Abacus

Arsenal were brilliant and deservedly won, with crisp, confident passing as if they had a point to prove after Porto and the last game at SJP, even though they really didn't re us since Havertz should have been sent off in that game even before the correct VAR decision to allow our goal. But I have to agree about the ref. Even though there were no individually contentious decisions, Bruno took multiple tackles from different players clearly knowing he was on a yellow card ban and couldn't respond. Credit to Bruno for not reacting except for one dicey moment. On the plus side, what I will credit the ref for is having the ball smack off the back of his head to accidentally prevent a promising Arsenal attack in the second half - he was the midfield defence we didn't have.

No card for Bruno either (again)

The Discovery+ QR code just now blocking a chunk of the screen has been our best player so far. More please.

Agreed bobbydazzla it's got to be a great project to join, but I'd equally hope that a clued up DOF would know this already and would be pitching to us.

I hope they go all the way up to Beale's sacking, and close the episode with the EastEnders theme tune.

I'm back and forward on this, if he's fit enough to train I'd rather have him on the bench even if the game is gone for a possible run out, like you say. Treat it like a training match. Maybe not as much as 20 mins, but still, better than having someone else on the bench we won't use in any case and so who wouldn't get any minutes anyway.

Looking forward to when they play next, in order to watch Ratcliffe charge onto the pitch and head it into his own net.

I can't recall exactly, but when we settled compensation with Brighton wasn't that also to shorten the period of gardening leave he was on? By the way if I have to say gardening leave one more time, I'll be convinced this whole thing is an elaborate advertising ploy for Dobbies.

You seem downcast by the model, and all banter aside have argued your points like a genuine fan. This is not a trap I agree with the bandit in that Cooper is someone who'd be good and also deserves a chance, but if you're going to go that way he'd need to be able to negotiate his own terms. Seems like Speakman is skating on thin ice with the fan base from what little I know, so maybe he'd get that. Edit, I hope not and that it all goes terribly wrong for many future laughs, but you'll know by now that's obligatory.

You're alright Teddy. Any thoughts on who you should go for?

Really want that Just Stop Oil protestor and the bloke with the comedy pliars to come on now for the encore.

Great strike. Now I'm going to have to take it all back

He is indeed. I don't mind him and to be fair he's had nothing to work with. At least they got to advertise True Detective as well in the break which looks alright, so maybe this game isn't a complete write off.

Jesse Marsch excitedly explaining how "this is vertical football" at halftime. I'm flipping horizontal watching this so far.

If they don't settle a huge compensation fee, I would be demanding daily before and after pictures of his garden.

The minute Howe came out talking about why longevity in a role was important in a role like that was the minute Dan Ashhole was toast imo, and rightly so. Once again, Eddie had it right. I hope he has the staying power to ignore the snakepits and do what's right for our club - he's Keegan again.

And from this, Ashworth might now be a mole

Haha, sounds like Eddie has moved on fast. Once again, he's the real spokesman for the club.

Won't believe it till he's gone.

Based on what's in the papers, he has a friendship with Brailsford, who will have a position on the new Man U board once Ratcliffe's part ownership is confirmed. That being the case, I'm all for him leaving anyway. The danger is that he'll know our plans, our targets, our limitations, our FFP strategies, who we want to sell etc etc. We did exactly the same to Brighton, mind, so need to roll with it. All in all, I'm a bit sick of football politics as I'm sure everyone is. I'm sure it was always like this, but you do with you could just enjoy the games and not care less.

Well, I've no idea of his actual role in transfers, but on the basis that if we're blaming him for Tonali you've also got to credit him for the Wood and Shelvey transfers, which were both pretty good for us at the time. Just hoping that if he goes, we get in a shrewd character to replace him. (NB I nearly said shrewd operator, but then couldn't get Sade out of my mind)

I'm pretty sure it's 2.

I would guess because if they were forced to, that would amount to state intervention and funding of the club, when of course there are "legally binding assurances" that we are separate from the state. There aren't really any obvious workarounds to the rules we're complying with, unless the whole basis of those rules are challenged. Which would be... problematic. Not least as I can't really think what they'd be replaced with that both everyone would sign up to and would also stop the league just being dominated by other clubs than they are now, in a different sort of closed shop. FWIW, I think employing the best back office teams around, with owners willing to invest in that way in order to be able to challenge properly longer term is probably still our best strategy. As frustrating as it is right now.

Yes, I agree about the PSR bit - by coup I meant that he was seemingly highly valued and with a lot of potential for the future.

I think we were planning not to use the Jan window - and I suppose you can hardly blame them given that in the first part of the season we're in 3 competitions plus the Champions League. Not sure about the Hall transfer or when the obligation triggers, but at the time getting him initially on loan was a bit of a coup. Tonali is the real one that stings right now, but that one has been debated to death.