Lighthouse

Archer had two men on him, there’s another just right of that shot. His best bet in that scenario would have been playing it over the top to the left for KWP. The most likely outcome would have been either an Arsenal throw in, or one of their three defenders on that side comes across to cut him off. Either outcome is clearly better than passing it straight to Partey and conceding a goal. All of which is besides the original point. Trying to keep possession for a bit when you’ve just taken the lead at Arsenal is really not a stupid idea BUT no manager in the world would want a player to play the ball that Downes did. Downes made an error of judgement, that goal is on him.

Spurs have just thrown away a 2-0 lead and come away with nothing, against an inferior team that Chelsea ripped to pieces last weekend. They played ridiculous football in the second half, let in 3 in 17 minutes and didn't even have a goal of their own to show for it. Yes, it was great for us neutrals but to be holding that up as a way we should be playing is just absurd. Go and have a look at the Spurs forum and see what their fans make of their 'hammer and tongue' football.

We’ve not had a collapse this hapless against a team of obviously inferior players. I’m not saying we’re good but if we were playing like Spurs have second half, against much better teams than us, we’d be on the wrong end of double figures. There’s nothing to envy here, the game has come to life because Spurs are defending like clowns.

I know, if only that was us conceding three goals in 17 minutes, I wish we were Spurs.

Like any industry, football will gravitate towards what works. By definition it's not overpriced because people are willing to pay it and most games tend to sell out.

Nobody was saying it was sh*te from 2012-2016 and I doubt anyone in the top half thinks it’s sh*t today. People think it’s sh*t because we’re sh*t, people thought the Championship was good because we got promoted. We had plenty of moaning last year scoring goals and finishing fourth, imagine what people’s opinion would be after five years of being Stoke or Blackburn.

This was the situation when he tried to make a pass. There was no obvious and easy pass on, so he tried to play it to the man wide of him (Manning) but he misjudged it and Partey was in. The two players in front of him were well marked (Archer had two men on him), as was Fernandes to his right. It was an error of judgement by Downes, nothing more, nothing less.

Yes, and you have been endlessly stating that the latter was an absolute liability in the Championship (not the PL, the Championship) and that 64% was an appalling save percentage. People keep saying the the goals we conceded yesterday were from Russ being arrogant and trying to play it around the back all the time but they really weren’t. For the first goal, I would expect a midfielder like Downes to be trying to play the ball in that position. He made an absolute brain fart and played the wrong pass, which is on him not Russ, but he absolutely should be trying to play in a teammate, not just hoofing that up the pitch. Likewise Sugawara, there was no way he was trying to play a pass for Saka’s third, he either took a heavy touch trying to control it or it was a miss-kick trying to clear it out of danger. There is no way on earth he has been coached to play a slow, trickling ball right across goal, ten yards out. Monday was on Russ, yesterday wasn’t.

64% in the Championship - Not good enough for the Championship 63% in the PL - One of England's top keepers. I do think Ramsdale is a better keeper overall but however you dress it up, that's a worse save percentage than the man who everyone said, "saves nothing and we got promoted in spite of him." Ramsdale has conceded 13 in 5 games so far, so he's not done anything heroic yet.

Hmmm. True though, isn’t it.

That's an incredibly optimistic take on our squad. Ramsdale - Slightly worse save percentage (so far) than Bazunu last season. 'German international' CB - All the signs are that he hasn't wanted to be here since Ralph left, his international career is basically two late sub appearances, he's the Deutsch Nugent. Polish international CB - He's been a weakness in our PL team ever since we've signed him. A perfect avatar for the decline in our squad since 2016. England U21 CB - Has good potential but has been 'mixed' so far at this level. 2 RBs - They're decent, no argument. I doubt either would get a game for a top half team but they're good enough for us. All the midfielders you've mentioned are unproven, with the exception of Lallana, whose legs are gone. He's a passenger we wont be able to carry in a lot of games. Archer looks to have something about him, he might just trouble double figures in a decent season but he's nothing special. Diaz is a donkey. Cornet we've seen nothing of to really say anything yet. Fraser has been anonymous so far this season.

Well if you ignore the PL, Adam Armstrong. Nobody is complaining about leaving him out.

However you dress it up, he’s never scored for us. Alcaraz looked poor in most of the games I saw him in last season, then he went to Juve and was poor, then we sold him to South America for £15m because nobody in Europe thought our ‘exciting talent’ was worth that. ABK looked decent under Ralph but has gone missing ever since, nobody came battering down the door for him in summer either. There are many valid criticisms of Martin, not playing those three isn’t one of them.

Imagine if we’d lost a player who’s never scored in England, a player who looked lost in the Championship and a player who didn’t want to be here. I don’t think I’d have been able to contain my anger.

The last couple of games have shown not only how badly we’re managed but how awful our recruitment has been. When Poch was here, we had a solid squad of about 15 decent players we could rely on to DAJFU. No it’s a case of which out of the 30-odd Championship players wins the tombola this week. Edwards, Wood, Cornet, Taylor, Fraser, Archer, Lallana, BBD and Les - ALL signed this summer and none of them starting. What was the f**king point.

Lallana is the absolute last player I’d be starting in a game like this. We’re going to need to match them for intensity in midfield and he has nowhere near the fitness to be able to do that.

If you get time with Lucy, why are you wasting it on here, talking to us?

That’s actually not that bad a line u…. F**K ME SIDEWAYS HE’S PICKED RYAN F**KING MANNING?!?!

I wish I got Clubcard points every time someone made this joke.

Four years ago today, Man Utd lost 6-1 at home to Spurs and Liverpool lost 7-2 to Villa (back when the latter was sh*t). I don't know where I'm going with this post but thanks for reading anyway.

Because it’s just ‘their turn’ like it was with Brighton, Wolves, Leicester and at one point Saints. I remember our game at Villa Park in 2016, their fans had had enough and were chucking paper planes on the pitch left, right and centre. If Long knew how to finish, we’d have won about 7-1. Nobody wanted to be Villa then, nobody wants to be Wolves today and in two years, nobody will want to be Brighton.

I’m not shouting because I’m angry, I just thought I’d try one last time to get the point through to you (and others) who ignore it. Iran not wanting Israel to exist isn’t my opinion, nor is it simplistic. They don’t, they just don’t. There is no, "yeah but if Israel…" Im not defending anything Israel has done but there’s nothing they CAN do which will lead to peace in that region. With that in mind, there’s no real incentive for them to act peacefully.

Russia and Iran can’t win a war against Ukraine, they’d get an absolute arse-whooping by Israel. That’s not to mention the precarious political situation in Russia following their previous ‘three day special military operation’ and the fact that they have a sizeable chunk of rich, well connected Jews in the upper echelons of their society. I know people love making dramatic statements about WW3 on t’internet but it ain’t happening here. The two sides will launch long range ballistics at each other for a bit, claim a moral victory and go back to political sabre rattling.

Like who?

I can only assume this is some sort of wind up, I just don’t understand how you can so consistently ignore what has been said a thousand time. IRAN DO NOT WANT ISRAEL TO EXIST AT ALL PERIOD FULL STOP THE END