Cronky

Come on, guys, it's been a fabulous ride this last 20 months. This is one that we just have to suck up and move on. We were a bit unlucky not to get a second goal - if that had happened, we could have relaxed a bit, but as it was, we became more nervous. They have players of the quality that can hurt you if you go off the boil. We're still a work in progress, and overall our squad isn't of the same standard as the likes of Liverpool. We've greatly over-achieved and yesterday we came unstuck. Klopp's touchline theatrics are difficult to take though.

I don't think acquiescence means consent. He had his hands round her head and pulled her towards him. What was she supposed to do in that situation, knee him in the balls? If the guy had apologised and said he had got carried away in the excitement of the moment, he would probably have been okay. But all this talk of current woke culture getting out of hand doesn't convince. Even 50 years ago, it wasn't acceptable to kiss a woman on the lips in that kind of situation.

Music to my ears

Players shouldn't react to stuff on social media, and it's probably not wise to even read it. Taking on supporters is a bad move, and hopefully, as Eddie said, Bruno will have learned a lesson. His point about short memories and it being easy to support a team when it's doing well is valid though. It brings to mind the quote - 'past success is only briefly a glad memory - it quickly becomes an accusing finger'. That's what happened with Sir Bob and getting rid of him was a very costly mistake. Incidentally, that quote comes from Arthur Hopcraft's 'The Football Man', published in 1968, and still the most intelligent and absorbing book on football that I've come across. Easily available still on Amazon.

Enjoyed this episode very much. An interesting section about Callum and his background. Once again, I'm struck by the way our owners are hooked passionately into every aspect of the club - from fans to high finance. It all seems quite genuine.

I'd say 9. Given our financial restrictions, it couldn't have gone much better. We've become a well-run club, for the first time in my experience (and I go back a long way)

Prefers Maatsen for the understudy role to Chilwell.

It's nice too, to have our transfers sorted, so that we can sit back and watch other clubs go crazy over the next few days.

I think that's a good point, Winston, though as Georgie Boyo, says, you can scarcely have a DM who only gets played against the good sides. I wouldn't agree with him though about the viability of using any of our defenders in that role. The problem with a specialist DM is that they tend to get a lot of possession, and if they're not able to use it well, then you lose a lot of attacking opportunities. The compromise we have at the moment is Bruno, who's good on the ball but not great defensively. So really you want a midfielder who's good at both attacking and defensive roles. They're thin on the ground, cost a lot of money potentially and get snapped up by the wealthier clubs (eg Caicedo, Lavia, Rodri, MacAllister) Hopefully, in time, we're able to sort that. We could try Tonali in that role, and I think that's what most of us were expecting when he signed, with Bruno being pushed further forward. What I think Eddie is doing at the moment is dividing those roles between them. This takes some co-ordination, and we'll have to see how it develops. Meantime, it doesn't solve the problem that you raised intially, about the problem of having to nullify a Foden (or maybe a Maddison )

Aw shucks. Peace and love, as Ringo would say.

I think that suggesting that someone is a paedophile for no good reason does trivialise the issue. We're talking about cruelty to children. I know that you weren't being serious, and as with any internet chat-site, insults can start flying around. I've been the target myself at times. I've chosen to shrug it off. I just thought you crossed the line with that guy, that's all. Gut feeling.

Whoa, that's enough. You're trivialising an important issue.

Eddie has earned a lot of trust and regard from our supporters for the way he has handled the job. He took a team that looked like it was going to be relegated with about 20 points, out of the danger zone, up to mid-table, and then took the team to the Champions League, all within 20 months. We recruited well but in general not from the top end of the market, and it all represents a massive over-achievement on the resources available to him. The idea that getting defeated by Liverpool would trigger some sort of crisis for him is utter rubbish.

I think with the second foul the ref was exercising the unspoken principle that a foul for a second booking needs to be a bit more serious than for the first. It's usual practice and I've no problem with it. Eddie was wise to take him off shortly after. On his general play, I think his first touch isn't great and he needs a bit of time and space in which to make use of his pace and change of direction. He may be better used against a weaker team, and Anderson could be the better option against the stronger ones.

Spain were much the better side. We seemed to lose composure as the game went on.

The commentator mentioned a footballer being a 400m hurdler. Which player was that?

I think the difference in personnel is the primary issue though. Not one of our players would get in their first team. Right from the start, City's plan has been to achieve world domination, and it seems they have been prepared to cheat financially in order to get there. There is that elephant in the room. I'm not sure what the opposition can do now, because they are technically good enough to beat the most aggressive press, and they are physically strong enough to retrieve the ball quickly on the rare occasions that they lose it. They are able to do this against much better players than we have at the moment. Against the best, they can turn games into a drawn out contest of attack v defence. Eddie has managed to over-achieve massively with the players at his disposal. With all due respect to Pep, the manager of Barca, Bayern and Man City, he has not faced that challenge. He has produced a major tactical change in how the game is played at the top level, but he has the players to make his system work better than anyone else can achieve.

The problem is that City are very good both physically and technically. They win nearly all the 50-50 challenges, close down very quickly and then use the ball very well. I'm glad we at least had a go at them in the second half, and could have nicked something. If only Miggy could take advantage of the situations that he sometimes creates with his pace and hard work. But I suppose if he could, City would have got him. I found all the pre-match celebrations and all the fawning over them very hard to take, considering the question marks over how it's been achieved financially. There seems to be a ban on mentioning that on TV.

Every game that City play ends up looking like this. Even against the likes of Real. So difficult to get the ball off them and then keep it. We just have to hope they don't score again and tire.

All this pomp and circumstance is seriously peeing me off.

Mr Keane will not be happy. This second half is as bad a Man U performance as I've seen. They've looked better since Rashford went off. They've actually started playing with a bit more fire and urgency. I often get the feeling that unless the situation falls right for Rashford (ie in space and with time to run at a defender), he doesn't bother at all. When you've picked at centre forward surely you're supposed to at least look like you're fighting for the ball.

My all-time fave.

What strikes me from the two episodes so far is how close and relaxed the relationships between players- manager- executive and owner seem to be, compared with my usual impressions of football clubs. It often feels like those various components are occupying different worlds, and their interactions can feel very awkward. With the club now, it feels quite huggy and warm, and I think that's much to do with the way the Amanda - Eddie axis is working. I loved that huge photo after the Leicester game at the end of the season, where everyone, from the Chairman of PIF to the backroom staff to the player's wives and children were all together. It gives a good message. I don't think the sense of togetherness is fake. I understand the concerns about 'sportswashing', but there's another, more positive story going on here.

Good point by Strachan. If he wasn't an exceptional player, he'd have been out the door a long time ago.

Eight year contracts which amount to around £100m over the duration. That's very hard to turn down.,