Scotch

Since the 18/19 season he's CONSISTENTLY missed at least 20 games per season through injury. 56 games in the last 2 through his hamstring alone. I like Tierney but Seagrave would kill him.

What's to stop them buying an entire squad to play in this breakaway league? If there are enough fixtures and money in it then they could register 2 separate squads and play back to back nights if they want to... I'm not sure if it'll happen but if it doesn't, it won't be because of the FA, it'll be because of the fans.

That doesn't make any sense though. The super league was never suggested to take over from their league place. It would run alongside it, in place of the Champions league. The would still be in the PL so still subject to its rules.

No one is against having academy players in the squad. Idealy we would have a starting 11 of them. I just won't make excuses for a player BECAUSE he's an academy player! If it was a young boy with room to improve, I could see why you would be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt but he's 27 and hasn't improved in any way since he broke through.

All your points are only valid if the player is actually GOOD ENOUGH though... Versatile players are good to have but that's assuming they can do a job in multiple positions, he can't do a job in one! Having academy players in your team is ideal but not if they aren't good enough. He's cost is less than most but still more than he's worth because.... ....HE'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Ruud COULD be playing it coy with Winks' recovery and he and Skipp will play, but I doubt it. He COULD thrust one of the youngsters in beside Skipp like Golding or Cartright but again I doubt it. ...chances are, it'll be Skipp and Hamza and if you don't dominate that CM pairing you're club should be folded and the name Newcastle United forever forbidden to be uttered again.

A CDM getting 3 goals and 2 assists in 8 games is pretty impressive, granted it's in the reserves.

The benefit of that type of run early in the year though is that, if you can stay within touching distance of safety, you know you have a run towards the end of the season where you can put a good run of wins together, especially if you add a new manager in to that and the momentum that can carry.

So we hoping for a draw tonight then?

I think, who comes in will probably depend on who goes out. We need someone in almost every position but are pretty full in all of them. Yes, we need a LB but have Thomas and VK so will probably need Thomas to go. Same with RB and maybe JJ or Ricarso going. Hamza would prob need to go for a CM to come in and maybe french Eddy's loan being terminated for a striker. But I would say, even if no-one left, it would prob be a LB and a winger as priorities.

Crap with attitude issues. Absolutely not.

It's purely a case of praising one of our players after good performances the same way we criticised him after bad ones. It's called being a reasonable person with a balanced opinion that they are willing to change depending on the information they have.

My main worry with Ayew is that he kills counter attacks stone dead. Always looking to turn back and keep possession but all our joy against WH came from quick transitions.

The problem for me is that Mcateer and JJ just didn't seem to click on the same side. Both were more effective when Kasey moved to the left but we have more players who can play on the left than the right. Mav, Bilal, Alves etc so he might just need to go there.

That in itself is a defensive weakness. New back-line who just conceded 3 against Fulham.

I'm not sure about that. They are bottom half of the table in terms of goals against. Conceding 20 in 14 games.

This will all depend on what defence can hold out. Both teams can score but both are gash at the back so hopefully Ruud having a wee bit more time has patched that up a little.

They've also beaten Man City, Spurs and Newcastle recently too. I'm not saying it's not possible, I'm saying I would be content with a point.

I would take a point all day long.

I thought it wasn't perfect but a massive improvement. The defence just about held it together. Stayed as a unit and got protected by the players in front. The transition to quick attacks needs a lot of work but it's what we've been wanting and with players like Bilal and Facundu who have that ability to unlock a defense, we have a chance. Lock it up at the back and take our chances when we get them from counters is solid gameplan to start with.

That's one way to look at it. I personally feel that the more you get him out of position, the worse his positioning will be when the opposition transitions. Give him less responsibility and hope that it's fewer oppertunity to mess it up.

I definitely see it.... On the ball.... Mads JJ. Coady. Vesty Bouba. Wilf Facundu. Bilal. Mcateer. Victor Vardy ....or JJ will push up and Facundu will drift in. Basically what he done at PSV.

I wonder If we will see VK push up into the winger position and JJ sit back in the three, allowing whoever is playing LW to drift inside.

The guy couldn't cut it managing in Cyprus, his opinion is worth no more than a random punter off the streets.

That's how Enzo achieved that shape but Van Nistelroy usually achieves the same shape in a different way. Instead of having the RB move into the CM role, he would have him move to the RW position with the RWer move in beside the 10 to complete the box alongside the two deeper midfielders. Where Enzo's way probably is more suitable to the defenders we have now, I think Ruuds way would suit the attacking players more with Facundu tucking in alongside Bilal. The only question would be, who plays that RB role?