Dan

Fatawu's the best prospect we've had in a long time. Lots of talk from Sporting fans that they've made a fuckup on the scale of Palhinha / Raphinha by letting him come to us. He's had basically everything but the goals this season, if they've arrived too then happy days. I've no idea what sort of spend we're looking at next season but even despite our situation I'm good with us paying the money for him because he's worth far more.

Fucking get in there. What a great night that was.

Feel this could backfire on me but sod it PSG.

6 hours ago, RandoEFC said:

You have to go a long way to put "Everton" and "lucky" in the same sentence over the past few years. I'm mostly of the same school of thought but this football club has become absolutely allergic to being anywhere other than 15th-17th in the table. A part of me genuinely believes that if we'd have had the 6 point penalty last season then we'd have just found an extra two wins and if we'd have been deducted 2 points this season instead of 8 then we'd have just lost two extra games and ended up in the same position. Like you say, we've developed a knack of finding a win when we most need it but we also have a massive knack of failing to win any match that would see us climb to 13th/14th and allow the fanbase to actually sleep well for a couple of weeks.

I admire what Luton have done of course. There's a lot of base sympathy for the underdog. But I also think their fans and the people involved with the club are just as big of a set of twats as everyone else and the fact that their squad costs naff all and their matches have a lot of goals in them doesn't change that. They were one of the worst fan-bases to come up to Goodison (twice) this season singing "feed the scousers" and "bin-dippers" and whatever else they think is funny. This attempted media narrative and their owner thinking that they've been hard done by because Everton have "only" been deducted 8 points when they're the only team in Premier League history to fight for survival against two teams that have had points removed is a bit hard to swallow as well.

Not to do them down too much. They've punched above their weight and have certainly made a mockery of Burnley's attempt to stay in the league. I'd also rather see Luton stay up than Forest, especially after Forest's antics in the last few days and earlier this season. I'd also rather be competing against Luton when we're inevitably in another relegation fight next season because as entertaining as their matches are, as a relegation rival I'm quite glad to know that Luton can go into any given game and are probably going to concede anything between 3 and 5 goals. Hopefully for their sake, Danny is right and at least that style of play will see them fetch some good fees for the attacking players who have been allowed to put up some decent numbers as a result.

It's the one particular point about points deductions and the timing. You couldn't have had a better year to have it - this is pretty much certainly the worst bottom three there's ever been and like I say, if we get one next season (which I'm pretty sure we are going to) then I highly doubt we're going to have this luxury. It'd probably be in our interests for Ipswich and Norwich to come up with us.

Been thinking a bit about this Southampton game and have come to the conclusion that we should absolutely go for the win - and I don't mean in that you wouldn't want to do that every game anyway, but to me the drawback of losing rather than drawing isn't actually all that great.

We need 6 points from 3 games to guarantee promotion. A draw would mean we could still need to beat Preston and Blackburn to get promoted, so there is potentially nothing in a draw for us. Given a draw kills Southampton's admittedly tiny automatic chances too I'd say late goals are likely.

I think we will get promoted but I am totally braced for a scenario where we go to Preston in 3rd place and freeze in the face of another limited, savvy team - a draw against Southampton does not prevent this situation either.

If we beat Southampton we are up barring an absolute catastrophe I think.

We really are due to turn up on one of these pressure nights. I'm fed up of us floundering under every one of them. It's been years. The good thing is that Martin's style isn't really about frustrating. I expect a pretty entertaining game, could be pretty chaotic in all honesty if the first meeting is anything to go by. I think that will probably suit our crowd, who've proven this season they really don't react whatsoever to patient football but absolutely will if there's a bit of chaos.

On 21/04/2024 at 14:12, Danny said:

In fairness to Luton the way they’ve played it they will likely make a bit of money in the Summer from sales and get to re-invest and go again, obviously they will make good use of parachute payments too.

Luton fan I work with has said to me for years if they ever made it to the Premier League they would treat it as a cash cow to get themselves in order, to sort out a new stadium etc... and that they would not make any serious fist of survival. To have that go up alongside a calamity Sheffield United and a Burnley side who've badly underperformed. Forest and Everton are lucky their deductions have come this season. I expect us to hit one next year and we're not getting this sort of luxury.

I do think Luton will be back and they've been good value for the league, they're a genuinely fun team. Probably the nearest thing to Holloway's Blackpool. I just hope they have a slightly better legacy - I think they will though. They haven't been promoted four times in ten years by being daft. Got a lot of time for Luton.

I'm probably far more resigned to Forest's survival than I should be given the points difference. Luton's games really aren't that bad. But I just have no faith in them to deliver and Forest have already developed the Everton syndrome of always getting the result when they need it most.

I bet Forest fudge both of those away games then go and beat Chelsea or some other bullshit.

Don't like the fact Leeds are back in the goals. That's the real confidence booster after a few games of bluntness in front of goal. Middlesbrough absolutely woeful defensively.

A bad result for us but will at least feel a bit more rewarding to do it now. Enormous game tomorrow night.

3 hours ago, Stan said:

Also, we're talking several years through mid-90s all the way through to early 2010s that Man Utd built up a resentment within fans. Man City aren't anywhere near that yet. 

Man City can plead relevance and fans can wish for hatred towards them, but there just isn't the time built-up to hate them that much just yet. There's a valid dislike for what they do, but there's quite an intrinsic difference as to where that comes from - it's all off the pitch. Anyone disliking Man Utd from that time period is predominantly based on their success and arrogance from what they did on the pitch.

