Wullie

When the fuck is Willock back? Absolutely gasping for someone in midfield who can run with the ball.

This is really noticeable, we used to base a huge amount round him interchanging with Bruno and Almiron down the right, at the minute he's just playing as a defensive full back who's not that great at defending.

I don't really have an issue with Southgate continuing to pick the players he trusts for games like this but it seems weird to drop an in-form Sterling in that context.

Thankfully a thing of the distant past but there used to be a trend on here when football games started to get more realistic but were less ubiquitous (mid 2000s maybe) for several people to post before big games that they'd simulated the upcoming game on FIFA or PES and we'd won 2-0 against Arsenal (Shearer 47, Solano 86). Yeah cheers for that, fascinating. Used to do my head in.

I used to think the Red Star change was due to some kind of inter-club split (like Wimbledon or Steaua Bucharest) rather than just an attempt to push the Serbian name.

I don't understand how that can possibly be a contentious red card like. Without the challenge, Isak is 1 on 1 with the goalkeeper. I think it's as clear an example of DOGSO that you will see, short of a player being scythed down from behind (e.g. Solskjaer on Lee).

I've basically given up listening to the weekend preview/review podcasts a while ago. More than ten years of listening to the format has made me completely sick of it. If I could guarantee it was people I liked listening to every week I could get away with it but I was spending too much time listening to bland journos whose name I can't remember give me their thoughts for 3 minutes about Watford vs Burnley, then 4 minutes on Palace vs Brentford (then "Stick around for part 3, we'll talk about Wolves vs West Ham *one second jingle* Welcome to part 3"). I feel like those podcasts are trapped between discussing the weekend's biggest, most interesting talking points which, unless there's a wider point to be made around, say, a refereeing decision, inevitably means discussing the best teams/biggest clubs, and making sure everyone gets a fair hearing. They, imo, do the latter but at the expense of the former. I know it's annoying when you're a midtable team and you win 4-0 and then it gets a passing mention but actually, most people aren't interested in a midtable team winning 4-0 beyond the point the game has ended. I'd rather hear someone like Jonathan Wilson or Rory Smith talk about Arsenal vs Man United for half an hour than hear their brief thoughts on each PL game (interspersed with the aforementioned folk I don't know), so I basically just listen to Second Captains now, even though they hate Newcastle.

Let that be a lesson to you. Respect your elders and do not fuck with the big boys.

The "genuine attempt to play the ball" rule only comes into play if the foul is in the box (a change to the old double jeopardy rule where a mistimed last ditch tackle would be punished by both a red and a penalty). Outside the box it's completely irrelevant.

Don't know if the point has been made but it's easy to forget because it was earlier in the weekend that Arsenal were 2-1 up at home to Fulham, who also had ten men, with three minutes of normal time to play - they also blew the three points and only a very good save from Ramsdale stopped Traore winning it for Fulham.

I'd rather watch someone firebomb my house.

Given's face

That's the problem with giving cards for absolutely nothing, ref doesn't feel he can send off for that one foul (and he's probably right) but the point is completely defeated.

Yeah I just tried Pulisic for Dortmund and Chelsea and it didn't work either.

It's 45 degrees there over the next few days, that should be be perfect for an exciting, high tempo game of football.

Have I missed a load of fixtures or something? We won 5-1 against a very good team and then lost 1-0 in the most difficult fixture in world football. "Too early in the season to start focusing blame"

I completely agree, really grim. Women stay with their abusers every day for many different reasons, in many different economic situations. Maybe she's staying with him because she's scared if she doesn't he'll hunt her down and knife her, an extremely common thing that happens to women who leave violent men.

Is Karen Carney now permanent on MNF?

Saying they've done their own investigation and he definitely didn't do it is proper hilarious like, God knows who thought that was a good idea.

Jaaskelainen?

De Gea Cech Pickford Fabianski Lloris Kasper Schmeichel

I only do the Bet365 one but I'm currently 185th out of 155,000 players. All downhill from here.

I'm in Cyprus, if I use my own data and use the browser page (not the app) it works fine. Any other combination blocks me.

If anyone's interested, the Bet365 FPL is free for all this season.

That was mental