I thought that Ramsdale was in the outstanding category too.

In a strange arse backwards way it might have been better to have lost to Newcastle because if we had we'd think
.... Okay we aren't the real deal yet and a bit more tinkering is needed ...... BUT now after that brilliant result we've shown we are the real deal and come seasons end we miss out on the title which looks likely those two results will really stick in the craw .

Partey's stupid casual little dink and Ramsdale's dithering have cost us the title .

Nice win

Hilarious to read Howe moan about us wasting time and slowing the game down and making it stop start. First of all of you don’t want a stop start game stop fouling us so often. How they ended with 11 men is a mystery. Secondly Newcastle are the team who have the ball in play the least and take the longest on average to get the ball back in play. They’ve been doing it every single game this season, and then complain when someone does it to them.

Ramsdale made a bad mistake but implying he cost us the season overlooks that he's saved our bacon on multiple occasions. Partey's mistake wasn't great for sure.

BUT you have to consider why players are taking those risks and doing things were were taught not to a schoolboys (playing across the face of goal, taking risks in our box instead of just punting it clear, etc). You seem think it is fannying around. But playing out from the back has delivered wonderfully for us. We've already scored TEN more goals in 35 games (83 goals) that the Invincibles did in the full season (73 goals). We are still on track to match their points total. That is not fannying around, even if it looks like it sometimes.

I do think you are going to concede more goals playing that way because you are doing things which are risky. But I am sure management are completely aware of the need for reinforcement and further tactical refinement, particularly to improve the 'goals against' column. I'm sure they won't draw the wrong lesson for the Newcastle game.

Yeah. Time wasting is a tactic that works so why wouldn't teams do it? It's up to the officials to fix the problem, and it's a simple fix as we saw in the WC.

Not many people have been talking about Kiwor. A few questions.
1. Is he now our 3rd choice?
2. Is Holding still ahead of him?
3. Should we sell Holding and buy another CB?

He did very well.

WOW
HOW *%^@*** SWEET WAS THAT!!!!
That was one of the most sweetest shithousery performances EVER.
I hate that Club with a passion not generally mind you but just for yesterday.
Let's not forget how they comprehensively outplayed us last season and how they were 5 up against Spurs after 20 minutes.
I thought we would wilt in the cauldron atmosphere and that the title would effectively be over with defeat or at best a draw.
Who knows what happens if Murphy's shot goes in after one minute or they get the penalty but we weathered the storm and Odegaards goal was crucial.
Oh my days we then proceed to miss 3 SUPERB chances with Martinelli , then Saka then Ode!!! ARGGGGGGHHH. We desperately needed one of those to go in and I really feared we would rue those missed chances.
It was *%^@*** open season with those scummy geordie *%^@ just fouling and fouling and the ref doing nothing. One of ours was raked down the back of his leg by that *%^@ Guimares in the first half and nothing not even a frigging yellow. Foul after foul and nothing.
Made it even more sweeter to see those Newcastle bitches whining and Eddie Howe whining as well after the game. They had the temerity to moan and whine after what they came and did at the Emirates.
*%^@!!!! Sweet sweet victory and so beautiful to get under their skins. We were MEN yesterday unlike the city game. We stood up , were belligerent and performed the dark arts and time wasting beautifully.
So proud of our boys.
Jorgingho was superb as was Ramsdale and Ødegaard and it was a perfect test in hostile circumstances for Kiwior and he passed it brilliantly.
Those dropped points against West Ham and Southampton are so going to cost us but at least we are fighting on.
Sweetest victory ever.
Thank you Boys!

Playing Brighton at home is a huge advantage. I'd just like to see us see out these games and win them all, get to 90 points and if we can get some of the younger players some experience.

Lots of comparisons with last years result v Newcastle away. But only 6 of the team that started that game started yesterday. Half a new team.

Sure Ramsdale has saved our bacon on multiple occasions ; he a goalkeeper that is what he supposed to do .

All I'm saying this seeming nailed on doctrine of playing out from the back cost us two points on the day .

Your argument for fannying around at the back producing wonderful results doesn't really hold water because who's to say we wouldn't be better if we transferred the ball forward at pace

I'm sure Saka Jesus and Martinelli would benefit from attacking a defence that was back peddling at sixs and sevens than having to unpick the lock against
a defence that is set , the way we have to do on most occasions .

there that's put that little troglodyte back in his kraal

I think yesterday kind of highlighted a few mistakes Mikel might have made recently

Firstly him abandoning his ideological preference that your right centre back can’t be left footed and vice Versa. Kiwior was absolutely superb in his 2 games and just costing 20 million looks a real shrewd signing. However really leaves the thought of what could have been. I knew if Holding played v city we would lose and it might not have changed anything but we had to gamble and didn’t.

