Bale thankfully can't play but the other guy they signed can. This is the thing really... We sign Wilson Fraser and Lewis and are wondering why we've not improved. It takes hundreds of millions to get from our position to simply start competing for the top half.. Ok you've got the exception of the miracle at Leicester, but if you're being realistic the laws of probability don't suggest that will be repeated... They've also spend hundreds of millions to stay up there btw.
Think it was said Leicester spent £77m to get Europa League, but that's on top of having a CL team in the first place! Wolves spent a lot more. The misconception is that anyone should want NUFC spending stupid money just to finish 8th. That's got **** all to do with anything. What everyone wants is a team with an identity, a club mission statement that isn't about "pound for pound" ****ing value, purple players or aiming for 17th. Stadium? Run down. Training facilities? Same as they were in the 90's. Board? Non-existent. Scouting? Found Joelinton. Youth? Longstaffs can't even get near a dogshit team.Identity? 4-4-2, kick it to the big fella. Manager? Makes Kinnear look flashy and progressive. I'd be happy with the same XI if I knew we'd rock up on a weekend, give it 100%, blood & guts effort, with dynamic, rapid attacking to suit our players. That we'd always be up for a fight and give it everything. If we had spent £40m in a training facility rather than a pathetic Brazilian. If we had a young manager overhauling our identity, bringing back the entertainer brand. If we had a board supporting that plan by finding rough diamonds to be moulded. I don't even see how any of this is that ****ing difficult. Mike Ashley makes running a football club seem like a dark and mysterious art, incomprehensible to everyday people. Even if the stupid fat **** doesn't care, It has never made any sense why he wouldn't at least employ someone competent to run it for him - that unfathomable buffoon has simply let tossers like Justin Barnes and Keith Bishop (at the match on Sunday) run it for him, like Llambias before them. It's a ****ing disgrace and the PL should be hauled before courts to explain that negligence rather than being sodomised over Saudi. I ****ing hate this football club. 13 years of typing in anger, being so disappointed, upset, frustrated and - too often - ****ing bored.
I think I'd got used to it, but the denial of a bright future makes every defeat seem worse. It's there in my mind thinking what we should be now, but for the ****ing premier leagues slugs. We should have Poch and a couple of hundred million more on the pitch
Lot of negativity on here as usual. Hopefully Bruce will learn from his mistakes against Brighton and set up to nullify Spurs. I watched their game against Southampton and for the first half Southampton were the better side. They played into Spurs hands 2nd half by playing a high back line and Son was able to take advantage by latching on to through balls and having too much pace for their defence. I would actually go with 5 at the back for this game and sit back initially. I would also fill the midfield with runners and tracker-backers. So essentially I would re-rafalise the team. Darlow Manquillo - if Chaos is right he should be able to handle Son Lascelles Fernandez Clark Lewis Almiron Longstaff Hendricks Fraser Wilson I would leave St Maximin out of starting line up even if he is fit. Bring him on if we are still in it in 2nd half.
Actually don't have a problem with Lascelles - think he takes up some good positions when teams are attacking down the flanks and its often him clearing those dangerous balls in. Would like to see Schar given game time though if we are playing a back 5 - when we were he was very good at stepping into midfield and we seemed better at bringing the ball out from the back with him there. Our distribution from the back is a real weakness though. Maybe our midfielders aren't finding space but our defenders do seem to favour the long punt to the forwards which just ends up with us inviting pressure back on us. Shelvey looks a lot better when he is picking up balls off them and using it rather than watching it go over his head and then try and win it back.
Free swing this one. They are way better than us and will be expected to muller us. All the more reason to get after them and have a go. Bruce will probably do a Rafa and put 11 men behind the ball to keep the score down.
We all know Shelvey will start. Longstaff although ****e lately is a good presser of the ball, but then gets himself injured doing it.
Yep, Bruce will be thinking this is tailor made for Shelvey to throw hail mary's......what will actually happen is we'll be disturbingly slow and laborious on the ball, as the defenders wait for Shelvey to become free. Then he'll bomb it directly to Spurs defenders at least 90% of the time. We'll sit VERY deep, petrified of Son/Lamela, mustering at best one speculative shot on goal. Eventually we'll lose 2-0.