Dan

Jesus I didn't realise there was a fair chance that we could be only 6 ahead of 3rd this time next week. We just need to not lose this. I'd love us to win though. We're about due a result in a game like this.

As ever with this place these days - the ones overreacting most are the ones calling the OP for overreacting. It really wasn't that mad a post. It's a valid point.

We objectively weakened the side in January. We had Ndidi go down to injury and then lost Casadei with nobody else come in. This means we're not able to rotate as much as we would wish to do so. It has a knock-on effect. We didn't need to go mad in January, just a loanee midfielder would've been fine. But we've left ourselves short again.

I agree with the post earlier that said it was to do with the fact it was an actual competitive game - of which we haven't really had many if we're honest. Their end wasn't bad either.

There's never a good time to lose but this feels a particularly bad one given our next fixture. I think over the 90 minutes and based on the chances we were quite unlucky to lose it but I don't think Maresca helped himself today. Some bad subs.

I just don't trust us in these sorts of games sadly. I hope I'm wrong.

So that's 4/4 games against Southampton and Leeds on Fridays.

Tend to agree. Totally reject this notion we'll do a Burnley. Extremely lazy argument.

Yeah Ipswich aren't out of this with those fixtures. I'd not be shocked if they got back into 2nd although I expect Leeds to probably finish there now, but I hope it's Ipswich. Think they'll win quite handily tomorrow. Swansea look abysmal.

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.