TheBrownBottle

They weren’t limited to potshots mind - they had several gilt-edged chances that they should’ve buried

The number that pulls out Arsenal away

That’ll dee

Honestly can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic

Quality that Osula

It’s hard to imagine another side missing as many chances as Chelsea have here

Looked off on the replay

Ooooof

Fucking hell a well-worked FK and we’re offside!

Never a pen

Thick Dope

Pope brain farting his way into the book

I bastard love Joe Willock, me

I really hope we do

Don’t understand the Longstaff hate, but I do think that having Joelinton LW and Willock LCM makes us far, far better than Joelinton LCM. Those two work so well together

Tonali being a right pain in Chelsea’s arse here. Love it

Really poor defending by Schar there

Get in

Some were, but the style does increase the chances of suffering injuries We’ve got a very injury-prone squad, either way

It’s tricky for me because I don’t know football like Howe does - I’m an old school terrace gobshite, who took a long time to accept I didn’t know more than the manager (unless that manager is Steve Bruce). But I can’t get away from the thought that I think Isak is a phenomenal footballer and we’re failing to make the most of his gifts.

😀 It is a bit - but I think STM is right; Isak is unsuited to a high press style, and is too fragile for it There may only be two options available, and both would have been unthinkable a short while ago Gun to my head, I’m probably taking new manager and Isak staying. But it very much would be gun to my head.

Yeah, you’re right. Isak is the most talented player I’ve ever seen in B&W play centre forward (I never saw the man in my profile picture play no.9 ‎). But he isn’t built for our manager’s preferred style of play. It sticks in the craw the idea of the lad being moved on, mind. He’s the only player I’ve seen who could be a ‘generational talent’. I’d rather Howe evolved and we play a style suited to him - but i suspect it is either one or the other …

Completely agree - we didn’t set the expectations; they did. No-one forced those statements - now they need to deliver or come out and tell us that something has changed. And of course the ‘we don’t demand’ banner wasn’t speaking for all of us. Never liked the sentiment behind it - it’s ’the glory game’ - I want to win things.

I suspect you’re probably right, but I do also think that Howe is a better ‘thinker’ of the game than he’s often given credit for. What’s odd to me is that he hasn’t built a ‘pressing’ squad. Other than Gordon, I don’t think any of his big money signings are ‘pressing monsters’. Isak, Bruno, Tonali, Barnes, etc. There’s a disparity between signings and philosophy.

It absolutely broke our squad last year. We’ve got too many injury-prone players to actually play like that for an extended period. We needed to evolve into a different playing style - spunking lots of money usually allows you to do that. As yet, we haven’t evolved. I’m fully prepared to give Howe time to evolve the style - though to date there’s been little indication that he will.