Elma

They've still scored the second most goals in the division so I'd be surprised if our changed back four will be able to keep a clean sheet here. Could be high scoring this one. I'm just hoping our midfield can win their battle and when we get chances we're clinical.

Yeah, when they mentioned him missing two games I had forgotten about the league cup suspension and presumed that it was his one game five yellow suspension with one on top (as you get an extra game if you've been banned before in the season). Need to check that.

I've had my eye on that run for a little while. Was hoping we could get through Villa, Man U and Spurs unbeaten with at least one win and then push on. In saying that, Fulham and Bournemouth are both having excellent seasons, and Cunha will now be nice and rested when we play Wolves. Great opportunity though.

Agreed - the next two games are huge. All on paper and as you say it never works that way, but using a target of 70 points, and assuming we can go something like 7-2-1 for 23 points from our easier home games, we would need 18 points from our 10 remaining away games, i.e. 1.8 points/game. With the tough nature of those games that's a stretch. We'd be looking at something like 10 points from Leicester, Soton, West Ham and Brighton away. The closer we can get to 6 points from the next 2 games reduces the need to take many points away at Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City and Villa. Additionally, it would keep our run going ahead of 4 quite winnable games (3 at home), whilst simultaneously putting a large gap between us and two of our perceived European rivals, both of whom aren't in the best of form and have European campaigns to handle in the new year.

Isn't it a typo too though? I mean as I'm in my 50s and used to watch Dick Emery I worked it out, but I think they must have had our former Turkish midfielder on their minds when they typed it?

Arsenal actually have five consecutive home games in fifteen days in January.

Even the Feltham Travelodge managed to get five…although on reflection that one did surprise me.

Yeah, should maybe have said excellent. 😂 Am a huge Eddie fan (although he has made some errors both last season and this) and I wanted him at NUFC even before he joined.

Not sure if this has been shared on here before, but thefishy.net 100 game table has us in 4th, if you exclude Ipswich (most of their last 100 were outside the division). Think that's decent for Eddie. Hoping that we can continue this upturn and finish the season with 22-23 form.

I think it was ahead of the Palace game I suggested that we swap him in as we were struggling to find balance. I think both Gordon and Barnes are better footballers, but sometimes it's just a case of square pegs in square holes. Really happy for him and hope he keeps this up.

He's poor but if you're looking for omens he was the ref for the only home game in which Brentford have dropped points this season.

Looking at the ref's calls, I'm not sure I see any bias. There were a few calls either side could have a whinge about. I think the foul on Isak was a pen and wouldn't have been overturned if given on field - however, Longstaff's tug on the shirt could also have been given. With the final break, it's difficult to call as the TV images weren't great and you can't hear the whistle, but my gut feeling is Madley blew as it was leaving Pope's hands. It was over the recommended minimum of 5 mins and with the ball in the keeper's hands a good time to blow up. Pope (unusually) got us moving quickly, but you can see their defenders slowing up already which maybe left our break looking more dangerous than it otherwise would have been. Just poor timing but if anyone in the ground can confirm the whistle went much later then I'd revisit that. I thought for the foul that led to Nunez's yellow (for dissent) there was barely any contact and Gordon manufactured it. In fact a couple of their yellows seemed soft. The main incident for me was VVD on Gordon. You can see the way he leans in with his hips to brace his body it's intentional but he makes sure he keeps his arm straight so that contact is with the shoulder and gives VAR (I wouldn't expect Madley to pick that up on field) little to work with. Very snidey and in an ideal world that gets picked up on. One thing in general which is disappointing, is that for Isak's pen call and other situations we've had this year it seems refs are now bottling those calls and falling back on VAR, but with VAR becoming more light touch they aren't getting given. Perhaps that's not the worst thing as it's setting the penalty bar a bit higher, but it's infuriating when a call like that gets overlooked for your team. As I say, last night I felt there was a decent pen shout for both sides so at least Madley was consistent.

Can't believe he's not grinning from ear to ear when he sees it roll in off the post and he's turning away. Bloke needs to be a professional poker player or the first Swiss stand-up comedian when he retires.

That was always my favourite option for the shirt back. I had that with a homemade Lee - 7 patch. Much smarter than red numbers and/or huge white patches in my opinion.

Quite a few draws too.

Our record there is very good. I've stopped travelling away as much as I used to in my younger days, but I've never seen us lose there. Prior to about 2014 (I think) we hardly ever dropped a point there. The last ten years or so has been a bit more mixed, but it's certainly not a bogey ground.

I'm not going to call Leicester out. The only fans who really know what's going on are fans of the club who watch every game. We had fans of other teams calling us out on Bruce, saying "he kept you up, what do you expect?", without appreciating the other issues at play, such as style of play, in game subs, general tactics etc. As @Yorkie said, I like Leicester. I hope they appoint well and stay up.

Also worthy of note - Barrow bottom of the League Two form table over the last ten games (1-3-6, six points) as well as going out of the cup under Stephen Clemence. Conceding a load of late goals.

Long way off but I wouldn't be surprised to see Murphy back for this. He's the most natural for the right side, gives Gordon's hip issue a bit longer, and with both full-backs unlikely to appear for England would mean only Bruno and Isak coming back from actual playing-time international duty into the starting line-up. I guess it depends on whether Gordon stays with England and gets any minutes/proves his fitness.

We can hit two birds with one stone here - David Coote to host MOTD. "And now we go to The London Stadium for West Ham v Liverpool…c'mon you f*cking happy Hammers, f*ck the Scouse b@stards up. Commentary by Jonathan Pearce."

I just don't think Villa have clicked this season, much like us until the last few games. They have been struggling with trying to fit all of their best players into the starting eleven. They were lucky to beat both Everton and Wolves at home and only took a point at Ipswich. They did look much better against Liverpool, despite the loss. This time last year we were at Bournemouth having just come back from Dortmund with no striker, two keepers, Ritchie, Parkinson and Alex Murphy on the bench. As far as I'm aware Villa currently have four injured, three of which are due back next game. Champions League and the travel it involves does take it out of you, but they've had a relatively easy set of games so far (Bayern aside) and certainly haven't the injury issues we had. Looking back, Eddie performed wonders last year.

Am presuming Jim Ratcliffe hasn't had the gall to complain about Amorim's visa delay?

We don't play Southampton till end of Jan so should be good.

There's just been a knacker on 6-0-6* saying he's unhappy with Howe and wants Jose in. *I know, I know - I only had it on while I was in the kitchen.

Mate of mine did it at school diving to take a superb catch in rounders on a concrete playground. Doubt that's how he did it like.