Mazzy

Had we drawn or lost against Everton the decision to bring Bruno into the team would be easy. With us winning and the performance being how it was has made it much harder. I'm not sure Howe will change the team aside from Targett.

Can see this having a few goals in it. Don't imagine we'll keep a clean sheet and I don't think Villa will either. 2-2 is my guess. Could go either way really.

Lose, lose situation for wingers and wide midfielders. They get far more stick than most for just doing what they are meant to be doing ie. Get past their man and provide assists. But if they don't do those things and just play it safe and pass sideways or backwards they then get labelled as boring or too defensively minded. I do think it just comes with the territory for these kinds of players and ofcourse any player will get more abuse when we aren't winning and the team isn't doing well. One thing is for certain, ASM is arguably the one player we have (Bruno aside) that ANY team in the Prem would take. He is as exciting as any player in the league and provides more entertainment for the supporters than most other players in our team combined. If he isn't still here in 3/4 seasons then I will be very disappointed.

I do agree that Shelvey is the obvious one to lose his place for Bruno to come in and the fact that Villa have a much more mobile and energetic midfield than Everton should suggest that we need Bruno in there. It all depends on Howe and if he feels Bruno is capable of fitting straight into the team and way he wants to play. Ideally you would have Bruno as a straight swap for Shelvey and have him playing as the deepest lying midfielder with Joelinton and Willock ahead.

I'm glad you're so certain. Let's see.

We need to average 1.5 points per game. That would end out season on 40 points basically. That requires us to be beating teams around us also. But as we've already mostly screwed that part up we need to be beating Everton and getting no less than a point against Villa.

It would be a tough call between Wood, ASM, Fraser and King, Dennis, Sarr in all honesty. I wouldn't swap ASM for any of them but as a front 3 I'm not sure which is better tbh.

Over the last 10 games we are 14th in the form table, gaining 10pts from those 10 games. We have a better squad now then we did for those last 10 so that gives me some hope. Everton is a big game as a win potentially takes us out of the bottom 3 and that would be a huge confidence boost for everyone.

Ridiculous how Doncaster have gone from promotion contenders last year to relegation certainties this one. Still beating Sunderland though!

No Alli or VDB in the Everton squad at all today.

Seen that Michael Ndiweni has seemingly been training with the first team all week. Anyone know much about him? Seems he's scored a fair few for the youth team but that doesn't always mean much. I'm guessing because we failed to get another Striker in Howe has chose to protect one from within.

Lincoln City beat Burnley 1-0 a few years back when they were Non League.

Rice has been the best players since he came on. He personally deserves that goal but West Ham definitely do not.

A few West Ham players looking Sunday league in that first half. Diop, Noble and whoever that number 33 was.

1-0 Trippier

I think that is a decent team but again I worry about having Joelinton in a midfield 2 even if we have 3/5 at the back. He's going to have to learn extremely quickly if that's where he'll be playing. I feel like he's being used in midfield as more of a stop gap. I doubt he'd have been playing there at all if Hayden wasn't injured. Edit: I'm not saying he hasn't been fantastic there btw, because he has been. It's just that it is a postion in which experience of said position is key.

I do think this could be his best position. Either playing as a wide midfielder in a midfield 4 or playing as a wide attacker in a front 3. He can do his defensive duties and press in both of those roles and neither would really rely on him scoring. Definitely wouldn't want to use him every week as part of a 2. He does a good job in a midfield 3 though but I don't think that'll be forever.

I think before the Norwich incident he was barely in the minds of most people barring complaining about why he was in the team. That red card against Norwich was the last straw for most (including me). Could easily be the difference between staying up this season or not.

Great to see the video of him meeting his teammates. I'm sure it will help having Joelinton there but also that he's not the only new kid here. I'm really pleased with the increased social media/video clips/official websites pieces since the takeover. It makes you feel like you're involved so much more with the club and the team.

100% no wheelie bins anymore. Not a chance Amanda is having any of that! This guy will be having his own private ice bath and cryo chamber installed at the training ground in no time.

A win and anything looks possible. Drags Everton into it as well which would be a huge bonus. Going to be far more difficult against these now though with a new manager and couple of decent players in.

What's the chance of him going to Turkey as some have reported? Can't see it myself but who knows. He's obviously happy just to stay a toss it off for a few months.

Not sure we'll ever see him play for us again.

Thank christ for that! Good decision made.

Just seen the short clip of training today. Got good vibes seeing him there, I reckon this could be a far far better signing than first thought. Should be able to go straight into the team alongside either Lascelles or Schar and instantly improve us.