The Fish

Done

Game plan worked for most of the match. Despite the claims, we weren't time wasting from the off, we posed some real problems for one of the supposed title challengers, we played some good stuff at times and all that. When we needed to make substitutes because our legs were going, the standard we were able to bring on wasn't very good and we needed to resort to more and more time-wasting tactics. Nowt wrong with that at all, but the narrative is shifting from us making a game of it for large parts of the match, to Liverpool battering us for 90 minutes and us time wasting the whole game. This just isn't the case at all. The notion that the game plan backfired suggests a different plan would have provided a better result. That trying to out football Liverpool with our second string would have seen us come away with anything other than an absolute shellacking. Bournemouth tried to play football, look what that got them. In recent history we've had two conflicting game plans against the big boys; Benitez' stifling anti-football stuff (although I'm a fan of that level of organisation and game management). Bruce's 'Get the ball to Maxi' and hope and pray. The latter would have seen us battered, the former would likely have seen us get late in the game before conceding, but losing nonetheless. I prefer Howe's approach.

Made me the man I am today. Admittedly, a jacket wearing, 'vague northern'-accented Cheshire ponce, but still a man.

If you've got pots of cash, you could massively overpay for my parents place in Seaton Sluice to help them have the kind of retirement they deserve. And if you can do that, why wouldn't you? Why would you deny two absolute legends happiness? Are you so broken by the hate-filled South that you care nothing for the elderly? You make me sick.

Dunno about that, like. I've hazy recollections of VAR helping us out incorrectly, like Lascelles getting away with one, even after a VAR check. Admittedly, this is hazy, so doesn't bear much weight.

Read his review of the game. Suggests we could have won, but were too afraid. Suggests that final result was wounding and embarrassing. Which is frankly bollocks. Every man jack of the lads can hold their heads up high because our second string deserved at least a point away at the supposed title challengers. We fucked with them because they can't handle being fucked with.

Saw something on twitter suggesting that Howe has money available to him if he wants it, but frankly I can't see us getting involved in the chaos of transfer deadline day unless, as has been said, one of our long-term targets suddenly becomes available at the price we're happy with. Wouldn't be shocked to see some kids brought into our youth team, wouldn't be shocked to see a loan deal struck for a fringe/squad player, but can't imagine us buying someone for the first team now.

We were tactically fouling, going down 'injured', wasting time. If you do that you also have to be switched on until the final whistle eventually goes. Joelinton had the ball in the corner and crossed instead of just running the clock down. Try and win a corner, a free kick, a throw in, anything that keeps the ball as far from our goal as possible. Delighted with the performance, proud of the lads who came in and blown away by Isak. Mustn't be forgotten that we were without our first choice midfielder, biggest attacking threat thus far and what has been our 1st choice CB partnership. Put it this way, Bruno and ASM get replaced by Fraser and Longstaff and we walk away with at least a point.

Surly not.

Wykiki only enters competitions for new, non-pissed bedding sets.

WAH GONNA WIN THA LEEEEEEG

Got em eventually

The average for a 6 person household is 592 litres. I'm not wanking that much

Got a new revised bill from the water company after they'd sent a bloke around to take a reading from the meter under the footpath. Going from about £50 to c£110 a month. They reckon I'm using, on average 978 litres a day. I find fault with this.

Losing tonight won't be fun, but it's nothing but a bump in the road. Said it before but you target games to get points, away to Liverpool is a free hit. Howe knows better than me, but given the injuries and Isak's potential unavailability, I'd play Wood deeper with Almiron and Fraser runners beyond him. Longstaff, Willocka nd Joelinton are going to have to press AND manage their counterpress which means releasing the ball early and, most importantly, being brave on the ball. If Targett isn't fit we're going to need to be wary of overloads on our left flank. Burn will be targeted. Man Utd 9-0 Southampton 20/21 followed by a 3-3 draw with Everton Leicester 9-0 Southampton 19/20 followed by a 2-0 win at Palace Man City 8-0 Watford 19/20 followed by a 3-1 win at Everton Southampton 8-0 Sunderland 14/15 followed by a 1-0 win at home to Stoke Chelsea 8-0 Aston Villa 12/13 followed by a 1-0 win at Norwich Chelsea 8-0 Wigan 9/10 was the final game of the season (but they had put 7 past; Sunderland, Villa and Stoke that season) Spurs 9-1 Wigan 9/10 followed by a 1-1 draw at Villa Newcastle 8-0 Shef Wed 99/00 followed by a 3-2 loss at Everton. Man Utd 9-0 Ipswich 94/95 followed by a 1-0 win over Wimbledon I was hoping for some evidence of the foot coming off the gas, but honestly there's only us who lost after such a big win. Three 1-0s though, which wouldn't be a bad result, to be honest.

Apparently it's not a full series, just a 2 part retrospective covering their promotion. Which is a shame as the wheels may well be coming off and, bias aside, I'd much rather watch a documentary about Keystone Cop Chaos, than the polished success of Man City All or Nothing-ing their way to another trophy laden season.

Even looking at the respective shot maps show that a lot of ours were in the box and fairly central. They had to make 11 blocks. The heatmaps show our play was stretched across the length and breadth of the pitch, whereas theirs was in isolated pockets and the hottest part of the map was in their own box. Bruno, Wilson or Isak start that game and we win it by a couple of goals.

We were much the better side; more possession, more touches, more shots, more shots on target, better xG. Neves can fuck off, and anyone complaining about that game can get aboard the FuckOff bus and all.

Their thread on him quickly goes from own brand instant delusional 'we should get him', to artisanally roasted, double shot, chocolate covered, delusional ' he's too inexperienced for us'.

I'd like this Ashby kid from West Ham (RB), I still think we're in for some more quality up at the business end of the pitch too. Edson Alvarez has been mentioned and he's a good DM, but I'm not sure that's a priority area right now. When it's Bruno, Joelinton and Longstaff/Willock, there's plenty of disruption going on so I'm not sure we need a specialist DM right now. We definitely need a threat from the right hand side and personally think we could do with some more depth up front. Some young striker who'd be happy to pick up 10 minutes here and there, but who is an upgrade on Wood. Chris Wood is quickly becoming my scapegoat. I understand why we signed him, and he's done the job we've asked of him, but he was a stop gap and we've now covered that gap.

Yeah, Crystal Palace have 1 more point than Bournemouth and have had the same fixtures, it can't be the results, it has to be the comments. He'll be back in a job soon enough.

Too harsh, for me. Yes they've lost 3,4 and 9-0. But that's against Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool. They've beaten Villa and progressed in the League Cup. Maybe they should get Tony Mowbray in?

It grumpily did. Wood wasn't a blip, it was a needs must transfer at a time we were without our 1st choice, in a relegation scrap, without a DoF, CEO and our manager had only had his feet under the desk for a comparatively short time. We unsettled a relegation rival and his contributions definitely helped us stay up, even if there weren't a lot of goals.

Stop trying to make a podcast happen.