TWar

I thought there manager was performing well when they were like 10th or 11th. Given their squad without dcl, digne, and Richarlison, 15th-16th is about right. Now DCL is back I expect them to climb a little bit to 13th-14th. Although tbh it's hard to comment at this stage. When only a few points separate a number of places in mid table the difference between 16th and 11th is often down to luck.

Without DCL, Richarlison, and Digne who between them have played 2400 minutes out of a possible like 5400. Yeah, probably, I think they are in the bottom 6 squads. They are a team with three very good players (DCL, Richarlison, Digne) a couple of pretty good players (Doucoure, Allan) and then a pretty weak team with very little depth. If their big hitters go out they are a bit fucked, we are seeing that this season.

You can only manage the team you have. He also did well with Newcastle, and they were relegated. Yet any newcastle fan you talk to will love him. Same with Potter, same with Rafa, same with Ralph. A manager can only be properly judged if you have a good idea of squad quality.

Very poorly run club.

What was he supposed to do though? Like he's had his two best forwards out basically all season, the club backed him to the tune of about £2m to sign two starting attacking mids, and he's come into a team where the fanbase was already against him before he even got started. Benitez was set up to fail more than anyone else I've seen in recent times. He had a good start considering it all, it fell away after a while when even his back ups starting going down injured (Townsend), but Benitez is a class manager, he has shown that repeatedly throughout his career.

The quality of your achievement as a manager is how well you do with the squad at your disposal. Considering the squad he has Potter has consistently been one of the best managers in the league in that regard, alongside Dyche and to a lesser extent Ralph. Nuno finished above Brighton, yes, but the players joining Wolves even when they were in the championship are a different level of quality than those Brighton manage who, like us, focus more on developing young players and academy products because they are not a "drop £40m on a player" team. For example, Brighton have needed a top striker for about 3 years, in that time Wolves have signed two strikers worth over £35m. Do you not think if Brighton had that sort of money they would do better? Brightons two starting forwards today (Maupay and Trossard) combined cost less than the back up striker wolves signed last season who has played 34 minutes all season. Nuno signed a bunch of players who were doing well and played them in a adequate fashion, some improved slightly, some got worse. Potter takes random players who have never played in the big leagues of Europe and from his academy and makes them class. Not the same at all.

So this is the Villa team challenging for Europe? So overrated.

I didn't say it would be his next job. I agree, I think he'll get a spurs/arsenal/Leicester/everton/west ham job next if he's lucky and if he continues to impress he could end up going there in two years or so when Pep/Klopp move on. What do you reckon the san marino manager will get though? Is the real question, it's been ages since he proved himself better than a prem manager, where is his prem job?

Not now, but in 2 years when Pep/Klopp retire if he keeps going the way he is I think he's a decent shout.

Ralph and Potter are way ahead of Hodgson, Nuno and Smith imo. I think the think about Nuno, in response to @CB Fry as well, is that his team was actually very very good. Because of interactions with Mendes he was signing absolutely class players like Jimenez, Patricio, Neves, Moutinho, Jota who were all a lot better than what Brighton were working with. Brighton have players who are comparable now but that is mainly due to Potter improving them.

Yeah maybe, he has impressed me.

Mancini? As in the Italy manager? I think he could replace Arteta, I think he could have replaced Jose at Spurs instead of Nuno, I think he could easily replace Rangnick, especially since he is only an interim manager and is going to be stepping aside at the end of the season. Moyes I think he's better than, Moyes is doing well right now but across his career has been pretty shocking at multiple points, I think if Potter had this West ham side he'd do similar. When Klopp and Guardiola leave (seemingly in the next 2 years by the looks) both City and Liverpool could do a lot worse.

Ralph is also a very good manager.

Their squad is quite poor though. Very few Brighton players would start for us imo. Bissouma definitely, Dunk as well, Trossard probably, and that's about it. Sanchez started well but has been quite poor this season. And I think he should have got the spurs job over Nuno (they have Conte now who is obviously better), could also have gotten the united job in the about 15 times Ole should have been sacked over the last two years.

Amazed Potter hasn't gone to a top top side yet.

Redmond has more assists than any of their team and JWP more goals (level with Watkins). It was a decent goal but not the sort of one we couldn't pull off.

Hate: Newcastle, City, United Strongly dislike: Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton, West Ham Don't mind: Brighton, Brentford, Palace, Leicester

Can't remember where I saw it but someone was saying Manquillo got a second yellow in the dying minutes of last game for time wasting giving him a ban, which lowered their available players sufficiently low for a postponement. Probably bollocks but pretty unfair if true as they brought that upon themselves.

Our defender didn't collide with the keeper causing him to drop it...

Doherty didn't play the ball, he didn't touch the ball at all, he collided with the keeper who had two hands on the ball.

Oh yeah, look how he only has eyes for the ball when he makes contact. Absolutely didn't throw himself into Forster while facing in completely the wrong direction.

Doherty wasn't even looking at the ball, the challenge was purely to make Forster drop it while claiming it in the air. Its a foul and always will and should be.

Their player jumped directly into our keeper with no attempt to get the ball, exclusively making contact with the player, and caused him to drop it. Its a foul every day of the week.

Depth is so important and ours is miles better than last season. So a number of changes between the two games and yet still 4 points from west ham and spurs. And all with our first choice keeper and two of our cbs out. Incredible. Very happy! I think the red was a tad harsh, why was that a second yellow and no yellow for the west ham lad on the weekend?! Also JWP is incredible, absolutely motm for me.

Looks like a 352 with Valery at RCB like we saw preseason. Kwp and Perraud at wing back, long and Arma up top. Not holding out much hope for this one, feels like we sacked it off for the Newcastle game. Will reserve judgement on how clever that is until after that one.