The Prophet

I agree, but if we don't start well, the anxiety will be palpable. If Elanga starts, it'll be party time in the East Stand, they'll kill off any remaining confidence he might have.

Meh, very similar set of rules. Still very anti competitive.

I think so. We're at home, under the lights and despite our terrible away form, we look better on our own turf against "bigger" clubs. Haaland is in excellent form, but City don't look particularly convincing, losing at Villa and Brighton, while they were fortunate to escape from Brentford with all three points. We'll definitely give them a game and are more than capable of getting something if we apply ourselves.

He had virtually no pre-season, but surely he'll start coming off the bench soon.

Wasn't the last pees briefing that the training ground announcement would probably come first now?

I assume something has been written about him? The English press are terrible for the dog whistle stuff (see Sterling for a blatant example), but Bellingham does come off as a bit of a whopper. You only have to look at his behaviour towards referees.

I mean I hate FB Ref as it ignores context, but those stats could also be a result of the role he's been asked to play within the team.

Why?

So while the Clery video in particular is insightful, I think both him and Lawson underplay the mental element. The players themselves have spoken about "getting themselves up for" routine league games. Plus while I appreciate that the likes of Bruno and Tonali are being pressed or rushed, it doesn't explain unforced errors, such as squandering possession under little to no pressure.

This feels like a nailed on draw.

Is he not doing similar numbers to his first season? Could be way off like.

Before the summer got messy we were rumoured to hold an interest in Cuhna, then targeted Pedro. To me this indicates that we may have been after a different profile of forward for the run off the shoulder type to play alongside. Could be horses for courses or Howe may be looking at a change in system.

He was a big fan of 4-4-1-1 at Bournemouth.

The sample size is Wilson (already here), Wood (a desperation signing) and Isak mind.

Famous last words, but Botman seems to play him well too.

Beyond Haaland and maybe Nusa it's solid but nothing flash. They'd need a kind draw.

Two years until his legs fall off.

Fully expect us to turn up for this and Marseille, before a spineless surrender at the Hill Dick.

I was going to say, surely a new stadium build wouldn't affect the current site anyway.

Is it not just standard international break fluff?

The angst at the last two performances is pretty understandable, we've been bobbins. It's the lack of support from certain sections of the fanbase that I find it hard to get my head around. These coaches and players have overachieved for three and a half years and dug us out of some brutal spots, delivering survival, European qualification and best of all a trophy. They deserve our unwavering support and patience when things don't go quite right for a spell of games. Yet is seems between the perpetual moaners, the entitled groaners, the chronically worried, the gasping to be right, those who openly want Howe binned and those would peddle him but don't have the cojones to say it out loud, there are decent sections of the fanbase that don't actually enjoy the support part of the fan experience.

Six points off 5th.

What are those expectations though? We're looking at a poor run of form at the moment, unless you're playing for the title, it happens.