The College Dropout

Madrid have 3 ACLs too.

No but it remains at 9 - no? So if he gets to within 1 or 2 games of the suspension limit moving up (GW 30 is it?), he's better off getting a second yellow. Getting a 1 match-ban - when he returns it's now 15 yellow cards for a suspension not 10. So he needs 6 yellows for a suspension.

Only the 2nd most left-footed player in the division between Giles of Luton and Dwight McNeil according to The Athletic. He gets extra points for being so left footed and playing on the right though. Trippier & Bruno top 20 for most right-footed players. But boy are those right foots special.

If he gets to 7 or 8 he might be better off taking a second yellow, no? That will give him a 1 game suspension rather than 2? And then he's only got to get through 1 or 2 games before it moves to 15?

Bruno is comfortably the best CM I've seen for us. I'll be amazed if he can avoid the 2 game suspension. I'll be pleased if he makes it through the next 5. At that point I hope we have some more options and it will mean he's unlikely to get the 3 game suspension for 15. At this rate he's thundering towards the 15 YC 3 game suspension.

Aye - this has been my view for about a year now.

So good teams? I might just roll with whatever I have if that's the case. Villa, Arsenal, Spurs go bring in over the next few weeks then. That's not too bad. You would happily hold a lot of those for a good number of weeks anyway. Then you bring back Liverpool & City. I've got 5 from Liverpool and City so will need to get that down to 3. Don't think that's hard. I like Darwin but he's an easy sell for me.

who blanks in 29? Liverpool again?

You think Billing is more technical than Joelinton?

Would Howe even use "depth" players? I thought Livra and earned his trust. But I don't expect him to start any games unless we change shape or someone gets injured. Hope to be proven wrong but it seems like he's just earned himself a regular sub on role.

Probably my best GW all season. Jumped 150k odd to land 150k OR. 113k last year 64k the year before If get anywhere between the 2 I'll be happy. In decent shape for this upcoming GW. 5x doublers although I expect some benched. Might get Toney. Think I can navigate the blank with free transfers too. If I'm still around here with my 3 chips remaining I'll be happy.

Aye. Earning about £5m in wages so a loan with wages paid in full would be decent.

They need one in the middle like Paqueta. He's like their Bruno, he progresses them up the field with guile and is the only one who puts a foot on the ball for them. I wasn't sure on Paqueta when we were linked but I think he's a top player. He's not Howe-style though.

They need another baller like Paqueta.

I think medium/long-term you it's better to exert more control over opponents than being free-scoring. We'll not maintain outperforming our Xg by 2 goals every game like we did on the weekend. We need to tighten up.

I was joking. I do think Howe needs to adapt more. That was about 2 years ago. Opponents have learnt a thing or two about us since then. And we had Joelinton and Willock in there.

I don't know if any of them are "really good players". 1 of them can't even stay it. None of them have excellent reputations in the game in comparison to a Nathan Ake. I think we need a top CB/LB. A Nathan Ake would actually be perfect for us especially if Howe wants to stick to the same profile as Burn. If we sell multiple squad players - bringing in cheap squad players is a good idea.

Yeh aye. I just wouldn't gamble the success of our season on any cup competition atm. The margins are too fine. We don't have that je ne sais quoi to get big wins over the line in cup competitions. I would love to win the FA Cup and I think we have a decent chance. We are good team. But in my heart, I expect heartbreak.

I think his positioning was fine (and it's more Dubs fault than his), he's just turbo-slow and Elanga is rapid. Forest kept targeting him. It didn't always come off because he's not a terrible player but they got a fair amount of joy against him. The midfield is terribly one-paced and exposes him. The key thing is opps have targeted him. Trips can be got at the same way (as Son showed) but you need a little more guile to make it work and teams don't pinpoint him.

Adapt? Don't be ridiculous.

I think he looks better than Longstaff but I don't pay loads of attention to him or Bournemouth but he seems a danger man and athletic. I think we need to move away from that style a little. Just to switch things up tactically. But we seem to be linked to the same type of hard running CM rather than passers. So tripling down on Howeball it is.

He went to Bournemouth for £20m in 2017. He's always been a highly-rated player. He's rated higher than Botman to this day. He was a wonderkid at Chelsea. The fact he went to City after relegation says it all about his reputation—a good £40m to boot. His pedigree is higher than any of the Bournemouth players you've mentioned. A lot higher. Ake went for x10 more money from Chelsea to Bournemouth as Tosin to Fulham. It's a different level of prospect. I'm not against any of those transfers again. The one I've watched the most I like and don't have strong opinions on the others. But comparing it to £40m Nathan Ake or keeps our star CB on the bench for the NT doesn't make sense to me.

Even QF?

Maybe i'm over-pessimistic but when have we ever beaten a top team in a semi or cup final? I don't trust us to do it now.

My view on Dan Burn hasn't really changed. I've always thought he's a limited player. It's just being exposed now more than ever. I still like his profile - he's just not good at it. I don't like him as a CB either. I'd happily see him replaced by a good Botman level LCB who can play Fullback. Can spend £30-40m on him and shift 2 couple defenders for whatever we can get.