Cronky

Indeed not, given his age, but we're probably running out of available options. He seems to fit the profile of a versatile forward.

Linked with Luis Muriel. I didn't see the Atlanta game, but he looks very decent on YT. He seems to have hit a late purple patch of goalscoring in his career.

Just a thought - of those that figured for us yesterday, how many are going to the World Cup? Bruno, Schar, Trippier, probably Pope. Not that many, compared with the top clubs. Getting that mid-season break should give us an advantage.

Haaland looks like an exceptional athlete, big and strong, but quick off the mark, and quick over 40 yards. Combine that with City's ability to starve the opposition of the ball, then it's hard to look past them. They create some very boring games, so I hope that either Liverpool or Spurs can catch them. 6th place looks open, having seen Man U this afternoon. Ronaldo has created a real problem for them, there's a lot of pressure on them as individuals, and some of them - Sancho, Rashford, McTominay - are starting to look a bit ordinary.

I think our form will continue from last season, so I've gone for 6th. We'll struggle against the top five clubs, but I don't fear the rest, home or away. You get the same number of points for beating the bottom club as the top one, so I fancy us to get a decent haul.

I've always hoped that one day, my club would appoint a really exceptional manager. Someone who could get individuals and a team to play way beyond their usual abilities. Nowadays, you need someone like that to win anything, because the big six have a huge financial advantage, and FFP makes it difficult to bridge the gap. Well now I think we have one. I had a worry that some of the spirit and determination that took us out of trouble last season might be difficult to recover. That would be understandable, but yesterday, it was like nothing had changed. The momentum was still there. The squad, on an individual basis, still doesn't look all that great to me. Howe is over-achieving on a scale we haven't seen before, and I don't think it's going to stop.

Just seen the 30 minute highlights on Sky. Everyone looked fit, confident and keen. Willock and Almiron seemed to have upped their games. The intensity of our play seemed to rattle Forest. Lingard looked like a player who'd only joined for the money, which of course is not surprising. It was down to him to close down Schar for the goal, but he made a very half-hearted attempt before giving up.

He may just turn out to our best ever. I think we've struck gold with this guy. We may just have got him at the right time. Failure can act as a springboard with the right mentality. I saw a documentary recently, where Gordon Strachan was talking about meeting Ferguson when he became the Aberdeen manager, and realised that he was facing a 'wounded animal'. Beneath that charming exterior, I wonder if that's what's lurking in Eddie.

We seem to be of similar mind. I put 10th. Last season, 11th was an over-achievement on the squad, we had, and 10th would still be an over-achievement, even allowing for the improvements we've made. But I nurture the idea that, if Eddie can over-achieve to the same extent as last season, we could be talking top 6. Last time I checked, the bookies have us down for 7th - the best of the rest.

I think £60m is over-priced, but not by much. Looking at current prices, £50m looks like the mark. So it boils down to how much we want him, and what our budget is. Maddison doesn't seem to be linked with other clubs, which suggests that there's already some understanding with the player and his agent, similar to Botman. Leicester seem to be in a state of disarray. They don't seem to be making many decisions, so I wonder if there's some conflict / confusion behind the scenes. We don't want to waste too much time on this. I'd offer £50m plus Dubs, take it or leave it.

Well he may be better than Fraser and Almiron, but I wouldn't say miles better. Let's leave Murphy out of it. I'd say if we're going to bring someone else in for the wide positions, we ought to be aiming a bit higher than Cornet. Fraser and Almiron can still do a job for us in the meantime. Just opinions.

I'm not too bothered about Cornet. He's not much better than what we've got.

Well done the Lionesses. They were really up against it, and out on their feet in extra time. They kept going and found a way to win. Maybe they just wanted it that bit more. So pleased for Jill Scott too.

Maddison is a very good player, but he's different from the other players that we've tried for this summer, and I'm not sure how we'd play him. I think he could play in a free role behind a striker, but that's not how we've been set up so far. The midfield 3 is a bit of a crowded area, and if we lack anything there, it's a more defensive player. I like Maddison, but I think we'd have to build the team around him.

I watched the second half of the game, and Haaland barely got a kick. City will have to adjust to get the best out of him. They've gone from playing without a striker to playing with a centre forward - albeit a very good one. There were times when it felt like they had 10 men, and LIverpool were swarming all over them.

We seem to have two teams, with not that much difference between the two in terms of overall quality. Bodes well for a cup run.

Wood often looks like he doesn't really want the ball. When it comes to him, he often seems a bit half-hearted and unconfident about what he's trying to do. His general ability is limited, but he doesn't always look like he's making the most of what he's got.

We've got to know Miggy and what he has to offer. He took his goals well yesterday, but I'd need to see a bit more before revising my opinion of him. Certainly a good squad player at the moment, but I don't see him as a longer-term prospect.

I lost the stream midway through the second half, and missed the Joelinton red card. Shame. I'd forgotten how good a player he's become. I hope he won't face a ban.

I miss Dan Burn. I think our defending looks stronger with him there. Longstaff has made a couple of ricks, but he looks more composed than I've seen him for a while.

According to the Telegraph, there are 'showdown' talks going on between Ronaldo and Man U, and the club are insisting that he should stay. This is bonkers. Is it possible that there's something in a sponsorship deal, or the contracts around the pre-season friendlies, that Ronaldo should play? I can't think why else Man U should want to make a stand over this. The player wants to go, and it's not going to do anyone any good if this drags on.

Werner doesn't look suited to the Premiership, and on the other hand I don't think there'll be many continental clubs who are both sufficiently rich and willing to take him on either. He won't be easy to shift.

What he needs to show is a commitment to self-improvement. The ballon d'or comment was a complete joke - he hasn't even played for his country yet. He needs to drop the self-delusion, and knuckle down to working on his game so he makes a better and more consistent contribution.

To be honest, I think his personal life may be a signficant factor here. 'Tis said that in 2019, he split up from his childhood sweetheart / long-time girlfriend, and not long afterwards, he began a relationship with a professional dancer / choreographer. I wonder whether she would want to move from Paris to the North East - no comment on the advantages of living there, but professionally and personally it could be an issue.

Man U have to sort out the Ronaldo situation - ie get rid. All the time he's absenting himself from the squad, he's giving his team-mates the message that they're not good enough. Actually I think he was giving them that message last season as well. There's still a lot of work to do with that squad and the manager will need time. Chelsea don't seem completely together either. The impact of the takeover has probably dented the confidence and commitment of some players. I think there's a chance for someone to break into the top 6 this season - West Ham the most likely, but if we can get a couple of good signings in, it could be us.