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The problem is I don't think it will and that post match interview proves it. Selected for a start against Arsenal, has his best game for ages amidst the team's best performance for ages, and secures a vital win against top class opposition. And he came out afterwards... Well, I'll resist saying everything I think, but he clearly dwells on the negative.

As others have said, I think with Willock in the team we're a totally different proposition. What you're saying is of course valid, but this revival looks different because we're doing things we haven't done in 12 months or more. I think we've got much more scope for putting teams to the sword now. Fantastic today. Couldn't pick a MOTM, most of the team was eligible.

What a difference a little willy makes. Has transformed our team, it's no coincidence we've put two of our best performances of the last 12 months in this past week. We are SO much more fluid in attack with him there. My heart's still in my mouth as I watch him sprint, mind, but it's great to see him regaining confidence again.

Credit to him, that's the best game he's had since he broke his foot at Everton 18 months ago.

We don't know if we're in for him at all... I'm happy to file it in the media bullshit bin for the time being.

On one level, I'd find Mitchell stamping his authority on the situation by signing Dominic Calvert absolutely hilarious.

Interesting comments.

Or if you want to be really cynical, he's heard we aren't moving and he's laying the ground for him to be able to rail against the ambition of the club's ownership for months to come.

Yeah, fair enough. I probably took your post a bit out of context. I do view his regression as being more a product of our overall system's failings, though. We've looked lacking in so many ways in the final third for a long time now, so I'm reluctant to blame Tino for his part in it too much.

Trippier looked like the best RB in the world in that period because he very possibly was the best RB in the world in that period. It's too much to ask of Livramento at this stage.

One of the best things about him is he already leads by example. Has bags of confidence, never backs down. Can get him into trouble occasionally, but it bodes incredibly well for him long term.

Yeah but they had point blank chances, which is an unusual thing for us nowadays. It implies we were overall doing match winning things right.

Quiet thread, good news. Not perfect tonight obviously, but the two Joes being at it, plus Hall impersonating Trippier, made it feel like we were back in our glory days. The team was up for it tonight from the off, which is a crucially important sign, as always.

No criticism at all of Gordon, but there's a real chance the sum of two Joes is more effective than Gordon plus either one of them. File this in the nice problems category. Irritating things are a lot easier to deal with if you're part of a winning team.

No lies found here. Really pleased he got a proper chance tonight, and he showed he could mix it and not look out of place.

At times it feels like people - and I include myself in that - are always looking for the first excuse to get Burn out of the team. But from what I saw tonight it felt good having Kelly in his place. I'll avoid rushing to a conclusion but hopefully we see more in the future.

Glad to see him looking more himself. Think tonight showed how much we've missed him. Food for thought, hope this is the start of a long proper stretch in the squad.

People just don't learn

Evolving into my favourite player. He's got oomph.

The has been deliciously subversive for about 6 months now, mind.

It remains as it was, it just got very slightly extended: "We don't demand a team that wins, we demand a club that tries in the context of a competition that isn't fixed to ensure 86 out of 92 league clubs have no possibility of winning it or even enjoying extended periods of competitiveness".

Well, unless we're going full anti-Eddie and putting Longstaff's performances down to poor management, hopefully this means we're optimistic about getting a fee for him in the summer.

I reckon so, yeah. Think it will work out best for all concerned. Unless we're going to seriously change our approach on and off the pitch.

Amidst all this, there is the question of whether Barnes will tolerate playing the role of an impact sub throughout the best years of his career.

Realistically, yep.