Ah shit we won so I have to do another one. Alright, Eddies bubble bursting penalty merchants vs nailed on relegation certainties, Everton.

[PaddockLad 17239]

25 minutes ago, The Fish said:

Livramento and Trippier would probably be picked at LB before Dummett if they were fit and not needed on the right.

Yeah Tino is in there Dave. It’s not Asprilla btw . You can have Tripps, seeing as it’s you 🤗

[PaddockLad 17239]

27 minutes ago, Kid Dynamite said:

And Ritchie after last nights showing. So he's now our 8th choice LB 

I imagine Dummett was brought on partly for his perceived aerial ability 🤷🏻‍♂️

[PaddockLad 17239]

27 minutes ago, Andrew said:

Which Tino is PL talking about?

ValenTINO Livramento as his mum calls him. I’d have thought that was fairly obvious. Maybe not. Am doubting myself now

[GrahamTaylor5 880]

I won't be surprised if this is his Clarke moment. 

[Andrew 4747]

4 minutes ago, PaddockLad said:

ValenTINO Livramento as his mum calls him. I’d have thought that was fairly obvious. Maybe not. Am doubting myself now

The joke was not at your expense

[Guest MrRaspberryJam]

FYI I thought Anderson was very good again last night. We have to pick him over Longstaff now Willock is back in the fold. We just have to. We simply have no choice. Picking Longstaff when he's clearly gassed, running on empty and out-of-form simply cannot go on any longer. It just can't. I won't stand here and accept it.

[Guest MrRaspberryJam]

God dammit Longstaff needs taking out the squad now. Right now.

[Dazzler 9714]

2 hours ago, MrRaspberryJam said:

God dammit Longstaff needs taking out the squad now. Right now.

You should go to the training ground and tell them, you'll probably see Pearson down there drooling over the curb.

[Dazzler 9714]

6 minutes ago, MrRaspberryJam said:

 

Easier to slag them off on here anonymously as I don't have the balls to say it to anyones face.

Especially since Longstaff's bodyguard is mental Matt Ritchie. If you took a bed sheet on a pole saying "Longstaff Out" he may mistake it for a massively offensive, oversized corner flag and proceed to chase you up the street so he can kick the fuck out of it.

[The Fish 10849]

3 hours ago, PaddockLad said:

Yeah Tino is in there Dave. It’s not Asprilla btw . You can have Tripps, seeing as it’s you 🤗

Yeah my point was our first and second choice right backs are ahead of Paolo Dummetto in the left back pecking order.

[Dr Gloom 21912]

Sad to see Dummett getting stick. Loyal servant etc but his best days are obviously behind him. Not his fault but he’s another player we’ve outgrown.  I was struck by how our attacks lost any momentum when he got the ball as he needed a couple of touches to set himself before inevitably passing sideways or backwards 

[Holden McGroin 6581]

15 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

Sad to see Dummett getting stick. Loyal servant etc but his best days are obviously behind him. Not his fault but he’s another player we’ve outgrown.  I was struck by how our attacks lost any momentum when he got the ball as he needed a couple of touches to set himself before inevitably passing sideways or backwards 

Aye. And to be fair to him he is more of a CB these days (he is always naturally better there as well but lacks physicality).

 

He has played two quality games in the cup at CB this season.

[aimaad22 4156]

14 hours ago, The Fish said:

It's just lazy pundits and knee-jerk fans. Last season we benefited from our new players and new style surprising so many of the opposition, other teams having poor seasons and a good amount of luck with injuries. So our position of 4th was definitely better than expected. In many other seasons we'd have finished around 6th or 7th 

 

This time we've had to try and compete in four competitions, without a great deal of new players available and the worst injury crisis I've ever seen. Without the injuries I'd expect us to finish around 5th or 6th. 

 

We're still making progress in my opinion. 

 

Brighton and Wolves dropping points means we stay 8th. Very much in the hunt for 7th (Europa place right?) and possibly 6th if Man Utd's luck ever runs out. Either will be a brilliant achievement considering everything the team has gone through this season. 

[Dr Gloom 21912]

13 hours ago, aimaad22 said:

 

Brighton and Wolves dropping points means we stay 8th. Very much in the hunt for 7th (Europa place right?) and possibly 6th if Man Utd's luck ever runs out. Either will be a brilliant achievement considering everything the team has gone through this season. 

it’s funny how expectations change across a season. Before a ball was kicked I expected top 6 and hoped for top 4 but you’re absolutely right: from the cup draws to the season-long injury crisis and betting suspensions - there is a lot of mitigation. I expect top 9 now but hoping for top 6. The injuries are still shit but we have a decent run in. 

Edited April 4 by Dr Gloom

[OTF 7295]

12 hours ago, aimaad22 said:

 

Brighton and Wolves dropping points means we stay 8th. Very much in the hunt for 7th (Europa place right?) and possibly 6th if Man Utd's luck ever runs out. Either will be a brilliant achievement considering everything the team has gone through this season. 

Just so painful dropping these two points like we did. Such a momentum killer especially when combined with our mounting injuries.

[Dazzler 9714]

1 hour ago, Dr Gloom said:

it’s funny how expectations change across a season. Before a ball was kicked I expected top 6 and hoped for top 4 but you’re absolutely right: from tne cup draws to the season-long injury crisis and betting suspensions - there is a lot of motivation. I expect top 9 now but hoping for top 6. The injuries are still shit but we have a decent run in. 

I'd hand on heart take the current position if it means we don't get any more injuries between now and the end of the season. If we can somehow get some of those injured players back into the squad then we have a chance of mounting a challenge for 6th/7th but at this point 8th and being able to maintain the health of the currently fit players whilst drip feeding the recovered players back onto the bench by the end of the season would be good enough for me.

[Dr Gloom 21912]

3 minutes ago, Dazzler said:

I'd hand on heart take the current position if it means we don't get any more injuries between now and the end of the season. If we can somehow get some of those injured players back into the squad then we have a chance of mounting a challenge for 6th/7th but at this point 8th and being able to maintain the health of the currently fit players whilst drip feeding the recovered players back onto the bench by the end of the season would be good enough for me.

 

what does 8th get you - conference league? better than nowt i guess, and our most realistic chance of winning something.

 

is it going to be enough to retain bruno though? i don't know  

[Dazzler 9714]

4 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

 

what does 8th get you - conference league? better than nowt i guess, and our most realistic chance of winning something.

 

is it going to be enough to retain bruno though? i don't know  

I'm not even thinking of Europe at this point to be honest. It's completely fucked us this year, but doesn't 8th get you fuck all, unless we get the extra CL place as a result of coefficient thing?

 

In terms of Bruno, I think perhaps the CL would be the only thing that could keep him if we have teams like Man City and PSG sniffing around him in the summer.