Optimistic Nut

Tuchel, Glasner, Iraola are the standout 3 if Howe left, imo..

We also had Isak who went on a goal a game run for months on end. Asking a helluva lot for Woltemade & Wissa to have that sort of form.

I do think he needs to be in a Cup Semi-Final, plus get 7 points out of Chelsea, Man Utd & Burnley before the New Year to wipe out today's shit.

Absolutely love Tino & Tonali but don't think either sale will hurt us the same way as Isak has. The drop off has been huge. Not Woltemade's fault but we've went from having one of the best strikers in the world 23/5, to a player with potential who we've had to change our way of playing for. I think if we got around £150m combined for those two, added to our normal spend, we could get top quality in GK, CB (if Botman isn't the man), new CM & RB.

I think we're coming to the end of the first cycle. Could go two ways. Persist and we'll probably bumble along with ups and downs to 60 points or so, squeak into the top 8, might get Europe. The other option is a change in approach and way we play. Scrap the 4-3-3, try 4-2-3-1, or something different. We might not improve in terms of results might finish around 10th, but I'd take that if it means a bit of an overhaul this summer and starting a bit fresher. Preferably with Howe still here. This would involve things like sticking with Ramsdale over Pope. I know some people don't like him on crosses, but I think if we're going to change how we play, playing out from the back is a necessity. It'll make changing the keeper much easier in the summer if we're already used to playing that way. I don't want another 6 months of Pope slicing stuff into the stands, tear-arsing out, etc. Ramsdale from Pope could be our Claudio Bravo from Hart at City. He was shaky, but it meant by the time Ederson came in, they were already playing the way he would just come in to make even better. Centre-halves, as much as Burn & Schar have been brilliant for 3-4 years for us, when Botman is fit, play him and Thiaw. If we've got any doubts about his fitness, sell in the summer and make centre-back (along with GK) our big area to upgrade. Back to the 4-2-3-1, not sure if Woltemade off Wissa is the solution, if we had another striker capable, then maybe, but don't think we're in a position to play both the majority of the time for 60-70 minutes without risking being without forward depth. Bruno there with Tonali & Miley behind him possibly? Barnes if he's going to insist on playing Gordon? Ramsey? Think this is as good a time as any to change. The season isn't a write-off, we can still have a good season playing the Howe way, but I feel it's back to square one in the summer. I'd take a mid-table season if I could see signs of a more progressive way of playing and a style that we can manage for 55 games a season and not just 45.

I've always been an obnoxious twat.

Contact sport within the laws of the game aye.

I don't get how it's not a red. He's not got control of himself else he'd not have smashed into his chest, he got nowhere near the ball. Of course he has every right to try and challenge for the ball but once you slide in like that and get nowhere it, it should be a sending off imo.

Either Leeds, Villa or Bournemouth probably.

Today just summed up their season. In a game that had zero quality and where they never looked like scoring, they get a goal like that. It's every few weeks we see it. If it keeps going to May then absolutely fair play but it's an absolutely freak season. They're not better than Leeds or Burnley yet pointswise they're doing ridiculously.

I think he needs players to play his way, his fitness levels, etc. He's possibly restricting himself to selecting players from clubs who play with the same tactics he does otherwise.

Agree with this. It even almost worked first-half and should have done if Woltemade and played that ball first time to Gordon when we hit them on the break. We'd still be playing now waiting for a goal (both teams), if the own goal hadn't happened. Once that goes in, Sunderland could revert to type and sit deep.

I can't see Howe taking the England job. Don't think international football would suit him at all.

Can't spell colossal either.

Needs to suss the away bollocks out. Can stomach when we lose regular at City & Liverpool. Losing to Brentford, Brighton, West Ham & Sunderland though, nah.

Don't think tactically either "nailed it". If Woltemade plays that ball first time to Gordon on the break after we let them have the ball and we win 1-0, Howe's the genius. They stick the ball on the big Germans head and they're allowed to sit back, he's the genius. Two massive moments that decided the derby.

I think if the higher-ups ever had considered a time to get their own man, it's close to that time now. Bottom half, lost to Sunderland, probably going to be the time there'd be the least uproar.

I still don't mind the approach as such, due to this, but I expect so much better from us the other way. We let them have the ball knowing well and good they'd not okay through us. If Woltemade had been able to see that Gordon run and played it first time then we might be talking about a masterstroke. We just look so toothless and predictable when we have the ball though.

The Reid team had something about them, Phillips & Quinn. The Ashley years we were fucking wank. This one though, they have bugger all about them and we offered nothing. Worst derby defeat in my lifetime.

He'd suit a Forest (obviously), Sunderland, West Ham, Everton, perfectly the way they play.

He's literally seen every bugger around him off. He has to start taking some of the questions now.

I thought they were rank by the way. I think we could both play for a week and neither of us would have stuck the ball in the net ourselves. They'll slowly start slipping to about 14-15th. We just need to change something ourselves to go the other way.

Wissa will restore a bit of it to an extent when he's up and running. I like Woltemade but he's easy to play against the way we play.

Said it before, will say it again. We miss this cunt. We have no fear factor anymore, defences can set up pretty comfortably against us now knowing unless Barnes or Gordon do something from the left, or Murphy puts in a peach, we have nothing.

That was shite. Fuck me though, this is literally their everything. That old woman crying man.