weebluedevil

It maybe, I haven't watched re-runs of all Barisic's miserable free-kick attempts - well in fact he rarely gets to take them these days for that reason. I throw it back to you too Craig. it's factually incorrect that Barisic has been our best player over the last 18 months.

Gio had a great run in Europe didn't he? But he screwed up in the league and was punted. What did he get 1 yr?

Not good enough, unless we also want to accept mediocrity domestically now as well as Europe. If Beale doesn't win the league this season he should be punted. Simple.

Unexpected but very welcome news indeed. Yes, Pot 1 here we come.

I wouldn't surprise me because he simply hasn't been. 18 months!!! Really? He's played well at times recently (low bar) with a few decent crosses/assists, but defensively he's mostly had howlers. Last night, he did okay, but folk forget how often he gave too much room to the attacker. And he hasn't managed to get one single free kick over the wall in about 3 years. Sorry, but I'm not buying it, and I'm not surprised there are many others who also cannot accept that Borna Barisic has been one of our best players last 18 months. That's a joke if ever I heard one. I'm not saying we have lots of contenders but Barisic is not one of them. Even here in our MOTM threads, I don't recall Barisic ever getting many votes.

As a vicTim why didn’t the elephant man call it out then, straight after that game, rather than 20 years later.

Maybe play players in their best positions. Surely we can do that? Get them to do the basics well, work hard, press high, defend smartly with intent and aggression. Then hope for the best. Roofe must start. Rabbi must start. The rest just need to try to play football if at all possible.

Not a chance

Exactly, that's the big question. On paper, whatever the draw, it looks tough. In reality (and because we look a shambles back to front), it will be be even tougher.

Butland. Says a lot after conceding 5 goals, but he prevented it from being 9 or 10.

We need to get on the horse quickly ahead of a massive game on Sunday. Before that, however, there is the small matter of the Europa League Group Draw tomorrow. Europa Play-offs tonights to determine the final entrants and seeds. Currently we're sitting in Pot 2. However, if Sparta Prague (coef lower than us) overturn a 3-1 first leg deficit to Zagreb, we'll climb into Pot 1. Or if Ajax through away a first leg 4-1 advantage in their game. Both unlikely though. EL-GS: Group Stage (32 clubs) Pot 1 coef. Pot 2 coef. ------------------------ --- ---------------- ------------------------ --- ---------------- West Ham United Eng 50.000 Glasgow Rangers @4 Sco 54.000 Liverpool Eng 123.000 Sporting CP Lisbon Por 52.500 AS Roma Ita 97.000 Slavia Praha *3 Cze 52.000 Ajax *4 Ned 89.000 Stade Rennais Fra 44.000 Villarreal Esp 82.000 Olympiakos Piraeus *3 Gre 39.000 Bayer Leverkusen Ger 72.000 Real Betis Esp 37.000 Atalanta Ita 55.500 LASK *4 Aut 36.000 Dinamo Zagreb @3 Cro 55.000 Olympique Marseille @3 Fra 33.000 Pot 3 coef. Pot 4 coef. ------------------------ --- ---------------- ------------------------ --- ---------------- Qarabag FK @2 Azb 25.000 Sturm Graz @3 Aut 12.500 Slovan Bratislava @3 Svk 24.500 Toulouse FC Fra 12.232 Molde FK @4 Nor 24.000 AEK Athens @4 Gre 11.000 Brighton & Hove Albion Eng 21.914 Aberdeen *4 Sco 8.000 Sheriff Tiraspol @2 Mol 19.500 TSC Backa Topola @3 Srb 6.475 Union Saint-Gilloise *4 Bel 19.000 Servette FC Genève @3 Sui 6.335 SC Freiburg Ger 16.496 Panathinaikos @4 Gre 5.045 Maccabi Haifa @4 Isr 13.000 Raków Czestochowa @4 Pol 5.000

No, we showed that we are NOT a CL level side. Time will tell if we are up to the EL level this season.

Actually, I wouldn't be too harsh on Matondo. He's got a future, certain starter now for sure.

100/100 🤣

Sort of. But the fact is we could see their pedigree before they signed so there were, rightly, questions asked. Buying goal scorers with no proven goal scoring records. FFS Pedro's recruitment of forwards was better than this.

It should have started when we won 55. When you rebuild a squad, that is another opportunity - I don't buy into all this 'it takes time BS', you can tell when you have a quality team in place even if they don't hit the ground running, because you can feel it, there's optimism, you get excited for what the team is cappable of in future. But I just don't feel it or see it with this lot. Am I blind?

Quite a few did actually

Ach, I was just in the middle of typing a similar point, but you've saved me from posting it - your version is a little more concise anyway. All I would add is that Beale's recruitment hasn't lit the heather in fire, although I am thankful for Jack Butland (who may have saved us from a 10-1 spanking). I hear about Beale being backed in the transfer window. But a net zero investment suggests otherwise. I think the board are short changing us to be frank. If they want CL riches, then invest in a team that can deliver that. We got lucky last year. I don't hold out much hope for domestic trophies (edit: apart from the League Cup, thanks to Kilmarnock) and dare I say, if we fail to win that, Beale can take himself and his new buddies and go.

If we finish 3rd in the EL I think we drop to the Conference, so happy days.

Agreed, but we are in the here and now. And the way we're playing, and the players we have are just not good enough to dominate anything domestically.

As i've said before, I think most fans would accept that we may not be ready this season and clearly we're not. However, the level of performance is concerning. We may not even be ready for a domestic title. Sunday will be equally as tough.

Hello darkness my old friend

Jack on for Matondo 🤣🤣 The horse has already bolted.

Outstanding goal there from Goldson.