JEToon

I think you are mistaking your lack of research and education on this and imposing it on others here, but you do you. The “we” who wanted Ashley gone did so because he was a risk to the clubs future for fuck sake

That's not even close to being true.

I know its probably the slight zig at a time when others are zagging but Schaar is a bigger issue this season than Burn for me, I appreciate one isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as the other though but if there is a player who actually is turning up on big occasions but not others its more Schaar than anyone, he has been borderline terrible in a few games this season. It is almost like watching the defense at times it makes perfect sense you would have wanted an upcoming England international in there

I haven’t heard it that much to be honest, depends who you listen to and how serious you take them I suppose. I would suggest our work from set plays has been a far greater issue than supposed gaping holes in midfield personally like.

I would question the logic of that thought to be honest, if you watched our full games might not have that same thought, we haven't been that exposed and leaving gaping holes for the most part really, the defensive shape has been fine. I would expect the alteration with Sandro is leaned heavier on generating a better level of creative spark.

Is gaping holes in midfield an issue? West Ham we go behind as a consequence of pretty pathetic defending from a set play, Brighton the same. Two situations where you would be expecting a lot better from a few individuals rather than tactical shape related IMO.

We weren’t really “good” against Man City in all honesty, what we did was efficient but it wasn’t close to as good a performance as we put up against Brighton when we patently had a load more chances to score goals, we were next to no goal threat against Man City really, we were a far greater goal threat against Brighton. I would argue the same v Arsenal and contrast that to West Ham, we naturally really created a lot more chances v West Ham than against Arsenal. I am realty not sold that this is as simple as some are trying to write it personally.

I don’t really just post to argue, it was a general commentary on where I feel we are relative to our league season, it was a pretty bland, vanillaish point really, shocked you have even replied to it A lot of rest of your post is a bit strawman argument to me, if you have issues what some other random posts worth replying to them I suppose, you keep up that gate keeping though if that's what you enjoy, more power to you.

It seems a bit redundant asking a question you are answering yourself really. There are squads a lot better than ours, that are obvious, and squads that aren’t, that are obvious, just about every salary table you can find for the league sort of shows where squads are. I would doubt we will finish 10th personally, its December, as I said I expect us to finish about 7th or 8th, which is about what most logical thinking fans would expect from the squad Given we currently sit 2 points of that place in the league it just makes me think a lot of what is being said about this season is just reactionary nonsense, i.e talk of the possibility of the manager being sacked, it is just a lot of online white noise.

I thought we were comfortably better against Brighton than we were against Man City like, I don’t even think its that close.

Aye sure, we might move up a place or so, but then you get to sides who are paying rumored of about 20,50,70 million a year more in wages than us. I also don’t think the new European schedule is as punishing as it used to be personally, evidenced by what Villa are coming up against v what we did

I think it’s a good squad, I just think some have a slight tendency to overlook how good other squads are. It gets said we have international players like it is some exclusive to us thing, its not, loads of teams in the league have good international players.

We have about the 7th/8th best squad in the league, we probably end the season in 7th/8th , taking the squad to 4th, was a fantastic achievement but we have a lot of work to do before we can expect that

100%, it is a pretty wild and erratic league where a fair old clutch of teams can just about beat anyone and a lot of it is around the edges and fine margins. The chances Gordon missed v Brighton and Liverpool were relative sitters and massively change those games, as was the missed penalty and botched header at the back post v Everton. The notion of free flowing easy on the eye football every other week where teams create multiple chances are great, there are as often when games aren’t like that and are decided by pretty fine details.

I have read it back and it reads pretty clear to me TBH

There are words after that bit bud.

Not to just judge him on his worst day, but that Liverpool keeper, he wouldn’t be for me like.

It’s not to throw a player under the bus but this is the season of Gordon like, Brighton chances, Everton pen, goes 2-0 last night, it massively turns the season even disregarding Palace and West Ham. The chances not taken in those games aren’t just “oh well” chances either they are the kind of chances you build a game for your big money players to take. I have never felt the issues with Howe are as deep as some want them to be, we have been a bitty this season and defined by small moments like that to me rather than ever needing to set the world on fire.

Which again ties the circle of what I said though, it needs alterations around the fringes and better returns from a few wages, but we do have the budget to have 16 pretty capable and talented players and established talent on the bench

You have listed a load of players, but still just shown we literally currently have a squad of about 16 players who will all be on a pretty reasonable wage

no way we can win this game is fucking honking patter.

18 is pushing on from what was said and a bit much, we do have the budget for 16, evidenced by the squad we have. It needs alterations around the fringes and better returns from a few wages, but we patently do have a budget which could afford us a very reasonable quality of bench rather than the extreme some try and push

I would suggest if we don't have players like Barnes or of that quality on the bench we will get left behind pretty quickly. The notion we are going anywhere with 11 class players and a load of project players, some who might get better, some wont, it is a stretch for me, even more when you see the lack of patience when it comes from some to what the development process is going to mean i.e see the general reaction to Osula. We are even playing Palace banging on a player who cost 30 million, you need 16 pretty high class players at least given the number of players teams chuck at games these days, it is a long long time since it was an 11 man sport, not being a starter doesn't mean what it used to 20 years ago, you can be part of a squad these days and play a lot of football.

the internet is great sometimes.

There is, and to tie in to what is being spoken about slightly. Even Palace who aren't a spending super power by any means had an "EPL forward" on the bench who they could throw on who will end up costing them 30 million Our spend has allowed us to catch up to a lot teams, over take a few but still left a limit on us, that isn't to say our squad is poor by any means, but it isn't some kind of wrecking ball squad, a lot of sides in the league can bring a lot of players off the bench who cost a lot of money, it's not that exclusive an asset to us