David Kelly

The question is just what Howe considers our best side. There's at least 9 players locked in.

Obviously if Howe picked a team similar to the Sheffield game I wouldn't be conifdent of scoring, but any realistic team and I'm confident. Very few games against premier league opposition are cake walks, but if we can't be confident there is something seriously wrong with us.

A bit better finishing over the last few games and we'd have had another game this weekend and would be 2 points behind City. The goals will come whatever team Howe picks and I fancy Southampton will think they need to have a lead tonight so will come at us. 3-1 to us.

Train booked immediately after the draw was made.

Hotels already booked.

Who is Craig Russell?

Bruno, Trippier and Botman should be nowhere near the pitch tomorrow.

The fact that clubs like Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea already have global appeal would surely make them an interesting purchase. Yes you have to spend a lot to keep it going but the revenue streams that you have access to far surpasses us, Villa, Everton etc. And if you're not interested in sports washing then revenue is what you will be looking at.

You have to remember with Kuol that he's only ever started a couple of league games. We'd all love to see him tearing up the championship or eredvise but the reality is playing regular pub football along with some compatriots is probably a good move all round at this stage. And you'd expect Hearts to be a better run outfit than the usual loans we have at Jaggie Thistle.

Lets not forget that Liverpool went years without being a true premier league force before Klopp. Of course we would have given anything to be in the position they were in through the vast majority of that time but they were rarely title contenders other than for the odd season (ie about the same as us in that sense) before Teeth Gilespie came along and turned them into real winners. They are of course a massive club and anyone investing in them will no doubt have money to spend, but it will very much be done as a business and it's unlikely they will be of the Saudi/Abu Dhabi/Qatar level. So they will be relying on the work of their manager and it's looking more and more like the Klopp 7 year cycle is a real thing that he has no real idea of how to break out of. There's definitely a chance to break clear of them if we continue to build as we are. Of course you're right in that we aren't going to have it all out own way. Which is something I'm more than happy with tbh. I'm not desperate to be Bayern winning the league at a trott every year. I'd much rather we were competing in a league were there are a number of teams at the start of each season with a realistic chance of winning it.

Judging by the way Klopp is imploding we're not going to need to have a rivalry with them. They're heading back to their previous premier league norm of being nowhere near the title race.

May as well have left him in Australia as put him in the SPL.

I'm absolutely loving the bitterness of the supporters and management of Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd against the way we've played against them this season. My latest favourite is them complaining about how Tripps was at the ref every foul after a card. How quick they are to forget the decades of this their own teams have subjected referees through, and in much greater numbers than just their captain (who in Trippier's case consistently stopped other players from approaching the ref). The amount of photos you can find online of them doing it is staggering. Arsenal were brought up on a charge for doing this as recently as October ffs. Year after year we have watched as we meekly surrendered when we've went to these clubs and they simply aren't happy that we are now building something and have the resources to prevent their darlings from winning trophies or making the champions league as regularly. Who knows how long this will continue, the Saudi's may pull out/be forced to pull out before they can reach our stated target, but I'm just loving every moment of it as long as it lasts.

I love the "probably only lost 3 or 4 times all season" comment. Trying to disguise the fact that they will be more aware of our record than we are!

There's a fair few of them I've never heard of. And that's not counting the caretakers.

Well I didn't want to step on anyones toes and go that far.

Has anyone mentioned Botman to score tonight?

Aye I'm getting the same when trying to get tickets for my lasses young un.

Bizarre decision to have this series between the World Cup and the Pakistan test series.

I also like the that they say we'll only win anything by buying it. I assume by their definition there hasn't been a trophy win for anyone worth anything since Brian Clough won the league with Derby? After spending a million on Trevor Francis for Forest, I assume that wouldn't pass the test? I really would almost be worth them being bought by Putin and him pumping hundreds of millions in to see them try to justify why he's better than the Saudi's and why it's still ok for them to continue supporting under his reign.

This is the reason why cricket will always be ridiculed by many around the world.

It was an absolute shocker like. Fuck knows what he was thinking when he ran up.

I'm not sure I'd say this was the best of games today. I loved it personally but it was very one sided.

Defensively Lascelles was fine last night, but he's totally at odds with how we want to play out from the back these days and I think he definitely had an impact on the side. But I totally agree that we had to rotate some players last night. Lascelles being captain had to get a game and Targett, Shelvey and Maxi all had to be in for game time. Wood had to play with Wilson being unwell and I think most people were wanting to see Anderson get some game time. We clearly didn't play well but I don't think there's much I would argue with in the side that was put out.

We were poor last night. Very sloppy in posession and the defence seemed a vew yards further back in there starting position which was no doubt due to Lascelles. But you have to expect this when you make so many changes, particularly when players who have barely played all season. It did show that if we do have a few injuries all at once (particularly if Tripper and Bruno are included in them) that will be where we'll not be able to keep up the form that has us in 3rd.