Stottie

Nearly a quarter of the season gone, and half the league have been struggling for goals. We're seventh without exactly banging them in, but our defence is good and we take good set pieces, so we are rocking the marginal gains. We'll see more goals as teams get found out and injuries take hold. I can't say I'm very impressed with the strikers playing for bottom half teams though.

We won't make it easy for them, but City are so capable on an individual level that a system alone will struggle to stop them. I can't see Blob not conceding at least once to 90 minutes of long-range City shooting either.

They have possession stats like ours, but they are conceding over 50% more shots, the worst in the league at it. They are relying on their keepers and their luck. Their lads lead the league in saves per game. They also have third lowest shots on target. They have been lucky to play Palace and Everton when both fixtures were very winnable. In short, I think this is a winnable game. If Everton or Leicester is available, Dyche might be wise to jump ship before the Burnley luck runs out and his rep takes a hit with it.

Huddersfield have 12 points off just seven goals scored in nine matches. They were promoted with a negative goal difference and by drawing all three playoff games. I keep expecting the points to dry up, but it hasn't happened. Maybe there is some magic there after all

It's only daft paper talk, but Townsend would be a Mark Hughes at Man City level transfer. With Rafa, we could skip that stage and get in much better players like those City got in later.

Ferk it, Alexis Sanchez on a Bosman.

Arsenal, Chelsea in the League Cup, and Leicester away up after that, so yeah it could be curtains for him pretty soon.

Good player, but not as good as Waddle or Beardsley, I thought. Even in his prime.

But it was him that masterminded their league win, not Ranieri, you know. Kevin Phillips said so. Indeed. Leicester have had a hard start this season, but weren't far off getting something out of the high scoring games with Arsenal and Liverpool. I'd have expected them to rise up the league as the season progresses. As with Ranieri, it's all a bit kneejerk. Plenty of potential for another backwards appointment to come.

I'd normally side with the weary skepticism displayed by nufc.com, but there have since been positive noises from Caulkin. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mike-ashley-puts-newcastle-united-up-for-quick-sale-v73tn8zvj (I'd love to read the rest if possible...) So perhaps the "Roll up! Roll up! Easy terms available!" wording is just another example of unprofessionalism and ineptitude, not quite the desperate appeal it sounds like.

I've always thought Gayle was good enough for the PL but I don't know if he can recover from that injury last season. fwiw, here's some great analysis about how strikers at promoted clubs fare in the next season. It's very rare for them to thrive, with Andy Carroll being the best example. Based on 32 players, the calculated drop in goals is 40%, which would make Gayle still useful in the PL if he can get fit. https://experimental361.com/2017/07/15/how-do-goalscorers-fare-after-their-team-is-promoted/

It was an idiotic challenge from Lejeune. The ball had clearly gone though, so if a pundit ever claims that might be a factor in a challenge not being a penalty, remember this incident where it wasn't treated as one.

FT. Decent enough result, but two points thrown away given the way the game played out. We gifted them their goals. We hit their woodwork and had one cleared off the line. Yedlin should have been off though. I think it was Bimpy who said Long was our bogey player before the game, and he got an absolutely nothing penna out of us. I think the last goal he got against us was the one where he walked it past Steven Taylor, that plank's last contribution before Rafa dropped him, but he managed it today against a seemingly much better player. Maybe there is a voodoo working some black magic there. Gayle came on with a knackered Shelvey at #10, a total hiding to nothing, so don't judge him on this. I would have liked to see more energy from Murphy, so maybe a kick up the arse is needed there. He looked lazy for a young lad who'd just been brought on. All in all, two points lost, but suck in up and move on.

Ah well, test of character this lads. Still there to be won.

My word, that was fistpumps level of bad. A total gift.

If we're going to stretch it, Gayle is the only hope.

Shelvey looks too knackered to play at the top of a diamond.

Yep, looks like Merino is coming on though.

Commentary hasn't mentioned it but I reckon Blob was worse than Forster there. Yedlin lucky there for sure. You can't do that any more.

YES AYOZE! Before that, shit goal, letting him get the shot off and the timber! dive from blob.

Winning, but a bit jittery and giving them the ball and freekicks easily. Tell em to calm down, give it 15, and stick Gayle and Merino on, I guess.

If that's Harry Redknapp, I bet their lot hate him too for his time at Pompey. If this is how you choose go-to pundits, they could have had Roy Hodgson and David Moyes on yesterday.

According to Transfermarkt, Gabbiadini has never played second striker for them. That sounds like a defensive CM pairing for them too.

In the last couple of seasons, yep. https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/shane-long/bilanzdetails/spieler/37304/gegner/762

A surprise, but Hayden's been all right this season. Hope he can impress. The little bit of Lejeune we saw was tasty, so lets see if he can pick up where he left off. Decent bench, but I'd have Mitro over Diame.