I did think by now there would be more. Using the kids shirts again I'm surprised how few I see. I've no idea how PSG shirts got so popular amongst kids. This has been going on pre Messi as well.

3 hours ago, Happy Blue said:

Latest figures might surprise you.  Manchester City have an astonishing 120,000 fans on their season ticket waiting lists. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12206585/The-astonishing-number-fans-season-ticket-waiting-list-Man-United-Man-City.html

How many fans does Man City have worldwide?

 

 

TOTAL: 139.7 million

Man City have fans in every corner of the globe, thanks largely to the dazzling success of record-breaking head coach Pep Guardiola.7 Feb 2024

Even despite this I just come across nowhere near as many casual Man City fans as I do other clubs and I think if I did there'd be more animosity in general. But it just isn't there. Maybe it's an online or overseas thing but it's certainly not in person.

I play football on Thursdays and you have kids playing on there before we do so you see a lot of the shirts they're wearing. I honestly think I see more Barcelona or PSG than Man City. It's quite peculiar really - I thought more would've latched onto it given you've been relatively dominant now throughout the last decade.

Don't see as many Chelsea as I once did.

Honestly the Man City hate is a very online thing I find too. They don't really provoke a great deal in me personally. Maybe they should. But I think things like rumoured charges just simply isn't going to supersede the annoying Man United / Liverpool / Arsenal fans at work no matter how much people morally think it should. Maybe if they're proven guilty and are genuinely stripped of titles etc.. it changes things. They've just not got the size of fanbase for it and nor did I grow up around any of them.

Needless to say why I wanted the Man United win yesterday though. I get basically any fans except probably ours and maybe a couple of Birmingham based wanting a Coventry win. The way they've gone on about us all season. Never seen anything like it. It would be even funnier if they were to hold Ipswich to a result that promoted us. They'd never get over it.

They don't get enough shit for three away wins in nearly two years. Absolutely awful. How are they going to survive again? 

Forest's chip on shoulder is on its own level. Never forget the play-off final that got them into this league. Huddersfield should be able to claim tens of millions off them for match fixing.

6 hours ago, RandoEFC said:

I don't know what age group you're in but most posters here are around the early 30s sort of mark so most of us went to school with a number of Man Utd fans during Ferguson's era who had it way too good for way too long and had to put up with no end of gloating from them when they won everything and beat our teams because it was all they'd known and they thought it would last forever, so it will never not be funny when they get a(nother) comeuppance.

And it is embarrassing I'm afraid mate. Man Utd could probably field almost a full eleven of players who individually cost more than Coventry's entire squad, bench and annual wage bill put together and they were a marginal offside decision away from blowing a 3-0 lead on 70 minutes against them in a cup semi final. You'd be loving it too if it was Man City or Liverpool.

Correct. Will always be a significant fixture to me even if I will give it barrels about how much they've fallen off. Not a rivalry per se it's just everyone knows a Man United fan in the way they don't know a Man City fan. Liverpool is similar.

Thank fuck for that. Could not bare the thought of them potentially being a game from a trophy.

United absolutely woeful again. If there was ever a game where a win deserved a sacking it was that. I can't believe they're going to persist with Ten Hag. Absolutely rank football and pure individual quality has saved them all season. But thanks for saving humanity. The icing on an already great weekend.

1 minute ago, Lucas said:

Beauty. Cheers Jude.

Think you best start updating this table @Dan, that's two on the trot for me now 

I think the losses have finally broken me. I'll get some done after this week has passed, so probably midnightish tomorrow.

We were bad, again, but I think we're pretty much there now.

I put two bets on the other week as insurance against us collapsing which were Leeds 1st Ipswich 2nd, and Ipswich 1st Leeds 2nd. So naturally, obviously, Southampton are going to do it.

On 16/04/2024 at 15:53, Stan said:

Saturday 20th April, 2024
Luton 2-2 Brentford
Sheff Utd 1-2 Burnley
Wolves 2-1 Arsenal, 19.30

Sunday 21st April, 2024
Everton 1-1 Nottm Forest, 13.30
Aston Villa 2-2 Bournemouth
Crystal Palace 3-1 West Ham
Fulham 2-2 Liverpool, 16.30

Tuesday 23rd April, 2024
Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea, 20.00

Wednesday 24th April, 2024
Wolves 1-1 Bournemouth, 19.45
Crystal Palace 1-2 Newcastle, 20.00
Everton 1-1 Liverpool, 20.00
Man Utd 2-0 Sheff Utd, 20.00

Thursday 25th April, 2024
Brighton 0-2 Man City, 20.00

I still eat pizza here. Well aware it isn't the same as having it in Italy but it isn't like you can't have what's generally a nice dish that's quite hard to get completely wrong. I'll always unfortunately be a sucker for that greasy meat feast pizza. Probably explains quite a lot.

Very much on the anti pineapple bandwagon though. Just thoroughly unpleasant.

11 hours ago, Bluebird Hewitt said:

You're getting no help from us @Dan, @Stan and @Lucas, as we're fucking awful at present, while Southmapton are flying.

Better hope you don't mess your games up again.

A wise man told me similar before your game with Ipswich.

I'm beyond wanting favours. We've had more than we could've bargained for lately and not taken advantage. It's almost shameful that we still have the ability to lose a game and have the title in our hands.

Fantastic achievement. Cannot be understated. This isn't a great Bayern side but I think even great Bayern sides would've struggled against these this season.

If we go up it'll be about as joyless a promotion as you can get. A shame almost being wasted on us.

Two of the worst back to back displays ive witnessed from us have somehow seen us get closer to promotion. It's astounding.