I’ve said it a lot but Mikel has completely misjudged our left back situation this season and when he subbed off zinchenko yesterday it felt like maybe a moment of realisation. We have 2 good left backs, 1 traditional and 1 not but both who can add real collective value but because Arteta seems bound too much by his set up and footballing ideology he has only really utilised one. It was a mistake, KT is your guy for anfield, totts, etihad and old Trafford and zinny for the more comfortable fixtures. If he realised this yesterday he may be too late as KT is probably fed up and off this summer. Far too good for the minutes he got.

Jorginho probably should have comes in earlier but omitting Partey feels a little weird. We are kind of stuck to our tactical formation and set up without enough personnel to change it if we lose a player or the urgency changes. I’m not sure if this is Mikels fault really or not but if we are to be successful then we need to acquire more players comfortable with playing the xhaka, Partey and Ødegaard roles.

Mikels a fine coach but I would say he’s slightly too bound by his footballing ideology too much.

It’s not fannying around at the back.

It’s just how we play. Mikel only wants a certain amount of percentage balls played and whilst it’s difficult to watch sometimes you have to understand the defence are usually largely in control. It’s really unfair to say it doesn’t work based off 1 error. Also it’s harder for us to play long with our centre forward being 5 foot 9. It’s ball to feet I’m afraid and if your temperament can’t handle it then drink a few more before games to settle those nerves

It’s an impossible to see line though isn’t it? Emery tried one thing, abandoned it and them eventually the whole thing started falling apart.

The reason that happened and, for me, the issue this season is the same. Quality of squad depth. He could have nailed it perfectly when Saliba went out but I think you hit 90% of right decisions, and the squad quality does the rest. That’s clearly true for Pep. His system only works because he’s had one of the best squads in world football everywhere he’s gone.

The idea is to move it forward quickly when possible. However, when it isn't possible for whatever reason (such as our forwards being well marked, which is often the case) the idea is to keep possession rather than play a low percentage ball forward. Then we probe and try to create an overload. But even then we have to take care of possession because trying to create that overload makes us vulnerable to the counter, so indeed we may go backwards.

Of course, sometimes the players may judge that risk a bit too conservatively and play as a safe pass when a more progressive option seems on (eg when Saka or Martinelli have a chance to dribble into the box). But keeping possession and keeping the other team under pressure and pegged back is very important, so it is often the best option.

No need to thank me for the free lesson. It's a pleasure.

Telling Kiwi to drink more?? Please have more regard for the hardest working liver south of the Tropic of Capricorn.

Probably better for a young coach to be that way than to be reactive and all over the place tactically. The fact that he's been so dogmatic has served as very well. No doubt experience and quality in the squad will allow him to be a bit more tactically flexible.

Lacazette joint top scorer in France.

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJ ... lb;fp;1;;;

Yes that ranks up there with some other pundit-denying performances our club has achieved. Rub of the green at times perhaps, but overall a top show. So many to choose from yet for me Ramsdale is our player of the season - a proper goalkeeper, and if he carries on like he has, maybe a legendary one.

I agree squad quality plays a huge part. We haven’t got a player in our squad who can operate in the Xhaka role if he’s absent. Lose a player and you are putting in a backup of lesser quality. However whilst I’m a huge fan of the manager i see some slight ideological decisions at the expense of elements of logicality in the decision making.

Don’t get me wrong I trust the process but I think motd touched on it last night. It’s the system and only the system and if it’s working great if it’s not we will fall. Wether strengthening changes this we will see next year.

On emery I think the bloke was always on a hiding to nothing, unable to sign the players he wanted because of board unrest and strategy and dealing with the lingering problems of wengers tenure. To be honest I think this season was really the first one where we can say we went into it free of wengers squad influence due to the squad turnover. The fact we’ve done bloody well is great but next season will bring a different challenge with the return of champions league football and the need to change up more often. Will be interesting

May 2022


May 2023 Shearer won't accept it wasn't a penalty

Such a shameful way of trying to change the mind of Gallagher. So he has his own (wrong) opinion about it but let others have theirs.

That Coronation Concert last night was a bit surreal.

You had a Lionel Richie tribute act who really wasn't very good and didn't sound anything like him.

Katie perry was dressed up in a Quality Street toffee wrapper.

Howard Donald was channeling his inner Dave Lee Travis whilst Mark Owen was rocking a suit from Dorothy Perkins (complete with Dynasty style shoulder pads) and cuban heels.

All a bit mad really.

Everton play like this against Man City I'd be pleased

I was impressed with Isak. I kept imagining how well Tierney would do their and he would definitely make them a better team and we may come to rue the day we let him go there.

