Leo No.8

Can’t stand Real, most arrogant club on the planet.

Dunno, he’d probably still get in the Egypt team in his 80s.

We have set ourselves up to play to Trent’s strengths. Madrid will not do that, be interesting to see how he does.

Yeah that was when I knew he was gone. It was also when I thought he had some ideas that might not be what he hopes. A full back will never win the Balon D’Or end of story. He’s an exceptional footballer but he definitely has his weaknesses as a full back. He’s been brilliant for us, I appreciate everything he’s done, but if you run your contract down and leave on a free you can’t expect the massive love-in you might get otherwise. We will move on.

Those players should be your squad players. So you sign a Wharton from Blackburn now, he’s your 5th choice CM (he was great from day one at Palace btw) but we play with 3 so he’s going to get playing time. Just because players are coming from lesser teams and leagues doesn’t mean they can’t come in and hit the ground running. It’s a squad game now, you need 20 good ones and we are picking the best of them.

Baleba or Wharton would be great. The thing about our current transfer policy is we don’t want to pay top dollar, but also seem to want to let players have a season in the PL to prove they can do it…at which point you have to pay top dollar! Which might be why we seem to not sign anyone. Just do one or the other. I can get on board with picking upcoming players, but your scouting needs to be better, good enough to get Wharton from Blackburn for example.

I’m with this - maybe tell the next one he did something behind the scenes like knocked the tea lady’s hat off and laughed, so we dropped him.

We have good options on both wings, but I’m surprised he hasn’t been tried as a CF considering how poor the other two have been. I don’t want to see Jota starting again this season. Certain Chiesa has played there. Basically true. Pretty much every signing for years has been a release clause (Mac, Szobo) or player who has fallen out of favour (Grav, Chiesa). Imagine actually making a strong move to sign a top player who a team wanted to keep? Last time we did that with VVD and Ali it turned out alright.

Saves the first goal absolutely no question. I get needing to keep your number two happy normally, but having already effectively told Kelleher that he’s gone by signing his replacement, just play the best keeper in the world in the cup final.

He really doesn’t trust his squad players, and that means FSG putting their hand in their pocket this summer and backing him in a big way. The squad needs a lot of strengthening and reshaping, so that the manager is comfortable rotating and resting his players. Need RB competition for Bradley (injury prone) if TAA leaves, LB competition for Robbo (who doesn’t look anywhere near the player he was), a CB, CM and two forwards. Should be able to get a fair bit recouped in fees from the likes of Nunez and Tsimikas.

The memory of that shot is the final cherry on top of the turd cake that was today.

Diaz has gone back to huffing and puffing a lot but lacking end product. Thought he’d moved on.

Agrees, he is also crap. You’d give Chiesa a go up there rather than either of them. Think he’s played there a fair bit? Least he brings energy and is a half decent footballer.

Quansah did ok but he just isn’t a FB. Definitely not in a team wanting to pass the ball out from the back.

No idea what Slot has seen in Jota’s performances since about week 3 of the season to be starting him whenever he’s fit. So weak, gets bullied, sloppy, slow. Offering absolutely nothing at all, like playing with ten. Tired of him and his injuries, would be selling him.

This train home is so depressing.

That linesman was dodgy af. There were ar least two miles off offsides he didn’t give vs them in the first half, then he gives the Chiesa one which was miles on. Can’t see how there isn’t any bias at work there.

Yeah he’s gone. Hope he has the international break off as he really needs it.

Yes it was dead weird. Bit worrying TBH. We played the short to Kelleher then he lumped it to where their big bruisers would win it every time. Feels like we’ve lost some confidence playing it out.

Jota like playing with ten.

In the ground but that header was from miles out, feels like Ali would have got it easily.

Yeah I like Jarell but Branthwaite is defo further along than him. Tuchel might be a disaster as England manager.

If Alisson was in goal against Atletico and not Adrian we’d have won comfortably. We were actually superb against a very awkward side, just very unlucky and had an inanimate carbon rod in nets.

I could defo see Jurgen doing the Basil Fawlty piece, he’s kind of goofy and lanky, and prone to tantrums. It doesn’t really work with Slot, he’s too cool.

Took Souness a long tine to be forgiven from my memory.