Ronaldo

I’d genuinely have confidence is us to win this with Pope in goal.

Has the Luton ground changed at all since Mike Hooper conceded twice there wearing hot pants in ‘94?

Very fine manager. Great hair too.

Playing Ritchie ahead of anyone with talent makes zero sense to me. I think there’s something a bit odd about Hall’s lack of minutes even with the squad (and his position) severely depleted but we’ll find out end of this season.

He’s barely been used during an injury crisis which has seen our other two LBs injured. The League Cup aside I can’t envisage him getting many more minutes this season. He’s nowhere near Howe’s starting plans so I’m not sure why we’d sign him then loan him out somewhere (which is clearly what he needs) when FFP implies it’ll potentially cost us someone closer to being able to contribute.

You say way further back but Villa have finished above us once in the league in the past decade (and that was only by one place). It’s not like they’ve been this very well run club for a long time. Emery is a very smart man who bought well in the summer.

A lot of it is budget constraints and constraints regarding the attraction of the club. It’s a style that requires good athletes, good people, smart patterns, drilling and massive graft on the training pitch; not spending £100m + on whoever.

I’m sorry to hear she’s still writing / breathing. But there’s truth in that. There’s limits to what we can achieve the way we play now and when it doesn’t work by God we can look hopeless.

I will not defend Pardew. I celebrated like a madman that night it broke that he was we going to Palce. Awful manager. Hated how much of a willing mouthpiece he was too. But, look at the state of that team post Ba. Captained by a coward, very few strong characters / leaders - they were all disposed of. And few players proven or experienced in the PL, especially at that point.

11 points away from home to our 5. This isn’t a dig at anyone but Emery is an elite coach who’s been tried and tested at top level and made brilliant signings in the summer to build upon his excellent work last season. I can’t see them slipping up too much between now and the end of the season, he’s too good.

Name them.

Crazy that. And correct - you’d have to put Carver, Bruce, McClaren, Souness and Kinnear above him.

I get being able to give it out but not take it is a symptom of soreness so I’ll leave it there, you big wet blanket. My Man U supporting fiancée (from Didsbury - proper fan) is in a little strop also.

Fucking hell, when was that - 10 years ago? Man U aren’t relevant to our season in the context of top 4. Why? Because they’re not good enough to achieve top 4. I hope that’s clear. Why you so bothered about Man U anyway?

I literally just said the opposite. 4th / 5th is to play for and we’re a better side than Man U and Brighton who’ll likely finish 7th / 8th.

It’s Villa we need to finish above for top 4. The rest of the top 4 are just too good. United and Brighton aren’t relevant.

Man U and Brighton have zero chance of making top 4. They’re nowhere near good enough.

You don’t honestly think Brighton / Man U will have any influence on us achieving top 4 / 5 surely? They’re way behind the current top 4. In quality if not points.

The proper United fans, not the daft pretend ones from elsewhere, are starting to turn on him now. Taken a while.

A lot of whom being within our fanbase.

Would any other team in the top 8 not look to get very close to maximum points from that?

At least one does, yeah. Our most creative outlet by a mile is 33 year old RB. I don’t think it’s sustainable and away from home I think we lack the quality to playing effectively through the press into transition.

None of them are genuinely creative. Pretty obvious like.

You ‘can’t get over’ people wanting a good keeper in net instead of a mediocre one? I don’t think Dubravka is a bad goalkeeper - though realistically he’s probably worse than when we were relegation candidates - but unless we’re reducing our ambitions for this season you can surely acknowledge why we’d would see a significant deficit caused by Pope’s injury and look for a remedy.

So for the next 18 months + you’re advocating a midfield 3 with precisely the same issues it has now?