Abacus

It's not even a project at this stage, more of a hobby.

Or, Bruno doesn't start. Or, Bruno does and handed it over for a game. And Trippier too in that case, as he's new vice captain. Or it's just a mistake

Really want to see him play even once to see him in action. Just me, then.

I've gone through the phases of being excited about this rumour, to being bored by it, and now I'm coming around to being amused. Just waiting to see how the sky falls in, both whether we sign him or whether we don't.

Then again, hard to draw too much out of two early season games, one away, where we've walked away with 4 points.

I thought this, at times. But then, the whole team looked a bit listless and so hard to single him out - probably I was looking a bit too much into it after all the Liverpool speculation / Euros stuff.

Peter Walton thinks it was a red for Joelinton. But he also thinks it's a good thing he wasn't sent off, since it was a subjective decision where VAR were right not to intervene. So, well done refs. Also thinks the goal should have stood as he couldn't see clear evidence that the ball hit his arm and VAR should only intervene in this case if it was a factual decision. But, however, that if VAR did think it's a handball, then it has to intervene and rule out the goal. Well done refs again. Hope that's cleared everything up. That's former PL ref Peter Walton folks. Confusing subjectivity with facts and finding ways to agree with referees even when he thinks they're wrong because he often was himself, since 2003.

I'm not sure if that deal will happen. We are extremely light at CB, as well as at RW and it's a toss up for me as to which is more pressing. But personally, I'd rather overspend on both a CB and a RW, and probably a keeper too, in the full knowledge that we'd have to sell one of our better players by next June at least, however unpopular that might be. Better to be in Europe by then, so we could attract a good replacement, than to not be in and lose our better players anyway, and possibly the manager too.

Seems a bit of a rough deal for Mitchell being brought in for recruitment and then having little to spend. His skill was supposed to be in unearthing hidden talent, which is great long term and perfect for us. A few of these youngsters we've brought in could be very exciting, in time. It's just that for the here and now, there's also pressure to get back into Europe asap as that's our target and we have some obvious holes in the first team, as well as most of a league that see us as a threat and determined not to deal with or to unsettle us. Ah well, let's see how it plays out. Looking forward to seeing how Tonali fits in, quite happy with our back up striker and pretty sure we'll strengthen in at least one key area.

I thought the same. It was a marginal handball, but it was one. Just. If they're on one hand showing the rulebook and that VAR then corrects a factual error like a marginal offside, also in that case without asking the ref to look again, then that's how it's supposed to be used.

Not a great game - we played OK in parts, but haven't really clicked into gear yet and so in general I'm pleased with the points on the board so far. I do think a lot of our problems start at the back. Defence sat a lot further back when Dubravka was playing last season, with no Pope to come out and sweep up and so we lost a lot of our previous shape. Even with him back, I don't see us pushing much further forward and I think that may be due to the personnel playing in the back 4. Which is why I think a comfortable ball playing CB is the most important position to strengthen in - for cover, and for the balance of the team. RW would be great too obviously, but that would be my order of upgrading.

Good skill by Isak there

How's that going to cheer them up? Let's get these beat, and then they'll go away and complain somewhere else instead.

This writer is Alyson Rudd, a Liverpool supporter who has been complaining about the Saudi takeover since the start, written innumerable similar articles wishing bad luck on NUFC, and some of the most dreadful and biased match reports every time she covers us, frequently barely touching on the match at all in a way that makes sense to anyone who actually watched it, and preferring to talk about PIF instead. Quite frankly, you can ignore her articles for what they are.

Could have done with a better defender. Derisory.

He has been tremendous for us. I mean, absolutely immense at times. If he really wants to go, however, I think he's earnt the right to. This might not be the right answer for club finances but I'm sick of thinking about those. I'd be inclined to let him go with a nominal fee and with best wishes. Which is also why I should never run a football club, you may correctly argue.

You're both wasting a fortune. I've simply stayed in the UK but wound my watch forward 3 hours.

Or, if true, it could be to soften their fans up for a sale.

It's going to busy last week and a bit - Chelsea are going to have to move on a lot of players, so hopefully that kicks the market into life

Not sure if the recent silence re Guehi is a good thing or not, but I'm tending to think it is. We haven't tended to give up on our reported targets in the past and if we haven't in this case then I'd prefer no noise about it. I'll still be delighted if we get him, at whatever price the club thinks is right.

Well, then, I've probably gotten it completely wrong. Just my take at the time. What was yours?

Well then, here's one. I'm not convinced about Eales. I think we've lost something with Staveley going, but aside from that I keep going back to that soft soap documentary where they were all filmed talking about how the amount of money spent makes you successful. When challenged on this he deflected and said we had a secret weapon in Howe, who could make us overperform, or words to that effect. It felt to me like the manager was being thrown under the bus there. I do not think it is a viable strategy to buy anyone you can afford and then just expect Howe to turn them all into world-beaters. And then after that, I didn't expect Eales to recently come out and say that he could concentrate on what he's good at, i.e. training players on the pitch, instead of being a key part of decision making, which he was before. Then again, I've had a pint and been watching traitors on here, so my threat sensors are probably still on high alert. As for transfers, let's buy whoever Mitchell scouts if that's our system now. I've no doubt the club are trying their best on this, so I'll wet the sheets if and only if the confetti goes out of date.

Correction to what I previously said about a negative article - it was Martin Hardy and I've mixed them up.

I enjoyed watching Parish and his daft Falloutout Boy hair clearly lying in his body language when first asked the question about the bid.

If Schar knew the whistle had gone, he wouldn't have cared less by later being barged over (another foul anyway) and so wouldn't have reacted like that. Whether you agree with the sending off or not, this is all on the ref for making a mess and losing control of the game.