Lighthouse

In 2 years under Koeman we only lost 8 league games by more than one goal. 3 of those were against Man City and our biggest defeat was 0-3.

TBH I thought that was the case anyway, so I'm not entirely sure why this news is different but someone called 'professor' seemed pretty optimistic about it.

Quite a few posts in this thread have been reported and deleted. Whilst the frustration is understandable, I think we can do a bit better than calling him an F'ing C and making baseless accusations of match fixing. He's 19 and will be agonizing over what he's just been (partly) responsible for and now he's getting racist abuse to boot. I don't think he needs anything else.

Just to round the whole event of superbly, Sky are currently showing the full replay of our trip to Fratton in 2005.

I find it somewhat strange that any celebrity would choose to be on social media and not expect to be abused as basically a default datum. If you have an account you’re instantly exposing yourself to literally the world. Any one of 7.5 billion people could commit a hate crime from 5,000 miles miles away by typing half a dozen words on a screen. To put it into perspective, imagine anyone in the world could steal your wallet in an instant by anonymously tweeting, "@dave steal Dave’s wallet." Nobody would have an account and if they did the BBC wouldn’t bother running stories almost daily saying, "Dave’s wallet stolen again in horrific online theft." I can see why Wright says he’s tired. This will continue long after we’re all dead; you can’t end racism worldwide any more than you can end petty theft. Although that’s not to say we shouldn’t prosecute those we can identify.

Some positive noises coming out today. Firstly there is tentative evidence that the AZ vaccine reduces the risk of transmission. Secondly a professor on BBC news was just reporting that some people who have given a positive PCR test after being vaccinated may not be infectious.

Well that’s clearly not an issue of cost, not that I’m suggesting we should pay Ralph off.

I don't know what's stupider. Thinking we wont get 11 points in 17 games or thinking Fulham will get 26.

I agree. All this seems to have stemmed from not getting a better reserve fullback yesterday (who wouldn't have been eligible tonight and would have made zero difference anyway). I still remember the deadline day when we loaned out Rasiak and Skacel in the last hour and nearly got relegated. Now that was a f**king s**tshow.

Yeah, I'm just going with worst case scenario. I was tempted by Mina but I think at a time like this Ralph will stick with what he knows, at least to start.

I'd go with McC Ramsay - Tchaptchet - Stephens - Bertrand Redmond - Armstong - JWP - Djenepo Ings - Adams

Most of that team wasn't on the pitch tonight. Gunn, Yoshida, Vest, Hojbjerg, Valery, Romeu, Redmond (most of it) and Danso.

This is the manager who, two weeks ago, people were wetting their knickers he might get poached by Chelsea to replace Lampard.

Our gripes in the transfer window were centred solely around not getting a reserve fullback. Given that Bertrand and Ramsay were not the problem tonight, I fail to see how that’s on Gao. Roberto Carlos on the bench wouldn’t have changed anything tonight.

There’s a chance it will be rescinded, failing that any chance of Vest or the lesser-spotted Salisu? Without all three.... 🤷‍♂️ Minamino on the bench should be a bonus.

No.

I agree. To do it twice is unforgivable. Refs not withstanding, to completely collapse like that with 10 men is inexcusable. We need a psychiatrist or someone to sort this squad out. Completely bottling games in front of a home crowd before Covid, throwing away countless results in injury time and now this. Twice.

Can’t see why it’d bother him. He’s only here on loan and just needs playing time.

No but the way it’s being used is absurd. It’s like a speed camera catching you doing 30.01mph and getting a fine. It’s the enforcement not the technology.

I’d take Ings off for Watts now, TBH.

TBF I’ve seen much older, wiser, better players make more foolish mistakes than that. He’ll live and learn from this I’m sure, although it’s scarcely a comfort for anyone in the short term.

Richard Dryden played the full 90 when we won 6-3.

I think it’s fair to say Arsenal won’t qualify for the Intertoto Cup via the fair play league.

Wasn't he the one who got sent of for some European Youth game at St Mary's a couple of years ago? I could be wrong, he definitely played.

That's not to say they wont. I'd say we have a reasonable chance, assuming he plays well but not exceptionally for us. There's quite a big space for him to slot into between, "better than Redmond/Tella/Walcott" and, "wont get a game ahead of Mane/Salah/AOC." If he fits in there and we offer them a modest profit on the £7.5m they paid for him, who knows.