Dan

I say it as a big admirer of Bloom but I did not get that Rutter business. Something very odd about that signing. There's no way I'd swap Buonanotte to get him on loan. I give us very little chance of a permanent deal unless we break our record - something I actually don't think I'd be against on early evidence. But it is early evidence.

As a side note everybody should go to the San Siro at some point if they can. Been meaning to do it a while and it lived up to the hype. Fantastic place to watch football even if my view was a bit crap.

Went to a couple of games in Italy over the weekend and it is a reminder of how bad it truly is in this country. These games were two big clubs at home to two middling clubs (Inter v Torino, Juventus v Cagliari) so probably the equivalent here of Arsenal v West Ham and Manchester United v Bournemouth. I was nearish to the Torino end. I specifically picked those comparison teams as it's a fairly local game - an hour or so on the train. Torino brought 2-3k fans, extremely loud, louder than basically anything I've heard away at Leicester. Inter was a bit more up and down but always something going on, capable of the whole ground going when it wanted to. I think where it really hit me how accustomed to excuses we are though was Cagliari's support at Juventus. So Cagliari is in Sardinia, a flight to every away game for them. I was expecting them to bring virtually zero but they did manage a couple of hundred. But the away end at Juventus is horrible - a tiny wedge where you're going to really struggle to get much going. See below. Yet I heard Cagliari's end more than I hear the vast majority of away ends at Leicester. Forget the excuses about acoustics, people just aren't singing. If people were singing, you would hear them. If that Cagliari end can make itself heard there, nobody honestly has an excuse. It's not news that its bad here compared to abroad but every now and then seeing games abroad reminds me of how bad the state of things have actually gotten in this country. It's depressing.

Wasn't enthused by the signing. Seen very little to change my mind yet.

Want 7 points from the next 3. Will only accept drawing this if we beat Forest and Ipswich. But this is the easiest fixture by a way - they're absolutely dire. It's a good job that they lost at Arsenal without it being humiliating for them. That's the outcome that hurts them most - keeps Martin in the job but ultimately yields nothing. Was dreading them sacking him before this game.

We've actually looked OK from what I've seen. Just don't go stupidly defensive and cave.

At this point I don't think there can even be any debate about what they're even trying to do. It's beyond incompetence, it's pure contempt.

All it's ever been about. The price you pay for not being able to be bought.

It's such a dead club isn't it. Just sad how little I feel for it anymore.

They're going to get thumped at Arsenal and sack him before they play us aren't they ffs.

Should be empty. We'll take 3k though.

Martin is truly awful. Potential worst of all time levels.

Stolarczyk isn't bad. Barely put a foot wrong himself. Hermansen might really be elite though.

Haha

He is our trump card over pretty much anybody involved. Even if he's sold in a year he might be the difference. A player who had zero Premier League experience before this season. Just saying.

Think in a way that's the most damaging game that could've played out. Statistically and with the way the match played out we lose that by 3+ 9 times out of 10, but we've ended up still losing the game anyway and created a bit of an illusion that we've played well. Our goalkeeper getting man of the match in a game we let in 4 goals is quite telling. There is fight in this team which you had a bit of a worry about a week ago, but if I'd seen Southampton or Ipswich on the end of that yesterday I'd be quite encouraged to be honest being that hammered. Refereeing does deserve a mention though.

We have less dangerous attacks than they have goals. Genuinely San Marino levels on show.

Can she teach some of our first team?

I know there's an instinct to be self-critical but I really think for the size of the league virtually everything to do with officiating in this league is embarrassing. Crap standard, VAR a complete farce and now they're delaying something which is ridiculous to bring in midseason anyway.

Takes penalty vs Daniel Ward

If Ward sees a minute in the league I'm not going. I can't process that we'd actually be that insane.

Something does seem very off, like beyond us being bad.

If you look closely in this video you can see eleven pitch invaders at one time. They're the ones in blue shirts.

Bertrand vibes.

Obviously lose at Arsenal. Bournemouth we'll spawn an undeserved draw and somehow end up rising up the table on course for about 15 points. Southampton another draw with a comedically bad level of football on offer. Eritage brings us victory over Forest. But we're losing at Ipswich. Season's going almost exactly how I expected it to so far.