1 hour ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

I'm just being hopeful, Enzo undoubtedly starts. If he starts Caicedo RB instead of James i'll lose my mind.

Maresca will already be thinking: "Wonder what he's like as a false nine?"

2 hours ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

Sanchez

James Chalobah Colwill Cucurella

Lavia Caicedo

Sancho Palmer Madueke

Neto

That should be the line up for such a massive game. We need someone to knobble Enzo in training on Friday.

Going to be an incredibly tough game for us.

I can't see any of the other results going in our favour as well so boys need to become men on sunday but from our away form this season I just can't see it.

Hope im wrong.

Has a draw written all over it I think, both managers will be cautious but Forest will need the win, with Maresca hanging onto his job. Even if we end up in the Europa League I guess it’s better than nothing, but this awful season is down to Maresca…we should not be in this position with the way other teams have performed…if he stays and the other teams return to where they should be, even mid-table will be tough to achieve.

11 minutes ago, Sheva said:

Going to be an incredibly tough game for us.

I can't see any of the other results going in our favour as well so boys need to become men on sunday but from our away form this season I just can't see it.

Hope im wrong.

On the plus side Forest are decent but not great at home ... won 9 drawn 5 lost 4.

7th best home record vs 11th best away record.

Got draw written all over it, so hopefully Villa can only draw at best as well.

We win, we sign Gyokeres.

We lose, we sign Sesko.

30 minutes ago, dansubrosa said:

We win, we sign Gyokeres.

We lose, we sign Sesko.

Who do we sign if we draw??

6 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Who do we sign if we draw??

Beto!!

54 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Who do we sign if we draw??

Hojlund 🤣

4 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Who do we sign if we draw??

We achieve Maresca's wildest dream and clone Jackson 😂

18 hours ago, Sheva said:

Going to be an incredibly tough game for us.

I can't see any of the other results going in our favour as well so boys need to become men on sunday but from our away form this season I just can't see it.

Hope im wrong.

Same here tbh.

But also the ambition comes into play for me.

If I genuinely thought that winning this game and getting CL meant us lighting the touch paper and going for some marquee signings to replace some of the players we have and to make a serious attempt then I would have the same excitement levels I used to have in finals and other do or die matches.

But if the ambition is to do things like trading Chalobah for Guehi for over inflated PSR switches and not properly strengthening the side for footballing reasons then it's all kind of immaterial. By qualifying all we would be doing is kicking the ignominious defeat can down the road.

As you can probably tell, glass definitely half empty going into Sunday's game, bah.

Surely Maresca won’t rest players for conference final would he?

God please don’t…

The scenarios are pretty clear, and will be even more so after the city vs Bournemouth match tonight.

IF we WIN: minimum position finished is 5th, as Villa have a far inferior goal difference, so CL football would be certain for next year.

IF we DRAW: minimum position finished is 6th, keeping Forest behind us but needing results elsewhere (Villa NOT winning at United, Everton WINNING at Newcastle) to have any chance of making top 5. Not impossible United show up in the last home match but a big gamble.

IF we LOSE: then we likely end up 7th. Got surrounded Forest leapfrog us, Villa and City needing just a point from their respective games to do so.

So unless some very improbable results come our way then is CL for a win, Europa league (outside bet of CL) for a draw and conference league for a loss.

The loss scenario would mean winning the conference league is needed to avoid being in it again next season.

12 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

The scenarios are pretty clear, and will be even more so after the city vs Bournemouth match tonight.

IF we WIN: minimum position finished is 5th, as Villa have a far inferior goal difference, so CL football would be certain for next year.

IF we DRAW: minimum position finished is 6th, keeping Forest behind us but needing results elsewhere (Villa NOT winning at United, Everton WINNING at Newcastle) to have any chance of making top 5. Not impossible United show up in the last home match but a big gamble.

IF we LOSE: then we likely end up 7th. Got surrounded Forest leapfrog us, Villa and City needing just a point from their respective games to do so.

