Saint Pete

I think we need to be at it from the start in this one, the crowd should be bang up for this and the team needs to use that and set the tone early on. Get Scienza and Azaz on the ball as much as we can in advanced areas and get at them. If anything, my slight worry is we get too hyped up and someone (probably Downes) does something silly! I have a feeling this game may need strong but sensible refereeing, so let's hope that's what we get...

Thing is, sadly this time if it's true we have done (and planned) this, the situation is all down to the club (or it's staff's) own stupidity. I still can't believe they thought it was worth the risk given the massive importance of these games and that we were favourites to beat them anyway.

Yep, feels like their fans and media see their best opportunity of getting through is us getting expelled from playoffs post match rather than beating us at St Mary's! Although logically it shouldn't matter, I think it would help us particularly in the crazy media circus if we could smash them by as many as possible as the narrative would switch slightly to "well, they would have won anyway!"

If it turns out this is a regular thing and not a one off, it's pretty fanciful to think Tonda wouldn't know about it. Why do it if the manager doesn't get to see the results of it?

There isn't a solution which is why I disagree with VAR so much. It seeks perfection in a game where you will never find perfection in refereeing decisions. As a few others said, you could probably analyse what went on at that corner and find another 3 or 4 fouls either way. Which ones came first, where do you draw the line? When a goal is scored, VAR is obviously geared to look for fouls that would disallow the goal, so that is mainly what they are focusing on. It's preferable to have no VAR and accept the decisions of the on field officials as in the Championship and below in my view.

I think they probably did but personally I would prefer a world where VAR did not exist and decide key moments like that, it doesn't feel right.

VAR will save Arsenal.

And there we are.

That was their big chance you feel, has to score from there.

West Ham hanging in there so far vs Arsenal. Would be pretty hilarious if they manage to beat them. It's a great opportunity for West Ham in some ways, not often they get the chance to royally screw both Arsenal and Spurs simultaneously!

We could report him to the EFL for wrongly accusing us (if we are found innocent), that would also be fun!

Yep, we've had our slice of luck in that first half when we could have been several goals down. We can't afford to rely on being lucky again, absolutely need to be right on it from the start on Tuesday night to get through.

Our strongest lineup except for Stephens still out. Good options from the bench. Let's do this and forget the other stuff the next few hours!!

Likely a sign that it's true. They are probably focusing on how to defend it to the EFL.

This just feels an unnecessary distraction from our point of view, I would expect us to be confident enough in our own abilities to beat the opposition over 2 games without needing to do this. Surely studying what Boro have done in previous games should be enough?