zealot

Peers in to the Stadium thread hoping there might be some actual stadium chat... But nope. Same old chat about state of the club. Keep it to those other threads people. Jeez! Semper Eadem

Jesus three games people and we are not on zero points with only a couple of goals goal-diff against those three opponents. So much better than I was expecting before start of the season. We are making progress. I mean would you switch places with Everton or Southampton or Ipswich. Happy days!!! 🎉 Somewhere between 14th to 17th place here we come...

Won't be buying a shirt this year. Really fed up with the whole Prem. Quicker the new gov bring in independent regulator to sort out things like this the better...

Captain Wout tonight! Well deserved after a sound season. Zero chance that will shut the haters up on this thread though...

Maybe not of this club... but has the potential. We've needed a leader in our back four since Evans left he's clearly trying to step up. I love that.

Yeah I'd argue what worked was Daka not doing his job at a corner super early in the game. It looked like Faes really worked himself up about that. Great passion and motivation from the guy. Charging about higher up the pitch more too. He did a dribble, run down the byline and cross in the Bristol City game at one point. Motivating others. Future captain of a team no doubt.

Fair point to a degree - except he's slower than he used to be. I just think, of the two, IF we get promoted I'd be much happier with Verstergaard leaving (than Faes).

I agree. I think he's been playing really well recently. Now VesterPANTS, in my view that's a different story. Both fine for Championship. I think Vestergaard needs to prove himself in the Prem though. He just doesn't have the pace nor strength anymore. Big Wes never had the pace but he made up for it in other areas especially strength and blocking. I don't think Vestergaard has that anymore.

Yes

Genuinely felt he had a great game and important influence in first two goals. He's been a bit more of a marauder of late. Ploughing up the pitch and winning the ball back high in oppo half. Really made a difference against Norwich. He was also rightly absolutely pissed off with Daka not tracking the run for their goal. He roared which you can pick up in the highlights link. Great game winning performance. P.S. The ' ironic' but completely unfunny cheering re forward passing is not something we should do... Especially when it's that more considered slower play that has got us towards top of the table anyway. By all means think it in yr head but that doesn't mean you do it out loud. Embarrassing.

Great news!!!

Les Ferdinand's headed equaliser during preseason against KTP at the mighty Arto Tolsa Areena, Kotka, Finland. A bit niche - but glorious all the same...

It's really strangely done isn't it. Even so I think we could be doing more and as davieG says I hope the club and of course plans for new stadium think through these issues in a bit more detail. Further detail on how we, and other teams, get sustainability points here: www.sportpositivesummit.com/epl-sustainability-table-2020/

If only we got points for that we'd be streets ahead of Spurs and the rest!

While we are doing so well in the league at the moment I was intrigued to see one way in which we are not doing so well. It appears we have relegation form when it comes to the club's sustainability. This year we scored a lowly 10 points and finished fourth bottom of the premier league sustainability table: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55790760 - 2021. Last time the survey was done we were also fourth bottom https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50317760 - 2019. Each prem club is marked under the following criteria. We may be in need of another great escape in coming years on this... Clean energy (2 points) Energy efficiency (2 points ) Sustainable transport (2 points) Single-use plastic reduction or removal (2 points) Waste management (2 points) Water efficiency (2 points) Plant-based or low-carbon food options (3 points) Communications & engagement (3 points) One bonus point was available for each of the following: - If club actively engage fans towards positive behavioural change that reduces environmental impact in their own lives - If club are signatory to UN Sports for Climate Action Framework - If club track and report on percentage of fans taking various modes of transportation to games Does any one know where our 10 points will have come from the list above? Certainly not single use plastic reduction nor low-carbon food options at the ground I'd imagine...

Gotta be the Roteiro or the Tango Europa for me http://football-balls.com/balls/euro-cup

The main thing this season is JJ's finishing has got a lot better. When he first started he didn't have that. Chilwell still doesn't have the finishing ability of JJ. Behind Liverpool I think we have the best left-backs and right-backs in the league.

He was massive yesterday. The amount of times he got stuck in and won the ball and shut down their attacks was just beautiful. I even think that Wilf is getting up there now to be just as good in that holding role as the mighty Kante himself. As others have said he's come on leaps and bounds since his return from injury... That partnership with Tielemans just gets better and better too. Lost count of the number of times this happened yesterday and against Southampton: Wilf wins the ball -> gives it to Youri -> Youri sets up an attack

While we are talking about corners it does make me wonder whether having a crowd in makes a difference to corner success too. We know that Home and Away results have definitely been impacted by lack of fans at games during Covid-19 pandemic. Home advantage definitely seems to have less weight at present that it would normally do. I think that could be partially down to moments like corners for the home team. I definitely feel that corners help with momentum during a game when fans are in the stadium. Certainly that has always seemed to be the case at Filbo and the KP. There'd always be a roar especially from home fans when chasing a game that would help push the team on... Perhaps we've been a team that has relied heavily on corners in the past and we just aren't and don't need them so much anymore.... I have so many memories of Walshy, Matty Elliot, Iwan or Ian Marshall scoring with their heads from a corner or even someone like David Lowe scrabbling in a goal in the melee after a corner to scrape a draw in the dying minutes of a game. Maybe we just don't need that anymore when you've got people like Madders or Cengiz stroking them into top bins from all angles...

I'm loving how much you hear him screaming during (non-artificial-crowd-noise option) games recently. It's an insight into his mentality. Although it would really piss me off having to defend in front of him... The guy never shuts up. Earache!

I seriously think you could play them both when he returns. Ricardo and JJ on one side of the pitch and Barnes and Castagne on the other. The amount of pace there'll have most teams' knees knocking...

Madds has definitely improved this and the corners versus Newcastle were very good, on the pen spot or 6-yard box or thereabouts and right where you want them. As other posters have said I feel sure the Foff will get a few headers from corners if that service continues. Soyuncu we already know can be a threat from corners too so things are looking up. Evans might as well stay back defending at corners bless him...

Yes - and they've been truly dreadful this season. However, Maddison actually did swing in two or three beauties against Newcastle. Definite improvement from him in that game.

The Wilf role is so key in the game nowadays and I can't believe some teams and managers... still... don't seem to understand that! Man U and particularly Arsenal still haven't worked out that they need a 'Wilf' in recent months/years. Everton went out and bought Doucoure. The Spuds went and got Hojbjerg. City have Gundogan as well as Fernandino. Let's keep him a secret and close the thread before too many others teams get ideas.