TRon

I'm worried because I'm not worried. Every time I think we've got a relatively easy fixture with three points on the cards, those are always the games which bring me back down to earth with a hard landing.

Would be disappointed with anything less than a win tbh. Brentford have took something like one point from seven games if I'm not mistaken. There are very few nailed on 3pts in the Premier, this has to be one of them.

Tbf, Dan Burn's success has made our need for a new CB far less desperate. I don't think we'll be back in for Carlos now for example, that ship has sailed IMO. Fantastic defender, but we aren't going to pay £30m for a 30 yr old. I think we might go for younger prospects like Badiashile. While Botman is clearly our top target, we are still a few years from Milan's status, so can't blame him if he chooses them at this stage. A couple of seasons down the line and I think we'll be in a position to blow even the likes of Milan out of the water for the best players.

It's not a bad post, I think a lot of people will have had similar thoughts, but it's assuming midfielders value is either purely at one end of the pitch or the other. Seems to me what Joelinton provides is the engine, the box to box stuff where he is dominating the central area which is surely the essence of what you want from a midfielder. Bear in mind, some teams play with two defensive midfielders, depending on their style of football. Vieira and Petit from Wenger's legendary Arsenal team weren't really defensive or offensive midfielders, they just totally dominated the central area and destroyed the opposition.

I doubt he shouts at them face to face. Probably kisses their arses and apologises for criticising them on telly, then gives them a few days off.

I've absolutely no doubt he'd love to sign here permanently, looks like he's loving it tbh, and I want to sign him as well. Just not for £20m+.

He's not a proper holding midfielder in the first place.

Exactly. Once you start talking £20m+ then you would want full backs who overlap and wing in dangerous crosses as well as defend competently. I really like Targett, but at some point we'll want more than just a good defender at LB. That said, I think swapping him for Digne has probably knocked Villa's defensive balance in the short term. Fuck Stevie G.

This is why I have no problem wishing West Brom lose every game. Nowt against their fans, but if they are dumb enough to pin genuine hope on that fat fraud, then they deserve everything they've got coming.

Well I'd like to think our scouts would be at least as well informed as Burnley.

I was thinking the same thing before I found out Weghorst was unvaccinated. I'm not sure what our club policy is on this, but might have been the reason we weren't interested.

The real question is, would we have been better off going for someone like Weghorst? I think he would have offered more as an actual striker in hold up play and goals, it's the intangible stuff that maybe Wood brings to the table. Hard work, good character, knows English football. I daresay he's useful at defending set pieces as well. In any case, as long as we go up it was an understandable decision to bring him in. You can't get every one right.

Not sure I agreed with that tbh, Almiron is left footed isn't he? Would have made more sense to play him wide left tbh. I know he's not really a winger, but Murphy for me is very much a right winger, and tbh he didn't really have a good game.

Always liked his ability to hold the ball and find cute angles and flicks to put players in, but never dreamed that would translate into such a dominant force in midfield. I think Howe needs all the credit on that one.

I think some of his press fanboys still haven't realised that winning promotion from the second division a decade ago doesn't really count for much these days. Coaching has moved on, there are far better and more innovative managers in that division these days, I think best he will be able to do is midtable, and that would only be because WBA have better resources than most teams in the division. Really he's a third division manager now at best.

It's more an acknowledgment of Howe's qualities IMO. Joe and Maxi are two players who found it easier to coast games due to Bruce's simple tactics, i.e., defend with 8 men and leave those two to counter. Howe has asked for far more from Willock to hold down a place and he's turning him into a box to box player. Result is less goals, but a far more complete player. I think Joe is starting to realise that Howe is going to do far more for his career than Bruce ever would have. It's really inspiring stuff tbh.

I get the reasons why we bought him in, at the time I understood it, even though I was shocked at the £25m price we paid. The logic was that there was no strikers available in January, and that we were weakening a rival. At the moment though, neither of those look true. Blackburn signed Weghorst as a replacement, and they look better for it. Wood can turn it round, but he really needs a goal or two. He's a hard worker, so he's got that in his locker, presses really well from the front, but with his hold up play being poor, there has to be goals for him to make a real difference.

That's not bad either tbf.

Ironic that everyone was worried Howe wouldn't know how to coach defence, and we've not looked so solid at the back since Rafa was here. Playing arguably better football as well. Howe is phenomenal, there's just no getting round it.

The improvement in our defence is massive for our safety hopes, even with Trips out for the season, Targett and Burn make us look so much more solid. That means we'll be good for a point at least from most games, and if we lose the odd one, we'll win some as well. I think we should be safe, definitely other sides have a lot more to worry about than us.

And lose a thread called How's the bacon doing? Get outta here.

Assist last week, goal this week. Doesn't look great tbh.

He's got the physical and technical attributes to be a monster in there tbh, we really should just accept it.

Reallly pleased for him, he doesn't really get enough credit from some fans for the shifts he puts in. I'm thinking some pretty popular Youtube channels like The Toon Review where they have big mouths and not much football sense.

Quite a simple decision really if he wants to continue rewarding players who have the shirt and are performing well. Lascelles kept it while we were winning, by the same token Burn should keep it as well, especially considering he was probably MOTM in his last outing. I can't see him being dropped.