coachpotato

They’ll get the 12 points off this season for FFP and survive because there are three teams all 12 points worse than they are, they’ll likely do it the last game of the season, so another celebratory pitch invasion and DVD can happen. Then next season they’ll get another 12 points for administration and because there’ll be another three teams 12 points worse than they are it’ll happen again. Rinse and repeat. As for City, the PL Committee will likely end up saying sorry for inconveniencing them while on an Abu Dhabi sponsored two week visit to the Middle East “fact finding”.

Last season he looked annoyed most of the time, at himself and at others, unsurprisingly because his standards are so high. At the start of the season, I wasn’t convinced he’d be the best choice as Captain, I thought maybe Robbo would be, but as the team has got better, so has he and the two are definitely linked. He’s smiling more and the captaincy seems to have regenerated him, therefore his performance level has gone to something approaching his best. Even at 90% he’s the best defender in the Premier League and I hope he shows that against Haaland in the next game.

I know Haaland is a bull so most players would have a problem holding him back legally, but Cucurella is a brain dead prick though, made it easy for Haaland to go over and claim the penalty, holding him before the ball was even played in, then getting himself wrong side of him. Plus, the referee being from a completely neutral part of Manchester helped arrive at the correct decision.

They can defend decently in numbers, are fairly dangerous when they have corners/free kicks due to their grock co-efficient, have three decent players in Pickford (stop sniggering) Onana and Calvert-Lewin and Branthwaite and Harrison who are half decent. In other words, they are the epitome of a mid table team, who might put some decent teams to the sword on their day, but who City will bum mercilessly. Too good for the drop though as there are three teams worse than them.

Letting us beat Brentford without too much controversy is the perfect set up for the Etihad on the 25th. Wonder who the officials will be for that one.

Endo, like the rest of the team, did pretty well today. There was more drive and application from the whole team from front to back, and I thought after recent games, Brentford might have presented us with a stiffer test than they did, and that was down to us playing at the pace we set and with everyone doing their job well. He was available for passes, didn’t put many (any?) astray, intercepted and tackled well, and even turned up at left back near the end to flick away a dangerous cross at the far post. Given he hasn’t been a regular starter, he fitted in ok and didn’t let himself or anyone else down. Not sure what more he needed to do other than that.

Finding it hard going being a “big” team aren’t they. There’ll be a splurge of cash in January no doubt.

It’s always been the case, at all levels of football, that you have to first meet and surpass the effort or challenge from your opponents, then usually your skill/superior level should win the day. A “better” team having a day off will be beaten by a “lesser” team playing out of their skin. That’s what FA Cup shocks are about typically. The term “mentality monsters” was coined when we were meeting and overcoming every challenge, pretty much. We need the players to be in that frame of mind for a start.

Agree with all that, especially the last paragraph, but I’m beginning to doubt whether there will ever be those competent or unbiased enough to make it work properly. If that’s the case it needs fucking off.

Hard to disagree with the result, given we were so shit and they were much more up for it. The contentious VAR decision gives yet more ammunition for those who think it’s a waste of time and a joy destroyer, and I have to say that, after thinking it was a good thing, I’m now starting to doubt its effectiveness, but only because there’s no consistency anywhere from those who operate it. We should still win the group, and go through easily, but whether we’re able to win this thing will depend on us not repeating performances like tonights and it’s also a bit concerning that, especially in the last two games, we’ve looked lethargic and unable to dictate the pace of play, we don’t look like the mentality monsters we were and we really need to be somewhere back there to threaten City, and some of the others, if we want to be challenging for trophies and a high finish in the league . It’ll be very interesting to see what we produce against Brentford as a precursor to playing City.

Thick as fuck Tsimikas. Not the only one. Need to wake the fuck up and dictate the pace more.

If Salah meant that as a headed pass, then it would have been from the centre of his forehead and Salah’s head movement would have been towards where he wanted the ball to go. Neither was the case, and as we all know, Mo doesn’t pass a chance on to anyone in those situations.

Salah’s header is an abomination, anyone who thinks he’s squaring it to Nunez needs their head wobbling. He doesn’t pass to anyone in those situations. So when the ball comes to Nunez, it’s probably the last thing he’s expecting, although any striker should be putting that chance away really. To be fair to their keeper, he got across towards Nunez quickly and quite possibly put him off enough to make him try and put it high into the goal, but he fucked up. As has been said though, there was more wrong yesterday than those two missing presentable chances within 5 seconds of each other.

