BlazeT44

He's also been given the privilege of spending hundreds of millions (20 years ago!) and given the time to get results. Take Chelsea for example, from 03 (just prior to Mourinho in 04) to 07 (the season he left), they spent silly money in comparison to their rivals. They bought: Glen Johnson, Geremi, Wayne Bridge, Damien Duff, Joe Cole, Juan Sebastián Verón, Adrian Mutu, Alexey Smertin, Hernán Crespo, Claude Makélélé, Scott Parker, Paulo Ferreira, Petr Čech, Arjen Robben, Mateja Kežman, Didier Drogba, Tiago, Ricardo Carvalho, Asier del Horno, Lassana Diarra, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Michael Essien, Michael Ballack, Salomon Kalou, Andriy Shevchenko, John Obi Mikel, Khalid Boulahrouz and Ashley Cole. We have spent no way near that on the depth of our squad.

Quite simply I love Eddie Howe and all he stands for. He's taken me back to the 90s and being a silly kid who dares to dream. What a fantastic two years it's been. Champions League, top 4 finish and a cup final. He handles everything with such class and dignity. Puts the squad before him and protects the players. The players clearly love him. His teams, by and large, play great football. Can't think of anyone who is more of a "polar opposite' of Howe, than Mourinho.

Twitter still a cesspit for cretins, I see. Disgusting. Every fan base has it's idiots.

Almost warrants another meet up at Liberty rooms...

Is the clock stuck or something? Kinhell...

This is close to my favourite XI. Can I play Gutierrez out of position at Left Back, instead of Enrique? Speed might just edge Tiote...

And my favourite. I absolutely loved the guy. Gave everything every time he played for us.

Soon as he had to play 3 games back to back in a week, he's crocked. Playing 30 minutes every game, 2-3 times a week is where he is. He's extremely useful as an impact sub. But we need 3 forwards so he isn't in a position where he has to play 2 90 minutes in a week. He's either picks up an injury or looks like he's running through treacle.

Thanks for the explanation. Couldn't remember the deal with Lampard and if it was similar Don't think we should go for Neves and give the media/other clubs an easy out. I'd laugh hard if we're just shaking the tree and laughing, as others suggested.

Not that I'm arsed either way, but RE: the whole thing about the league vetoing our supposed move for Neves... Didn't Man City 'get away' with the exact same thing with Frank Lampard from NY... Or am I making this up?

The guy is performing miracles. No Botman, Burn, Murphy, Barnes, Tonali, Isak, Anderson, Bruno (now suspended), Miley, Manquillo, Targett... In all competitions and performing well.

Think he trusts Ritchie more at RW who he knows has 15 mins in him, than trusting a young lad at LB in this type of game.

Jacob Murphy. Epitomises everything we're about as a club. He knew that there was every chance of that happening, heavily bandaged, and still wanted to be involved. Distraught to be coming off, too. We've got a set of lads now who give us everything. Gutted for him.

Can we throw Tonali on for the last 10? His ban is only for competitive football

The "recovery time" is 4-6 weeks, but I can say from my personal experience it took months to feel 'normal'

Miley has glandular fever. It's real nasty, knocks you for months.

The thought of us winning the group

I was looking for the 3 hands and 6 feet as the dead giveaway

Fantastic footballer and a legend of the game. RIP Bobby

I think the Italian FA will be harder on him than the English FA were on Toney (who bet on his own team). I think it will be somewhere between 10-12 months, after you subtract any reduction for pleading guilty.

Yep, but playing a much different and more restricted role for England. Doesn't seem to want to get up the pitch.

How rashford still gets a game I don't know... Surely Grealish, Gordon etc are better options..

You're correct but wrong at the same time Right that playing the ball doesn't come into it, but attempting to play it actually does..

Not a red, under DOGSO (Law 12) Where a player commits an offence against an opponent within their own penalty area which denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned if the offence was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball; in all other circumstances (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball etc.), the offending player must be sent off. Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by a handball offence, the player is sent off wherever the offence occurs (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area).