Dan

Looks at a glance to me like we've sold about a thousand.

He probably is on the whole - he's never going to get credit given who we are. The proof will really be there next season but he's created a winning machine here. He's outperformed the most comparable clubs to us.

I'd be so intrigued to know where he genuinely sees our ceiling. I think there'll be a narrative knocking expectation down a bit next season but I think he'll want to aim higher.

Very torn on this. His passing is probably a bit underrated - it's good by even PL standards for me. It does point again to a lack of money. But I think it's quite plausible he looks a bit out of his depth in the PL, even if I do have to say he'd only ever been here during Rodgers' disinterested phase for us so it wasn't easy for any CB. I'd have one year with an option for another if we're going to give him a deal but I think we'll end up giving a minimum of two knowing us.

Fantastic idea not selling him to Monaco the other year.

He's earned a crack at the PL. I like him.

6 goals conceded in 2 games to bottom half sides. I've seen this script before.

The clappers have always been awful. Even when people talk of how good it was 2015 time the caveat is they were a part of it. I will concede that they got more people involved but they just supplemented the general laziness. We never get a large part of the ground actually sing anything.

Think I agree on WBA. I think if they face Ipswich in the semis they'll knock them out.

I saw a photo of him yesterday with that Tango the Wednesday fan. Jobber honestly looks more like Caballero than he does Jobber. It's mental.

First half probably the best we've played at home all season. Second half was a shame that we didn't really go for the throat. Another win though and probably even more importantly a Southampton loss, as you'd have probably had the top three down as all winning again tonight. I think the points record has to be the aim. 29 points from 14 games needed. I think that's well attainable.

I just think the fact they sold two extremely good players, frankly, two easily PL level players and one of which might even be an elite player in Gyokeres, yet they look every bit as good as last season means they're likely to get there. I do agree with your general point about building though - I think it's an easy trap to fall into. Villa weren't 'building' under Gerrard. They replaced their bad manager with a good one and almost overnight went from a relegation battler to a Champions League battler. I'm not sure the gap is ever quite as massive as made out.

It was probably too hard for them to achieve this but what I liked about what we used to do was only sell one key player at a time, while they sold both of theirs. And for all I do rate their recruitment, Simms for what they paid has been a huge dud.

It's why I'm pretty sure their promotion is when rather than if. I think this year the three who came down are a bit too good for them but I can see them getting maybe even autos next year.

Got a bad feeling for tomorrow night. It's even worse than usual midweek here and they'll bring one of the best ends of the season despite being utter rubbish. Hope we respond for once.

To be fair Liverpool were virtually flawless. They looked untouchable for someone like us. I still couldn't believe quite how badly we tailed off though - we demonstrated a seriously low floor that season towards the end which did concern me going forward. So it sort of proved.

I don't even think the error was a result of the tactics really. It was just a really shit pass. There's no long term concern in that goal for me. It happens and we've not paid the price for it.

My memory of it was we were hit and miss while generally getting the results up until the Southampton game and then excellent after it for a while, bit it all seemed to go bang against Norwich. It isn't to say there weren't good games in the 'average' spell. Spurs was a weird game. We got a bit fortunate with an offside but turned it brilliantly on its head afterwards. Newcastle we absolutely battered.

We're a bigger scalp than Leeds in 2024. The novelty dies off when you've had about 15 cracks at it. Maybe not for teams in Yorkshire but I think given our recent success we at this point would be a bigger scalp.

Two really good bits of play to go with another goal and another couple with him on the pitch. I rate Maresca for doing with Daka - it clearly wasn't his first choice and he's been won around.

This is also true - and then later in the season started underperforming it so we levelled out. 2019/20 was basically just one brilliant run of 9 games. We were pretty average otherwise.

They had chances to be fair, probably being unfair on them - think it was a game where either a narrow away win or a draw wasn't unfair. The goal definitely swung things a bit. I thought we'd go on to get 3/4 again after our 2nd but we gifted them a goal. We've definitely played better games though.

It's the fact we've played a top half side away, not been at our best yet only a big error from us has stopped it being a pretty comfortable routine win. The sort of fixture that Saints and Leeds aren't winning at quite the rate we are. It's the difference. Was absolutely not a vintage performance but we deserved the win. Fully expect us to win the next two as well.

2/3-0 I think. Can see the atmosphere thread getting a bump or two after this.

I think Leeds / Saints form is likely to keep us focused. For how many points we have we really ought to be about 18-20 clear of 3rd and I'm not exaggerating. I'd favour us to get the record now. We're too good against anybody below about 10th.