We are Sp&rs

[Rich]

Was a borderline challenge for me.

Haaland pulling Gabriel all over prior to scoring his goal - how the **** did VAR not consider that a foul?

I think the ref did a good job of letting those tussles persist. Was six of one and they were at it all game - so long as the ref was consistent on it (and he was) then no issue from me.

Gabriel should have gone for the 'headbutt', though.

[Peter]

I think the ref did a good job of letting those tussles persist. Was six of one and they were at it all game - so long as the ref was consistent on it (and he was) then no issue from me.

Gabriel should have gone for the 'headbutt', though.

Again, I dont think so. Haaland puts his head in first and instigated the entire thing. Gabriel is basically nudging him away.

If he had gone down, it probably would have been red. Ref made a common sense call. As you say, he'd been doing it all game.

[WES]

Controversial opinion - I thought we played pretty well, hit the post twice, Havertz and Martinelli should have scored that chance between them and in the CL Kushonov (or whatever is name is) would have got a red, no attempt to play the ball, anywhere else on the pitch and that's a foul.

I don't think it's controversial, we did play pretty well, and if Eze's shot spins in I think we would have had a draw and possibly a win, at City, and all this negativity and whining would not exist.

But still, we're bottlers, a shambles, pathetic, broken - this despite being top of the league with 5 games to play and a CL semi-final to come.

The lack of perspective from some on here is really quite astonishing.

[Peter]

I don't think it's controversial, we did play pretty well, and if Eze's shot spins in I think we would have had a draw and possibly a win, at City, and all this negativity and whining would not exist.

But still, we're bottlers, a shambles, pathetic, broken - this despite being top of the league with 5 games to play and a CL semi-final to come.

The lack of perspective from some on here is really quite astonishing.

You said that two weeks ago when we were 9 points clear. And i told you we weren't really 9 points clear. It was a false 9, if you will pardon the pun.

My perspective on this hasn't changed all season. We dont look like a side that can win a title, even when everyone else is below par.

We all agreed we performed poorly last season. 270 million quid later and we are precisely four points better off than last season.

We've now lost four domestic games in a row, knocking ourselves out of two competitions and effectively out of a third.

And you think people are overreacting.

Well, each to their own, Wes. I understand the frustration on all sides. I just think the blind optimism approach is becoming tired and ignoring the very obvious momentum.

[WES]

You said that two weeks ago when we were 9 points clear. And i told you we weren't really 9 points clear. It was a false 9, if you will pardon the pun.

My perspective on this hasn't changed all season. We dont look like a side that can win a title, even when everyone else is below par.

We all agreed we performed poorly last season. 270 million quid later and we are precisely four points better off than last season.

We've now lost four domestic games in a row, knocking ourselves out of two competitions and effectively out of a third.

And you think people are overreacting.

Well, each to their own, Wes. I understand the frustration on all sides. I just think the blind optimism approach is becoming tired and ignoring the very obvious momentum.

It has nothing to do with blind optimism, criticise the play of the team all you like, I've done my fair share as well.

But a shambles and pathetic when we're top of the league and in a CL semi-final? You honestly don't have an issue with those adjectives?

Calling ourselves that even if we finish 2nd and get knocked out by Atl Madrid makes us sound like spoilt, entitled brats. Other than City there isn't a single set of supporters in the league that wouldn't love to be where we are. Shambles? Pathetic? Broken?

f@ck me

[Peter]

It has nothing to do with blind optimism, criticise the play of the team all you like, I've done my fair share as well.

But a shambles and pathetic when we're top of the league and in a CL semi-final? You honestly don't have an issue with those adjectives?

Calling ourselves that even if we finish 2nd and get knocked out by Atl Madrid makes us sound like spoilt, entitled brats. Other than City there isn't a single set of supporters in the league that wouldn't love to be where we are. Shambles? Pathetic? Broken?

f@ck me

The words may be a bit over the top. But it is frustration as much as anything. And let's not pretend that this is the first time it has happened.

We've come up short in every competition for four years. And only a fool would bet against it happening again this season.

By Thursday you'll be saying we are second in the league with two home games to come......

I dont think you can blame people for being angry. Even the performance yesterday was annoying. Where was that aggression last week?

We just keep on finding a way to fall short. And every year there is a justification.

[IUFG]

It has nothing to do with blind optimism, criticise the play of the team all you like, I've done my fair share as well.

But a shambles and pathetic when we're top of the league and in a CL semi-final? You honestly don't have an issue with those adjectives?

Calling ourselves that even if we finish 2nd and get knocked out by Atl Madrid makes us sound like spoilt, entitled brats. Other than City there isn't a single set of supporters in the league that wouldn't love to be where we are. Shambles? Pathetic? Broken?

f@ck me

It's our mentality that is pathetic, a shambles and broken.

Other teams fans joked/told us we'd bottle a quadruple. And guess what...?

[WES]

The words may be a bit over the top. But it is frustration as much as anything. And let's not pretend that this is the first time it has happened.

We've come up short in every competition for four years. And only a fool would bet against it happening again this season.

By Thursday you'll be saying we are second in the league with two home games to come......

I dont think you can blame people for being angry. Even the performance yesterday was annoying. Where was that aggression last week?

We just keep on finding a way to fall short. And every year there is a justification.

Words matter, Peter. And they aren't a bit over the top, they are massively over the top. That's my only point, really.

Other than that I agree with your points and understand and share in the frustration. But my frustration will manifest itself more once I'm certain that it's over.

There is some reason to be hopeful in both the league and CL imo.

[Peter]

It's our mentality that is pathetic, a shambles and broken.

Other teams fans joked/told us we'd bottle a quadruple. And guess what...?

25 points from 14 league games since the start of January.

City haven't even had to be great or even consistent to overhaul us. We've done it for them.

We cracked when we weren't under pressure. And people think we are suddenly going to start winning all our games and scoring plenty now that the situation is desperate.

I find that staggering

[WES]

It's our mentality that is pathetic, a shambles and broken.

Other teams fans joked/told us we'd bottle a quadruple. And guess what...?

If our mentality was that bad I, we wouldn't be top of the league with 5 to play. And in a CL semi.

I didn't see anything in the team's mentality yesterday, nor against Sporting, that concerned me. I think we're taking a complex problem and over simplifying it with absurdly provocative terms like bottlers, shambles etc.