closed Chelsea 1-0 Norwich

[Laylabelle 9,411]

1 minute ago, Superblue_1986 said:

Champions League football is more important for the long term of the team, especially financially and potentially from a recruitment position.

However I wouldn't want that to mean we just give up on the FA Cup and rest a number of players. If we were able to beat United it could be a huge confidence boost going into the Liverpool game. 

I thought beating City was a confidence boost then we lost to West Ham lol..who knows. I cant see us getting anything from Liverpool and if we do no doubt we'll mess up at Wolves.

Weird to think this barmy season is nearly over

[Vesper 29,250]

15 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

City is coming in the FA cup final. So there's a chance. 

yes, so true

hopefully we have 3rd or 4th clinched before that

so although it would be irritating to fail in a final (the Bayern game is a lost cause barring a true miracle) I really would MUCH rather have CL next year than an FA Cup this year

I know some may disagree but the long term spillover from missing out on CL is FAR worse than losing an FA Cup final

[Jase 43,479]

Just now, OhForAGreavsie said:

J,

You can't choose results, you can only choose how you approach matches. I demand that Frank approaches both United and Liverpool as must win occasions.

It's a hypothetical question. Of course we want to win all the games but what is our top priority right now? The team already starting to look gassed out.

[Vesper 29,250]

1 minute ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

J,

You can't choose results, you can only choose how you approach matches. I demand that Frank approaches both United and Liverpool as must win occasions.

AND Wolves (it really may be barring a win versus the dippers and a Leicester further implosion)

that NUFC last kick of game loss is THE number one haunt from the year if we lose out on CL by GD to Wolves or a point to any team

so fucked

[Tomo 21,740]

Today shown exactly why we're buying a lot of attackers before we "fix our defense". I wouldn't have blamed the defense if this ended 1-1 even if one of them made an absolute howler, it would have been all on the attack.

Unless a bonafide WC safe bet CB option comes along then it can wait. Get a proper LB, competent keeper, play Zouma and Rudiger together and stick with them and i don't think things will look half as bad as they are currently, and that's before we mention Ziyech, Werner and (hopefully) Havertz will kill games like tonight and Arsenal at home off before the defense have a chance to self combust.

[Magic Lamps 11,677]

7 minutes ago, Atomiswave said:

3pts all that matters but fuck me it was not a performance to remember, all our guile and fast pacy footy has been thrown out.

early on in the season we look great at times but also completely drifted out of games when our steam ran out. we can not afford that this late in the season. The important thing is whether we will be able to turn the switch in a few week. No we are obviously more concerned of making no mistakes and grinding out a goal or two, it's Sarriball 2.0.But it worked last year and might work again. the playersclearlydont have the fitness atm to press the shit out of teams like we did early on. We will still play quick when we can like we did vs City or when villa gave us space. It is not gonna happen very often from now on tho.

[Vesper 29,250]

2 minutes ago, Jason said:

It's a hypothetical question. Of course we want to win all the games but what is our top priority right now? The team already starting to look gassed out.

CL, all the way

its a £60m or so net loss of revenue and hurts recruiting and also forces us into the Europa league meat grinder next season

[Tomo 21,740]

10 minutes ago, Jason said:

It's a hypothetical question. Of course we want to win all the games but what is our top priority right now? The team already starting to look gassed out.

For United do what Conte did against Spurs in 2017 when he put Hazard and Costa on the bench and unleashed them late on. Replace Hazard and Costa for Pulisic and Willian.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,904]

1 minute ago, OneMoSalah said:

True maybe his working back helped him out but in attack at times he looked like he was more than contempt to slow it down as well as the fact maybe the movement wasnt there also.

Yep, when the magic isn't with him, this kind of performance is what we've come to expect from Willian. The kind that annoys people so much. Me, I'm not in a mood to moan at any of them. Our situation reminds me of the old Irish joke. The one that goes, "If you're trying to get to Dublin, I wouldn't start from here."  If we're looking to attack a season, none of us would choose to start with the squad we have now, but we are where we are.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,904]

9 minutes ago, Jason said:

It's a hypothetical question. Of course we want to win all the games but what is our top priority right now? The team already starting to look gassed out.

I don't believe you mean that. I think you mean you hope to win all the games but if you were picking the side for Sunday, your line up would betray the fact that you don't care all that much. I do want to win them all and expect the manager to pick a side which reflects that he does too.

[DANILA 290]

Do you think international talents care that we won the FA Cup? That will have zero pull with transfers. If we win the cup, it'll be a nice feeling for a day or two but getting top 4 is much. much better for us as a club 

[OhForAGreavsie 5,904]

13 minutes ago, Jason said:

True but the one issue is we have Liverpool 3 days after the semi-final and depending on the results over the next 2 days, we may need a result at Anfield. Does this team still have enough left in the tank to play 3 very tough games in 7 days against United, Liverpool and Wolves? 

I genuinely don't think giving 100% on Sunday is going to make any difference to the results of our other two games. Get out there and try to win at Wembley, then we can think about Anfield.

[El P. 1,354]

Man United will play with mixed squad and we should too. Good thing is - our bench is much stronger than theirs. We have CHO, Mount, Abraham, James, Christensen, Barkley... Shouldn't really bother much about that game.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,904]

3 minutes ago, DANILA said:

Do you think international talents care that we won the FA Cup?

Then stuff 'em. If they join us we are paying them to play for us, not to tell us what impresses them. I don't hire a gardener to take care of my mum's garden so he can plant what he wants. I hire him to plant what she wants.

Sorry, but I'm completely intransigent on this. The FA Cup is a major target each season. I accept that we will fail to win it almost every season, but I will never accept that we fail to try even for just one season.

[Pizy 18,538]

I truly cannot even remember who won the FA Cup just 2 years ago. That's how quickly the memory of that trophy leaves my mind.

We miss out on the CL and it hurts us for years. We go full strength and fatigue our players (thus harming our CL hopes) for a trophy people will forget about in a year just isn't worth it in my eyes.

[DANILA 290]

Just now, OhForAGreavsie said:

Then stuff 'em. If they join us we are paying them to play for us, not to tell us what impresses them. I don't hire a gardener to take care of my mum's garden so he can plant what he wants. I hire him to plant what she wants.

Sorry, but I'm completely intransigent on this. The FA Cup is a major target each season. I accept that we will fail to win it almost every season, but I will never accept that we fail to try even for just one season.

That's COMPLETELY not the point - I am talking about getting them here in the first place. Also, this season is obviously very different and we are in the battle of our lives to get champions league - a massive source of revenue we'll need

[DANILA 290]

Just now, Pizy said:

I truly cannot even remember who won the FA Cup just 2 years ago. That's how quickly the memory of that trophy leaves my mind.

We miss out on the CL and it hurts us for years. We go full strength and fatigue our players (thus harming our CL hopes) for a trophy people will forget about in a year just isn't worth it in my eyes.

Finally someone with logic...

[OhForAGreavsie 5,904]

Anyway, let's hope United loose on Thursday so that Ole is the one with with the headache about resting players on Sunday.