Pep will go out and spend another billion in Jan
Swango1980
Well-known member
Just watched MOTD and I'm pretty sure I just saw Billy Gilmour get punched in the mouth, and the officials deemed it to be a yellow card offence.
I suspect it's OK to start swinging your arms towards someone's face, and if you make contact just act apologetic
I suspect it's OK to start swinging your arms towards someone's face, and if you make contact just act apologetic
Bazz
Q-School Graduate
Or soft headbutts like Vinicius. (I'm still bitter 2 weeks later)
D
Deleted member 1740
Guest
Once a selection of refs have had their all expenses mid season winter training jolly to the UAE we'll see a huge change in league postions.
D
Deleted member 1740
Guest
It was good to see 2 bookings for kicking balls away last night, the refs seemed to have forgotten to implement that rule since end of August.
D
Deleted member 1740
Guest
They're entitled to spend their well earned money now. Afterall they legitimately make more than Real Madrid,Barcelona,Bayern, Manchester United et al and they dont have to sell out the ground every week.
Bazz
Q-School Graduate
Another one they seem to have forgotten, we had a man get a second booking for "approaching the referee with aggression", never seen the rule before or since. The game would end up 8 aside if it was.
Bdill93
Undisputed King of FOMO
I'm still buzzing this morning.. bring on Arsenal this weekend!
i did chuckle watching Fernandes' mincing "run" up to his penalty
Swango1980
Well-known member
Less amusing now that it used to be, since I've seen him do it so many times and score so many penalties in the process. I guess the novelty eventually wears off
backwoodsman
Tour Winner
Are you allowed to change the team you support? 
Last night's performance by Forest at Fulham was about as dire as it gets. The word 'clueless' springs to mind and we made a fairly ordinary team look great. Personally, I'm not calling for heads, but Cooper is on the tightest of tightropes now
Last night's performance by Forest at Fulham was about as dire as it gets. The word 'clueless' springs to mind and we made a fairly ordinary team look great. Personally, I'm not calling for heads, but Cooper is on the tightest of tightropes now
Aztecs27
Money List Winner
Given one last shot on Saturday apparently. Not really sure why. I don't want him to go, but it's clear the players do - they gave nothing last night. I've never been so embarrassed by a squad of players in 30+ years of watching this club. Downed tools and zero respect for the manager or the fans. I can only assume Marinakis doesn't have his replacement confirmed yet and that's why he's given "one last chance".
Unless there's some miraculous turnaround on Saturday and we batter wolves by 4 or 5 goals, he'll be gone anyway.
Swango1980
Well-known member
Listening to Cooper's interview after the game, it was interesting to try and read between the lines. He was very honest in saying he simply wants whatever is best for Forest. Clearly passionate about the club, but it almost felt like he was resigned to losing his job now, and almost like he might feel it would be for the best.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Strange, I thought you were doing rather well until just recently. Things change pretty quickly in football. I mean, you beat Villa who are now third in the league!
It still looks like Luton, Burnley & Sheffield to go down to me. They seem a class below everyone else. Everton to stay up even with the ten point deduction.
RichA
Well-known member
Weirdly, there was a brief spell before the first Fulham goal when we looked like a decent football team. In MGW's absence, the ball was being played out from defence to midfield and distributed to the wings. Origi was looking like he deserved his start.
Then it went to
.
Then it went to
.
GreiginFife
Money List Winner
I think it's evident that Rodri is a hugely important player for them and the stats are damning in that respect, but I'm not entirely sure that this is correlation = causation in this instance.
Villa played incredibly well, very high tempo and pressed high and fast which City didn't seem to know what to do about (panic mainly). It reminded me of when Liverpool's high press got found out.
Compounding this was City's incessant need to overplay everything in and around the box. They just seem to almost refuse to hit a shot or ping a high ball in to the box (I mean, its not like they have a big player that's decent in the air in there...). They only seem to want to score "perfect" goals (Pep once described them as "beautiful goals" in his time at Barca - where, incidentally he faced similar criticism towards the end) and teams are getting wise to it and just flooding the box.
Combine a flooded box with quick breaks and pressing and City just seem to panic. Leipzig, Tottenham and Chelsea all did similar.
Was hugely impressed by Villa's attitude and application last night. Emery has them playing like his Sevilla team c.2015 - no one liked playing them in La Liga, especially at the Pizjuan.
Whereditgo
Journeyman Pro
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Agree that teams are figuring them out. It just feels like Rodri is that glue that holds it all together - he stops the counter-attacks and starts their own ones. Without him they look more of a disjointed mess.
They've lost four games this season (including league cup) - Rodri was absent for all four. The last time they lost with Rodri... 5th February.
GreiginFife
Money List Winner
Yeah, there is no doubt he is important. But I think what's more telling is that, even with Rodri, they are either scraping a win (Leipzig e.g.) or not winning. And, from the games I have seen certainly it's a resultant combination of teams pressing them in to panic whilst also not finishing teams because they are looking for that "perfect goal".
But it's all perception at the end of the day. I'm a fan of stats, as I should be in my line of work, but they don't always tell the whole story.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Yes - Spurs and Chelsea did a similar thing to them - if you have a real go, you'll concede but you can score as well. I didn't watch last night's game but fair play to Villa for doing it without conceding!
Are Villa title contenders though? Interesting question. They have Arsenal next so I guess we'll find out soon enough.