That's nothing, Soc. You should have seen the outfits being worn on Saturday

Just seen this ,

Wow!

The games we drew before City were winnable. I don't care where you are, if you go 2-0 up to anyone with our squad and how good we are this year, you should not draw.

That said, had we won those games as well as the big wins over Chelsea and Newcastle, we could have lost to City and still win the league but that said, it is what it is.

I'd say Newcastle was our toughest win. Tougher than Man Utd and Tottenham. Chelsea are so poor this year, I'd consider Brighton a stiffer test.

Yes, yes and yes

The only caveat is that if Tomiyasu had been for I think we’d have moved White across to CB. So maybe the 3rd choice CB is Kiwior of Gabriel is out or White if Saliba is out

I don’t disagree that we should have won all 3 of those drawn games, if we had and could therefore just about afforded to lose to City we’d have had to have a record of Won 15 Lost 1 of the last 16 games to win the title - on top of getting 50 points at the half way point of the season. To beat this City team you have to be perfect, we haven’t been quite perfect. City are now on a 10 game winning streak, if they win their last 4 and go 14 straight to win the title it puts away any ‘bottling’ sometimes the opposition is too good. We’ll have regrets for sure but there is nothing to suggest this team, with some careful recruitment can’t get better again next season

The big difference between us and City is at the moment City have a couple of ways to make it work. They pass and press as good as anyone, but they can go direct to Haaland and are very strong at set pieces. Finally if it’s just not clicking on the day they have individuals who win games by themselves with moments of magic. We’re much more team based and that shows itself in the way we spread the goals and assists round. But sometimes you need that Henry to bail you out of a game

When you look at Kiwior and Gabriel’s touch maps it’s very much a back 3 with Kiwior central. We do that with Saliba but white is more pushed on so we build in a 2-3-5 formation. With Kiwior it’s more 3-2-5, subtle but allows Kiwior to not have to be as responsible for the line breaking passes off his right.

When things go wrong for coaches and they need to change it up a lot go for the more athletic and physical approach, bring those sorts of players in. Arteta went the technical and ball security route. For Chelsea in came Kiwior, Jorginho and Trossard - all more ball secure than those they replaced.

Hi Rich,

I agree.

Haaland and the decision to deploy Ake at LB have been key to them looking a more complete team in recent months.

Ake has shown the importance of having fullbacks who can actually defend, especially one-v-one, and has shown his importance against the likes of Saka.

Arteta has a big decision to make about Zinchenko.

I loved him when he first came in, he,was a breath of fresh air and his technical excellence allowed us to control games when he stepped inside.

However, in recent weeks his defensive limitations have become very clear and teams are increasingly targeting our left side. The problem is that he is not a natural left back who senses danger, has good positional awareness and is able to handle one-v-ones. Nor is he especially good in the air. He is what he is, a very technically gifted midfielder filling in as a LB.

As others pointed out, we can get away with this in many games, especially with the pace of Gabriel and Saliba at the back, but not in the really big games where Zinny's wanderings into midfield leave a very large and vulnerable area for opponents to concentrate their attacks.

To be honest Rich, we weren't going to beat out City unless we finished the season how we started it. City hasn't dropped points or lost in the league since mid February. It's May now. That is championship form. I said this before, we went on a similar run of games and form in '98 and '02. No team can withstand that kind of form in the final run in.

2004 we were behind Man Utd by midway. 13 wins 6 draws I think if I remember it correctly then we went on a run of wins while they went into a slump. Liverpool was the team that was going on a similar run to us but no one really noticed and its why they ended up 2nd that season. Had we not gone on a run of straight wins it was Liverpool's title.

Anyway, the planets are aligning for City. Not just a big squad, but no key injuries like Haaland and DeBruyne. We lost Jesus, Partey and then Saliba. Too many things happened. I like Nketiah but if we had Jesus during that time, we'd be at least 6 points to the good. He creates way too many problems for the defense even if he's not scoring.

City winning the treble will sort of validate us not bottling it. Tonight will decide if they win the treble. They will beat Man Utd in the cup final. Man Utd will play their hearts out for a few very big reasons and make it somewhat difficult but they won't be able to do much about it.

City with a lot of possession but way too cautious in attack, fearing counter.

Blatant booking for RM and the referee too scared to give it.

When City has possession very little movement around opposition box. Standing around. Football is like basketball, you keep moving so the defense has to look around to see where you are and that will create opportunities. They are static.

Real Madrid very few looks at goal, first real good shot at goal and they score. Maybe this will ignite City.

Vinicius Junior is some player. 23 goals and 21 assists this season. Should be in the running for the Balon D'Or with the season he's had, especially if Real Madrid win the CL again.

I wonder if it will just go to Messi though for the World Cup