Eddie’s Broon Ale necking Black Garter Slags vs PaddockLad’s mates’ southern softy shandy-drinking la las.

[PaddockLad 14714]

2 hours ago, NJS said:

So we're left with PL and his squad's antics to save the day entertainment wise... 

 

Youth are mortal in the Bodega, indulging in the long lost past time of throwing beer mats around. The locals are obviously looking on with affectionate tender contempt  😆

[strawb 3685]

4 hours ago, wykikitoon said:

Our resident GK will let us know. Paging @strawb

Wasn’t watching mate, have been out getting called a fat cunt by the tailor most of the day. Will have a look at the goals on motd 

[Monkeys Fist 38943]

1 hour ago, trophyshy said:

 

Nay Best Scotch in the Beehive so I was closer to Pickering. 

WHO? 

[Kid Dynamite 6006]

4 hours ago, OTF said:

 

If you bring everyone back in, including Tonali, and get out of signing Hall all we really need to do urgently is get a quality non injury prone striker in. I was going to say someone of the Joao Pedro mould, but he's had hamstring problems this season. We also need to retain Joelinton.

Aye, Bruno, Joe, Tonali, Willock, Miley and Longstaff is good midfield depth in a normal season. 

However, we do need:

 

1 - An upgrade on Burn/Targett at LB if Hall is going back to Chelsea

 

 2 - Another CB if Lascelles doesn't sign a new contract

 

3 - A replacement for Miggy

 

4/5 - A 3rd striker. And a replacement for Wilson if he leaves. We played 3 different wingers up front today and none of them looked like a striker 

[Jimbo 133]

4 hours ago, Dr Gloom said:

Could have done with finding the winner mind because arsenal are going to carve us open at will  

 

We will if we start with Burn again, just seems like petulance from Howe to continue with him, will be very telling if he starts again.

[Dr Gloom 19888]

49 minutes ago, Kid Dynamite said:

Aye, Bruno, Joe, Tonali, Willock, Miley and Longstaff is good midfield depth in a normal season. 

However, we do need:

 

1 - An upgrade on Burn/Targett at LB if Hall is going back to Chelsea

 

 2 - Another CB if Lascelles doesn't sign a new contract

 

3 - A replacement for Miggy

 

4/5 - A 3rd striker. And a replacement for Wilson if he leaves. We played 3 different wingers up front today and none of them looked like a striker 

Yeah, we don’t major surgery. We need to sign 3-4 players who improve the first team and have better luck with injuries 

[toonotl 2455]

Somehow a worse refereeing performance than last week. Teams come to SJP with the aim of unfairly disrupting our patterns of play, particularly focused on Bruno and our pacey front three, and the ref consistently lets them do it. It is the refs job to ensure that the contest is played within the rules. And failing to book a player for three separate yellow card worthy offences does not fit the bill. It's as simple as that really. The refereeing standard is atrocious. In saying that, I think we should be more aggressive in our tactics to disrupt opponents in transition as well, particularly at home. I'm sure the same standard wouldn't be applied to us and we'd end up with booking and suspensions across the park but at least if we do what is done to us it puts the point to the ref to make it the same for both sides.

 

As for our performance, we needed to get in front first half when we had a bit of freshness in the legs. After going behind 1-0 and given the refereeing performance, it's really a positive to end up 2-2. In a game we played without a recognisable striker in the squad too. Not a bad point really all things considered. It's a result that is a product of our season to date.

 

Also, they could've been 2-0 up in the first half if Solanke could finish. He's clearly had a purple patch similar to Miggy. I hope Arsenal or Chelsea look to sign him in the summer. He'll be a terrible waste of 50m for whoever gets him.

[strawb 3685]

7 hours ago, wykikitoon said:

Our resident GK will let us know. Paging @strawb

I started this comment taking about keeping goal but..

 

Based only on the motd highlights, Dubravka 

made two routine saves. Then slipped, which can happen to anyone for their first goal. 
 

He should have saved the second IMO, he didn’t move his feet well enough and Pope saves it tbh. 
 

Regardless, I’m one of Dan Burns biggest fans but he (read, his lack of pace) is getting targeted by opposition managers (see first goal today). I don’t think this is a Dan Burn problem, he is being asked to play left back and tuck in to allow Trippier to get forward, we all know this and now opposition managers have realised. Simply playing a different player doesn’t solve this, because it changes the shape of the entire team.
 

