Gemmill

27 games left between now and the end of the season, including all rounds of the FA Cup. That's a schedule this squad can cope with and thrive and then we go again in the transfer market in the summer. I reckon par performance for this squad is probably 7th or 8th. We've got (ranging from) little to no right to expect this squad to finish ahead of: Man City Arsenal Liverpool Villa Spurs Man United/Chelsea To be clear I'm talking about squads here and I'm including Man United. /Chelsea as a joint one cos SQUAD WISE, at least one of them should expect to finish above us. I'm including Villa cos 2 years ago when Howe took over, Villa was already a professionally run club with an actual strategy in the transfer market. It's now gone on to strengthen from that already relatively strong position and appointed a very good manager. The fact that we're able to even dream of finishing above them with our squad is down to incredible coaching and a great set of lads that are fully bought in to the vision. But that'll change with each passing transfer window as we gain ground and eventually go past these teams. Hopefully trophies come too, but this team at the minute is a victim of its own premature success. You can see it on here - expectations have been raised prematurely, and the reaction to not having them met has been.... a bit weird/hysterical to me.

Can't work out if this is nice or incredibly patronising. On balance I think he's probably being a good lad (better than some of the cunts on here at 10pm last night anyway 😝).

Get the next match thread started man, you fucking DIVA.

I'm going to bed. Clean up this period juice by the morning please. And can one of you catastrophe queens get the next match thread started.

I know, but what preceded that? Near perfection. He's been other worldly and a massive part of all the mint times and results since the takeover. I think we can cut the bloke some slack and not be calling his marriage and his time at NUFC over for a couple of mistakes. The speed with which people have turned on him is genuinely weird.

Jesus Christ some of the patter on this page. It's Arsenal TV. Blokes that couldn't run a 5k asking just how fatigued can these lads REALLY be?! One of our best players since the takeover needs dropped and is probably leaving in the summer cos he's made a few mistakes during a pressurised period. Christ.

It was just a mistake. No one is infallible. He just keeps getting the maximum punishment for this rate run of mistakes. I don't know why everyone is desperate to look for extra reasons.

If Chelsea get Boro in the next round, it doesn't mean we would have got Boro. Can we just clear that up right here and now? That's not how the time space continuum works.

It's all working out. Now we can concentrate on the league.

Better team went through, I suppose. Devastating to lose the lead so late and then the pens though. FA Cup run and get back in the CL.

Shite. Oot.

Bruno.

Their pens have been tremendous tbf.

He's been almost infallible since he joined the club. He's had a ridiculous run where he's been fucked and has made some uncharacteristic mistakes. That's it. I don't think there's anything going on or owt, he's just had a really unlucky run where every mistake he's made has resulted in a goal.

What's this lad doing whiting up? Racist cunt.

It was just a mistake.

I think he was half thinking of nodding it back to the keeper. He's looking at Dubravka and then changes his mind.

Penalties it is. Trippier man.

Fuck off.

4 minutes. Gillet redeeming himself here.

Would have been dead easy for the ref to bottle it and give that, so fair play to him. Plenty would have given it.

Cheating cunt Gallagher.

Good lad Jared Gillet.

It's fucking Jared Gillet, the AUSTRALIAN that's the ref here, isn't it!

If it's more than 5, the ref is taking the piss. The ball has been in play constantly cos Chelsea have been passing the fuck out of it all half.