80

Was thinking more of the fans than the players. But agree they should come into this knowing it's a serious battle - and hopefully the West Ham result will itself help concentrate minds.

Reminiscent of our confidence going into the West Ham game...

Some of these numbers getting thrown around are really silly.

I'm sure you're right about the first part, but buying anyone now rather than last August makes them not far off 50% cheaper in terms of this year's PSR balance. I believe we did have wiggle room to buy in August without a sale, just not £50m's worth, so throwing in a Miggy deal ought to make it work for us. As I've said before though, on balance I'm pretty happy with us not spending this January. I'd only really change that for a special opportunity like a distressed sale.

I don't think it's that, to be fair. Don't think Eddie would've sounded so positive about him at other times if that was the case. I think he's just young, energetic and irritating. Not exactly Dan Burn's speed. Looks a bit like our Brazilians have become his minders, which is good of them. Was more interested in Willock getting all the fines, to be honest.

I know what you mean, but he's no poacher - when he scores, they're typically absolute beauties. But then he's not the classic lazy skillful winger either - he always tries his hardest and means the best for the club. He's a puzzle.

There is, unfortunately 75% top class international, 25% novelty condom. But you have to love him. Not someone I'm in any hurry to see leave.

Article reads really well. Fingers crossed.

I realise his career is basically dead and buried here, but it might've been nice to bring Targett on given the circumstances. If only to remind potential suitors he's still alive. Lloyd Kelly too, for that matter.

If he fixed that one he'd be in the running for a Nobel prize.

Had a quick look and Chelsea's website reckons 12 is their limit too... So either the boy is well ahead of schedule or some despot is helping out their PSR balance. The hair is the cherry on the cake, just in case you might've noticed Cole behind him

Pretty creepy bit of filming really

It's probably more on point to say his agility, rather than strictly pace. Everything ended up looking like an effort for him. He was playing with a not fully recovered broken back for a decent portion so it would be a bit weird if he was as nimble as he always was.

Yes. He finished the season better once he got shifted to centre back for the final games, which he said he was happy to be back in. He'd not really been there since the beginning of the season - after Brighton away, the received wisdom on here was he couldn't be allowed to play centre back again and it was LB or nothing...

This is roughly it. 22/23 he was a pretty respectable LB playing an important role for the team. A clear weak link, but holding his own in the team. 23/24 he became awful for LB and was getting run ragged. But in very difficult circumstances, that he clearly wasn't exactly happy about himself. Every opposition manager put a bullseye on his forehead. Arguably it was management's fault for putting him in that situation more than anything he did.

I'm not disputing that he was playing for it and 'helping the referee make his decision', but I see that constantly being assessed as something a Liverpool or Arsenal player is 'entitled' to do. If there was zero contact it would be different. Just don't see the need to make a hair shirt for ourselves over a phantom red card.

But there was impact into his hip on TV then? By modern standards - I don't like them - but by modern standards that's basically never a card then. I think I can remember seeing one card for diving since 2021... But I can remember seeing a lot more clearer dives than that.

Got a replay available? Thought I saw impact into his hip...

Are we talking about the pen shout where he got barged by their defender? Given the amount of dives I see rewarded and defended, including on here, regularly, I'm totally nonplussed by the idea he should've had a yellow.

Yeah, I think others raising their game explains as much as anything, technically, tactically etc. Can't just mash the work harder cheat button and overawe most teams.

Yeah I've had the same thought process re: not overusing routines. But it's fair to say we go from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Got to admit I'm not going to be getting ahead of myself any time soon re: optimism. And they were truly shite, it was like they weren't prepared for a game against us at all. But there was a lot to like nonetheless. On a side note, been meaning to say this for a while - we're not actually shit at set pieces are we? But we are wildly inconsistent. I don't understand why we'll pull off three or four brilliant routines in one game and then just aimlessly punt balls in for the next 3 games. It's like we have an on mode and off mode, but I'm not sure how responsible any individual coach is for that.

Maybe a price dependent on them staying up?

You just don't understand fairness

It was a bit of a shock to see pissed off Murphy. Better than shriveling up though, so well done to him.