Thumbbass

I think depth-wise this team is much better. There is more competition for almost every position and we can change things with very capable players coming on from the bench. An over-reliance on Sainz or Sargent is perhaps our main single/double point of weakness, but this is not new. I think we win games with one of either but missing both would be a problem - at the moment. Not borne from data of course! With Sainz the ball played over the top or is carried with pace where with Sargent we gain the ground with his holding play and movement. Perhaps if we still had Rowe, this might be a bit different, Crnac doesn't yet carry the same threat but I'm sure that will come. Schwartau I think looks like he could step into that Sainz position and become a regular starter. Very impressed with what I've seen. In Marcondes we finally have someone who can reliably play a dead ball, Nunez as much as I like him is very hit and miss. I also think there is a lot more to come from Forson and potentially he will step in and replace Kenny. Cordoba is an upgrade on Gibson. For a team that has had only 4 months to establish, with lots of new faces, I'm very happy with progress.

It's true, I thought they were on 10. I'm a wallys. Muchos apologos.

Just because we now have American owners we can't rule out the possibility of a draw. Either way though, lovely stuff.

If tubes were sentient with the ability for unconcious thought while sleeping they'd also have pipe dreams.

Yep

Crnac's header that went over is mentioned. Live it looked a glaring miss and the commentators on Sky repeated it, but I think it was Doyle in-front of him who glanced it taking it off the top of his forehead. Not sure he could have done any better really, he had no time to adjust.

There are a number of teams that are under-performing at the moment that will eventually get some momentum. If anything Ipsquit are over-performing and still only have 4 points. Wolves/Palace/Everton/West Ham will all put a run together at some stage and leave them in the bottom 3 with the other two promoted teams. As others have mentioned, the responsibility to keep them up is on a couple of decent young players in Delap & Clarke who if injured for a few games are really going to nullify their minimal goal threat. Morsy and Phillips are going to get a red at some point too. Their keeper is going to gift a few goals with his woeful distribution too. All in all they might as well call it a day and we'll see them next season (unless we get promoted).

One of my go-to one liners, 'I'm not afraid of sausages, but I do fear the wurst'. I've never seen fast-food in renal failure before but that image suggests it's possible.

Possibly the one that borders Britannia Road, if at all. It's not the Fountain.

It would be one hell of a random way to find a club, train in one of their local green spaces hoping to be spotted. Perhaps we'll see Dwight Gayle playing keepy uppy in Waterloo Park. Fun idea though.

Yeah watching the highlights of them on MOTD really did bring back memories of our recent forays in the PL. Ramsdale appeared to make the decision that it wasn't working and played long but reverted after halftime - as the pundits assumed he was told not to. A bit like knowing you're defending against Harry Kane, if the ball is never going over your head you can afford to get tight and advance 10-15 yards. They'll still beat Ipsquit though.

With a dash of Pirlo.

Interesting assessment of Billy Gee https://footballtalentscout.net/home/billy-gee-scouting-report-by-nene-afadzinu/

Does Phil Foden look too lightweight? Don't agree that he looks to take too much time on the ball, see his assist for exhibit A. He looks an excellent prospect and more than capable of being a top level champs player this season with a small amount of acclimatisation. Great news he could be available.

A bit of chaos in last night's performance and some pretty awful finishing but so many positives with free-flowing passing football, using the ball and tight triangles to escape the press, plus a solid defensive shape. I've never been so positive after a 4-0 defeat. Smith and Wagner teams were like table football players by comparison, only ever playing the way they faced. Mateta, Eze, Geuhi, Henderson, swapped like for like for Long, Hanley, Onel, Crnac (although both Onel and Crnac were good) and we would have won 4-0, or more. Happy clapper status engaged.