I think that’s probably the plan this season, yes, perhaps a bit of playing both with Wirtz behind them as against Frankfurt. Not impossible a bit of Ekitke off the left but that likely ends up not being v different to the 4312.
November 15, 2025 at 10:09 PM
I think that’s probably the plan this season, yes, perhaps a bit of playing both with Wirtz behind them as against Frankfurt. Not impossible a bit of Ekitke off the left but that likely ends up not being v different to the 4312.
Yeah, best way to handle too much change definitely isn’t more change. We will need to rotate quite a bit though, even if lucky with injuries, as you say. A prolonged period with Ekitike and Isak fit would be interesting. Might change the system a bit then.
November 15, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Yeah, best way to handle too much change definitely isn’t more change. We will need to rotate quite a bit though, even if lucky with injuries, as you say. A prolonged period with Ekitike and Isak fit would be interesting. Might change the system a bit then.
You can’t but we’re agreed the guy is at best a bit of an idiot so him misremembering the strange looking mask as strange looking teeth is plausible, I think.
November 12, 2025 at 10:28 PM
You can’t but we’re agreed the guy is at best a bit of an idiot so him misremembering the strange looking mask as strange looking teeth is plausible, I think.
Is he thinking of the bit where Lector is in a mask?
November 12, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Is he thinking of the bit where Lector is in a mask?
I went to really good state schools and overall got v good teaching, I think. Just were things nobody really seemed to have noticed were quite important but not taught. Well, Mrs Stephens, my German teacher excepted, anyway.
November 12, 2025 at 10:27 AM
I went to really good state schools and overall got v good teaching, I think. Just were things nobody really seemed to have noticed were quite important but not taught. Well, Mrs Stephens, my German teacher excepted, anyway.
Was taught almost no grammar in English but learned quite a bit in GCSE German, from a teacher who liked to point out that this was the only place we were likely to learn any.
Also did balanced science GCSE, so almost all the physics I know is self taught, or from physiology (significant overlap).
Also did balanced science GCSE, so almost all the physics I know is self taught, or from physiology (significant overlap).
November 12, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Was taught almost no grammar in English but learned quite a bit in GCSE German, from a teacher who liked to point out that this was the only place we were likely to learn any.
Also did balanced science GCSE, so almost all the physics I know is self taught, or from physiology (significant overlap).
Also did balanced science GCSE, so almost all the physics I know is self taught, or from physiology (significant overlap).
Some of that is how much worse we’ve been getting the ball to him in space, especially from deep but even if that’s not directly about his game, it’s still made him less valuable to the side.
November 11, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Some of that is how much worse we’ve been getting the ball to him in space, especially from deep but even if that’s not directly about his game, it’s still made him less valuable to the side.
The OOP stuff is a big deal. He’s in the side as a spearhead who doesn’t have to defend and stays high and wide to pose a threat in transition but we get fewer transitions because of him so he needs to be effective when we do.
November 11, 2025 at 10:24 PM
The OOP stuff is a big deal. He’s in the side as a spearhead who doesn’t have to defend and stays high and wide to pose a threat in transition but we get fewer transitions because of him so he needs to be effective when we do.
Better overall? Don’t know but I’m increasingly curious.
Not that I expect to be able to run out Isak and Ekitike for most games either.
Not that I expect to be able to run out Isak and Ekitike for most games either.
November 11, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Better overall? Don’t know but I’m increasingly curious.
Not that I expect to be able to run out Isak and Ekitike for most games either.
Not that I expect to be able to run out Isak and Ekitike for most games either.
In some ways wouldn’t want to keep changing the side but will have to rotate anyway and replace Salah in December. Also, while too much rotation is a problem here too, our press isn’t great and would be improved by Chiesa in same system or by having a striker in for him in a 4312.
November 11, 2025 at 9:37 PM
In some ways wouldn’t want to keep changing the side but will have to rotate anyway and replace Salah in December. Also, while too much rotation is a problem here too, our press isn’t great and would be improved by Chiesa in same system or by having a striker in for him in a 4312.
NPxG and xA / 90 probably best metrics (obvs can look at several). But if he’s not progressing the ball nearly as much as before and has low defensive output, I’d think v seriously about the side without him, even before accounting for AfCON. Course, might want to play him a fair bit until he goes.
November 11, 2025 at 9:37 PM
NPxG and xA / 90 probably best metrics (obvs can look at several). But if he’s not progressing the ball nearly as much as before and has low defensive output, I’d think v seriously about the side without him, even before accounting for AfCON. Course, might want to play him a fair bit until he goes.
Banks certainly had slaved drones and even ships in later books but not completely sure he’d evolved the concept by The Player of Games.
November 11, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Banks certainly had slaved drones and even ships in later books but not completely sure he’d evolved the concept by The Player of Games.
