Yorkie

It was in the middle of that winning run (closer to the end really). Seem to recall we were brilliant in the first half but let them back into it in the second. Hmm. But aye, it would definitely make for an amazing start to what hints at being a potentially good run of results in our short term. I don't have loads of faith that we've got what it takes to go on another one of those runs this year though tbf. Last time we were stricken at Brentford but were gifted with a genuinely kind run of fixtures to shake ourselves into gear. The promoted teams being much more capable than last year's bottom clubs means there's been one less opportunity to gather momentum. Oddly the fixtures have matched the point in the season, only last year's Burnley/Sunderland was Leicester/Ipswich, both of whom were utterly crap and we pulverised them both; the good feeling seasoned with a morale-boosting cup win against a disinterested Brentford. And that was us away. We're so stop-start this year and no one is really helping us out. Maybe ManU can.

Based on the transfer fee, his rumoured wages and length of contract, Liverpool are paying £218.6million for this dope all in, with another £168.5million for Wirtz. Hope they're both absolutely colossal failures.

Very enthused by their injury list, like. It feels like, if we're anything above fucking shocking, there's a result for us here. We're not at SJP though so clearly there's no guarantee of that.

Mad isn't it. Tino, Trippier, Krafth, even Ashby all injured at the same time. Lewis Miley is a miracle tbh, the holes he's dug us out of, man.

I absolutely loved Shay and he was definitely a very good keeper, but watching the season review vids from around the time is definitely an eye-opener. Maybe we had different expectations back then/worldies counted for more.

Was it not 130?

Omg so virtuous ♥️🥹

If that's aimed at me then I would respond to say the last thing I want (or have said!) is that I want to sell him. I'll gladly defend any player on the club's books, and I like Woltemade. Just felt incredibly frustrated by his powderpuff/self-destructive performances against Leverkusen/the mackems, and do feel a somewhat unconvinced he'll ever be the one for us in the long run. But not writing him off to any degree.

Still hurting, WM? He didn't play in the next game, anyway. Nice gotcha though. He was fucking shocking against Sunderland and not much better against Leverkusen. It was hardly a ridiculous comment at the time.

I'm very happy we got him and think he'll do well for us. In terms of 'how we managed to,' I'm not sure what choice we had after Isak left.

£22.5m for a striker who scored 19 PL goals last season? Aye right. Edit; I can't do maths. But still, we paid a competitive but admittedly inflated price.

Well we haven't 'blown his fee' on them because PSR doesn't work like that, and you're talking shit about at least two of those players.

That second goal is exactly what I've been saying he's been lacking in games prior to this. Busting every sinew to get on the end of stuff. Great to see.

Providing Villa don't win it, I'm definitely hoping for a Europa League campaign moreso than another CL one. The format is still absolute garbage but at least we'd be trudging through the group stage with a view to having a run at the final, as opposed to being also-rans. Apropos of nothing I'd be in favour of removing the block on teams from the same nation facing each other. Not so much in the interest of spectacle, but when you've got six teams from the strongest league each playing eight games, it works heavily in their favour to avoid each other. I'm not sure what justification there is for that exemption when there's so many fixtures.

With the injuries we've got, and our inability to perform on the road, personally I don't think it's likely that we build the momentum to mount a serious charge for the top five, regardless of the present closeness. I thought Wissa, Livramento and Hall all coming back at the same time might have unlocked our potential but it doesn't look like they're going to share the pitch any time soon, and by the time they do there'll be a lot of fatigue. However, the key word in that is potential - because I think that's one of a few words you could use to sum us up (inconsistent and dysfunctional are some more glass-half-empty ones you might choose). There's loads of talent in the squad and we're not that far away from being really good. Erase just a couple of our very late concessions and we're right in the mix. The summer - mainly Isak going but also the inability to sign our first choice striker and goalkeeper, and probably backing the wrong horse with Elanga - has set us back to a place where we're knocking at the door rather than having a foot in it. A midtable finish with cup runs feels 'right' for us atm. There's no great shame in that imo, but unsure if the execs will think the same.

very happy for him and us, obviously. Good to see our £69million striker attack the ball in the box.

Just caught up on the highlights. Yeah, we were robbed. It's a different game at 3-1. Bullshit.

I still don't understand whatever that point is. He absolutely was proven Prem quality.

Was just coming to say this. Looks like frustration is gonna reign this season. It's not a good result, like. Very disappointed but sounds like we got robbed a third goal, which probably would be enough.

Gutted for you lot not getting to sit in a ball pit.

Match thread

I've got my Christmas do with the 5-a-side lads tonight as well so I can't even afford to feign injury. Nightmare.

Another season becoming defined by injuries has me fairly pessimistic ahead of today, though Chelsea tend to hate coming here. A draw seems like a fair prediction, which won't be a particularly good result in the context of capitalising on our best opportunities for points. Also adding fuel to @Rich's part-timer theory as, rather than watch this game, my attendance is required at the latest of the carousel of one-year-old's birthday parties. I haven't even met this one. Class, buzzing to be going.