Cronky

I always have this slight reservation about Salah, because at Liverpool, he's been in a very good side, and hasn't been asked to do anything that he's not good at, from a position that he most favours. A very, very effective player in that context, of course. A memory of him that I will treasure is of him standing and watching whilst Tino and Barnes double up on Liverpool's full back to create our second goal in the final.

You need three centre backs who are first-team ready, not two. The third choice at the moment is Krafth, who is really a utility defender.

It's not the first time I've had that thought, but yes, the Andorra striker was causing him some problems. It's testament to Eddie's management skills that he's not getting exposed so much at club level, but we're clearly looking for a replacement.

Sorry to say this, but Dan Burn looks completely out of place in international football. I don't understand why Tuchel is picking him.

I just think that if we sign Elanga, we'd end up with 4 right-footed wide players. Murphy is a useful squad player who can cover other positions, and wouldn't fetch much wonga, so it's between Barnes and Gordon. At this moment, there's not much to choose between those two, and Gordon would be the easier to shift for a big fee. LIverpool seem to have a long-term interest.

I liked him at first. He had reached the top level by an unconventional route, and seemed to bring something different. However, I don't think he adjusted to the different level of competition that he was facing - perhaps because he thought he was already the finished article and didn't need to. This season, he lost composure under pressure and started arguing with supporters, the media and officialdom. What's more, there have been questions as to whether his training methods were contributing to his team's injury problems. I didn't get the impression that he was working closely with his backroom staff. Eddie clearly works in a team framework and seeks other opinions, but that seemed absent with Ange. Another curious thing was that he didn't seem to communicate with his players on the pitch. I've often wondered whether managers shouting and gesticulating on the touchline was really effective, but Ange seemed to go in the opposite direction, as though making a particular point of not doing that. At times, Spurs looked like they needed some tactical adjustments, but they didn't come.

I get what you're saying, and I would rather we were signing someone who was a bit better on the technical side. Mbeumo would have been great, but maybe we just have to face the fact that the players who are most in demand at any given time won't be available to us yet. If Elanga does sign, then I think either Gordon or Barnes will leave, and I reckon it will be Gordon. I agree that we have difficulty in breaking down teams who come to defend because our players generally aren't technical enough when it comes to passing and controlling the ball through tight spaces. Maybe Grealish on loan, playing as a number 10 would help.

I think it'll be Iraola, and I think he'll do well.

On a Youtube scouting, he looked strong but otherwise not particularly technical. I don't think he'll be a long-term regular first teamer. Hope I'm proved wrong etc etc

Eddie seems to be more of an old-fashioned manager who wants a very high measure of control over the football side. I think this is the underlying reason for Mitchell's departure. The arguments for a DOF centre on a) Easing the burden on the Team Manager and b) Making sure that the entire squad doesn't need a total overhaul every time a Manager leaves. In Eddie's case, he has an appetite for hard work and likes to commit to the long-term. I think we have to make an exception of him and give him the authority that he wants. This does, of course, mean that anyone in the Sporting Director chair would have to accept a more limited role. This may make it difficult to recruit a top name. Personally, that's a pill I'm prepared to swallow if it keeps Eddie at the helm.

I'm pretty sure Slot will get it. It usually goes to the guy who wins the Premiership. I think Slot inherited a good situation though, and obviously benefitted from Man City's slump. Hopefully one day Eddie will get the recognition he deserves. He took on a team that looked certain to go down, took us to the Champions League twice and ended a 70 year wait for a domestic trophy. We are so, so lucky to have him.

It looks like Karma caught up with the Villa fans at last. They were very unlucky with Rogers' goal. I did get a little bit of experience at reffing in my younger days, and one of the first lessons I came across was the need to make decisions fairly quickly. Football is a fast and fluid game, and if you hesitate, the ball can be on another part of the pitch before you know it. It's then difficult to drag the play back for a free kick. That ref yesterday could have given himself a bit more time, but it was an unusual situation. It would have been easy to assume that the keeper had gathered the ball, because he had plenty of time to do that.

