joe_fishfish

Code is Richard Hughes confirmed

They can in theory. We all know City are getting the shittest side left in the draw though. Followed by the winner out of the next two shittest sides in the semi.

Unless Arsenal take points off Abu Dhabi I think we’ll need 94 to win it. Can see Arsenal dropping points in other games, Abu Dhabi won’t.

I disagree with this, if we smash them today we are massive favourites. Four points clear with ten games to go is a big lead.

That’s the team, yeah.

Have heard the back four is Robertson, Van Dijk, Gomez, Bradley. Rest as you’d expect. Very disappointed Konate can’t play.

I’m hoping for a classic bit of Guardiola overthinking for this one. Phil Foden as a false nine, Bernardo Silva at left wing back with Haaland on the right or something. This season they’ve not seemed as utterly relentless as in previous years. I’m hoping Dom and Macca can run all over them in midfield and do the work of three players, City always dominate midfield so it’d be interesting to see how they handle it.

We got so lucky with the Saudis bailing us out of that Henderson contract. Without that he’d not only have been around this season sulking about not being first choice while putting in worse performances than we’ve seen from Clark and McConnell in recent weeks, but he’d be here next season as well! Imagine if we’d missed out on Szoboszlai or Endo because Henderson didn’t get that Saudi move. We’d be nowhere near a title challenge that’s for sure.

Give Mo half an hour in this, an hour against City, then make sure he's "injured" enough to miss the international break

Kinell, if our kids can win the League Cup how good must Villa's be?

I think he turned down a move to Saudi and was expecting to play a role on the pitch this season, that's what I remember reading at the time anyway. Don't think this has turned out how anyone would have liked.

That fucking Alisson / Van Dijk mixup at the Emirates though, that will haunt me as much as Trent hitting the bar against them at Anfield. Fucking hell we don’t make it easy for ourselves

Actually looking at the table again now, a point in the City game wouldn’t be the worst result for us. It would keep City behind us at least. It would mean Arsenal go top by one, but I very much doubt they’ll beat City at the Emirates, so it would still be in our hands.

A draw would probably be the best result for us from that game I guess. But it’s all moot if we don’t beat City really.

None of it means anything if we don’t beat Abu Dhabi at the weekend.

If away goals were still a thing I could see us going full strength for this, as it is I’d defo be going with some more minutes for the young lads. Gomez and Bradley 45 minutes each at right back, probably need 90 from Bobby Clark, definitely need 90 from Quansah, McConnell and Danns should get some time too.

Pretty much what we played against Southampton then. Clark’s main job in that midfield is to run around full tilt and just make simple passes when he wins it back. He’s capable of that.

Is Rafa perhaps saying we shouldn't overlook an older, experienced candidate, with trophies to his name, who maybe hasn't been hitting the heights of his earlier career in recent roles? Someone with family ties to the area? Someone who has managed the biggest clubs and knows what it entails? Sound like anyone in particular ... ?

Hopefully we get the version of Tierney we got last time, when it seemed like he’d had a brain transplant.

I don’t really care about where an individual ref is from but when there’s fucking loads of them from one region and hardly any from other places it does kind of imply something is dodgy in the way they are selected.

Paul Joyce is usually on the money isn’t he? Wonder what changed Edwards’ mind - last we heard was that he was focused on his new business

Makes zero sense for them unless they know who their manager is going to be next season and he’s stated he wants Robertson. From our side I would definitely consider a sale, Robbo is a legend but getting money for a 30 year old who is hugely reliant on his pace and stamina is always going to be good business.

Yeah sounds like agent chat, trying to get a new contract or flushing out any other interested parties. We’re stacked in midfield now as well.

He'll be nearly 22 before he can even kick a ball for us in a competitive match. Over the hill.

Keyrol Figueora as well. And I think we’ve got Phil Jagielka’s kid in the U15s as well. No idea if he gets a pro deal or not but imagine the fume if he did.