So unless some very improbable results come our way then is CL for a win, Europa league (outside bet of CL) for a draw and conference league for a loss.

The loss scenario would mean winning the conference league is needed to avoid being in it again next season.

I know Man Utd are a joke at the moment but what wasn't mentioned when we beat them was how they've managed to frustrate and take points against some good sides likes Liverpool, Arsenal, and City this season. So there more than just a wild chance of Utd taking points off of Villa. Bournemouth have a small chance of Europe so tonights game against City isn't going to be easy. Actually fancy a Bournemouth result tonight.

Still a win is what we want can't be hoping on others to mess up.

On 19/05/2025 at 11:30, Nibs said:

That should be the line up for such a massive game. We need someone to knobble Enzo in training on Friday.

No chance unfortunately. Apparently he was playing with just one eye against United, due to some issue he’s having. If he turned up to training with no pulse Maresca would play him.

Heart says 0-1.

Head says 2-2.

I just think there are so many players in this squad that don't have the grit or mentality to handle these big stake away matches, nor do we have a manager that can cleverly out tactic his opposition.

57 minutes ago, DarkMata said:

I know Man Utd are a joke at the moment but what wasn't mentioned when we beat them was how they've managed to frustrate and take points against some good sides likes Liverpool, Arsenal, and City this season. So there more than just a wild chance of Utd taking points off of Villa. Bournemouth have a small chance of Europe so tonights game against City isn't going to be easy. Actually fancy a Bournemouth result tonight.

Still a win is what we want can't be hoping on others to mess up.

Brightons win last night makes Bournemouth chances very slim. They would need to win both the last 2 matches.

4 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Brightons win last night makes Bournemouth chances very slim. They would need to win both the last 2 matches.

Does mean they need to go all out tonight to be in with a chance at the weekend, opposed to having nothing to play for.

Couple of the key areas that will decide this game:

Midfield: we cannot start with just Enzo next to caicedo, we would get killed. Either drop Enzo or a forward so Lavia can come in.

Set pieces: Wood, Murillio and especially Milkeovic, very dangerous. Would not be surprised to see Trev in as RCb so we have him and Tosin to deal with this, Lavia marking the third maybe.

Beating Matt Sels: arguably the leagues best keeper this season. Need a top performance from Cole Palmer, cannot trust the rest vs such a keeper.

21 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Brightons win last night makes Bournemouth chances very slim. They would need to win both the last 2 matches.

All the teams below 7th (Forest) are all done as far as qualification for Europe is concerned.

7th is the Conference place now that Palace have won the FA Cup and qualified for Europa League. 8th or lower doesn't get anything.

Forest, 7th on 65 points, can't be caught by Brighton, let alone Bournemouth !

10 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

All the teams below 7th (Forest) are all done as far as qualification for Europe is concerned.

7th is the Conference place now that Palace have won the FA Cup and qualified for Europa League. 8th or lower doesn't get anything.

Forest, 7th on 65 points, can't be caught by Brighton, let alone Bournemouth !

Not quite. There are 2 scenarios around us and Newcastle finishing outside the top 5, and us winning the conference league that would see the 8th place get a place in the conference league

14 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

All the teams below 7th (Forest) are all done as far as qualification for Europe is concerned.

7th is the Conference place now that Palace have won the FA Cup and qualified for Europa League. 8th or lower doesn't get anything.

Forest, 7th on 65 points, can't be caught by Brighton, let alone Bournemouth !

If Chelsea win the Conference League and to finish seventh, 8th place becomes a Conference league spot.

4 minutes ago, DarkMata said:

If Chelsea win the Conference League and to finish seventh, 8th place becomes a Conference league spot.

It does ?

Fair enough then,

I read somewhere that PL would not be represented in the Conference League in 25/26 in that scenario but I guess that must be incorrect.

We are not winning this.

It’s over.