. Figure Fernandez and Clarke will be out the door. LB: Targett CM: Boubacar Kamara. Between Bruno, Joelinton, Willock and Shelvey I actually think this is the one area we don't need too much more cover in, but rather a top quality player who goes straight into the 11. Wide forward/inverted winger: Raphina. Will be tough as he will have plenty of options, but really think him on the right, Max on the left would be lethal. CF: Darwin Nunez. Don't think there's smoke without fire. We, as well as every upper mid-table side in Europe apparently, are being linked with him. Which would leave a 25 man squad looking like: GK Henderson, Woodman, Darlow DEF: Trippier, Manquillo, Botman, Burn, Schar, Lacelles, Targett, Lewis MID Bruno, Kamara, Joelinton, Willock, Shelvey, Longstaff FWD Nunez, ASM, Raphina, Fraser, Wilson, Wood, Murphy Extra space to make some daft signing. I don't know, Toni Kroos or someone mad.

Yep, think Tomori is pretty damning proof that Southgate doesn't like picking people he can't go and watch week in, week out. That Tyrone Mings and Conor Coady went to the Euro's before him was a bit of a joke.

If it was actually based on form both he and Burn should be in line for a callup. But Southgate does have his favourites.

Almost totally agree with this, they just need to sort the collar out. All black (maybe with a white lining) would have been way better than the pinstripe look it currently has.

I agree he does look good, just have to put a slight qualifier on him as he plays in Portugal. Don't get me wrong, the general standard is higher than a place like Holland, but it can still be hard to properly gauge a players quality when they come from the Portuguese league.

I saw this. Had his arm round him, but you could tell by the look on Howes face it wasn't pep talk he was giving him lol.

I saw that and thought it was weird. I want to say the last time we had a pen with both Wilson and Ritchie out it was Schar who took it. Maybe they're doing everything they can to get Wood that first goal.