Bris Vegas

In Hull’s 3-0 win over Cardiff, two of the goals came from balls from inside their own half over the top (one being from the goalkeeper). It seems Rosenior is learning that mixing it up is probably the best way to go.

In a weird analogy, Cooper is probably like that ‘childhood sweetheart’ you get with in Year 11, one of the nicest girls in your year. You think she’s a 9/10, you stick with her during six form and then you separate when adults. You are distraught because you think she is the one. But in reality, she as a mid 20s adult is now actually just a 6/10, bang average in bed and she has a bland personality. You just think it’s amazing because it’s all you’ve ever known and you’ve yet to experience an Italian bombshell like De Zerbi. Nuno is a 7/10. A step up. You just don’t want to admit it and step outside your comfort zone.

Nuno’s record at Wolves is similar to De Zerbi’s at Brighton. Just the football was largely dull. His record at Spurs wasn’t great but then again he couldn’t win in that job as he was about 5th choice and that was known. The fans never wanted him from the start which is never a good sign. He has reached greater heights than Cooper and showed more potential. I think Forest will improve unfortunately.

On paper, Cooper did an amazing job of getting them promoted, keeping them up ahead of 3 more established clubs and then keeping them up again in their 2nd season. But it’s similar to Chris Hughton at Brighton. Cooper is at his limit. And Forest’s owner will feel they can push on with more funding under a better manager. Cooper would have taken Forest down. Not this season. But probably next year as Leicester will almost certainly be fine while Leeds or Southampton would spend again on top of decent squads. If Forest are to change manager, now is the best time to do it. They won’t go down because the bottom 3 are useless and a new manager has the next 9 months to get them playing a better, more progressive brand of football. I can see why Forest supporters are upset but that’s out of blind loyalty for a guy who has taken them back to the PL and kept them there. That blind loyalty is overlooking the fact they play crap football and relegation is inevitable if they stick with Cooper. Nigel Adkins suffered a similar fate at Southampton. There are better out there than Cooper and the PL is the place all the best managers want to be. Nuno is a step up.

His Wolves record is far better. Two seventh place finishes and a Europa League quarter-final.

I don’t think you can get anything wrong in football journalism these days. Birmingham will back Rooney. And Birmingham want Max Bird. I mean, it’s obvious stuff and while Brum may want Bird, it doesn’t say they will sign him. Even when journalists write ‘set to sign’, if the deal doesn’t go through they have an easy out by claiming there was a last-minute snag and that happens in football. I don’t know why people pay any attention to transfers rumors anymore. 99% of it is just publications looking for clicks or agents feeding info with a different motive. May as well just wait for official news.

He was a player Phillip Cocu wanted at Derby.

The gulf between Brum and Leicester here is enormous.

In fairness it is an improvement on their last two trips to Anfield which ended 4-0 and 7-0. But Man Utd need a complete overhaul. The reason they have no identity is they seriously lack quality all over the pitch. Their best players would only be squad players at Arsenal, Liverpool and City. Rashford, Dalot, Varane, Fernandes, McTominay and Shaw are United’s best players. But they’d all be bench or rotation squad players at Liverpool. The gap in quality is so big, but the question is how has that happened. No club has spent more than United over the past decade but they have ended up with players not good enough. Big wages too. Rashford on £350k a week is mind boggling. I read Liverpool ‘s Diaz is on less than a quarter of that.

It was an awful game. Both teams seriously lacked quality in the final third. The highlight of the game was Darwin Nuñez trying to play hard done by when he just ran full pelt into Johnny Evans leaving an elbow. He had the cheek to sarcastically applaud the linesman too as if he it was the wrong decision. Man Utd looked better without Bruno Fernandes.

Signed a new three year deal at Hull. They look a good bet for top six this season.

Liverpool vs Arsenal next week is going to be brilliant. Man City look done in terms of the title race, but they will turn up in Europe and win the CL again. Liverpool for the title. City for the CL. Arsenal to narrowly miss out on both.

Pompey deserve credit for their consistency, they are on for mid to high 90s points. But they probably are also gleeing at the fact that Derby, Barnsley, Bolton and Posh (the four you’d expect to challenge) are all dropping points regularly.

We’re just giving our promotion rivals a chance. We’ll be top two by the end of the season, no problem.

We will win this easy.

If one of the bottom teams is to give them a scare it will probably be Burnley. Forest’s points tally is really poor considering they have already played Burnley, Luton, Sheff Utd, Brentford and Everton at home. They have Bournemouth next too. Burnley, meanwhile, have only played Sheff Utd and Palace at home of the bottom teams. They have a lot of winnable games to come.

They fed off a couple of Spurs mistakes to force a save or two. But the huge difference was when Spurs were creating chances, they were doing it through their own possession and good play. Forest when they get on the ball just look devoid of creativity and general idea. Steve Cooper is similar to Chris Hughton at Brighton, yet Hughton actually picked up more points. He is at his limit, and this only ends one way.

You need Awoniyi in a team like this. He is a threat at set-pieces, works hard off the ball, can hold it up, win free kicks and he has goals in him. He was the reason you stayed up last season and it’s no coincidence the recent poor run has coincided with his absence.

Forest are averaging less points than they did last season, yet the league is worse this time around with the bottom 3. And Forest have already played them all at home. Lose to Bournemouth next and Cooper will be gone. Especially if they can lure somebody like Lopetegui or Potter.

His luck is running out. You have to do more than just play percentage football in the PL, especially when considering what you have spent. Forest have no chance of going down. But where are the patterns of play in attack? Where is the creativity? You can’t expect to become a top half side by just living off moments, set pieces and counter attacks. Especially when you are a smaller PL club and don’t have the wealth of a Man Utd or Chelsea.

Spurs could play with 8 men, they’d still win this. Forest are genuinely crap on the ball, they have zero idea

Forest are awful to watch. They just try and stay tight, get everybody behind the ball and then play off moments like a mistake at the back, set-pieces etc. They have no identity or plan on the ball. They are happy to have 30% possession. Just ugly. You can see why their owner is twitching. He’s probably thinking for £250m+ surely they can play better than this.

Not a good night for English football and the strength of the Premier League when 2 of the clubs have finished bottom. Newcastle were in a difficult group, have a small squad and several injuries. Man Utd meanwhile have no excuses. The PL will now be relying on Arsenal and City to go far to help with the coefficient points to get that fifth spot next season.

Ah the classic watch our rivals in a one off game and claim they aren’t any better than us. Anyone who saw Derby at Stevenage would think we are in a false position being so high.

There is a weird obsession with Musk, both from his followers and his haters.