DusseldorfHammer wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2024 9:20 pm And on January: We were one of the few clubs with money to spend

And let’s be honest, clubs over valuing players knowing we had cash wouldn’t fit the Sullivan M.O. of squabbling over every last penny!

There was one thing Moyes said after the defeat to Leverkusen that stuck with me, something along the lines of 'Look, they're a Champions League team' - that's what I think gets me the most, the almost deferential attitude towards certain teams. The focus on their strengths, not ours, or is it becau...

Funnily enough, the two we've lost have had the same achilles heel - goals from set pieces rather than anyone cutting us apart in open play. I have no issue with lower possession as long as there is intent to attack when you get the ball - too often it feels like we’ve just shut down the attacking ...

the pink palermo wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 9:51 pm Seemingly they had 78% possession. For the last time, who cares ?

I’m going to bite - me, because sitting off chasing shadows game after game is tiring, mentally and physically and leads to mistakes, especially late in games.

Winning the Conference last year buggered Sullivan as he felt obligated to keep Moyes when I suspect he’d decided to make the change.

This year has felt like treading water until the inevitable end of season rebuild.

And it’s not like Moyes has a stellar record when it comes to effectively utilising his bench given options…

D C wrote: ↑Thu Apr 11, 2024 10:58 pm
Did we give them too much respect?

I think so

They are good, but you have to offer a threat, sadly we didn’t and again you can’t constantly defend like that and not change it up.

It’s as much a sign of messed up offside rules as anything else - like Gordon last week, stand offside, you should be offside, keep it simple.

Billydinho wrote: ↑Sat Apr 06, 2024 3:37 pm When you camp on the edge of your own box all game what do you expect?

Right answer - we invite pressure and therefore opportunity for VAR to get involved and for penalties to be conceded

Running on fumes last 20 minutes but we kept going and stayed (mostly) composed.

Needed a result above all else after Saturday.

Basically, what we’ve learned from this weekend is that it is okay and ‘clever’ to throw yourself in front of an opponent as they play the ball to win a penalty.

I guarantee you if that happens with us tomorrow we don’t get the penalty.

Shearer isn’t going to say a word against Newcastle, not least as he’s probably got a nice round of golf lined up with Yasir Al-Rumayyan at the next LIV event in the UK.

StokeIrons wrote: ↑Sun Mar 31, 2024 11:16 pm MOTD2

Lineker questioning the penalties

Shearer laughing his b*ll*cks off

Says it all

The ‘fan’ pundit is another crap trait of modern football.

Like watching someone shadow boxing

From IFAB:

A video assistant referee (VAR) is a match official, with independent access to match footage, who may assist the referee only in the event of a ‘clear and obvious error’ or ‘serious missed incident’

Quite why the Premier League is unable to meet this criteria is beyond me.

I get point about Phillips jumping out of the low block, but heck, we needed some urgency from somewhere as (again) we just sat back and invited the pressure.

Quote error!

Doc H Ball wrote: ↑Sun Mar 31, 2024 12:14 pm Really? Our technical director will tell you how to deploy players. Come on.

Maybe not how to deploy, but If you want to prevent a Mourinho/Conte style squad obliteration, yep

Still irrationally upset by yesterday. The combo of tactics and VAR just destroyed us - we can’t play this ‘low block’ anymore, so why do we keep defaulting to it and inviting pressure. It’s no surprise that we’re in a position to have VAR take things away from us if we give opponents so many chance...