I did wonder whether they were hub controlled in a later post!
November 11, 2025 at 9:11 PM
I did wonder whether they were hub controlled in a later post!
I don’t think Banks would generally have liked the idea of ghosts but he’d have approved of this concept.
November 11, 2025 at 9:06 PM
I don’t think Banks would generally have liked the idea of ghosts but he’d have approved of this concept.
Some infrastructure spending for the NHS please. Just the backlog of maintenance and rebuilding across the public estate is quite eye watering though.
We’re talking ourselves into a lot more tax here lads.
We’re talking ourselves into a lot more tax here lads.
November 11, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Some infrastructure spending for the NHS please. Just the backlog of maintenance and rebuilding across the public estate is quite eye watering though.
We’re talking ourselves into a lot more tax here lads.
We’re talking ourselves into a lot more tax here lads.
Good process.
Admittedly one where a single extremely stupid mistake was made but you can’t have everything, can you?
Admittedly one where a single extremely stupid mistake was made but you can’t have everything, can you?
November 11, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Good process.
Admittedly one where a single extremely stupid mistake was made but you can’t have everything, can you?
Admittedly one where a single extremely stupid mistake was made but you can’t have everything, can you?
I mean, some of those things were true.
November 11, 2025 at 8:30 PM
I mean, some of those things were true.
Oh yes, completely agree about that. Like you, I’m not thrilled about the hosing but as a means to a decent end, I’ll take it.
I’m not too worried it’s just going to be us.
I’m not too worried it’s just going to be us.
November 11, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Oh yes, completely agree about that. Like you, I’m not thrilled about the hosing but as a means to a decent end, I’ll take it.
I’m not too worried it’s just going to be us.
I’m not too worried it’s just going to be us.
On reflection you couldn’t demote him to slap drone because of the level of risk in how he might discharge his duties.
I actually can’t remember whether the function was just slaved to the hub or not, which would be the obvious solution. Might not have been specified.
I actually can’t remember whether the function was just slaved to the hub or not, which would be the obvious solution. Might not have been specified.
November 11, 2025 at 8:15 PM
On reflection you couldn’t demote him to slap drone because of the level of risk in how he might discharge his duties.
I actually can’t remember whether the function was just slaved to the hub or not, which would be the obvious solution. Might not have been specified.
I actually can’t remember whether the function was just slaved to the hub or not, which would be the obvious solution. Might not have been specified.
Was just thinking about slap drones the other day and idly wondering whether it was fair on the drones (boring job, right). Funny to discover that Musk thinks we’re at the technology at level of magic stage already for robots that don’t even exist.
November 11, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Was just thinking about slap drones the other day and idly wondering whether it was fair on the drones (boring job, right). Funny to discover that Musk thinks we’re at the technology at level of magic stage already for robots that don’t even exist.
Yeah, saying from before the election that if Labour wasn’t hosing me it wasn’t doing it right and it’s not really hosed me v hard and it’s not doing it right.
November 11, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Yeah, saying from before the election that if Labour wasn’t hosing me it wasn’t doing it right and it’s not really hosed me v hard and it’s not doing it right.
Yeah, that’s totally fair. It’s at least arguable that there wasn’t a way to replace what we’d lost and expect to have an immediately coherent side but what we’ve seen so far has been all of on the worse end of expectations; a bit unlucky here and there and most worryingly, not obviously improving.
November 11, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Yeah, that’s totally fair. It’s at least arguable that there wasn’t a way to replace what we’d lost and expect to have an immediately coherent side but what we’ve seen so far has been all of on the worse end of expectations; a bit unlucky here and there and most worryingly, not obviously improving.
So like you’ve said upthread, it’s not like these were complete blindside risks. Perhaps we hoped to control games enough to mitigate them a lot further than we’ve actually managed.
November 11, 2025 at 5:21 PM
So like you’ve said upthread, it’s not like these were complete blindside risks. Perhaps we hoped to control games enough to mitigate them a lot further than we’ve actually managed.
So we’re having to react to scenarios we perhaps hadn’t gamed out without really having the pieces we’d ideally have to do so.
As far as set pieces go, @dankennett.co.uk was talking about size in our team and how that would be a huge problem if we swapped Konaté out for Guehi months back.
As far as set pieces go, @dankennett.co.uk was talking about size in our team and how that would be a huge problem if we swapped Konaté out for Guehi months back.
November 11, 2025 at 5:20 PM
So we’re having to react to scenarios we perhaps hadn’t gamed out without really having the pieces we’d ideally have to do so.
As far as set pieces go, @dankennett.co.uk was talking about size in our team and how that would be a huge problem if we swapped Konaté out for Guehi months back.
As far as set pieces go, @dankennett.co.uk was talking about size in our team and how that would be a huge problem if we swapped Konaté out for Guehi months back.