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Of course I liked him, he was one of the top left wingers in Europe last season. So I'm definitely disinclined to disturb that while he's still playing his way back into form and - I suspect - stabilizing his mindset after all the disruption over the summer. Whereas Barnes looks hungry to make the best of every opportunity put in front of him, is two footed enough to try something different, and has a playing style that seems to dovetail well with Livramento's give and go wingplay.

No, my footballing instinct.

I very rarely watch the pundits now as they're generally so off-putting. But I've been impressed with Sturridge whenever I've seen him. Seems like a rare professional. But overall it's a mystery to me why there are so many awful ones. A lot of the lowlights have been mentioned. Jim Beglin is another disaster zone when he pops up somewhere.

Think my bias is towards them both switching sides, with Barnes biased towards the right, as Kaka is saying. Barnes has the fire in him to make it work at the moment, while Gordon looks like he's still building up a head of steam. Plus Barnes seems to marry well with Livramento, assuming he's overall going to be our main RB.

On the recent Gordon-Livramento interview, Gordon confirmed LW is his preferred position. Albeit 'happy to play anywhere' as they all say.

Considering what he could've been wearing, I'm relieved.

Saudi would be golden but I've given up hope of getting anything out of there. If it happens, it happens. Agree on the surface about the profiles, but I can see the reality working out differently. Part of the problem is most of the serious clubs want to buy younger than 28+ too.

It's the reality of the situation, as you say.

Good question. Hard to judge in the current market, but possibly big bucks. Is it right he's got about 18 months left on his contract? I don't want him to go, but if he gets back to himself as said above, I could see him being our next sacrificial lamb. Which I'm not happy about, to be clear.

I appreciate this isn't what you lads are saying, but it's worth bearing in mind Trippier didn't look like a world beater at Livramento's age, either. Think he'd just been signed for Burnley by a Mr Howe, in fact. It's certainly the case that out of the two of them, Hall is the natural heir though.

To be fair I guess he's thinking in terms of the next main transfer window.

Same as before, should absolutely be aiming for a win. We're plenty capable.

That's exactly the way to look at it. This was a difference-maker of a result.

Agreed. Not that I wanted him sold, or don't appreciate him - far from it - but logically once Longstaff is gone the next CM to be looking at improving upon would be him or Willock - and Willock is looking better with every minute he doesn't play...

This is my favourite vendetta on the forum, certainly since Nut retired from harrying Pope. Keep up the good work.

I agree with all those saying the captaincy move isn't such a big deal. Re: Bruno, I think it's just something for him to grow into, hopefully over years to come. He's a bit like the Lewis Hall of captains - tonnes of natural talent and potential, but needs the time and space to make mistakes and mature.

Bit surprised it hasn't already happened one or twice in the past.

I think that's exactly right. It's diminishing returns with him, as much as I like him. He has a role to play, but he's not a main man on the pitch.

Yeah that's what I'm expecting, which will delight the cup before everything people. I'm pretty relaxed about this situation. I think people are imagining he's more of a finished article than he is. He's more at the Minteh/Kuol end of the spectrum than the Hall/Livramento side. I think the plan has always been to give him time in the lowest risk situations, of which we've unfortunately not had any yet. Not denying I would've liked seeing him up front today with Gordon and Barnes on the wings, but I don't think he's being held back because he's underperforming expectations. It's going exactly to plan.

THIS is the kind of thing I would like to see our Sports Director get a firm grip of.

Football was a booming industry, like the internet in the same period. The sums were always going to explode, with some gambling and failing. I think there might even be an argument Abramovich helped propel that boom, even if I don't like it. The only real regulations that might have been good - which, surprise surprise, are still resisted - would've been around club owners having to take on the risk, rather than the clubs themselves. Money paid up front, no debt implied.

So it's great for a couple of state owned clubs and a very small clutch of clubs with extraordinarily wealthy private investors whose business models may well involve getting rid of promotion and relegation to lock in their investment and quintuple it's value. Villa's suggestion is nice enough and would work for us but I'm not really interested until a team like Derby or Norwich can plausibly win the league again. In the mean time, football should continue to be the meritocracy it always has been - invest well, be run well, or sink.

I don't think such things meaningfully exist. Outside of becoming more American/Socialist and letting Luton and Sheffield United draft Rodri and Haaland to have another crack this season.

Oh no, I hope football doesn't lose its virginity. It's so innocent and pure and well-functioning right now. A league where only 4 members of a 92 team competition can hope to win 'respectably' is already through the looking glass.

Don't totally disagree, but the more I've thought about it, the more I've thought he's looked like he did when he first came here and - somewhat unbeknownst to us - was way off the pace fitness wise. Not making speculative runs he ordinarily would, not tracking back as much to conserve energy etc. And I think he detests knowing he's not up to scratch which helps make him give off an attitude. This recent England call up plus increased fitness will hopefully have him back to himself in the next couple of weeks. Stability at the board level would probably contribute too...