qwertyell

Romeu one booking away from a suspension - maybe Diallo's chance to start while we try and hold back Romeu's inevitable fifth yellow for stronger opposition. Shouldn't underestimate Sheffield United, though. Think they're in a false position. We know from last season they're a decent side - hard to break down if they get ahead.

Well that was daylight robbery - we've been awful. Can't pass, can't create, players getting caught on the ball time and again. Given how shite we are in the second half, looks like we'll be struggling to hang onto a point. No-one is playing well. No-one. Let's see if Hasenhuttl can actually do something to change a game, or if he'll do his usual when plan A falls apart and just shrug.

Never felt quite right backing West Ham and Moyes... (albeit that first goal shouldn't have stood.)

They're playing better than we did at any point - and that's not even saying much. Doubt West Ham will run out of gas after an hour while the manager shrugs his shoulders and just accepts there's nothing he can do to change the momentum of the game.

Not playing until Monday - I'm sure a couple of these youngsters can handle the workload of a game on Friday and sitting on the bench three days later.

He's a teenager in a strange country who apparently has lost both parents in the last year. Arsenal seem to be taking it slow with the boy, which is appropriate - probably going to loan him back to France in the new year. Unlike Salisu, Saliba's turned out for the u23s a few times.

Fuck off. Bertrand and Vestergaard selling themselves on the halfway line and suddenly possession for us turns into a goal for them. We've been shooting ourselves a the foot all game. Tough now.

Mad game. We've been slack, accident prone, almost conceded twice from catastrophic defensive mistakes, and yet if Armstrong (who has been terrible) hadn't missed a sitter this match would be over. Can't help but think about the Wolves game last season where we were fortunate to be 2-0 at half time and got marmalised in the second half. Hope the manager gets them refocused. Second yellow for Prowse wouldn't be too clever. Come on, Saints.

Can't get out of our half. They're all over us. Finished poorly against Wolves and have started the same.

United looking excellent tonight. If they play like this and we play like we did against Wolves we won't get a sniff.

Barely hanging on now. Sloppiness coming back to haunt us.

Oh. My bad. I missed the kick off.

Think we've been quite dodgy on the ball - a lot of underhit passes and heavy touches. Bednarek set the tone with his ridiculous air shot at the start that almost led to a chance. But we're hanging in there, getting the odd half chance - it's not out of the question that we could get something here. Wolves are always more attacking in the second half, so we'll need to up our game for sure. Maybe Redmond for Djenepo soon. He hasn't got the speed or strength on Semedo today.

Very good players, but they're extremely formulaic and structured in their approach, to the point of being quite negative. Always end games strong, when the manager lets them take the handbrake off. We can get something there, for sure, but they're potentially excellent with the shackles removed.

Georgios Samaras? Scott Sinclair? Gary Hooper? Leigh Griffiths? Celtic have had plenty of goalscorers over the years who were absolute shite. Dembele turned out decent, mind you.

So, after 8 games (even if those with games in hand win theirs), we're ahead of Man United, Arsenal, Man CIty, Everton and Chelsea - and a point behind Liverpool, with a better goal difference. Nice.

It's why I didn't want us to sign him (when there were rumours of him coming in on loan). He's a super talent, but after such a serious injury, it's going to take him the best part of a season to get his game back up to speed. In the games he's played since he returned (post-lockdown at Chelsea and now at Fulham) he's looked way off.

He was injured for 2-3 weeks and only returned to training around Wednesday.

Strange performance. Quite subdued and negative - yet we've made some decent chances. Hope the team are just pacing themselves and they'll be a bit more urgent in the second half. Absolutely not comfortable at 1-0. Adams looks confident and bullish, Walcott has been decent but missed a great opportunity. Djenepo and Stephens down the left has no attacking threat. Some nice touches from Djenepo, but he doesn't want to drive forward. Need the second.

Getting through the midfield too easily. Intensity dropped right off after we scored. Romeu booked already. Not great.

Is he competing in first team training, though? All we've seen are pictures of him standing alone, knocking a ball around casually - not sure there's been any footage of him sprinting and tackling and seemingly taking a full part in sessions.

Now might be a good time for covid to shut down football for two months. So, everyone get out and do your bit. (Obviously don't.)

Will Ferry?

(None of this will happen) For potential keepers, Dean Henderson must realise he's dropped a bollock by signing a new contract at United. De Gea is set in stone as first choice for the next 4 years. A two-year loan, maybe? Alexander Nubel is another quality young keeper who has miscalculated the decline of a world class first choice goalie by swapping Schalke for Bayern just as Neuer has rediscovered his mojo. Going to be kicking his heels for at least another 3 years. Almost certainly going to be available on loan at the very least. At centre back, Fikayo Tomori continues to be messed around by Chelsea, dropping down the pecking order in spite of most of their fans thinking he's the bees knees. Right side, fast, agile - he'd compliment Salisu perfectly (in a mythical world where they were both Saints players, and both fit). Loan with a buying option? Full back's a problem. I don't think much of Williams on either flank - and nor do United fans - but it's hard to find many full backs who play both sides. Our first XI choices are fine. I've always quite liked the look of Vokins, so I'm relatively happy to throw him in and see how he goes. Valery is a write off. I'd a say a specialist right back as cover is the main prority. I've been following Marcus Edwards' rise in Portugal with interest. I think he's a super talent. Too immature to break through at Spurs (and a wasted loan at Norwich), moving abroad has really helped him grow up. Left footed dribbler from the right who can drift into the 10 - he'd be perfect for us as someone a bit different. He'll be coming back to England at some point, why not to the sunny South? Given how ineffective he now is - and his declining pace - I wish we hadn't given Long a new contract and instead put the money towards a rough diamond. I know we were linked to Folarin Balogun over the off-season. Coming up to six months left on his contract, I wonder if we're still in the mix for that. Arsenal are desperate for cash and would probably sell for a reasonable offer in January rather than a price set by tribunal after his contract (which he's refusing to extend due to lack of pathway) expires. (None of this will happen)

Shame he's letting us all die of covid. Good news about that one guy's knee, though.