Yorkie

Bruno and Wissa linking really well

It's a free shot at goal in the box with nobody on him; I'd be expecting better from him there. Didn't test the keeper at all.

Wissa chance and Schär header two absolutely huge chances missed. Same old story so far, though there was fuck all wrong with the goal and I won't hear otherwise.

Love it. Thank goodness for VAR and ruling out that enormous injustice. Wissa basically cheating with that shoulder.

Meh, didn't celebrate. Looks offside by an inconsequential hair.

Hopefully onside

There goes massive chance numero uno. Need better from Wissa there.

Agree, and the other thing with Wissa is that he's only played 200 career games at the top level. Bowen has been mentioned in the Realistic Targets thread; he's the same age as Wissa but has 400. If we dropped the same £55m on him I think there'd be a more legitimate question mark over that decision, because burn-out is so much more likely. Wissa could theoretically go for ages yet.

Goals is an issue for us but we have scored 2+ in 11 of the last 12 home games in all competitions. I wouldn't predict it but it's not unthinkable that we put a few away today.

Things are rarely straightforward at the best of times, let alone this season, but you've got to expect us to get a result here. I don't picture win after win after win throughout this run of home games, because we're just not that team this season, but you've got to be hopeful for today.

Feared that link the moment I heard about Maresca. Why wouldn't they be interested? Hopefully he isn't. Probably the club that would upset me the most if he left for tbh, would be heartbreaking.

After the horrendous cock-ups against Arsenal and Marseille I was eager to see what Ramsdale could offer, but the height and stature of Pope - at the very least - makes him the better option. Ramsdale doesn't look like he can command the box at all.

Just double-checking this isn't a response to my earlier posts because - whilst I would consider my own personal boycott to be a futile effort outside of a mass cultural surge - I certainly wouldn't judge anyone for doing it. I'm massively in favour of the concept of protest, I just don't really see the point here and - rightly or wrongly - I'd rather just enjoy the tournament (again notwithstanding the impact of format changes). Fwiw I used to recoil at people calling protests against Ashley 'pointless,' but that was because a meaningful protest for that cause was so achievable, and likely to produce results. There was a fast-moving bandwagon to jump on and no good reason not to do so. But in this case there's no relative bandwagon and plenty of reasons not to jump on one anyway.

I obviously agree wholeheartedly with that principle but it really does feel futile at this scale, without any meaningful movement behind it. I'm not even sure what difference my boycott would even make even at a micro level. I don't think we need to stray into the matter of hypothetical hypocrisy (re our owners), but there is the point that it's not just the World Cup. Football was sold to these characters ages ago and the shark has already jumped. Why would this be my tipping point?

Sadly my principle of 'consume any and all football I can' outweighs any principles I might have centering around morality. If there was a supremely organised movement which could legitimately provoke a meaningful and majority boycott, I would happily jump on board. Or vuvuzelas. Sadly that ship has never been in the dock, let alone sailed. Top level football is far too popular a thing for the type of people who control it not to control it. The game's gone so I'll just stick me head in the sand and enjoy the action, rather than be in - what feels like - a pointless minority taking a stand. Pending the outcome of a butchered and bloated group stage format, the World Cup will almost certainly be mint, because it always is.

There's absolutely no justification whatsoever for putting Barnes in any kind of failure/unsuccessful pile for us. He's been a great signing.

I liked his explanation to the club media after the game, about showing his confidence in the players to see it out, in turn theoretically giving them confidence. He always knows what he's doing and the logic to his decisions is understandable, even if you don't necessarily agree.

May finally see Tino, Hall and Wissa all in the same team soon.

I don't rate Johnson very highly but 33 seems quite cheap in today's market for someone with his numbers. 55 for Elanga didn't seem mental to me but clearly looks like an overpay at this point given his limited technical ability.

Guess Joelinton has been reading the council's Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment and has spotted something the Saudis haven't.

All black away kit? Aye alright!!

Unfortunately Chelsea will always be winners I think, depending on your definition (they did win the CWC just a few months ago too). Easily the team in English football most deserving of comeuppance but furthest away from ever getting it, imo. They're forever bathing in shit and coming out smelling of Dior.

All wrong except Guy. Good stuff.

All guesses: Lewis Guy Lad called Donaldson. Or Doninger? Both? There was a cup game under Hughton where a load of academy lads played and we lost; I'm picturing one of these names on the teamsheet. Gary Caldwell Callum Roberts John Karelse Lionel Perez