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He doesn't seem to be making the runs like he did at Forest, so that has to be by design. Eddie wants him to play a certain way and so far that's not working with our system.

Aye Sandro looked full of energy and fight. We need players to use their heads. Run it into the corners etc when we need to and kill the time.

Do you reckon there should have been 4, like last year?

Big upgrade on what Woltemade currently offers. But he was still very isolated and not getting given the ball in dangerous areas. Don't think that's on him, think that's more an issue with how Howe sets up the midfield 3. We never get players close enough to our striker in a timely way to create space.

Thing is, they’ve stuck with the same (failing) batting line up because there’s no one else. I don’t mean literally but in the sense that the top 7 has been a closed shop for so long, permitted (or rather instructed) to play with wanton abandon. If you’re a good player on the county circuit you can be getting runs but it doesn’t matter because, barring injury, you’ve got no chance of a call up. McCullum had painted himself into a corner with this strategy of picking these players. Bar the initial bounce when he took over we haven’t been that successful at home let alone away. And in the place where you need to bat long to have a chance of winning it’s all unravelling in spectacular style. With a different approach we might still have lost but you’d have to think we’d have had a chance with the likes of Root, Brook and Duckett in the side. It’s actually ruining players’ careers at this point. Pope is more than good enough but he’ll never be a number 3 as long as he’s got a hole in his arse. Smith is an excellent prospect but he’s knackered because he’s not used to keeping wicket and lacks the skill set needed to be a top wicketkeeper anyway imo. He’s keeping arguably the best keeper in the world out of the side. Foakes averages nearly 40 in first class cricket as well but isn’t regarded as being a destructive batsman. He’d be the perfect glue in the lower middle order with his solid technique and obdurate attitude. McCullum should’ve been binned when this cost us the Ashes at home instead of being indulged a further two years.

I think the signs were there for a couple of games that something wasn't quite right with his knee. He'd been playing well below his normal high standards. I spent yesterday first half wondering what was wrong with him. I thought maybe it was this man city transfer talk playing on his mind or maybe he was struggling to follow the inverted fullback instructions ans play fluently. But now I think he's been playing with a knee about to go pop and it has just limited him. Does feel like we have not given him anywhere near enough rest and recovery in recent weeks. Not surprised he's injured again.

Get him on the plane to the USA.

He's elite. Already. But I don't think we have seen him in full flow yet. Genuinely feel that there is a league dominating player in there, but I'm not certain if Miley will reach that level. Hope he does. We'll be set for the next decade.

I wasn’t far off with my grim prediction. Stokes didn’t want any weak men then went and picked all the same batsmen who already failed

Good job he can fill in at right back too!

Aye, Longstaffs formative years were spent at a club that was going nowhere, with coaches that couldn't develop him. Miley is playing with better players, coaches and in better facilities at a much younger age, he has every chance to go to the top.

Tonali looked like he's shaken off whatever has been going on with him as well. That surging run taking the ball into the corner last night, alright he ended up losing possession, but he looked like he's back. Delighted Miley is in this team too. Longstaff was the local lad doing it a couple of seasons ago, but it always felt like he was probably playing above himself and on borrowed time. With Miley, it feels like there's loads more to come and he's got a chance of growing with the club.

I was agreeing with you. He is a limited player who gives the ball away too much. Just pointing out he’s still our best option at RW, which is insane given its five years since the takeover and we just dropped £50m on a bloke who was supposed to replace him.

hamstring

I was concerned for him early on in the first half - seemed like a fish out of water a couple of times at RB, but he grew massively into the game and proved those concerns unfounded.

I think, given what we've seen so far, a lot of us are questioning it. Seldom questioned it in the summer though when we were pursuing him - the consensus was it was a great signing.

Yeah can only show frustration at this rather than blame. I don't believe we're maverick in that area and should have taken a lot from the situation where Botman played on and shouldn't. Hopefully it's precautionary, but we just can't seem to catch a break with defensive injuries.

I thought he looked class last night. Their defence never had a minute's rest. He looks a great Isak replacement.

Aye. A lot of his goals for Brentford last season were right place, right time. His movement is very good.

I hope a future president will rip it down and build a wind turbine instead of it.

The plaques you can take down but this is a permanent monument to his and America's idiocy.

He looked so angry last night when he scored Proper poachers goal that. Great to see him off the mark.

Typed almost exactly the same thing earlier, and didn't post it. Predicting when someone might get injured can't be easy. Hopefully it's not as bad as first thought.

You would assume Howe was given the okay to start him by Bunce. These things aren't an exact science though.

Up yours, Rolfaroo!