STM

Yeah hes got arguably 4 days to train and is unlikely to have jet leg problems if he's been in France.

Bruno can fill me with his content all day.

It will be Lascelles and Burn, so don't get your hopes up. I actually think they will create a decent pairing too.

That's why at times all of our centre backs looked good under Rafa because he protected them and drilled the team methodically. You could get away with "penalty box" defenders, when you are set up correctly. Of course, it caused us problems at the other end of the pitch because we weren't expansive. Our defenders are being asked to play football now. It's like being asked to play tennis with a baseball bat.

They are all a similar level to me. Lascelles: Aerial 8/10, Ball at feet 5/10, Awareness 5/10, Pace 5/10 Schar: Aerial 6/10, Ball at feet 7/10, Awareness 5/10, Pace 5/10 Fernandez: Aerial 7/10, Ball at feet 6/10, Awareness 6/10, Pace 5/10 Is the way I read it. Fernandez is the best all rounder but he's not particularly great at anything either and I seriously doubt his physical capabilities, with his age and injuries. None of them have pace, which is a huge limitation on our team. IMO we let our best defender go: Lejuene: Aerial 7/10, Ball at feet 7/10, Awareness 7/10, Pace 5/10

Or even have 20 mins of extra time.

All the best Clarky. Was genuinely impressed with him after what we had heard from Villa. Rafa had him fettled. Hope to see him again as a coach somewhere, when we are mint.

Don't know if I want Salah to win because he's mint or lose because he's a diving little cunt.

Fuck sake. Reet lads, keep them "I told you so" posts on ice while Bruce gets his bounce. Of course they are going to have a temporary increase in motivation. I would too if my workplace gave me an extra day off and introduced kebab Wednesdays. Come the summer, when Brucey forgets to condition his players and gives big Andy a 3 year contract, we can start to laugh. Poor WBA. That said, if you persist on allowing Adrian Chiles in your ground of course things will continue to get ugly at the Hawthorns.

We can't afford to throw away winnable games by leaving out our best player.

If we get relegated, I'd have Lewis back in the squad.

Hayden has been really poor for ages and is injured. Clark, as we all have said, should be nowhere near a starting 11 in the PL anymore. It's really pleasing to see the lessening of poor players around the squad. Personally, I would have binned Ritchie for Lewis but in Howes mind I'm guessing he'd rather have Ritchie around a match day squad. One of his few remaining good traits is that he grafts his arse off and motivates other players. Looking down that list, Krafth is the next one for the chop.

We are far too shit to be debating whether Bruno needs eased into the side like. Let's go and win the game and then give him a rest with 20 minutes to go, if we have that luxury. Has to start.

This off insta? Could you share?

Yeah, Joelinton will move further forward.

To be honest, they are a reasonable set of requests. Footballers shouldn't get away with what they do. I'm not going to criticise Lampard for being a disciplinarian. However, the real take away from that, is that he feels the need to make it a formal fines list, rather than just earning the respect and fear of his playing staff organically. The day you stick that fines list on the notice board, you automatically create enemies. Where as, if you made an example early doors, the others would get the message.

Unlike Man Utd, if we aren't planning on playing a player, he should be allowed to leave. That's if he wants to play, of course.

He could be jet lagged, hungover, legless, whatever, he has to play against Everton. If he arrives on Saturday, then I hope Howe has his schedule sorted and we have 2 training sessions planned for Sunday and Monday morning. He's match fit, he will be our most intelligent player anyway, he only needs the basic instructions to fit into the team.

Reckon Bruno is good enough to drag Joelinton into future Brazil squads?

Is the Brazil game tonight? The 00.30 kick off time has me confused.

He said that our new owners would love to sign Mason Greenwood or something equally distasteful.

I'm sorry..... but not sorry. What a cunt.

Just can't see Shelvey being left out. As much as I'd like to see it. Part of me would like to see him and Lascelles pick up minor knocks and force Eddie into something he will eventually do anyway.

There's not much between Schar and Lascelles. Schar is much better with the ball at his feet but is Lascelles much better in the air. Neither are good enough, long term. I don't see the choice between Schar and Lascelles a decisive factor in our survival. I think how we integrate the new players in the team and how we defend/attack as a unit will be the key. Bruno is a game changer for me. We might not score many more goals but I suspect we can shut teams out more efficiently.

His medical was after Targett.