Polarboy

Carragher with the stat. 100% conversion rate from our shots on target this season, those two goals against West Ham.

True, would be a slight bit of trek for him. Edit. To get a shot at a premier league job so quickly would surely be tempting though.

Would people on here take Eddie Howe if Bruce actually gets hoyed out by Fatley? Ex-manager of a team that's just been relegated, but given his availability, being unlikely to turn it down, his connection to Fraser and Wilson, although maybe there's still bad blood with Fraser, the fact that it will be slim pickings for us, and the fact that there's no way he could be worse than Bruce, would you be happy to have him?

Spurs might be so complacent, and still a bit shit at the back, we might actually scrape something here. They should be four up. It would rank as one of the worst fuck ups from a team if we did.

If we continue like this, and I really can't see a win in the next seven at least on this, last weeks showings, and the second half of last season, the sad fact is that Ashley is so stubborn he likely won't pull the trigger on cabbage heed until it's far too late. The only hope we have that he'll move faster is if he's actually 100% committed to flogging us, and acts more quickly because of that.

He didn't really get backed though. Ashley and his minions bought players with likely little to no input from Bruce, and also likely on the basis that whatever crock analytics that have told them someone like Joelinton could only increase in value to be sold later on.

If Rafa had been given the money that's been spent since he's left to spend on who he wanted, we'd have cemented a place in the lower half of the top ten this season. Of that I have no doubt.

So Lewis hasn't trained all week, Bruce doesn't want to take a chance with him, but he's still on the bench? That's some Cabbage heed logic if I've ever heard it. And there goes the inevitable goal. Thought we might squeak nil, nil at half time, but no big shock obviously.

A corner for us

Darlow earning his wages their for sure. In fairness shot stopping has probably always been his strong suit as a keeper.

He just made another howler apparently.

Highlights on Quest at 22:30 if you can find the channel

Rob Green on bumming us up on BBC live reporting saying these performances have given Bruce something to think about for the weekend. It's fucking Morecambe, get a hold of yourself.

Exactly. A pundit actually seeming like they are excited to be there, and about football in general, is half the battle as far as I'm concerned. Richard's comments about the unfair questioning, and some direct abuse no doubt, online of why he was hired proved how committed and passionate he is about his job. Either that or he's a damn fine actor.

Scott is very good, for a woman In all seriousness though the bar was so low with the clapped out ex-players that people like Scott, Evra and Richards are a breath of fresh air. They don't smell like betting shops and despair in any case. I wouldn't make it a policy or anything, but I personally don't think you are relevant as a pundit if you are over the age of 55, I was going to say 50 but I don't want Big Al to pack it in yet There's some exceptions to that rule such as players, coaches and managers who have stayed up to date with current players, tactics, training methods etc, and of course there are some who've never had a clue and never will. The people who actively try to keep themselves up to date are few and far between though. Wenger would be a good example of someone who's in his 70's who's no doubt kept up to date even in semi-retirement. On the other end of the scale Bruce is still working but hasn't got a clue.

In fairness Jota can play through the middle as well, and I assume his versatility is a big part of the reason Klopp bought him. On a entirely unrelated subject I saw Micah Richards on talking quite eloquently after the match, about him and Alex Scott, presumably Evra as well, getting a bit of online abuse because certain people believe that they are diversity hires because Sky let Le Tiss, Thompson and Nicholas go, or fired them to be more precise. Shite for them given that they are all more than qualified, most certainly when in comparison to the aforementioned. Evra is mental though, the Moyes daughter comment was hilarious. Scott probably has it even worse given she's also replacing Sue Barker on A Question of Sport, and Barker made it clear she was sacked and didn't retire. I rarely watch it but from shallow perspective it will be nice to not have to look at the Crypt Keeper It really is shit on them, because they are diversity hires in part because that is just corporate policy now whether you agree with that or not, or are strictly for purely meritocratic hiring, but again they are also qualified. It leaves them in a position where ignorant people and dishonest actors can try to use it against them.

Were we total shite, badly set up to deal with Brighton and Lamptey, and was Bruce too slow to change things? Yes. But Brighton and Lamptey were also extremely good and if we shouldn't have gotten carried away by last weeks win, we shouldn't get carried away by one defeat from, again, a very good Brighton side. Of course I do worry about Bruce's ability to anticipate, plan, and then modify his tactics should he need to on the day. Fingers crossed for the court case once again

The Chronicle have the club quoted as saying that they believe Carroll has less mileage on the clock than most thirty-somethings, BECAUSE of his long injury lay-offs at West Ham. How exactly does that work? Bruce also said we have the real Andy Carroll back, so if you haven't already set that countdown to Carroll's next long term injury set it now Of course I wish Carroll the best, but it's typical of Bruce to tempt fate so early.

A couple more performances and results like this and I may even stop calling Bruce grannyface. Hard to make any sort of precise judgement given it's the first game and West Ham are shit, but we looked very decent, and the amount of options we have, from the bench etc, now is crazy compared to what we've had in the recent past. Oh and if Lewis can keep steadily improving he's going to be a top class player. Him and ASM on the left flank has massive potential.

According to nufcblog this Romano lad has gotten a number of transfer stories right this summer, so who knows. I didn't think Ashley would sanction a player like Wilson being signed, so I could easily be wrong again. The question is what has changed with Lille since we supposedly had a bid accepted in January iirc, and does the player even want to leave, or at least come to us if he does. It seemed as though he wasn't too hot on the idea back at the start of the year, reading between the lines. Who could blame him I suppose. He likely has it planned out that he'll move to the Premier when one of the top six bid for him. The only way I could see this as a possibility is if Ashley has literally said a season or two and then we flog you for a profit to one of the top six, which I'm sure has happened with some of our previous players. It does of course promote a mercenary culture around the club if that's the case. If by some miracle we do sign this lad Bruce is literally going to have to suck Ashley and Penfold off in public to show his gratitude, going by how thankful he was for transfers that would be seen as the bare minimum at a lot of clubs, certainly ones of our stature and relative wealth.

I think Fabrizio has been supping one too many Aperol spritz's with his lunch. Do we know if this guy is usually on the level?

Bruce is looking a bit peaky from all the excitement as well.

Through the fool proof method of watching YouTube clips I can tell you that we have a very tidy, quick, athletic, good reader of the game, great tackler and crosser, and if he wasn't already a NI international a future England international.

He played as a centre back in Belgium and back in Japan, but he played a full season bar three games as a right back in Italy, where he got a goal and three assists in 28 league games. As a 21 year old player his consistent position is still a bit up for decision, but having that versatility is no bad thing of course. He can also play in defensive midfield. He is tall for a right back, but he has the speed and footballing skills to be a very good wing back according to his stats. It depends on how Bruce lines up, but he seems like he'd be good in a 5 as one of the three CB or a right wing back, and a flat back four at either centre back or right back.

So both ASM and Fraser prefer the left flank, both are right footed and like to cut in, but Fraser is the better crosser so perhaps he could be moved to the right hand side. I presume ASM, Almiron and Fraser will be the three behind Wilson. If we could get a pacy upgrade on Manquillo in the right back position we'd be shaping up to be a very quick side in attack. This is presuming that Lewis's transfer goes through without any last minute hitches. Perhaps this rumour of us being in for Tomiyasu is true, but I highly doubt we'll be paying over 10m for another defender this window.