Jackie Broon

On the basis of this Howe should be gone for last week alone.

That's if you believe everything that's reported. It just makes no sense for them to act the way they have in relation to our takeover and then help us avoid the one thing that could make what they are so concerned about go away.

They cared enough to call an emergency meeting when our takeover went through to complain about it and change the PL's rules to try to prevent us from competing with them. It makes no sense that they would then loan us a player to help us to avoid relegation when that is the best way to prevent or at least significantly set back our future ability to compete with them.

I still don't see this going ahead, I think we're being played, they'll string us along and pull the plug at the last minute.

If you want to work that one out, be my guest.

They just weren't. The average current league position on the first 10 teams we played = 9.5, the next 10 = 10.4 First 10 - 5 home 5 away, next 10 - 6 home 4 away. First 10 - 3 games against current top 6, next 10 3 games against current top 6. Ok, we have undeniably had are two most difficult fixtures so far back to back in the latter 10, but then we've also had the three easiest. By every objective measure there's either very little difference between the sets of fixtures, or that the latter set were a bit easier. I'm sure you will stick to saying that there were "certainly easier", that's how the internet debates go, and I accept it's really a subjective thing, but I can't see anything to objectively back up what you are saying.

Yes, but so were Brentford, Norwich and Watford at home. Again, what I was responding to was an assertion that the start to the season (specifically the first 10 but I've only included Bruce's) was "apart from 1 or 2 were the easiest fixtures we could have hoped for". That just doesn't line up with reality, the first 10 games were not significantly 'easier' than the following 10, if anything the following 10 have included more of the 'easier' fixtures.

So in your categorisation exactly which are "the easiest fixtures we could have hoped for" if you're not including the other bottom four teams at home in that?

True, but that doesn't make the original statement I responded to any more true.

I was simply responding to the statement that "the start of this season that apart from 1 or 2 were the easiest fixtures we could have hoped for", which just doesn't line up with reality. In reality all of the "easiest fixtures", all of our matches at home against the current bottom 4 other teams this season, have been under Howe.

I'm not sure about that, in hindsight we had a tough start. West Ham H 2-4, have turned out to be top 4 contenders, not an easy fixture. Aston Villa A 0-2, an away match against a better side than us, not an easy fixture. Southampton H 2-2, expected to be relegation fodder but are a solid mid-table team, not as easy a fixture as it seemed. Man U A 1-4, not an easy fixture. Leeds H 1-1, one we'd probably expect to win, maybe could be described as an easy fixture. Watford A 1-1, maybe could be described as an easy fixture, but it is away. Wolves A 1-2, a top half team away, not an easy fixture. Tottenham H 2-3, not an easy fixture. 5 definitely not easy fixtures and 3 debatables. Brentford H 3-3, playing a team at home that had just lost to Norwich and Burnley, easy fixture. Arsenal A 0-2, not an easy fixture. Norwich H 1-1, easy fixture. Burnley H 1-0, easy fixture. Leicester A 0-4, not an easy fixture, but probably easiest we're going to get away against a top half team. Liverpool A 1-3, not an easy fixture Man City H 0-4, not an easy fixture Man U H 1-1, not an easy fixture Watford H 1-1, easy fixture 5 definitely not easy fixtures and 4 definitely easy fixtures.

The way they will see it is that it will cost them a lot more than £25m in the long run if they have to battle against another state financed club. They will be praying for us to be relegated, I just can't see them loaning us anyone.

I just can't see any premier league club, other than maybe Man City, agreeing to a loan to us. They might string us along making us waste time, but they will want us to be relegated they're not going to help us out of this predicament in any way.

Nah, they'll be Seville about it.

He's been playing in Europe since 2014, he'll have settled status so possibly the same process as a European player?

My sister's partner is a Benfica fan, he was saying we were linked with him in the Portuguese press when I saw him at Christmas, and that he doesn't rate him. Seems to score plenty though.

I think we need more than than just mobility, Willock is mobile. But one or more new central midfield players are absolutely essential. If we can't win and keep the ball in midfield it doesn't matter how good our defenders and attackers are. Maybe there are other targets being worked on that we don't know about but it's concerning how few solid links there have been to central midfield players.

It has the same ultimate effect and we would still be subject to PL FFP rules if/when we were promoted, which run over the three previous seasons. Any suggestion that we're holding off on signing sponsorship deals to somehow take advantage of a non-existent loophole if we get relegated is utter nonsense.

They are: 2.3 The Executive shall determine whether consideration included in the Club’s Earnings Before Tax arising from a Related Party Transaction is recorded in the Club’s Annual Accounts at a Fair Market Value. If it is not, the Executive shall restate it to Fair Market Value.

Or they're distancing themselves from an embarrassing failure, which might also be the reason why no Saudi sponsorship deals have been announced yet.

Mostly because they stood off and let us pass it around sideways and backwards for most of the first half.

Under Bruce: West Ham H – 46% Villa A – 53% Southampton H – 36% Man U A – 36% Leeds H – 35% Watford A – 48% Wolves A – 48% Spurs H – 35% Average – 42.1% Under Howe: Brentford H – 52% Arsenal A – 34% Norwich H – 31% Burnley H – 48% Leicester A – 53% Liverpool A – 26% Man City – 28% Man U H – 31% Watford H – 52% Average – 39.4% Average discounting Norwich – 40.5%

Under Rafa we could at times be described as negative but it was effective, with a weaker squad than we have now. Under Bruce we were both negative and ineffective. That is what he was rightly criticised for. Under Howe we're equally ineffective (and have equally low possession statitics). Whether positive or negative what we need is a manager who can get us playing effective football.

We've seen much, much more out of these players we've seen Willock score 7 in 7, Longstaff look good enough to be linked with Man U, Lascelles lead one of the most solid defences in the league. What you're saying is exactly what people were saying in defence of Bruce.

Because Steve fucking Bruce managed to keep this dog dirt squad up last season. We were drawing by fine margins under Bruce this season, it should only take a moderate improvement to turn those draws into wins. Howe hasn't managed to find that moderate improvement over Steve fucking Bruce, that is inexcusable.