Dr Gloom

So, he’s finally had a run of games in the first team. On paper, he’s been out most dangerous finisher this season. However…. When everyone is fit, does he start in his favourite position? I think Gordon is our best option at left wing. He fits the way Howe wants to play in terms of pressing intensity. Barnes is a great finisher but has looked best coming off the bench and going at tired defences. Sometimes when he starts games he doesn’t seem to do much when he isn’t scoring. However I do think the decision to sub him on Saturday was weird given the main thing he does offer is a goal threat when we were struggling to break Everton down. Shame neither Gordon or Barnes look as good on the right wing. We have two great options on the left - in an ideal world the same would be said for the right wing as I don’t think Barnes or Gordon want to play there. Both look better on the left but if I had to pick one it would be Gordon.

People who begin emails with “gentle reminder” Look, cunt. I was deliberately ignoring you and hoping you’d get the message. Fuck you and your passive aggression

fish super post coming in 5.....4......3.......2.....

Tino’s time will come but Trippier should keep his place for now. I do find it odd that our fullbacks are so different to each other. If Howe is trying to get us to play a certain style, Kelly is completely different to Hall. Kelly looks like Burn playing at left back (a centre back out of position in other words) and Trippier’s game is completely different to Tino. though you could argue it’s good to have a versatile squad to give you different options for different opponents

his passing radar was a bit off the first half I thought but we look far more composed building out from the back with him and schar back in the team

it’ll be much better craic than his last video

it seems to be built on a bridge too

Suitably vulgar

it’s pretty much as you would expect with the top three miles ahead of everyone else then us, Chelsea, Spurs and Villa in the mix for the other European places. That’s with us playing miles off our best and without a recognised striker for two games. We’re in a good position despite everything. Season-defining couple of games coming up against Chelsea if we can dispatch Brighton at home after the break. I’ve got a ticket in the away end for the first one.

guilty as charged

Pope did surprisingly okay with the ball at his feet for once. Still makes me nervous whenever we pass back to him

Genuinely no clue onn this tbh

Do we not? I was going to apply for a couple but presumed it would be years until one becomes available so was holding off for news of the new ground

They need to balance the extra corporate seats, which bring in the money to make us more competitive, with 10k+ extra seats for those in the season ticket waiting list and affordable seats for youngsters who are locked out of the ground. It’s an old, and occasionally grumpy crowd at sjp. The youngsters provide the noise and cheaper season tickets for kids would ensure we keep the next generation of local fans locked in. Of course there will be day trippers, such as me, and tourist fans as the club grows its brand but it’s so important if the club are serious about a sustainable long-term solution. It’s why a new stadium seems the only solution to me

Gemmill, meanwhile…

I think the occasion of scoring against his old club got in his head for the pen. he looked nervous af walking up and totally telegraphed where he was going to put it

He did cost us two points but I don’t blame him for being played out of position. He’s not a centre forward.

If Pope had a good game but let in a howler that costs us two points you say would say he had a stinker. Gordon had that game as a cf yesterday

Of course we’re constrained by PSR but there was money to spend in the summer. I don’t know who is to blame for the failure to improve the areas of the squad that needed it most but it’s hard to imagine Osula was Howe’s first choice. Maybe Howe’s to blame and he’s the one who thinks he can get enough games out of Wilson and we can afford to carry a development player in the squad. I don’t know. What I do know is if we have proper cf on the pitch yesterday we win. Something’s gone wrong with the recruitment when the only option is a converted winger and the manager doesn’t fancy the only natural cf on the bench. We should have loaned him out if Howe doesn’t trust him to use him off the bench in a game like yesterday

well, to a point yes but we apparently had £70m to spend on Guehi so there was some money to spend. Anyway, we know how that one ended.

I don’t blame Gordon btw. It’s not his fault. He’s a winger, not a CF. It’s failure to back Howe in the last couple of windows that’s costing us. We don’t have enough depth across the front line. We’re stacked at LW but rely on two injury prone CFs with a kid in reserve who the manager doesn’t trust yet and no top class RW.

Gordon worked his arse off yesterday and pressed well but his finishing cost us two points. He has to convert one of those chances man.