All this talk of players being played out of position, incorrect tactics, players not producing the goods (even in their favoured positions) costing us individually etc. etc. yadda, yadda, yadda. With respects, it was fucking Luton we were playing, not fucking Real Madrid. We are better than them in every position, and substitutes, yet a team that’ll be lucky to get 30 points in the entire season, almost got 10% of that yesterday against us, who some of you believe can win the league. And it wasn’t the referee or VAR who cost us either. Unless City have a shit season, the best we can hope for, realistically, is second, which is as good as could have been expected following the overhaul in midfield we’ve had. There are certain games when you think “Yes we could win the League here”, Villa away in 2019 for instance, but in others you think “ No, we haven’t got the mental strength to win a title if we don’t win this” and yesterday was the latter. We are going to get there when this team gels better and perhaps with one or two key additions, but not yet.

See Luton have a twelfth player on the pitch. One A. Madley.

Aye, true, but having just looked at it again Gordon’s body is level with Joelinton as he heads the ball and his arm is ahead of the ball, so if it is deemed his arm is “in play” then he is offside as there isn’t two defensive players between him and the goal. Joelinton still fouls Gabriel however. One of those games where we a draw suits us, but an Arsenal defeat is, arguably, a better result than a Newcastle defeat.

Joelinton shoved Gabriel in the back? Definitely. Ball in or out? Maybe, but inconclusive. Ball hit Joelintons arm? Maybe, but inconclusive. Gordon offside at the point Joelinton heads it? Well his arm looks the wrong side of the keeper and there aren’t two defenders between him and the goal if his arm is deemed in play, but otherwise, inconclusive. No goal if I’m right. But they’re only trying their best aren’t they.

It’s the old story isn’t it? We don’t know where he fits in, so neither do the opposition! Makes him more of a conundrum to defend against, Haaland’s game is possibly easier to read, but he’s been difficult to stop, but perhaps over time defences will suss Haaland and be able to limit him, whereas the only thing limiting Darwin is himself?

A fairly straightforward win. No injuries, I think, and run outs for a few who need minutes. Never in doubt. Thankfully we’re dealing with these games now without any dramas, as it should be. Next.

This. Never let them rest on their laurels, sure fire way of regressing if you do.

Nunez is box office. You have to watch him because he can be brilliant and ridiculous in equal measure in the same match. He’s got something about him that endears and outrages and yes, he does miss easy chances. But had Salah, Mane and Firmino put away every chance they had made for them over the last 5 years, we’d have possibly had two more titles and one more CL I think. Just get behind him and let Klopp decide the rest.

Testament to the All Blacks that even after Cane went off, it was hard to notice they were a man down. Testament to the South Africans that not many other teams would have stood up to the Kiwis and fended them off. The AB’s should have kicked the kickable penalties they had, it was never going to be a free flowing game, and so points on the board, especially with a man down, should have been a priority. They were unlucky with the disallowed try, but again, the Rugby equivalent of VAR showed just how it should be done in the way it was adjudged, explained and accepted. There have been better games in the tournament, but fair play to the Springboks, they made the most of what they had.

Newcastle fast becoming one of those teams who just make you want to spit. Just plain cheating and an inflated sense of their own importance. They’ll be another bunch who try to generate a synthetic rivalry with us. Referees had a decent game up to now, taking no shit off them diving and complaining. Dortmund will still need another before the end though.

Dortmund having enough chance# to be ahead in this by a couple of goals. Nice Guy Eddies “lads” falling over at the drop of a hat. They’ll likely get at least one pen with Gordon on the pitch and Almiron looking to give Trippier a pot shot around the box.

A true one Club man, I don’t believe he held any animosity towards us in the same way some of the supporters of his club and other clubs do. I don’t think there are many of us who held animosity towards him, even if the “People’s Club” stuff seemed to be something an old ham like him would dream up. Thoroughly decent of him to support the Hillsborough cause in the way he did too. That shouldn’t be forgotten by anyone, Red or blue. Hope he rests in peace.