AyeDubbleYoo

Any fullback will look poor if isolated and exposed by a rapid forward, the same as any CB will. Defending is a lot more about the organisation and the whole team unit than anything else. I don't particularly rate Burn but since he is the generally trusted option I don't really expect him to be replaced every time the opponent has a quick winger.

Does seem logical but at the time it was described like almost guaranteed.

In the abstract, as a fan, I tend to agree. But professional football managers don't really seem to go in for this kind of thing.

Also we don’t know if players have been rushed back and we don’t know if rotating in random kids would have made any difference whatsoever.

Actually forgot we had him.

This one game a week gives us far too much time to chat

I'm not saying anyone expects it, but there seems to be a feeling that this season has been disappointing and that we should be higher.

And we are a good team. We’re just not a team that can have all their best players injured and still qualify for the Champions League.

I don't like to talk about 'expectations' too much because it's a silly football concept. But under Ashley we were happy to just not be a joke and survive as a club, it was a miracle Rafa ever came here at all. Now we've qualified for the CL people tend to overrate the resources the manager has and obviously want the good times to continue indefinitely... that's human nature.

Injuries are absolutely massive, that is the reason for our problems. Don't forget that we have half a championship squad with a few top players in it. Criticise anyone you want how you want, but it's mental to try and assess anything about this season without a massive caveat saying 'everyone has been injured'. Unless you think we should be doing brilliantly with only one PL midfielder available, for example, I really don't know what this debate is about. Not to mention having the hardest fixtures imaginable and also being cheated out of the CL by a ref.

The fans turn on everyone in different moments TBF, or at least some of us do. It's not like people weren't whinging during those previous eras.

The fact that we can talk about which critical injury was the most important for about a whole day, tells me what the problem with the season has been.

I mean, he is a young manager.

All other options being just Tino.

I would see him moving to a mid-level PL club if he was to leave, not sure in European terms. But presumably everyone outside the PL would struggle to pay him, unless he wants to go to Saudi.

I wish I could believe they knew anything.

I love Joelinton but I don’t think top teams would be in for him. In terms of club he would probably need to take a step down, even if at higher wages. I really hope we do a deal anyway, of course.

Don’t care about that either Also doesn’t necessarily follow since loads of rubbish people have had jobs right across English football, but I take the point.

You’re probably right, I just wanted everyone related to Ashley or Bruce to be purged on day one.

Graeme Jones is one lucky bastard. Came in as Steve Bruce’s fluffer on the Ashley dollar and ends up here.

Yep, it was definitely a signing focused on adding goals above anything else.

I defended the signing of Chris Wood but I didn’t defend Chris Wood.

I’m not sure why journos bother going TBH. I think I could write the same stories without any input from the club.

People at the match whinge just as much as people on the internet - if that matters at all. The people around me were absolutely ripping into the team on Saturday.

Always clear it was a good signing, we needed to add goals across the front line. Rarely seen a player so hungry for goals, even strikers. Snag is the that he plays the same side as Gordon but I know Gordon is versatile and we do need a squad. I love how he always takes the textbook option as well, strikes it low and hard and on target. Gets a lot of deflected goals and goals that seem lucky.