Abacus

Just enjoying the probability chat.

TAA a liability so far - Man U deserve to be ahead - good finish

Conditions look horrible, but regardless this desperately needs something to spark it to life.

Hoping for Ipswich to beat Fulham first of all. The top 3-8 are madly congested, so could do without Fulham in that mix as well. Oh and also for Ipswich to gain a few points on Man U and Spurs, see if they start to panic at teams below them picking up points. Not that there's any chance of either team being in any real danger - just want them to feel a bit of the creeping fear we had for years. Because I am very petty.

We're on for this now. If you're supporting a different team, you don't want us hunting you down. Not sure anyone at all will want to play us at SJP.

Got away with another away win there, you're right. He'll need the odd bang on the knee as an ACL isn't an impact injury so it'll do his confidence the world of good to know his muscles have strengthened, and he can twist and turn through a whole game as well. Sorry if that ruins your night.

He took a bit of a hit, then rubbed his knee which had me wincing, I'll admit - me more than him, mind. Thought he's been really good for someone that should be rusty at this level. Huge player for the rest of the season

Agreed. But don't forget to ask questions.

Then there's only one man with the experience for the job. The only system-less manager still left in the game who therefore won't fall into the Amorim trap by worrying about all them tictacs and what have you. Knows the club like the back of his ham as well.

Nah, the alarm bells will have been disconnected to save on the leccy

True, but I also think they don't have experience of just how bad you need to be to get relegated. It would be quite the feather in Sir Jim's cap if he somehow against all odds managed it though.

Had a quick look at a Man U forum last night for a chuckle and a lot of the knee jerk reactions were about the danger of sleepwalking into a relegation battle, doubts about Ineos etc. A defeat always brings out the pessimists where the world is ending on any forum, so that's all taken with a hefty shovel of salt, since there is no chance of them being relegated or even close. After an expected loss to Liverpool though, the pressure to then beat Southampton would become pretty big. Not because they'd be in any real danger still, but more how the club, players and some fans might react if they somehow lost that one. Any daft early sacking of Amorim would hugely undermine Berrada too. Ah well, enough of this, back to my team.

Indeed, one of the managers Ashworth apparently recommended and which then promptly got him sacked.

Pretty straightforward. Now Spurs

Haha Zirkzee off, commentators crying

How the hell is this not more?

Radcliffe to sub himself on at half time, and sack the bloke that cuts the oranges up

We want ten!

Neville sounding gutted already

Whoop!

I admire this kind of commitment.

Think I'll avoid any taunting till after Monday night. If we do win, then I'll treat myself for ten minutes, before immediately starting to worry about how we could step on a rake against someone else.

Agree with this. First goal is huge, but it also just takes a dodgy sending off or moment of luck to change things for either side. I'll be over the moon if we beat them, but it is one of the few seasons I'll have gone into this one more in hope than fear. So, hopefully we turn up properly. But if it does go wrong, I'd trust Howe to get us back on track afterwards - never had more faith in a manager since ... erm ... nope, I've got nothing.

And I agree with this. But I also think he has been parachuted in at the wrong time to do something he doesn't have the resources or time to do, given expectations. The ten Hag dithering and taking Ashworth without seemingly knowing what he does suggests a club that isn't sure what to do. None of that's on Amorim, which I guess your real fans understand also.

It's something your manager has said - too many games to be able to change things, no time to train between games to get players up to speed or play a new system. No argument there with Europe an active disadvantage, not that I wouldn't love to be in it. He's also come in with no pre-season and a squad he didn't buy or train, plus a DOF who has been sacked so no support in a new league to him, in probably the most pressured football role in the world. Think Amorim needs a break from criticism really. Don't like watching him looking lost even though he's telling the truth, but he does come across as being beaten. But then as you say I do also think those quotes are being used with malice in the press to create headlines / a narrative. Headline in the paper a couple of days ago was saying his aim was survival - I don't think he meant in the league, I think he was talking game by game, but the article left that hanging. Yet far more importantly, what has the 'takeover' actually changed for Man U? I'd chortle harder if we hadn't seen it at our club. Don't know how the owner situation has improved things for Man U and I think that has an effect right through a club.