This is why arguing about possession %s can be distracting. Where you have the ball and what you do with it (threatening or passive) is much more important. It's why 50%+ possession might do my head in if it was tippy tappy Potter at Brighton style. I don't have a major problem with @30% possession...

In the end, the only stats that matter are real goals for and against, wins, draws, losses, and league positions. they are the only stats that matter in regards to how we are performing vs competitors in a league system however, other stats that reflect a 'style of play' might matter to some people...

We are not out of the tie, IMHO
We don't need to win by 3 goals in 90 minutes
a two goal win in 90 mins takes it to extra time and then anything can happen, including going to penalties

on any given day, with a fair slice of luck, we can beat any team 2-0 or 3-1

Yes Brighton got smashed 4-0 at the Olympico, but the media will stroke off De Zerbi all day long for trying to play football in “the right way” whilst sucking in the modern-day entitled fan into thinking there’s only one way to play a game of football. Great game management from RDZ there. Would a...

Bubbles Fortuna wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 10:39 am David Sullivan.

Sullivan is largely to blame for not getting replacements (and thus leaving us short), but not for actually getting rid of Benny, Kehrer and Fornals. Moyes had no real desire to use them when they were fit and available

Scamacca didn't work out It happens He went back to Italy where clearly he is more comfortable. This situation was more about the environment, not the style of play/ manager/ coaching staff etc We probably should have been more careful when we purchased him, but every company in the world hires unsu...

assuming Bowen and Phillips are not fit, i would go with simialr formation as last night

Fab
Mav, Zouma, Oggy

Kudos RWB
Cornet LWB

Alvarez
Soucek
JWP

Ings
Antonio

Viv Stanshall wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 9:51 am You’re either trolling or have absolutely no idea how we’ve progressed through the European rounds in the past couple of years. Why on earth you’d expect this against the best German team this season I’ve no idea ??

i think he is being sarcastic!

i would have taken a 1-0 defeat before kick off last night that 2nd goal was a very very poor one to give away at 1-0 down, that really was the time to completely shut up shop, and i would have bought on Ogbonna for Cresswell to add additional height and leadership. when you know it is going to be f...

My biggest issue with last night was the lack of attacking intent. Yes, we were missing a few (key) players, but so do most teams and while I can accept that this may have influenced our overall approach to the game, I cannot accept what appeared to be any kind of intent to try and attack. Several ...

Last night was a night for Oggy, IMHO

“Moyesball” - Arsenal recently come away from the Etihad with a 0-0 draw having a whopping 27% possession. Teams do play like this sometimes when up against it. They did but they did offer more threat than we did last night. The shot differential was 12-6, not 32-1! Of course, ceding possession, an...

I'm not buying that we were brave and battling. We surrendered the ball, sat back and what always happens happened. Yes they are a great side, but we showed them far too much respect. I would be a lot happier if we had had a bit of a go at them, instead of relying on the odd breakaway chance. If we...

It wasn’t a sitter though. It was a decent chance. The problem was that it was the only one we created. And this is the frustrating thing for me Yes, they ar ea very good side and we defended very well, but that early incident showed they were vulnerable at the back if we committed a bit more to th...

Crouchy, one of the best away days I've had watching the Hammers, aside from the last 10 poxy minutes!! Got home at 4am this morning, but the noise in the away end was fantastic, the afternoon with thousands in the "square", I'm going to miss so much next season! Yeah, in hindsight i woul...

You're just making this up Like most teams in the world, some will like it, some will not The way we play suits Bowen and SOucek perfectly so they probably love it, but it isn't a way of playing that Paq is likely to be hugely on-board with, and wouldn't be his first choice Paq wouldn't be the firs...

obviously it would have been very useful to have Benny and Fornals available on the bench last night, but we have to consider that even if Moyes did not 'sanction' their departure, he wasn't exactly keen on having them around either, and they clearly wanted out would they have actually been used in ...

He clearly absolutely despises playing like we do last night where we have no real intention of trying to hold the ball and build attacks. I think he just about suffers our style most of the time but last night he lost his head. I think one of the reasons he comes so deep and takes chances on the b...

What level of respect should we give the team top of Bundesliga by 16 points, unbeaten in 40 without Alvarez, Bowen and Phillips and a threadbare squad? It isn't as simple as "More strikers = more goals" unfortunately. The footballing giants of Qarabag managed 11 shots and scored 2 goals ...