Pilko

Both teams to get a card in the first 10 mins 70/1 tomorrow. Can easily see an early mackem reducer and a Bruno/Joe reaction to it.

Class how they're immediately demanding him out and saying it's shocking and not good enough etc, after they stuck up for Ashley renaming us to Sports Direct Arena etc and decorating us with his awful tatty brand. Pathetic mags protesting. But now the shoe is on the other foot, they're up in arms short memories.

Can't wait to see what Pawson comes up with on Saturday. We're due some serious retribution after the last time we played there, the Coloccini red and bullshit pen and multiple pens denied for us. Probably the only time in that awful 2012/13-2015/16 run where we didn't deserve to get beat.

I'm surprised nobody tried that for the latest Reverse Sheep quiz in the Chat section the other day

Gameweek 21 Chelsea 2-1 Fulham Newcastle 1-2 Man City Everton 0-2 Villa Man United 1-2 Spurs Burnley 0-1 Luton Arsenal 3-0 Palace Brentford 2-2 Forest Sheff United 0-2 West Ham Bournemouth 1-2 Liverpool Brighton 2-2 Wolves

Godfrey is a strange one, seem to remember he was on the outskirts of the England squad at one point but he doesn't ever seem to see the pitch for Everton these days.

I was convinced Sherman Andres Cardenas was going to be the best player of all time and I've never seen him play once https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_Cárdenas

Judging by Birmingham's track record, in about 2030 they'll be in the playoffs under someone like Barry Bannan and they'll sack him for Harry Maguire to take over.

It's a big positive to cling onto from this injury crisis that this young lad is getting some massive exposure to big game scenarios and consistent minutes. Just think when we get bodies back and we can manage his minutes, dip him out a little bit and get him to reflect, embed the learnings from this run and then "go again" in the next stage of his development. Bit of proper training pitch time with Eddie and the coaching staff learning a little more about the defensive side of the game and consolidating & improving the things he's shown massive aptitude for and he'll be an absolute fucking monster for us. We've got a generational talent here and in three or four years he'll be a world beater IMO provided he's managed well and has the right mentality, which right now it seems we have both boxes ticked.

I do that every derby tbf. Back them to win, cover bet on the draw that sees me about even or maybe slightly in profit, more than happy to lose the cash if we win. Drowning sorrows money really.

I do wonder what he'll do for Saturday. I know the mackem manager isn't meant to be a genius but surely he looks at how knackered our lads are and winds his team up into coming out all guns blazing, loads of graft and energy, a full stadium (for once) and try to beat us that way? We've obviously got far superior quality all over the pitch but that's the way lower league teams typically upset the odds in a cup tie and it feels like the most obvious route for them to win. I think that the local lads & those who've been here a wee while will find that little bit extra in the tank for the derby, especially knowing there are longer gaps between games coming up and the importance of the game to the fans. I've already gone on a hell of a journey myself from being absolutely gutted at the Emery bungle to completely getting Howe's abilities as a manager and a figurehead wrong, and it's not one I want to have to repeat with another manager anytime soon having got to the correct point of realising how brilliant the bloke is. I don't think Staveley et al will make any knee-jerk decisions after the derby or even the other two tough games in January, because we should be through the worst of it regarding fixture pile-up and injuries, but I do worry the crowd and the atmosphere will start to turn if we do lose the derby. Ironically if our record had been better when Ashley and his various mouthpiece managers brow beat everyone into a feeling of numbness and expecting to lose every since derby I think a loss wouldn't have the impact that it will; 2011 since we last beat them as well as the change in backdrop since we last played them in 2016 means that we really, really need to win - for the sake of the fans, for the morale of the players, and to give Eddie a real fillip and help him kick us on in the second half of the season. I'm worried for Saturday but then again I also have a calm feeling that Eddie's got it and we will be absolutely fine. Let's go and beat those cunts down the road and suddenly the world will feel rosy again.

It's what the man himself said tbf. I wasn't expecting all of our fatigue and knackered players to suddenly look rejuvenated after a slightly longer break than usual between games but he seemed to suggest it might make a lot of difference. I still think he turns it around when the fixture list slims down and we start to get the bodies back, I just really hope he doesn't lose the derby. Get beat there, followed by City and then another tough away at Villa and I think the crowd might start to turn.

Another shambolic display away from home. Didn't he say we should see a clear difference now we've had time to train? If anything it was worse. Lose the derby and it'll get ugly. Play shit again if you want but just do not lose that game.

It's going to take someone walking their players off the pitch for any meaningful change. I reckon we might see someone like O'Neil do it later this season when they're safe in mid table and there's not so many games left. Look forward to the day a manager has the arsehole to do that cos it's a brave, brave thing to do. In a lot of ways I'm glad it likely won't be Eddie who will eventually resort to that but whoever does will set such a precedent IMO.

why? He's been shite for weeks, had a blinder today (but still conceded 4), one swallow doesn't make a summer.

Taylor and whoever the VAR is deserve to be spat at in the street for that second pen. Absolutely disgraceful.

That's a dive. VAR needs to turn that over.

He's the biggest cunt in world football by an absolute mile.

Get in Botman

Watching that footage of Klopp carrying on like that makes me wish the cunt was an inch from death. Horrible, horrible cunt.

Take Bruno and Joe off please, we don't need to risk them getting reds for the Derby.

Oh good, add Gakpo to the list of players who seem to never score for fucking toffee until we show up.

Fuck off Miggy. Get some end product for once in your fucking life.

Don't think that was a pen on Longstaff, he never had control of it, knew it, and threw himself over in hope.

And there's the sting in the tail. Fucking hell man Anfield is such a shit place for us.