Sibierski

The striker situation and Isak just completely ignores all the other issues. He was giving a ready made CM in Ramsey, and our midfield by large anyway this season has looked disjointed. He was giving early his long term number one winger. Never once looked suited to the side, no plan for him, and is now clearly behind Murphy (and has been since September). Defence is mitigated with injuries, but going with Burn as back up LB was his call.

I’ll be amazed if we get close to 60 points. Mid 50s is our best bet, and that’s probably going to be 9-11 place finish.

He was unfortunate with knee injury and doesn’t deserve to be bundled in with Ramsey / Elanga who look woeful, but Wissa will forever be poor business because it’s £55m for a 29 year old. And considering evidence so far suggests it’s him or Wolte, it’s £55m for rotation. We need him to essentially be like 3 seasons of 24-25 Wissa to justify it. Having 21-24 Wissa and 25 goals in 100 games wouldn’t make it a good deal IMO.

Little chance that happening. He moved upwards going Leicester to us. Chances of moving even sideways at this moment is slim (I.e UCL contender / Europe). Only chance would be if Palace were interested and he wanted to push it. Otherwise we’re the best he’ll have for rest of his career, and he will play for Scotland more than he will for England. We’ve got him till 2027 at least where he then falls into same boat as Willock / Murphy this summer coming. One year left, either renew for final years or sell for last chance of money.

Quite a sorry state of affairs isn’t it. Gordon is suppose to be one of the Crown Jewels, but on this season he’s 100% cash in. But then we’ve got a fucking dud in Elanga as another winger, mixed in with Barnes 2 years left and Murphy 1 year left. Should’ve been only one replacement needed in 2026, but it’s going to be multiple needed. Like the CB situation. Ideally he comes good again because it’s a mess it not.

It must’ve been a tactical instruction today for him to be wide and deep often, otherwise he would’ve came off surely?

Some more good UCL games please and a couple of goals at WC. That should be enough to entice a £70m+ bid from someone. He’s underlying data before this season will be very appealing to sides.

His stock actually went up by not being associated with that today.

That is true, but our away form is consistent. Consistently shit.

I would never sack him during the season because the damage is done IMO and he deserves a full season and all the cups. But do I want him here next season? Right now, nope. And it’s not because I think he’s a crap manager etc. it’s just I think we’ve reached a ceiling with his style, and we need to sign some technical players that can psss and move, and that will require a different manager to get the best out of them (like Howe got the best out of our hard runners). It’s a sad state of affairs when we’re not even fun to watch anymore, but a really boring side that’s a drag to watch. I’ve said it before and will be last time I say it, but England sounding out Howe will be the best thing for both parties. We get to part on good terms before it turns sour, door open for future return and we can move in a different direction under a cloud that’s more white and fluffy then dark and gloomy.

Think Pope will come back in against Burnley and that’s it. Ramsdale experiment over. I want to preserve with him as it’s the transition to that keeper style we need, but we are going for the cups now and so we need a keeper that can save.

I don’t even think it’s a conscious decision to transition into a possession based side, otherwise what the fuck are we doing signing likes of Elanga? Howe wanted to continue the same, but opposition are cotton on now and will give us more of the ball, and with Isak not here who could smash it in from distance / do something out of nothing, it’s all very pedestrian stuff and players don’t know how to break down sides consistently. Which is a combination of not training for that often and not having the personnel for it. We show glimpses (Gordon chance 2nd half which came from Barnes movement and Bruno pass for example), but that’s once in 45 mins. We move it so slowly, with little movement and when we do pass, it’s careless and with little conviction. It’s proper smelly stuff. We able to brute force an opposition like Chelsea at home first half, we’re golden.

For all the possession 2nd half, best two chances were for Man Utd (Sesko / Dalot)

If we could sign a CM and winger of same attacking ability / passing ability then we will be flying.

Someone cheer me up and snip a 2 second video of him falling over.

Said in match thread, but did he touch the ball properly? I remember a overhead of some sorts where he just about made contact, apart from that?

Rinse and repeat away game. Feels like his style has its limits and it’s the end of an era. He will forever be a legend, but if we actually want to move to next step it feels for me end of the road of this Howe time. He needs to reinvent the side, and him signing Ramsey and Elanga for me says it all. More of same and we can’t afford to continue that.

We’re finishing below Sunderland, so our fans that will lose their shit over that, get yourself mentally prepared for that.

We’ve literally played kids and crap, and couldn’t score. It’s worse than West Ham away this.

Has Wissa touched the ball since he came on?

Another away defeat. Howe just has the cups this season to save him for me now. Even then, it feels like the end of this era under him. He’s a legend and got us to this point, but it does feel like his style has a clear ceiling.

How have we now ended up with no width after playing 90 mins with wingers on touch line? Get to fuck lads.

Bringing on NPCs now.

We won’t be in Europe next season at this rate.

Bar Hall, have we had any shots from edge of box? Just spamming fucking crosses, rather have shots. Wissa is not winning headers against 3 CBs.