Whoa now. Check out a clip on YouTube where he’s the first guy in the Man City team who notices that a little girl in a presentation group is blind. The best I’ve seen Grealish perform is when he was given a free role in the England team. Maybe he’s underused out wide. Eddie has a knack of turning round careers and if he wants him, that’s good enough for me.

I agree, good player though Elanga is. Mbeumo would offer us something different. He's left-footed and has a great touch on the ball. Maybe needs to shed a kilo or two but I daresay Eddie would sort that.

Whilst I don't like siding with the enemy, and I think it's great that Big Dan is having such a fantastic climax to his career, I didn't see him as team of the year material at all. There's a reason why centre back is one of our top priorities in the next transfer window. He lacks pace, he's cumbersome on the ball and although his height means he wins a lot of headers, he's not actually as good in the air as you might expect. Getting that bulky 6foot 6inch frame off the ground is not easy. Stick a 5foot 9inch South American midfielder in front of him and he'll clean up, of course. He does well because of his strength and his experience, but also because of Eddie's amazing way of organising our defending in general. The abiding wonder for me over the last 3 years has been how few goals we concede, despite the limitations of many individual players. As for Fernandes, he never even popped into my head as a candidate, which is unfair because he is a very good player. There's something annoying about both him and his club though.

Alisson Aina Murillo Van Dijk Gvardiol Caicedo Oedegaard Rogers Saka Isak Eze I found it interesting that there were other Arsenal players that I could easily have included - Gabriel, Saliba, Lewis-Skelly. That team has massively under-achieved.

One more win and we're there.

I'll be relieved if and when we get a second. Chelsea have still got a goal in them. Overall though, a tactical masterclass from Eddie. Too many players get away with these accidentally-on-purpose elbows to the face. It's difficult for refs to spot, because players can make it look like they're assisting their jump. In this case, Jackson was nowhere near subtle enough.

McCoist is talking shite. That's 100% a red.

Burn wouldn't be mobile enough.

He's fielding three wide attacking players and I think the main puzzle is how they're all going to fit in. I can't envisage Gordon in midfield because he can't tackle. I'm assuming Murphy, as the best tackler of the three, will go into midfield. Barnes is a good athlete and I could imagine him as a wing back, but whether he's played there before I don't know. Maybe Schar will be pushed forward to do a job on Palmer, like he did against Arsenal with Rice.

It's hard to predict the formation. I think he'll go for a 3-5-2 with Tino and Barnes as wing backs, Murphy, Tonali and Bruno in midfield, Isak and Gordon up front. I could be completely wrong of course, but it's encouraging to see the old Eddie Howe grey matter in action. It's the latest in any number of games since Eddie arrived where I've looked at the opposition and thought that we're done for. Somehow, it doesn't turn out like that, and I think we'll win. I've learned my lesson.

I've had a check, and there are some stats to back that up. From 1888 to 1998, only one 18 year old played for England - Duncan Edwards, in 1955, and he was built like a public convenience. Since Michael Owen broke Edwards' modern record in 1998, we've had four 17 year olds in Walcott, Rooney, Bellingham and Sterling, as well as many other teenagers. As the game has become less physical over the years, so younger players have been able to break through earlier. But in this season in particular, I've become very conscious of how well some of these very young players are faring. The expression on their faces (eg Nwaneri) indicate that they're not overawed. On the dangers, yes I think we've seen Wilshere and (to some extent) Rooney having their careers spoiled by over-use. In those examples I think they were rushed back early after injury. If managers can resist that temptation, then players ought to be able to have long careers.

I've not come across an article on this, but it seems to me that we now have more and more teenagers breaking into the first teams of major clubs. Last night, there was a 16 year old starting for Chelsea. 17 year old Yamal already looks like one of the best players in the world. Nwaneri at Arsenal looks completely at home in that level of football. There are so many other examples of this. I can only think that the training of young players, (which now seems to start at a much earlier age than before), is now able to develop raw talent more quickly and thoroughly. It may be just my impression, but a lot of these players seem to be of African heritage.

I don't think we deserve to be behind. Brighton haven't looked that dangerous. I thought it was a really poor bit of defending from Tonali for their goal. He seemed to half turn his back. It looked very tentative. We're by no means out of it though.