OTF

Mike Ashley, the owner who does as little and spends as little as possible had to bring in a coach to handle tactics because Bruce and his existing trainers had no idea and the team were in an absolute free fall. That was this season. I know tactics and strategy are less important in the championship, and it's possible that the players will like him because he's a lazy prick who will basically pick his favourites and then let them do what they like, but even if they somehow manage to snare promotion you absolutely do not want him in the premierleague. I had a quick squiz at a West Brom forum and quite a few of them seem to think he's a good or reasonable appointment. Good luck to them, if they manage promotion playing them next year will be fun times.

It is beyond comprehension that anyone would employ him after the state he left Newcastle in.

FYP

Right, now where's the Patron forum, I've got some (more) complaints to make...

When the letters worked having had prick as the word not so long ago I was pretty confident with this one.

Wordle 228 2/6 🟨🟨⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

That'll be Joe on the end of it next week. Joga bonito* is coming. * Not a free agent we are signing.

FFS mate he's a footballer not a public speaker.

Arsenal's better window:

Etikite eh? Took a tour of our training facilities and was blown away.

I'd love to see some of the games in training once we have our full assortment of players. Can imagine Guimaraes and Joe wanting to play together.

Also probably balancing out their 25 man squad as well. Unfortunately you can't just peddle the shite that isn't good enough, you have to actually offer up something of merchantable quality. Or Jeff Hendrick. One or the other.

It won't happen until the question of relegation has a firm answer.

We're not going to let you take the piss - what kind of amateur operator says that? You sell a player if the price that is offered is acceptable to you, regardless of how much money the buying club has. To not do that is to cut off your nose to spite your face. Of course that's not an actual quote from someone in a decision making position, rather someone low enough down the pole to talk to a journalist and try to big note themselves.

Is this one of those where is the ball things? If so it's a trick and it was floated back across the box harmlessly out of frame.

That's a good point actually, ASM will make runs, and I guess Fraser will also, but you need someone central who can challenge the defensive line of the other team. Perhaps a chance for Miggy to come in and play centrally behind Wood? It's nice to have options, though it would have been nicer if we'd also purchased a more dynamic forward as well as Wood.

Agree he's getting a bit of a rough deal. If he was called Cristoforo Allardici they'd be much more receptive.

I'm quite optimistic about both Burn and Targett, they seem like very down to earth lads who will fit straight in and work well with Howe. It will be very interesting to see who lines up in defense against Everton, particularly who is tasked with marking Calvert-Lewin and who picks up Richarlison. As much as we'd probably start Schar or Fernandez over Lascelles I can see Lascelles being selected again in his normal right sided centre back position with Burn playing his natural left sided. Once the game starts though Lascelles often plays that almost sweeper role where he falls almost in behind not marking anyone in particular (why he has inflated aerial duel stats IMO because he's winning half contested headers based on his positioning). They will need some help in marking Richarlison before he gets to the box, that will also be interesting to see if someone is tasked with that or whether it will be based on where Richarlison positions himself. So much to learn in our next game.

Miggy doesn't seem to fit in with our current tactics. He was more suited to the counter attack. Appears that his confidence is a bit short atm. I'd love to see him find a place in the team, perhaps Guimaraes playing will change things for him. I'd be starting with Shelvey to see how they play together and then look at Willock. Could possibly look at playing Almiron off Wood.

It's true though, we scored first a lot. We'll be conceding less late on as our conditioning improves under Howe and crucially when we start playing less shit players.

We've barely scraped a goal a game, not exactly setting the world on fire up front. Only three teams have scored less. But also, yes, only one team has conceded more.

Him and Colo playing it out from the back....

Enrique was bloody fantastic to be fair, we had him for the best part of his career as well with injuries ruining him and turning him into a keeper at Liverpool.

Must be daft to not realise after all this time that a bench is just to hold up cart horses, cloggers, semi-crocks and kids rather than 'attacking options'.

This is HUGO if true.