Rogers saw Morato sorting out his shin pads for the first goal I've just read he said on Sky.
7 days ago
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Yes, it was quite clear at the time on TV. A split-second lapse of concentration is all is takes at the top level.
It was great movement and finish from Rogers, though, and a fine pass from Tielemans.
Even after Tielmans had played the ball, Morato seemed to be running through toffee to get back. Didn't seem to be the urgency that was needed.
Have become increasingly convinced over the season that he isn't good enough for what we need. Regardless of whether Murillo stays or leaves in the summer, I think we need another quality CB.
He's never going to look comfortable playing on the right of a three. And putting Doninguez as the wing back on his side just makes things worse. And bear in mind he's still only 23.
Should probably have started with Boly there.
I would have thought Boly was too slow for the outside of a back 3, but I agree that Morata was not well-suited on the right either. Given those three, wouldn't Milenkovic have made more sense?
Well, there are No Easy Games™️, and Villa are proper good anyway, so this will be a game to look back on in hindsight as either a blip result with positives, or our vulnerabilities coming home to roost.
With injuries, and away at a good vanilla side coming into form, anyone seriously worried about a narrow loss where we perhaps deserved more out of the game?
It more reinforced to me how are are a very good side. I'm currently watching the madchester derby. Two bang average sides. I'd rather watch Fulham vs Brentford or suchlike.
We are still playing upper quartile stuff, and more likely than not to see the job out.
See? 0/2 so far. Now just need Leic...never mind.
It was a narrow loss that could have been a draw (or even a win), probably like they felt when they came to ours. I’ll take an entertaining 2-1 loss as it looked like it could be lot worse before and early on during the game. Reassuring that we can also make the game scrappy and open and reduce Villa to lumping the ball from Martinez. I still can’t believe we are talking about Champions League qualification….
Like Newcastle though, we played ourselves out of the game in the space of a few minutes and it’s an irritant. (And it was obvious well before either of those sides scored). What’s reassuring is that we play ourselves back in, I suppose.
This is going to happen in football sometimes (ask Brighton). The positive is that currently it's the exception, for us, rather than the rule.
I think in the context of today’s results we still have a fantastic chance. We also look better than Palmer FC and Citeh. Just got to put Everton to bed when we have the chance. Hopefully we do that.
Chicago: Still Optimistic.
Feels like we need to beat Everton to stop everyone (me) panicking.
Maybe just look at the table? Should settle your nerves.
It's not like shitting ourselves is going to positively impact on results. The most damaging atmosphere is a nervous one.
We have a team full of good young men who are genuine leaders. Much more than is the average. If anything can get us over the line, its that.
It's probably only Newcastle's games in hand that could knock us out of the top five now. You could argue for villa, but I don't think so.
Villa still have to play Newcastle and Man City, Newcastle also have to play Chelsea. Chelsea also have to play Liverpool (and us, of course).
Villa can only get to 72, Chelsea to 74, Newcastle to 77. But they can’t all get to those numbers.
My thinking is that eight, plus the five head start we have over fifth, may be enough for top five.
If you watched chelski and shitty today, you wouldn't be penciling them in to average 2pts per game.
Ok then. Utterly ridiculous to predict that number of games but that's not going to stop me. I'm not looking at anyone below Newcastle - the gap is too big, Fulham get 69 if they win all their remaining games and they aren't getting close to that.
So, Chelsea: (D)WDWLLWD. Total = 64
Man City: (D)WWWWWWD. Total = 71
Villa: WWLWDWD. Total = 65
Newcastle: (W)WWLWDWLW. Total = 69.No way this current manshitty side wins six on the bounce, and goes unbeaten.
I was trying to be on the negative side for us - their games look favourable and they are still pretty good at home. If they lose or draw to Villa and/or Bournemouth it either doesn't matter or works in our favour.
And they, of course, have a loss coming after that third W, it's just not relevant for these purposes.
