Pizy

All I know is that it would be the robbery of the century if we come out here and fail to see out the final few minutes. This has been as one sided a match as you’ll ever see between two big clubs. It feels like we’ve been playing a team a division below us in the League Cup or something. Our own dogshit decision making in the final third has made the score appear closer than the match has actually been. We should be completely out of sight and cruising to a 3 or 4 goal win right now.

Bad news is that we aren’t well ahead on the score sheet. Good news is that we actually looked good almost everywhere across the pitch, completely dominated them, and are creating good chances almost at will. Just can’t kill the game off.

Really poor from Delap today.

If these chances were falling to a natural attacker rather than Cucu we’d be 2 up now.

Is this ref BLIND?!!!!

Overall a nice, crisp performance so far. Just missing that last it of quality. But our passing and shape look very good today. The extreme heat is dulling our intensity, though. Nobody really playing at full speed.

Another shocker of a ref performance who gives every minuscule contact as a foul to our opponent but NOTHING to us.

Yep, mentioned it myself. Dry weird selection back there for Maresca. Especially since Tosin played well last game.

Kind of impossible to tell what formation we’ll be playing with this XI until we kickoff. Could be any number of different setups. Have Colwill & Badiashile ever partnered one another before? Both exclusively left sided, left footed players so I’m not sure how this is going to look.

Can’t remember the last time I was this underwhelmed by a big money signing. Not because he’s a bad player or anything but just because I don’t think he’s a ceiling raiser like a bunch of the signings our rivals have and will be making. I’m expecting another Madueke level player with Gittens. Flashes of nice football with lots of mediocrity and frustration the majority of the time.

Like I mentioned before, if we’re targeting a player to play behind the striker or as part of a 2 forward lineup I can think of several players I’d have over Pedro.

Yeah, it’s kind of weird. Maresca refused to use Nkunku or Felix in the PL because they’re awkward positionally. So we’re going to replace Nkunku with Pedro who is much the same? I guess tbf, João Pedro works MUCH harder for the team than either Felix or Nkunku do. He’ll press, run, and harass from the front unlike the other two. I guess that’s why Maresca may fancy him? 🤷‍♂️

I’d be massively underwhelmed if that turns out to be the case. If Palmer needs to be rotated I’d want to see Estevão given a shot at #10. Or if we’re looking to sign a new player for that area why not get a more natural creator? Idk, João Pedro just does nothing for me at the moment. Big time wait and see type of player. Though I must say if Eddie Howe really fancies him there’s a great chance he can become a top player. Howe seems to hit on almost all of the players he fancies and recruits.

Is swapping out Jackson for João Pedro an upgrade if that’s what happens? I don’t think it is. Pretty like for like quality wise in my opinion.

João Pedro is an interesting player and would be an interesting signing. But again I say like I have before, he’d be another underwhelming target compared to some of the others we’ve been linked with. And with Delap and Jackson here I’m not entirely sure what his role is and for £60m that’s insane to say. I’d rather have Kudus as the maverick, versatile attacker if that’s what we’re after.

I’m not really sweating the Andrey Santos stuff. Annoying as hell that he hasn’t been used more during the CWC but I don’t think we’re actually even considering letting him go. I’d only get concerned if he himself comes out and starts agitating for a move away. Or if some club like Bayern start openly tapping him up and turning his head.

Well, that Emi Martinez rumor was born and killed within one morning lol

Think he’ll end up at United if they can find some sucker to take Onana off their hands. But I’d 100% take Emi Martinez. At his age he can be the perfect bridge to Penders eventually taking over as #1.

But surely it’s better to get your key targets in early. As Liverpool and City have decided. The longer you wait the harder the potential selling clubs will dig their heels in knowing it’ll be increasingly difficult to replace their players. Also there may be more competition for said players.

I think the only way we’d sign another striker is if Jackson goes. We were never going to have 3 senior #9’s in the squad.

Another day of fuck all happening. Tomorrow we’ll get our daily “Chelsea and Dortmund had another good meeting on Gittens” and then fuck all will probably happen again. Then once we do finally sign him (for ridiculous money) who knows how long it’s going to take for our next target.

If Newcastle want Elanga and João Pedro that surely means we’d have a free run at Kudus if it was ever true we want him.

All I’ve heard about Ter Stegan is that the injuries have made him washed and finished. There’s a reason Barca now have as many keepers as we do seemingly and he’s not even in the conversation to be their starter anymore.

We’ve heard about “positive talks with Dortmund” and a deal being “close” for weeks now. Just get the deal done and stop wasting time on this, ffs. We’re fighting for Gittens as if he’s Mbappe.

I literally forgot Chilly existed. Did he even play for Palace?