shen

Mav and Fatawu need a bollocking if we don't win this game. Criminal final balls and shots today.

Watching Fatawu is edge of seat stuff, which often ends in a loud sigh and slumping back again.

Classy.

It's very obviously not.

Wind it back a bit. You were the one objecting to a comment saying stats showed we "battered" them, which is a reasonable conclusion. This is what most witness accounts and managers are saying too. By singling out stats like possession and SOT and dismissing them you're also insinuating that stats are meaningless, which they obviously aren't - or at the very least you're demonstrating that you don't have a good grasp of them. Have I really made such a poor job of explaining my issue in previous posts?

Exactly, it mentioned game stats, not possession per se. Yet you started guessing and picking apart his argument suggesting possession doesn't mean a thing, or that shots that aren't on target don't mean a thing. It's a bit of a lazy way to go about it akin to saying the only thing that matters is the result and not the context, which I find issue with.

Yes, but the post didn't mention possession specifically. The xG, attempted shots, blocked shots, corners, big chances, clearances etc all shot maps, POSSESSION, passes made, passing accuracy, long passes, throw ins, heat maps and so on all paint a pretty clear picture: we dominated the game but were wasteful in front of goal where they in turn were very clinical.

Well that would be the French way of pronouncing it, so I assume that's accurate?

Nice pay day and an opportunity to try out the PL. Add some good talent into the mix and it's not difficult to see why. Beats being unemployed.

Possession wasn't mentioned. It's you and MPH that interpreted it this way. Quite why you seem to think 'many' fans are obsessed by it, leads me to think it's your own bias playing tricks. But I'll play along and suggest that just because we have achieved great success with a counterattacking style in the past, doesn't infer that this style would be successful in today's football or fits our current players' abilities. From reading the stats (and from watching the game), it's surprising that we lost. We created better and more numerous chances despite a below average performance, which suggests we were more likely to win than lose.

Heads haven't dropped at all this year when we've been struggling or losing, not really sure we can have a dig at the players' mentality.

I don't think it's fair or pertinent to make that comparison. If we are the yard stick then virtually all clubs will fail to get anywhere close the next 50 years. I wouldn't be surprised if Brighton are consistently ahead of us the next 5 years though.

They have come from virtually nowhere to becoming a model club that most other clubs in the same band are envying. Their transfers and scouting is one thing, but they have one of the hottest coaches in world football and even having sold key players, they are in the top half again. That is absolutely remarkable. West Ham, Everton, Villa etc all have far more successful histories, fan bases and years at the top level, yet Brighton have caught up in a lot of important aspects. As you mention, we and Southampton are examples of how difficult it is to sustain any advantage. It's also true that making big profits is getting tougher as Brighton's reputation is increasing, so buying cheap is getting harder and harder. But even here they're starting to show how they will adapt by buying more 'failsafe' players from more renowned clubs and academies, which should sustain their league performances over time. Ferguson is the next touted superstar who will likely go for £100m+ and you can already predict the next few shoots. To me, along with Brentford, they have a sustainable PL model that will give them the best chance of success and prosperity (until they lose their ways...?)

Based on what? Our famous training facilities? Our past achievements? If they can continue their excellent development, then I see them staying ahead of the chasing pack for a good while.

Pretty sure Fatawu is an obligation, not a choice, to buy. Vardy and Ndidi are certain to be offered new contracts and no-one (except Saudi or maybe MLS) will be offering Vardy a better deal than us. Vestergaard will surely be offered a new deal too, but question is whether he sees his future in England or if he's going to wind down his career back home, which is quite common for Scandinavians with children. My bet is on him wanting to stay on for another year or two now that he has a manager who values and trusts him.

Bologna now level on points with Atalanta in 4th (albeit Atalanta have a game in hand and a better GD). Should Bologna make it into the promised land, maybe a sale isn't so unrealistic seeing as VK is starting most games while on this great run.

As realistic as it looks, it still looks a big ask. With Southampton finally losing, we're minimum 11 points ahead with 14 games remaining. We could easily be promoted with 5 or 6 games to go and then it's all about the mentality of the team to go get a record.

It's one game not four (Watford at home).

The one where he was falling over forwards and still managed to strike it sweetly into the corner was pretty good. Amazing instinct and composure to pull that off. It's a shame it was against us, but those are goals and moments that make football magical. It's weird how we had the opposite sensation on the final day of the league season and Knockaert being responsible for both!

Pretty sure he'd still be 24...👋

Happy for Kel!

Hmmm I would read that as a different 'place' than Milan or Leicester in that case...

Joint-best form in the league

You could argue the same for us if we confirm promotion/title early. To beat the record, I think it's essential that Soton, Leeds and/or Ipswich keep up with the pace.