Wurzel

I quickly stuck a fiver on us to win at 15/1 yesterday when we were 2-1 down with half an hour to play. I just thought the way we had been playing was deliberately conserving our energy for a late onslaught should it be needed, and with Brighton having gone ahead we were about to step up two gears and overwhelm them with an all out attack for the last half hour just as they started tiring. How wrong I was. 😠

Yep, on paper I'd pick our player against one of theirs in every position yet they showed more commitment and better tactics. Ralph was a breath of fresh air when he came here, but football tactics are continuously evolving. It seems like 18 months is about the limit that any new style of play can catch teams by surprise, after that everyone has sussed out how to combat it. It seems that RH is still trying to perfect a system that other teams have already realised no longer works.

Yet again opposition manager makes a tactical change at half time, we don't make one at any time in the game.

Looks like even Europa League is unlikely at the moment. At least he'd only have to sit on their bench once a week 🤣😥

Best bit for me? About 8 of our guys surrounding and having a go at theirs after the Fleck foul on Adams. Looked like we've suddenly discovered some fight in the team at last.

He is our nearly man. Nearly times his runs correctly, but never quite there. Nearly scores but it's too wide, too high, deflected, blocked. Nearly takes on his man and beats him but only he or the ball gets past him, rarely both. Nearly gets involved in a rapid fluid attacking move but turns around and goes backwards. Nearly makes a killer pass but underhits or overhits it or picks the wrong man. Nearly breaks up an opposition attack but only manages to jog alongside the player. We used to play the "take it in turns to break up attacks with a middle-of-the-park foul" game, but he hardly ever picks up a yellow so doesn't even manage that. And on the odd occasion tv cameras get him in close op he's nearly always complaining, whether at team mates or the ref we can't be sure. He certainly showed the promise and ability few years back but I can't remember a player of that age regress so badly (apart from injuries). Not sure if it's a total lack of confidence or lack of understanding of what's required of him. With our lack of squad strength it seems like if he's fit he plays at the moment but someone seriously needs to get inside his head and sort him out.

"Going down, going down, going down" The odds, not us. We've done enough to be safe this season, but if you could get those odds now for next season, I - a glass half full eternal optimist - might even consider that a sensible investment. 😨

BIB You don't see cricket umpires or rugby refs fronting up to the media because they don't need to. The outcome of any of their decisions that are referred to their equivalents of VAR are clearly explained at the time to players, spectators and TV audience.

Just taken a look on Oddschecker. Obviously Everton are favourites, but every single bookie on there has them odds against to win. Have none of them watched us recently or do they know something we don't?

I see Lee Mason has been withdrawn from his next fixture Liverpool v Sheffield United due to pulling a muscle late on in the WBA v Brighton debacle Yeah, of course he did. 🙄

And he still walked off unaided. Made of steel that guy. We're gonna miss him though . That's the rest of the season😥

Impact bench !

I've said it in the past but I'd prefer scrap VAR completely, have 4 linesmen (assistant referees) one in each quarter. Every incident then gets 3 view points, one from left touchline, one from right touchline and one from the ref roughly in the centre. If ref is unsure then majorirty decision decides it. They'll still get the odd one wrong (or debatable) but hey ... VAR?. As with all other aspects of the game it can be replicated from the WC Final down to the most basic grass roots level (pros can make decision slightly quicker due to radio contacts but still wouldn't take more than a few seconds anyway without that. Does @Whitey Grandad or any other ex ref think that's workable?

In the process of typing Redmond is a waste of a shirt and he wakes up and plays the killer (against his better nature) forward pass for the goal.

Definitely possible, just depends whether it was actually written into the agreement. https://www.gannons.co.uk/shareholder-rights/minority-shareholders/

I said Bale, but Beckham probably a better shout. Similar on field status but Keegan was probably more like Beckham than Bale off the field as Englands biggest sporting media star at the time - advertising Brut (has that really just has a relaunch?) , hit single, falling off his bike on Superstars etc.

Maybe Messi is rose tinted specs although Keegan was European Footballer of the Year twice before joining us so not far off. Current equivalents, personally I'd liken it to signing Gareth Bale whilst at his Real Madrid peak, without a single press/media/internet rumour that he even wanted to leave let alone connected to us. Sadly there's probably not a possibility of that sort of surprise ever happening again at any club.

Maybe he's got wind they are onto him and is determined to go out with a bang, trying to see how many red cards he can dish out in the time he's got left to make sure he ends up in the record books. What poor sods have got him next?

I think anyone with the bare minimum of knowledge about body language would recognise that a) that wasn't the arm movement Soucek would use to make contact with something and b) his instant facial expression and turning his head to look at Mitrovic indi cated "what was that?" . Yet multiple viewings clearly indicated the opposite to the Dean/Mason Expulsion Agency.

Petition to get him sacked started this evening. It's growing fast. 😀Sign it HERE

It still amazes me how few players ( off the top of my head can't think of any) go on to referee after their playing career ends. Ok their peak fitness may have gone by then but doubt it would be any less than most current referees of any age. Certainly plenty go on to be studio pundits, nothing stopping any ex-pro sitting on their arse in the VAR centre and making (or at least helping make) decisions from there. Players, even at lower levels, are well paid. Maybe the PFA could withhold a small percentage of earnings whilst they play which they only get repaid once they've completed a season or two officiating. Only drawback I can see is some personal vendettas and/or anti club bias may still fester in their minds so soon after playing, influencing decisions, but that seems to be the case with several of our proper "impartial" refs anyway.

Even more embarrassing overturning 2 from the same evening. Arsenal have appealed theirs too. VAR has been controversial since it was introduced but I can't ever remember quite so much outright condemnation from such a variety of sources as last night. Hopefully the PL will finally get the message that fans are turning their backs on the game as it is currently being played (fixed).

When does he retire? I'll bet he's already touting himself to be a contestant in IACGMOOH.

Like to think they would overturn it but if they do they have to do same with David Luiz. 2 in one day ? Not a chance . Best we (and Arsenal) can hope for is an apology and a "rule clarification" like for Man City's offside goal against Villa.