Lush Vlad

Shut up you Real Madrid fan boy bitch. But yeah. Looked like a pen.

Looked like a pen for Benfica that.

Good signing for Ipswich that. Still think they’ll go down. But they’ve spent a bit and got a couple in on loan trying to stop up.

Quick turnover with Lille losing it. But thought he was in no man’s land for the first. Pope and Dubravka would be getting some stick for that on here, I reckon.

Double Desmond

What was matey in the crowd doing?! Trying to take his jacket and top off at the same time and got it stuck on his head

Barca’s high line worse than Spurs’ and Villa’s combined.

Depends what it’s for, I guess. 3 game ban, then yes. Not sure when the next round of the FA Cup is, should we manage to get past Birmingham (and Arsenal in the League Cup) and whether that would be before the final.

The cup game in Feb or the league game in May?

It’s the yellow card ban that is the worry, for me. No Big Joe for any of the games in that horrendous looking 3 game stretch would be brutal. I do also think he seems to just play every game he’s available. Often looking like or having it confirmed that he is playing through injuries and niggles.

Certainly not a regular viewer. But Joao Gomes usually looks good when I watch them. The 8 stands out, anyway. I think Andre wears 7.

Doesn’t sound like Pope is necessarily back in the squad this weekend. So not surprised they have wanted to get him to hang around. Especially if we are not getting any PSR benefit and he is happy to stay.

Is that a Slytherin/Voldemort reference?

Posted this in the main transfers thread. I think he'd be a good signing if he's still available and the asking price isn't daft:

He was for a while and even had a couple of games wide in the 3, I believe? But I think he is usually in the 2 behind Elanga, Gibbs-White and Hudson-Odoi, now. I'm quite surprised he has done so well in that position. Looks really accomplished playing there for Forest and an all round player. I always thought he was a bit lacking when he played in our midfield and seemed positionless in Howe's team. Not that I wanted to sell him, of course and he has certainly kicked on now he is getting a run of regular games.

I know Howe isn’t the sort to look past the next game. Nor should he. But I do wonder if this Southampton game would be a good time to have Big Joe start on the bench? 8 yellows already and looks odds on for one every game. 2 more league games before that difficult, to say the least, run of City, Forest and Liverpool. If he missed any of those, I think we’d struggle even more in those. Forest to stop breakways and counters. The other 2 his off the ball work will be needed. I also think he does get spells where he starts to look a bit jaded. As he has regularly played through niggles and knocks since Howe came in. Plus when he is fit, he seems to always start every game.

2 wins in 10 league games? City and Southampton? Not exactly convincing performances, either.

Is McAtee still available from City? If we were to get 2-3 out this month. He could be a good signing. Perhaps not the elite player we all want at RW to take us to the next level. But covers a few positions, could come straight in and contribute due to having PL experience and would give us options wide and in midfield. A lefty, too. Going to need more of a squad to rely on and some blurred lines between staters and back ups. The drop off between our XI and bench players bar one or two is so noticeable and is actually becoming a bit of an issue. We have a lot of senior players. Plenty who are on decent contracts by our standards and I don’t think they are contributing.

I’d say that’s a bit snide from the interviewer. But Ange is always such a tosser to the media pre and post match. I say he’s fair game.

Get Muric back in nets.

So we’ve heard €12m and we want €18-20m. But now we’re back to 30?

“Brought down deliciously by Foden.” Drury is such a creep man.

Well that’s that then.

Foden back in a bit of form all of a sudden. City will probably go on to rack up the score now. But they’ve enjoyed chucking leads away all season. So there’s a bit of hope, at least.

I think the last two games will have given them confidence. Better side for an hour at Old Trafford. Piling pressure on at the end today and sounded unlucky not to get a third. If we are back to our counter attacking best and the press works when we decide to go with it. I think we’ll get plenty of chances ourselves, at least.