Dan

This sort of proves my point on the last page though. Top of the league there are on 17 points. This season Preston in 3rd are on 20. We're on 24, Ipswich 22 (from 9, obviously now they've won again). Ipswich's form, 25 points from their opening 10 for a newly promoted side is frankly astonishing. Nothing but respect for McKenna.

Preston

They're getting no better under Ten Hag. They've been crap pretty much since the day of that 7-0 loss. 6 losses from their opening 10 games as well. English sides having a bad year in Europe so far.

I used to say it half jokingly but I'm increasingly thinking that it's scripted. Creative a narrative around X team and then give them every helping hand they can get. This is a league driven by image and reputation, it is no good for either of those things if Man City turn this into a Bayern / PSG situation which is getting nearer and nearer for what it's worth. It looks to me like Spurs are flavour of the month. Coincidentally Man City had an absolute howler decision against them at the weekend as well. I could be wrong but I'm baffled that people can watch this lack of professionalism week in, week out and yet be so convinced that there's no way there's anything dodgy going on.

Stand in the way of them watching the players come out.

He's better than I thought he'd be. I really like him.

Beat them 1-0 in the 95th minute game on!

I can somehow go one better than this. He manages PSG on mine. We're unbelievably unlucky. We'd be winning the league in literally any other season but they've somehow won 16 games in a row. We play them at home next - if we don't beat them it's over I think, which is remarkable given we're still likely to hit 86/87 points.

A Watford centre half getting in in a 3-2 loss is quite comething.

It is the problem then. For what it's worth they're both at fault. The officiating is appalling but VAR is a disgrace.

Ipswich and Preston's form has taken the gloss off of quite how well we're actually doing. It's distorted things. Preston being only 3rd with that points tally is remarkable.

2013/14 for me. It was better in that year than 2015/16. I think our 2015/16 away support is pretty overrated bar the likes of Palace and Sunderland where you had those half hour / hour periods after where loads just stayed and sang through. We pull the occasional good end now but there's no real indication of when it will be.

Was gonna come in to say this - think it's the worst home support I've ever seen. It was no louder than a friendly and that's no exaggeration. We were our usual - good in parts, bad in others. Maresca again appealing for noise at home in his interview.

I don't get the suggestions of arrogance. I've seen plenty of neutrals say it's there for us. So are we, the ones actually watching it weekly not allowed to think it? I'm not saying it's a definite at all but I really don't think it's impossible at all. We have every circumstance near enough going in our favour.

107. Seriously. Why not?

No lover of Liverpool at all but consider them the lesser of two evils in this one. While it's funny seeing them on the end of this it's absolute nonsense and as irritating as Liverpool FC / their fans are, they might actually be able to cause enough of a fuss to force some improvements. They might not either but it's worth a go. VAR has been nothing short of a disaster from day one, it has never gotten better, it fundamentally does not fit. The Premier League's implementation of it has been particularly appalling as well.

bloody hell. This is where I'll concede criticism has gone too far. It was absolutely shit and I'm not having anybody pretend it wasn't but you can already see the benefit of having him in the side.

Not really close to our best and we've beaten a side who'll probably finish in midtable 1-4 away from home. I'm not saying it to be disrespectful but we are absolutely miles better than this league. It just emphasises everything we said about the mismanagement last season. There'll be the odd bump in the road but I'm quite confident we hit 100 points. You feel like we still have levels to go up.

That's our first Friday night home game since I reckon Sheff Utd in the cup in 2018. We've had a minimum of 6 away in that period.

Can't help but think this is particularly true with us. I'm not saying we were great before but it has gone downhill for sure in the last 10 years.

I agree with this but I find it quite baffling as well - I don't get how a bad atmosphere is a selling point at all. They should surely be pushing for the exact opposite. I find some games almost unwatchable when the atmosphere is absolutely dead - which you can't accuse every PL game of being, but a lot of them are. It's just such an odd stance in this country.

Generally in this camp but not impressed either, seems quite clunky and lacking some of the fundamentals. Very early though. Was never likely to be the finished article.

Blackburn's games have an expected goals for and against average of around 4 a game which is mental - and the 2nd highest per game of any of the 92 (behind Brighton who we all know are pretty chaotic), so expect an open game.

It's got to be surely, two weeks late FFS. 21st October we're meant to hear about the following: Watford H - 25th Nov Sheff Weds A - 29th Nov West Brom A - 2nd Dec Plymouth H - 9th Dec Millwall H - 13th Dec

I'm generally in agreement with the teams listed here. Leeds, Ipswich and to a lesser extent, Sunderland. The best result of our season not involving us would be a Southampton win over Leeds tomorrow. Hurts Leeds but keeps Martin in the job as well. I think he's at genuine risk of the sack with a loss tomorrow.