kitch

Exactly as I see it. Spot on IMO.

Another here who thinks he should be given a go. He has a nous for goal that not many others in the squad have, but the team doesn't play to his strengths. Telling him to sit behind a no.9 is dumb. Put him up the top, and put the balls on a plate for him, because finishing while under pressure is what he's good at.

Quite literally, in some cases.

I was about to say something similar, to be honest. If Wanyama is just knocking 5yd sidefooted 1-2 passes around the middle of the field, he's going to have a high completion stat. Romeu is much better at passing, and will try to play it forwards or switch the play if he finds himself on one side of the pitch. Much more adventurous, and the fact he completion rate is only just shy of VW's - considering how much more varied his passes are - that speaks volumes about him. He's much more composed on the ball too. Would I have him over Wanyama? Dunno. I like Romeu, he's one of my favourite players, but when you need a bruiser in the middle of the park he's just not quite as effective as Big Vic was, and right now, that's what we're missing. So any other day of the week, Romeu for me, but right here right now, I'd have Wanyama in the side.

I think some people are getting mixed up 100m times in seconds, and measured speed in metres per second! Gardos is one of the slowest (relatively speaking) there. My school time in year 10 was 12.96secs, and I wasn't anywhere near the fastest in the year.

I told the kids I'd managed to get tickets for tonight's and the weekend's games, and they were really excited. Even the 5yr old seemed keen, and he got bored last time. Proper family night out Then I looked outside. Right then.....

Awww, you went to all the trouble of replying just for me!

MLT for me. I'm just 'that' age where I grew up with him in the mid-90's. Shearer to an extent too, but majority of his success obviously wasn't with us. Soft spot for Benali, Lundekvam, Monkou & Dodd too.

Was just thinking that if it was, it gives an indication on the club's intentions for staff for next season. Sam G wearing 17? That'd suggest that not only is he staying, that the club plan to use him. Likewise Stephens wearing no.5 (in place of Gardos @ 15.) Targett @ 12 and, perhaps cruically, VVD moved up to no.6! Could be nothing, but it seems a bit too coincidental at the moment, to me anyway. edited to add: I'm assuming that list was lifted from a more official source BTW, not just typed out on here by the OP.

Is that list any indication of next year's squad numbers, or just coincidence that some have changed?

We'd have to change VVD's song though....

I predicted 12th at the beginning of the season, and I reckon I'll still go with that. Would be happy with 9th though, and ecstatic with 8th (based on how the season's gone).

He's always come across as a decent bloke, poor season or not.

Yoshida, for one. Could have kept Fonte out of the starting XI at the beginning of the season. Romeu's been awesome Cedric's much more consistent Ward-Prowse more effective He think he's improving a number of players, and he's undoubtedly an intelligent guy who know's what he's talking about. I'm just not convinced the team is 'motivated' as a unit.

He could do much worse than go back to Burnley.

You have to have tables called Lundekvam and Ostenstad. You just have to!

100% this, although I can't see it being a 'big' summer, personally.

I could live with Yoshida and VVD together, as I don't think Yoshida was any worse than Fonte at the beginning of the season. That said, it's still 'settling' as opposed to pushing on for the next big thing. Stephens as 3rd or 4th is fine by me too, but I think Gardos is surplus.

Can't afford his wages. It's quite realistic in some ways....

If Hull go down this season, he's got to be looking for a move, surely? Big, strong, aggressive and can use his feet, which would appeal to Puel. Someone like us would be a natural progression for him, and should (by some twist of fate) we manage to keep VVD, he and this guy lining up would be a decent centre-back pairing. He'd be a long-awaited Fonte replacement, and with Yoshida and Stephens providing decent cover, I think that'd be a good setup. Personally I think the club will stick with Stephens and Yoshi though. They've both done well respectively this season, but personally speaking I think the club need to be aiming slightly higher if they seriously want to push on next season. Anyway, I bought Maguire on FIFA 17 last week, and seeing as I signed Long (FIFA 14), Austin (FIFA 15) and Redmond (FIFA 16) before the club did, I must be an expert at football by now! I also bought Josh King.....

Hard to think you have no real complaints after a defeat, but I'm not really sure I have any. When Chelsea hit the boost button, they're almost unplayable - breathtaking at times. To come away having stuck two past them is something to be proud of. This isn't the Chelsea that were at rock bottom last season, who we tonked 3-1, this is them actually firing on all pots. Puel went for it, and I think most fans would applaud him for that. We know sitting back and being patient isn't working this season, and Chelsea are the masters of doing that anyway, which they did to perfection last night. I think JWP was a bit anonymous, and Davis had a bit of a stinker too, but otherwise we played well. Boufal had a good first half, for my money, and a really hope he starts against Hull (though personally, at the expense of Tadic rather than Redmond, but that's just me). Defenders did what they could, but Chelsea move it around so fast I think even with VVD we'd have been in trouble. My main gripe here is that our midfield don't bully enough. Romeu's the only ball winner we've got, though I think Hojbjerg will come good. Positives to take from it: Boufal's first half; The fact we went and attacked the league leaders, away; The fact we put two past them, and though we lost, we played well. Negatives going forward: Boufal needs to put in more of a shift generally (I noticed JWP was barking at him a lot to mark a man); I have little confidence in FF in goal at the moment; Midfield's a bit too lightweight; Not enough service to Gabbi On to Hull, which is a no-excuses must win IMO.

It's weird, because at the beginning of the season, that was precisely what I thought he was good at. He seemed to have a very astute footballing brain for someone only 21yrs old. Haven't seen him play for a while, but sounds like something's gone belly-up. Possibly the lack of games, which I reckon is also hampering Boufal's progress.

That would just be the best. Thing. Ever.

Fair, but my point was that one 'freak' result (I say freak because Sunderland were as bad as we were good) which would normally probably be a low scoring game. We might have a game in the final part of this season where we win 6-0, and our 'goals for' might then look quite decent, but this wouldn't tell the whole picture and we'd probably still agree that this season we've struggled in front of goal for large periods of it. I'd rather the six goals were spread out across 4-5 games, because then there's more chance of converting them into more than 3 points. My point was that if you removed that result (change it to a 2-0 win or something) then the goals for tally isn't far from this season's, yet this season most people feel we've been wasteful in front of goal. Nobody seems to say that about the 2014 season. I know what I'm getting at, but I'm crap at trying to explain it!