Our back four is severely lacking in pace, all great players but no sprinters among them. So when we as a team play as high as we do (correctly imo) and try to win the ball high (again correctly), if we don’t win it back high then we very open to a quick counter attack with one/two passes. 
 

I think the issues with our defending are more to do with lacking big and little joes. They have high press energy, and nobody else in our midfield does, so we miss winning the ball high, preventing the quick passes behind our defence. This exposes our slow defenders.

 

Sorry for the essay

[RobinRobin 9299]

Also, where was Botman for their second? 

[Andrew 4242]

2 hours ago, strawb said:

 

 

He should have saved the second IMO, he didn’t move his feet well enough and Pope saves it tbh. 
 

 

 

Agreed, it was a terrible one for dubravka to concede.

 

Theres practically no danger at the time the shot is taken, hes being shown outside by burn, hes quite far out at a pretty narrow angle to take on a shot and it just...goes in. It wasnt exactly a rocket of a shot or curling or anything really. 

[RobinRobin 9299]

15 minutes ago, Andrew said:

 

Agreed, it was a terrible one for dubravka to concede.

 

Theres practically no danger at the time the shot is taken, hes being shown outside by burn, hes quite far out at a pretty narrow angle to take on a shot and it just...goes in. It wasnt exactly a rocket of a shot or curling or anything really. 

Ironically saved more difficult ones earlier. 

[wykikitoon 16860]

Spot on @strawb. I also think Botman hasn't been at the level he has been prior to his injury. Is that because he's been rushed back in? If so why? Lascelles was doing a decent job. Slowly introduce Botman back in.

 

Re playing Burn. I think he will again c Arsenal. He did a job on saka before and Howe is hoping he can again. 

 

Will continuing to play Burn and Almiron next season cost Howe his job like some think? 

[Holden McGroin 4962]

3 minutes ago, wykikitoon said:

Spot on @strawb. I also think Botman hasn't been at the level he has been prior to his injury. Is that because he's been rushed back in? If so why? Lascelles was doing a decent job. Slowly introduce Botman back in.

 

Re playing Burn. I think he will again c Arsenal. He did a job on saka before and Howe is hoping he can again. 

 

Will continuing to play Burn and Almiron next season cost Howe his job like some think? 

No. The mood from some is like we are fighting relegation. If anything 7th is above our station with all the injuries we’ve had. And we’ve had to resort to regularly playing a 17 year old who is 7th choice CM.

 

We’ve got 8 points from 4 games -which is about par.

 

it’s glaring obvious they both need replacing. He isn’t stupid. I suspect we’ll have our eye on Lloyd Kelly on a free in the summer to upgrade Burn.

 

 

[sammynb 2929]

5 hours ago, RobinRobin said:

Ironically saved more difficult ones earlier. 

 

But they were all but straight at him, his reflex saves are good, it's his reading of a ball in flight that is terrible, there were a couple of crosses/set pieces he flapped or tried to punch that had everyone's hearts in their mouths.

[wykikitoon 16860]

30 minutes ago, Holden McGroin said:

No. The mood from some is like we are fighting relegation. If anything 7th is above our station with all the injuries we’ve had. And we’ve had to resort to regularly playing a 17 year old who is 7th choice CM.

 

We’ve got 8 points from 4 games -which is about par.

 

it’s glaring obvious they both need replacing. He isn’t stupid. I suspect we’ll have our eye on Lloyd Kelly on a free in the summer to upgrade Burn.

 

 

He's another big lad. Didn't realise until yesterday.

[sammynb 2929]

2 minutes ago, wykikitoon said:

He's another big lad. Didn't realise until yesterday.

 

When they line up before the game, standing next to each other, didn't give you a hint?

[toonotl 2455]

40 minutes ago, wykikitoon said:

Will continuing to play Burn and Almiron next season cost Howe his job like some think? 

 

I can't really fathom that people are seriously questioning Howe's position. He has so much credit in the bank. And, like Holden mentioned, seventh this season (all things considered) would actually be a good result and improve his station in my opinion. And we're right in the race for seventh. That's fuckin miraculous considering where we were not too long ago with a lot of the same players (who weren't injured and playing on fumes for months on end).

 

Not calling you out Wyki. You're a reasonable voice on here. Just speaking to the question posed. It boils my piss a bit that gobshites on twitter are so hyperbolic. Prolly why I avoid the place. It'd drive me mental.

