Pilko

Wonder why we're so reluctant to use him? Got more splinters in his arse than Steve Harper.

Prophecy fulfilled Fair play to him for making the changes early and grinding out another excellent result.

He's just pure end product this lad and love that he's got a long-ranger in his locker. No doubt in my mind he gets into double figures this season if he stays fit.

Woah

This is the absolute pits.

Glad we brought on Trippier to hit the first man from set pieces. Like clockwork.

No service again, but also crap again. Someone get him a tampon for his nose injury.

This isn't the problem though. Having him around as a squad player, cover etc. makes perfect sense. Starting him ahead of Tonali is absolutely baffling and needless.

Yet more evidence that doesn't help the narrative that he's too loyal to limited players. He's obviously not stupid and must know Tonali and Barnes are better than Sean and Murphy. The "they were at the training ground for internationals" narrative doesn't wash either because Hall and Livramento are playing ahead of two who stayed behind & Barnes wasn't away either. Feels like he isn't learning after he stuck with Dubravka til he basically cost us a European spot at Old Trafford last year despite Pope being on the bench for several weeks and then playing days later. I like Murph and Sean but not as first picks. We've got better players, get them on the fucking pitch. The weird thing is, I'm confident Eddie makes changes and we get at least a draw - so why make it so hard for ourselves to begin with? Don't get it.

I'm one of his biggest defenders, but he's been pathetic so far today.

Fuck off. Glad we picked Sean for him to give the ball away in the build up there, great selection.

Gives a foul against Isak for barely a touch but Lemina barges Bruno in the back and is awarded the throw in. Nice consistency.

Don't understand Barnes not starting unless he isn't fully fit. Really hope the lads he's chosen do well today because the narrative that Howe can be too loyal to the lads who should be bench or squad players now is harder to ignore each time.

Redknapp saying red for the Timber foul I didn't even think it was a free kick.

Feel like Drury is going to be even more irritating than usual today.

95 in 150 appearances, even in that Man U team and including pens is a blistering hit rate. This is an absolutely wild take.

Gateshead down 2 early at Dagenham.

Is Ramsdale going for Nigel Quashie's most PL relegations record or something?

Piss off you awful awful Manc cunts

Looked outside the box to me but here for the pen award as it's Man U. Fucking Jeffrey Archer could take a better pen mind

Easiest thing to do is just write him off as permanently unavailable and enjoy a nice surprise during the 30% of games in a season when he's fit.

Well you kneuw there are no easy games in this league and Exeter are no exception. If ya don't put ya boots on and play, ya get punished. Look, whu've gorra batten down the hatches, roll wah sleeves up, dust wasels doon and go again. Whu've got another difficult game next weekend, at Charlton, it doesn't get any easier. I've managed over 1000 games and been in it twenty odd years or worreva. Wuh might have lost 4-0 today but I was really pleased with the way wuh went about wah work.

Carr and N'Zogbia as well if memory serves correct quite the roster.

I seem to remember he had a hand in the fourth goal? Probably not the worst cameo we've had

That's probably a topic or a thread in itself. Most bad/hilarious NUFC players out of position. Not necessarily the worst players but the ones who looked worst or significantly shitter than normal thanks to a manager playing them in a mad position. Santon in defensive midfield away at Chelsea springs to mind. Got scuttled 3-0 and I'm sure he was culpable for one of the goals but Pards said "his stats were very good". Lovenkrands on the left of a 4-4-2 was pretty honking in our relegation season. Colo in CM away to Villa didn't work at all despite the world and his wife clamouring for it for ages. Souness and Pards playing Shola wide was always a laugh. Souey liked him on the left and we all remember when Ba was sold and Shola played wide against a retirement-age Ian Harte in his place in the Reading Le Fondre game, instead of using pace against him like any sane person would. Huntington at left-back away at AZ still gives me the shivers, although Stephen Carr ducking out with a dubious injury at the eleventh hour facilitated that particular bungle. And finally, probably the winner... Alan Smith again. Shite as a forward, shite as a centre mid, but nuclear levels of bad being played in a no-mans land right midfield position under Allardyce collecting yellow cards for a living