Elma

…or Semenyo. Good time to play them actually. They've only got 15 fit outfield players.

When I said Miley should be the first three names on the teamsheet, I was joking…

Surely got to be the first three names on the team sheet right now.

Yeah, that was kind of the joke 😂

I was watching on BEIN Sport Max 2 in Türkiye last night, but had the English commentary on, which I guess is the Premier League standard international feed. Will try and look out for the repeat in the schedules and flip the commentary to Turkish. 🙂

When you say one thing, but mean your mother?

Barnes can go missing in games but I'd have him on the field ahead of Gordon at the moment because his goals/assist record is so much better, and that's what counts at the end of the day. Murphy is pretty poor in possession but has developed a wicked delivery so my current two would be Barnes left and Murphy right.

I'm just pleased that Roeder is viewed generally positively by others. He was captain when my brother was in the youths/reserves and he was always brilliant when 10-11 year old me visited Benwell. Such a great bloke. Very good player and did a very decent job as manager. One of the few non-family/friends I've shed a tear for when they died. Other than that I really can't seperate Howe and Keegan. I'm hoping Eddie will make that easier in the coming years. Sir Bobby just behind.

If it's ankle as Eddie says then that could be a blessing. Was sure it was a serious knee injury when he went down. Fingers crossed.

Been coming. Thiaw is having a stinker.

We still haven't conceded a league goal in the first 20 mins this season.

I think Hall needs a rest ASAP. He was pretty poor by his standards against Palace on the back of a tweaked ankle at Burnley. This game bigger than Saturday though so you may be right.

I know (hope) it may have been in jest but was going to say the same. Being aware of social inequality isn't the quite the same as TV rights holders ploughing billions into the game. 😂

The longest serving manager in the top four divisions is currently in 92nd place. Harrogate Town's Simon Weaver who has managed over seven years longer than Pep. Once he goes Pep will be number one. Eddie currently fourth in the Premier League and tenth overall.

Editors of the Oxford English Dictionary re-writing the definition of "Optimism" as we speak.

Get in. Just found out this is on my BEIN Sports package tomorrow. With eight overlapping games I was worried we'd miss out as there are only six channels, but they've dropped Brentford v Mackems and Everton v Wolves. 🙂

I think there's some truth in it. Players look better under good coaches and playing in a formation that suits them. For a while now Man U have been employing managers who didn't know how to get the best out of the players they have, and maybe didn't have enough say over who was coming in. It creates a disconnect in the team and with a high churn of managers it's even worse. Chelsea suffering the same to a degree. Emery (for example) is a master of working with what he's got (Eddie's decent at it too). I think Liverpool may have the same problem now as Slot seems to be struggling with the players he's signed/been given. You need to get a coach in who can improve players, give him a say in who comes in, and give him time (2-3 years min).

Rangers equaliser Edit: See above 😂

2-0 Villa

Good goal. Annoying though. Edit: Keeper could have done better.

I was hoping Lewis Hall would have a pop when we got that free kick. Perfect place for a left-footed player and I'm curious as to how good he is at them, being such a good technical player. If not him then why not Tonali? It's annoying though - having grown up with O'Brien, Robert, Solano, Shearer et al, we have no one now who can take a decent free kick around the edge of the box - can't remember the last time we scored from one?

Might not be the case but a similar thing happened to my folks a year or so back. When I looked into it, it was based on programme and channel combo. The Burnley game was on Sky Tennis (as they ran out of footy related channels) so any series record settings probably wouldn't have worked/transferred.

I think it's the sweetest hit of a football by an NUFC player in my lifetime. Straight above the keeper but there was no stopping it. The way he addressed the ball it was like it was pre-ordained and there was going to be no stopping it. Martins at Spurs probably the closest for raw power.

Think he'll be in the next squad if he stays fit. Tuchel loves him and gave him his debut at Chelsea.