SteV

They’ll just play Endo. I mean it’s definitely better for us if it’s him rather than Konate or Gomez, but he’s played there a few times before, so I wouldn’t class it as a massive game changer. If something were also to happen to Van Dijk mind…

An early leaver admission - they’ll be coming for you with the pitch folks…. Out of interest, did you leave early at the Leeds game? If so, do you regret it? Did it make you reconsider before leaving early on Sunday, for example (although admittedly there was a very different feel to the likelihood of us getting back into those two games).

He’s probably bang on for Dycheball in all fairness.

And one who, as usual, was too knackered to run around after an hour or so, but was still probably a better option than Falkirk’s Ben Parkinson.

Think there’s about as much chance of Eddie playing two keepers as there is of him playing two forwards in this particular game.

A reminder of our bench the last time we pitched up here and were one minute and one idiotic refereeing decision from winning: Dubravka Karius Hall Dummett Huntley Ndiweni Parkinson Anything is possible.

Ramsey was linked to us at least 18 months before he signed. Elanga at least 12 months. If anything, they’ve arguably been scouted more. Certainly more than Woltemade, given he’d actually played very little football (in comparative terms) to scout.

Pretty sure if anyone turns Liverpool round so they kick to the Kop first half, it gets booed.

I dare say if we’d offered Wolves the fee we paid for Woltemade, they’d have took it. But despite our “obsession”, we went for the non-PL proven player.

Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t, but if we’re obsessed with PL-proven, why didn’t we panic buy from a PL team?

Thiaw no, Woltemade perhaps. Although we were in for Pedro before dickhead chucked his toys out the pram, so it was completely different dynamic. But, regardless, that isn’t really the point. If we’re “obsessed” with buying PL-proven players, spending £100m on players from the Bundesliga is an odd way to show it.

So is the “obsession” only for first choice players?

We just spent ~£65m on a German playing in the Bundesliga.

Sounds like he passed on us, according to that. Although I suppose you could argue us not being prepared to go to the wages he wanted, was effectively us passing on him.

https://x.com/theathleticfc/status/2015737982540521655?s=46&t=OQLMckSuatbpqWF13Al4mQ

Speaking of ball-striking - did anyone else see the lad taking the half time challenge today? Don’t think I’ve ever seen an adult so incapable of kicking a football.

Until Osula actually came on, and then we’d all remember… *I mean actually, in hindsight, having a bit of chaos in the last 10 mins might have been beneficial, but ultimately, Osula’s faults are generally the same as Elanga’s, but worse.

I’d say that his last two performances have been a step in the right direction in terms of he looks a bit more confident, and really trying to effect the game. We obviously still need much, much more from him, and the quality still isn’t there, but small steps and all that.

Seemed to struggle with Watkins movement the first 20 mins or so, but sorted it out and had him relatively under control from that point. Obviously he scored at the end, but don’t think that was a slight on Botman.

I dunno, the way he spoke about him in pressers definitely seemed to change fairly dramatically at one point, like something had happened.

Probably the biggest mystery of the Howe era - what he did, or didn’t do, for Eddie to cut him off so emphatically.

Or we actually wanted two different types of strikers to give us different options.

Offered out a bloke holding a small child.

Tommy Wank got to be on the brink.