[GrahamTaylor5 661]

There have been massive implications to the full system when we lost Pope. This has given the very slow defence a lot of extra ground behind them to cover.

 

The loss of Joelinton had given Burn even more ground to cover. I think Tino makes more sense, but even he has not looked *as* good without Pope.

 

Part of me wonders if we have accepted the position that we are in and boxing between what is best in the short, medium and long-term.

 

I thought we would have went for a short-term replacement up front like a Vardy type character, like we did with Wood. I wasnt expecting a midfield replacement with Willock and Anderson not being far off.

 

I wonder if we accepted the need for a short-term fix then (Wood/Burn) but we don't need them now. As much as we would like Champions League next year, maybe a better plan for recruitment and a proper path may be in the offing. 

[ewerk 26610]

21 hours ago, PaddockLad said:

Quayside breakfast with squad member. No biggie. More interesting is who he was dining with

 

 

You got the minibus booked to take you to London next weekend to make sure Ritchie eats his weetabix again?

[RobinRobin 9299]

54 minutes ago, sammynb said:

 

When they line up before the game, standing next to each other, didn't give you a hint?

Too busy calling the ref and the other team cunts. 🙂 

[Dr Gloom 19888]

1 hour ago, toonotl said:

 

I can't really fathom that people are seriously questioning Howe's position. He has so much credit in the bank. And, like Holden mentioned, seventh this season (all things considered) would actually be a good result and improve his station in my opinion. And we're right in the race for seventh. That's fuckin miraculous considering where we were not too long ago with a lot of the same players (who weren't injured and playing on fumes for months on end).

 

Not calling you out Wyki. You're a reasonable voice on here. Just speaking to the question posed. It boils my piss a bit that gobshites on twitter are so hyperbolic. Prolly why I avoid the place. It'd drive me mental.

it’s only the gobshites on Twitter suggesting Howe’s position is in doubt. No real fan wants him gone.
 

The supporters in the stadium back him just as we back him on here because we can see how good a job he’s done in a short space of time, without a blank chequebook and with horrible luck with injuries.

 

Any ”supporters” calling for his head either started supporting the club after the takeover or are clueless, impatient morons 

[GrahamTaylor5 661]

I'm still in two minds as to if FFP is actually doing us a favour. 

 

I am not convinced that us being able to sign indiscriminately would be helpful to a sustainable build. 

 

If we had been able to buy 3 more midfielders in January, it would be great to be able to nurture Miley's development but when do we then give Miley some time? When Willock comes back, when do we play him? I'm not convinced this would be the best environment for the team to develop.

 

I think FFP might actually make us more of a proposition as you are not going to join us on January 1st for another 2 players to be bought on 15th. At least the transfer is a two-way commitment. 

 

I cannot think of a manager, that I would be 100% convinced, if we could do a straight swap for Howe would do as good a job for us in this period of time. 

[Anorthernsoul 1221]

I had this conversation during the week about the goalkeepers, for me Pope is by far the better keeper. There's a direct correlation with the rampant goals conceded after Pope picked up his injury. Yes the defence is to blame aswell but for me that is because Pope is the much better organiser than Dubravka and the back 5 last season was absolutely solid and well drilled. Since Pope went out that back line has been all over the shop and I feel Dubravka isn't vocal enough and doesn't command his box like Nick Pope. Yes he's a decent shot stopper and OK with his feet but there's a lot to be said about Pope's organisational skills and also the defences confidence when Pope plays as to when Dubravka plays they just seem very shaky and teams have picked up on that and happy to attack at abandon.

[Anorthernsoul 1221]

Also I'd like to add my thoughts about Dan Burn, I feel for him a bit as he's blatantly being targeted now and the blind faith Howe is putting in him is costing the team and Burn himself. Dan Burn is a solid defender and been a great servant for us but all players have their restraints/limits and a big lad like Dan it's always going to be pace. The fact he's got little to no protection in the current system Howe plays means he's like a sitting duck at Left Back and with so much space in the channels for speedy wingers every game it's the same story. It would actually be better for Dan Burn to play as the left side of a back 3 to be honest if Howe insists on playing him, that way there's more protection from a wing back and the system is much more compact. Otherwise Tino has to play at Arsenal if Howe keeps the same system, Tino's pace and reading of the game makes him the better left back for me and it cuts out that threat down the oppositions right wing.

[ewerk 26610]

TBF Tino and Hall had just played 90 minutes against Barcelona.