TRon

Our quality players have shown up today. Great stuff from Bruno, Isak, Trips and Gordon. Honourable mention for Migs as well, might not be top class but he's not hidden.

Outrageoulsy good game so far. City have played lovely stuff but we have threatened them on the counter relentlessly. We could easily be 3-1 up.

Miggy you fucking beauty

He's abysmal.

Miggy might not have the end product but he's at least been getting at the City defence. He's given them problems this half.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK???

WHAT A FUCKING GOAL!!!

Dear me Dan Burn

They are doing to us what we did to Sunderland last week basically.

Well no one saw that coming.

Commentator picking up that Miley and Longstaff have basically barely touched the ball.

They are starting to find gaps through our lines.

All three managed to fuck that up. Gordon, Bruno and Almiron. Comedy of errors.

Almiron FFS.

Livramento out with illness as well? Of course.

True, but if they do have the right manager and structure behind the scenes then they can spend more money and slot right back into the top 4 positions ahead of teams who spend less. We finished ahead of Liverpool, Spurs and Villa last season, they've bought big stars into their teams and now they are top 4 we aren't. Long term perhaps we'll catch them up, but that's not going to save this season.

I doubt it will make much difference. Botman has looked off the pace since coming back, probably as good a game as any for him to sit out.

Don't like reading it but it rings uncomfortably true.

I haven't even given the game any thought before now. It's like the Liverpool game a few weeks ago, just a write off from the get go. We don't have the midfield to get to grips with theirs, they will play all around us like they did at their place.

Well at least something good will have come out of FFP.

In fairness I'm sure we want to win titles and go for the Champions league as soon as we are allowed to compete for the best players.

I was there but it was pretty clear the atmosphere inside the ground was not really anti-Pardew. The crowds have changed a lot down the years, it's more about just being there than actually showing any passion about your club for the majority.

Aye those fees are crackers tbh. I don't know what world some people live in.

I wouldn't want to go backwards, but I do think Rafa managed the players workload very well. I can remember being so frustrated when he refused to introduce new signings until he felt they had been well drilled, and more importantly he did rotate players constantly so we tended to finish the second half of the season very well. Howe hasn't really had this option though with so many players missing.