JimJams

Don't think of him as a loan. Think of him as Cambiasso's love child, an Argentinian sent to keep us up for one season only!

If he's good enough, we should pay it.

Well let's hope they pick up 7 points and you're still right!

He's an attritional player. He's not a tricky, exciting winger. He's good at keeping the ball, winning free kicks, bring others into play (somewhat). And for that he's going to be hated by some. Unfairly derided by others. But I can see why as well. Fatawu was my favourite player last season, and in an attacking sense he offers so much more than Ayew. To be honest I think on song he offers more than any of our forwards. But wingers like Fats and Mav are less consistent with what they do, they'll lose the ball more as part of the game they play. Enzo was fine with that because the team was set up to win it back and go again. Cooper plays more risk averse so he'd rather not lose it in the first place, but that then negates the offensive potential you have in your wide players. I'd rather he was a sub though tbh. The fact he could come on and do a job for any of Mav, Buo or Fats makes him useful, especially if we're defending a lead. Starting him just seems a bit like cowardice tbh.

My opinion on Cooper was that he had a 4 game audition before the international break. We had Everton without a point. Palace without a win. As things stood, our relegation survival rivals. And Bournemouth to round things off. After losses to Villa and Fulham and knowing that some teams that would be in the mix were going head to head, I wanted and somewhat expected us to get 6 points from those games. A win vs Everton and to either beat an under-performing Palace or our home game against Bournemouth. I thought of that as a fair minimum given you don't have much time to get things going and we needed points on the board. Given we didn't beat either of or rivals, the only positive there was that we didn't lose. But on the face of it, giving up a 2 goal lead and only getting a draw against an Everton backline that makes Vardy look like a fresh faced u21 looked a massive wasted opportunity. And still might. So I guess we got the Arsenal defeat out of the way, and then we've slogged our way to a win. Ultimately we're only 1 point shy of what I think we had to get to say Cooper deserves to see out more of the season, but it's still short. The fact we shared points with our rivals rather than ceding to them makes it more palatable but the manner of the results just doesn't instill any confidence that Cooper is going to get us through this next incredibly important run of games. Saints A, Forest H, Ipswich A. Ideally 9 points. Realistically? Well I'd hope we get 6. And for survival reasons I'd choose to get those against Saints and Ipswich. But they're both away. Would anyone bet on that? What's acceptable for the Cooper in crowd? Draw all 3? 5 points? Don't lose to either rival and beat Forest? With another international break do we judge Cooper on a rolling basis or is there a new magic number of when it's fair to judge? If there wasn't an international break I'd let him get through those 3 on a rolling basis probably. There doesn't seem to be any reason to push him out with the current position. But it is only the current position, and the way we play gives me no confidence whatsoever, and so an international break is an ideal opportunity when it comes to bringing someone new in because they at least have a few weeks to work with the bulk of the squad before their first game. I suppose you've got to weigh up how much you think that matters. If you think it could be a big factor, then there's a decision to be made now as to where they think Cooper will take us. If you think that 2 weeks working with most of the squad isn't all that important, then I suppose you can hold off and see how he fares over these next games. But if you get rid after that, you've given whoever you bring in a right shit run of games to settle in!

Yes there is a gulf but some people seem to conflate a gulf between being a good championship side and a side being capable of staying in the Premier League as though it's the same gulf as being a good championship team and being a team capable of challenging for Europe. The gulf isn't nearly as big as being made out. People are downplaying our squad while at the same time discrediting Enzo by saying he got promoted with arguably the best squad to play in the Championship. Yet Fulham won the Champ, then finished 10th in the prem with other fellow promoted sides Bournemouth and Forest also staying up. Brentford went up through the playoffs and finished comfortably in 13th, 11 points above the relegation zone. Leeds won the Champioinship in 19/20 and finished 9th in the Prem the season after. Sheff Utd were promoted in 2nd place and finished their subsequent season 9th in the Prem. There's a gulf. But in terms of league survival it's nowhere near as big as being made out.

Right, and Fulham won it in 21/22 and finished 10th in the following Prem season. What has Burnleys performance got to do with us?

Cooper doesn't know how to change during a game. Some have asked what he's said at half time, but he didn't really need to say anything at that point. We had a lead and were competitive in the match. The problem is that Iraola changed things. He shored up the centre of the pitch so we had less freedom to play through and brought on Ouattara for Kluivert. He got at us a lot more than Kluivert and put pressure on us, with the later introduction of Sinisterra and Scott and taking off their fullbacks they made positive attacking changes that completely stifled us because we simply couldn't get out. So 2 sets of subs an hour in, change of shape, change of personnel and we didn't change anything. Despite the fact we were under pressure. Our first sub is a like for like change 10 minutes later for a Vardy that at that point was seeing none of the ball. So we've brought on a striker to play in the same way? Then 2 wingers off and 2 wingers on with Buo hanging by that point. No shape change. And Ayew for Soumare with 2 minutes left. I mean what did he actually change? It's all player for player. There's no tactical adjustment. He's waited bloody ages to put them on as well leaving little time to have an effect.

I wouldn't read too much into the fact we haven't got an option/obligation. That's largely down to Brighton not being stupid tbh. Buo hasn't really shown his value for Brighton but rather than loan him to us with an arbitrary figure to buy him, they've made sure they don't undersell him. They'd have got a relatively trifling fee for him if we'd have negotiated a set number. Given they paid about £5mill for him there's a much bigger upside to be made on him if they decide to part ways with him which is a massive PSR win for them yet again if he comes good. And currently he is. If he's a key player in keeping us up there's nothing to say they wouldn't be interested in selling him, but they'll be asking £30-40mill for him rather than then £10mill they might've gotten otherwise. So we may be able to get him eventually, it's just gonna cost.

Well hang on a minute, if that's arguably the strongest squad the Championship has ever seen then it should be doing a hell of a lot better in the premier league as plenty of promoted sides have come in and comfortably stayed up. You can't have it both ways. If it was such a superior champ squad then it should be more than good enough to stay up and not scrape a win in 6 games.

When did we do that then? Cos Bournemouth were 11th and haven't finished top 10 since 16/17.

Cool. Let him leave on a high with a little dignity!

Fats megging on the edge of the box. Mad. Love him.

Great tackle from Ayew to release Fats.

1 player?

Buo looked knackered there. Best player but maybe he's done.

Touched his hair! Doesn't matter though, if he's not there Mads can just claim it.

~HA! Love the lino.

He'll have a job.

Right, Bournemouth have played their hand. Cooper needs to show why he should keep his job now. He's in a perfect position. Leading with the opposition having made their move. React.

3 of the key players that made playing out of the back a viable option under Maresca are not being played. Vesty, Riccy and Winks were vital to that way of playing. Not sure how you draw the conclusion about how we look playing out when the players that made it possible last season aren't playing.

Arsenal equalise. Panic over.

Great little pass from Okoli there to put Ayew down the wing.

They're going to try and press relentlessly for the opening 10 or 15 of the half. Ride that out and they'll be bollocksed. And then they'll sub. They're getting close.

Massive half for Cooper. Will he go for the 2nd or will he shit it and try to shut up shop?