Clint

I’ve been saying for ages that he’s our best CB and that includes when Godfrey was here.

That 45 mins just underlines how good and vital Pukki is. A worry that we have no viable alternative until Jan at the earliest.

Been absolutely hopeless so far, offering nothing. Pukki has to come on. I worry about the next 10 weeks with no Idah. Drmic looks a much better option than Hugill.

Sky can’t show all midweek games as they’re limited to a certain amount of midweek rounds of matches. Normally they’d all be on red button but due to the condensed schedule, there’s too many midweek rounds.

I’ve said they’re long term, literally in the first sentence.

My immediate thoughts with all these long term injuries and the re-introduction of 5 subs is that it could pave the way for Drmic or Leitner to return. If we continue to pick up the same number of short term injuries as we have been as well, we’ll struggle to name a full squad every week. Got bans and Covid tests to contend with as well.

Just my own personal view but I’ve never been keen on a non-English England manager. It then becomes just a job rather than a passion and what should be, the pinnacle of an English managers career.

I believe Wes was used sparingly as Lambert thought he was overweight! He went away for a few weeks, got himself fit and the rest is history.....

Isn’t that the point though Midlands, is he good enough? He’s played a handful of top flight matches in an inferior league for one of the best teams. I don’t see how Southgate could have possibly established that he is good enough at this stage. Rooney and Owen were playing against superior opposition for a prolonged period of time before receiving a call up. I think for both it was towards the end of their first full top flight season. Rooney was one of the stand out players in a pretty average Everton team and Owen was dislodging Fowler at Liverpool as their main striking option. Both looked to be exceptional talents at a young age but equally, they still had to prove it to get a call up. I honestly don’t see how what Bellingham has done so far even remotely compares to this.

Southgate has managed 46 matches and has now called up 87 different players. This seems an inordinate amount of players, given that the nucleus of the squad has largely stayed the same during his tenure. He just seems to hand out a cap here and there with no justifiable explanation. The point about Barnes is extremely valid, in last months squad, got a cap, played well for Leicester since but a 17 year old with a less than a dozen top flight appearances has been selected over him in this squad. Why? Where is the logic and justification?

Just my opinion but it seems far too easy to get an England call up these days. It should be the pinnacle of a players career and be earned over a period of time. A few decent performances and it seems a call up is handed out.

Nope no need. Webber has already stated he has this covered.

The Wes miss vs Preston dates back to the rivalry they had when he was at Blackpool. He basically wanted to embarrass them but it didn’t quite work out that way.... Which I guess tells us all we need to know about why players try a Panenka!

I’m not sure where the confusion is here. I clearly said a minimum of 15 points from 10 matches is required, IMHO for Farke to still be in a job. We had 18 points from 10 matches, 4 more than the number required for Farke to be removed from post. Had we only had 14 points at that stage, we’d have been between 11th and 13th, dependent on GD. Given the shambolic end to last season, how many fans do you think would be content with us languishing in 13th after 10 matches?

Numbers or simply reading not your strong points Fenway?

Assists is an interesting stat as you’re reliant on someone else to get the job done. I’m very confident that Rupp has played a number of excellent final balls only for the recipient to fluff their lines completely. If our conversion rate wasn’t so poor, I’m sure Rupp would have at least a couple of assists to his name already this season.

I don’t think Rupp would be anywhere near the front of the queue if I was singling a player out for a lack of end product. Firstly, that’s not really his job and secondly, the players whose job that is, have been far more frustrating. At the end of the day, he’s Rupp not Gerrard or Lampard and has been excellent in his role this season. Also, I like the fact he’s willing to have a go. If you don’t buy a ticket, you don’t win the raffle and too often, we’re not buying enough tickets!

The thing with Rhodes is that we could change the style of play when he came on but equally he would naturally fit into how we normally play. Hugill definately doesn’t do the latter so unless we just start lumping the ball upto him and getting crosses into the box whenever he plays, I can’t see how it’s going to work. Although it is early days and I hope he comes good but Idah looks a much better option at this stage. I’m still not sure why we just didn’t sign Rhodes at the end of his loan, having signed Drmic and now Hugill since, that looks like it would’ve been money well spent.

On a bit of a hiding to nothing when Mowbray described him as the new Christian Erikson!

That’s a game we really should’ve won but I’ll take the point. Looking forward to having Idah, Quintilla and maybe Cantwell back on Saturday. I’m still incredibly unconvinced by Hugill.

Mario for me. The odd thing about Emi’s goal is that it is such a good take and finish, why does he not do it more often? He tends to fluff his lines when he gets near the goal!

He was brought on to add ballast and offer more protection to Sorensen. Why do fans keep trying to make everything about Cantwell?

There’s no way Sorensen will be at LB again. You don’t start a right footed central midfielder at LB out of choice. Although still not ideal, there are much better options available to him when he has a full squad to pick from.

Do we know how long he’s out for? He’s obviously not the answer but Sorensen played really well tonight, particularly given the circumstances.

I expect we’ll go a bit more direct if we’ve not improved. Placheta and Hugill, maybe go three at the back. Todd’s not been great but it’s worth remembering who he has unexpectedly playing behind him at LB.