Cronky

A lot of the time we looked like we needed to move the ball around quicker. We didn't do well when the opportunity to counter attack came. Did the Serbs make a single clean tackle all game? I think in the Premiership there would have been more yellow cards given. They were constantly leaving something on their opponents. Bellingham, brilliant all-round player though he is, seems to be getting a bit flash.

We've lost control of the game. Ring some changes before they equalise.

He looks clumsy when he's under pressure in the restricted spaces in midfield. At full back he gets more time on the ball when his team are in possession. Southgate seems to pick him there on the reasoning that an attacking full back can be easily adapted into a defensive midfield player, but the reasoning looks crude and isn't working. Foden isn't getting any help on the left with Trippier, so it's not fair to have a go at him.

Despite his relative inexperience, I'd have picked Cole Palmer. He looks such a great all-round footballer, and can make things happen. I wouldn't have picked Trent. That trio with him, Bellingham and Rice doesn't look right.

Trippier looked more and more error-prone last season. It'd be a good time to sell.

Well I never. Either that was some time ago or I've just had a senior moment.

Erm... don't understand. Yellow ticker? Can someone help me?

Eddie himself has said he likes the challenge of improving players on the training pitch, and obviously an international manager only has a limited scope to do that. I think he'll feel that there's still much he can do here. He will only leave when that changes.

Eddie has made it clear that he only wants players who are prepared to give 100%. He would rather play an inferior player who gives his all, than pick a star who thinks he only has to give 80% to stay in the team. There's no way back for Sancho, but they still have a similar issue with Rashford IMO.

It was reported that the plan was for Ratcliffe, Brailsford and Joel Glazer to form a three-man football committee to have the ultimate responsibility for football matters. I'd be very surprised if that's changed. The Glazers own 75% of the club. To allow a 25% shareholder to have completely free rein over a major part of the business seems absurd and unworkable. The whole thing looks like an uneasy compromise. The Glazers wanted to maintain control of the club but also to attract investment from outside. Ratcliffe wanted to buy the club but settled for a minority stake with the carrot of being able to play at real-life Football Manager. That looks inherently unstable.

I always felt that this complicated set up at Man U where the Glazers and Ratcliffe divide responsibilities was going to be problematic. The drawn out decision making over Ten Haag is symptomatic of this. He still looks vulnerable. It’s hard to tell whether they really have confidence in him, or they just couldn’t find a better alternative.

Not an outlandish suggestion, because I think he’s a strong character, which of course is essential in a keeper. And to be honest, even without regard to his shoulder, I think Pope has his weaknesses. Good shot stopper but doesn’t command his area well and poor with the ball at his feet.

I think the Trafford transfer will go ahead, seeing the two club's valuations are not far apart. I know what you mean about Barnes. He operates in the same position as Gordon, so really we were paying a large sum for a squad player - albeit a good one. Last season was very stop-start for Barnes. Maybe he'll be more consistently effective next season.

City's best hope was always to argue that the rules were illegal, rather than that they abided by the rules. At least this shows that they're not that confident. I know we might benefit, but I see this as bad news. There needs to be some sort of regulation, even if the current rules need a bit of adjustment. City's action is horribly divisive, and in any case, I don't think I want to succeed through City's methods.

Shoulder dislocations are notorious for their susceptibility. I'd say it's a probability rather than a possibility.

We do have a problem with Pope, because his shoulder is vulnerable now, and we can't rely on his fitness. From what I've seen of Trafford, he's good enough to step in if Pope is out. He has Premiership experience and from what I've seen he looks like a confident, strong-minded lad. Pope has his weaknesses, and Trafford certainly has the potential to take over as number 1. When is the unknown, but in the position we're in, we have to take one or two considered gambles. We can't yet compete for the established stars.

Given the balance of the side, I think Bruno's continued presence in that anchor role is essential. I think we need an upgrade on Longstaff and/or Willock. Anderson may prove to be better than either, but I'm still not sure. As for Tonali, we'll have to wait and see.

Chelsea have a recent record of success (ie within the last 10 years) and will have offered more money. I struggle to think of a player that, given a similar choice, has opted for the alternative. All you say may be right, but any player that has reached that level is probably an optimist by nature, and will believe that they will be one of the ones that survive and flourish in that environment.

Disappointing, but not surprising. I think we've yet to win a transfer battle against one of the big six. You can be sure that Chelsea will have offered significantly more money.

One of the most disappointing signings that I can remember. He never looked up for it.

When we lost the home game to Milan and went out of Europe altogether, Jenas said something to the effect of 'Believe me, the players won't be disappointed to have missed out on the Europa League'. It was said with the air of a professional finally coming clean about something. Maybe he was just referring to the difficulty of motivating yourself for the minor competition when you've been knocked out of the major one, but maybe it's something else. No player or manager is going to say that they're glad to have missed out on the pleasures of long distance travelling to the far corners of Europe, because supporters value these competitions. But my ever-strengthening hunch is that for many on the footballing side, the Europa League is a gig they actually don't mind missing. Footballers are notoriously bad travellers, and it's only the glory of the Champions League that really compensates.

Just to re-inforce the point, I've looked at the last 10 years. Of the three domestic trophies, 28 of the last 30 winners have come from the big six. The exception was Leicester, with the Premiership and FA Cup. Of the three European trophies for the same period, only West Ham from outside the big six, with last year's conference, have won anything. It's tough.

Didn't see the whole game, but what struck me was the difference between Premiership and Championship football.

Winning silverware is very difficult now. Even the cups are being dominated by the big six. The two minor European trophies are probably the easiest, because the best teams aren't involved. I think Howe will continue to exceed all realistic expectations, but winning something will depend on good recruitment and that bit of luck. He shouldn't be measured on trophies alone.

The reason we didn't do so well this season wasn't because we 'weren't used' to European football and the extra games. We simply didn't have the squad, and when injuries hit us badly, we were having to play the same eleven for 90+ minutes and that inevitably put us at a disadvantage generally. European football makes extra demands which can badly effect form in other areas. That's the experience of many clubs, not just ours. You need strength in depth - big time. I've made this point before, but I'm not sure how many of our squad, or how many of our potential signings, are that motivated by the thought of playing in Europe's third tier competition, or even the Europa League. When there was one club per country in the European Cup, the other competitions had some standing. Now that all the best teams are in the Champions League, it dwarfs the others. We'll see how it pans out, but we haven't exactly missed by a mile, and any player who's considering joining us will at least see that our prospects continue to be good.