VectisSaint

He was booked after 14 minutes,otherwise no idea. Currently 5-4 to Barca. 1st goal Ever Banega, weren't we linked with him last year?

Yep, hoping it would get down to one or two aways.

It will be fine when we get drawn against Dortmund in the groups :-)

Doubt its knee, looked like ankle last night and the report of the boot/The Spire woud tend to suggest foot ss well. He wouldn't have been ready for a start Saturday, might have made the bench at a push.

About the 17th?

Think you've touched on the reason, its about whether he is going to be a disruptive influence in the dressing room, Hughes was not sure that he will integrate with the Stoke ethic, but looks like he is going to take the risk now.

I take it this is a bit of a joke, you know Stephens has gone to Middlesbro? The team will probably be: The Stek, Cedric, Fonte, Yoshida, Targett, Davis, Wanyama, Long, Tadic, Mane, Pelle Don't think Clasie will be a starter on the evidence of last night, might make the bench, but took a heavy knock and looked well off the PL pace (but did some great stuff), Everton is too soon, will probably play against Midgetland. Main worry is the left side of midfield, we need someone to protect Targett, neither JRod nor Tadic can do it. Long is beter defensively than both, so maybe we can start with him there, not sure, to me that is the only place that has a decision to be made, do we play Long, JRod, JWP or Juanmi. The rest of the team picks itself while we have injuries.

Unless of course the valuation of the player is not met, or the player does not want to move. In the short term he will not play much, unless something happens to Terry, in terms of serious injury. I'm sure he will go eventually, just not this season. We'll see. Apparently Everton are still looking for a left sided CB anyway.

Everton are apparently after Cristian Zapata (AC Milan) if they lose Stones. Personally I don't think Stones will leave anyway this season.

No. As always CL is on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Nice try at imitating Alpine, but only Alpine can do it properly.

Think we dodged a bullet with Chester (if we were in for him). Looks completely out of his depth.

Doesn't look too good, although he has limped off. Complete accident as well.

No, really not a lot else to say on this particular subject. My only small gripe is that we have gone from being a team with an English, club-trained spine, to a team of mainly foreign imports.

At 30.00 he made an excellent interception and good work to clear, looked remarkably Morgan-like. After that he has made some excellent passes, and the pass that lead to Barnes' goal was well picked out and incisive. Its u-21 level but he does look "classy". However, he does not look fit, to be fair, really needs to work on that to get up to PL pace.

4 or 5 direct flights a day from Glasgow (KLM), 3 from Eastleigh. Can't see that being much of an attraction really.

Youthful enthusiam apparently... Mot Mitrovic, but Colbeck's triple assault on Mane was also reprehensibe. None of the htree fouls on their own was bad, but the ref let the first and second go in order to play advantage, but had to give in when Colbeck finally tripped Mane to bring him to the ground. You could argue that at least two of the fouls should have been a yellow, but in a sequence like that of course they wouldn't be.

Cadburys Dairy Milk?

Ronald said just over a week ago that he expects 2 more signings, CB and midfield. He was not specific about whether defensive or whatever in midfield, but think it was pretty obvious as he had just been talking abut Clasie's injury. Sorry I don't have a link, but I have a life (allegedly). You need to go and replay all of his interviews for the last week or so in full and I'm sure you will find it if you want to.

It was pretty obvious that Mane felt the same as Erwin. I just have a sneaking little doubt, we had a lot of badly miss-placed passes yesterday, and so did Newcastle and a lot of other teams, and shots that were off target that normally would have been buried. First game of the season and a new PL ball that has been promised to be more true in flight. I know the teams have all been practicing with it for a few weeks, but it may take a bit of getting used to for some players. Not an excuse and I may be over exaggerating but it was very noticeable yesterday (and Saturday). Then again our passing was awful against Vitesse as well.

I know, Ron Dennis is very English isn't he, no hint of Dutchness about him whatsoever. Now if only they can sort that pesky Honda engine.

Although we do definitely need this, the issue is as much if not more about filling the Morgan-shaped space in front of the 2 CBs. Our defence has been protected massively in the last couple of seasons, and now they are being threatened directly without this protection. They also do not have the outlet of the willing Morgan coming back, taking the ball from them and setting up a forward movement. In my opinion it is more important to solve this problem first, the new CB has to happen as well, but will not on its own be the answer. Fonte and Yoshida are experienced playing together and communicate well (normally) but they are being exposed more than they are used to.

Don't think he is even back in training yet.

Very harsh...

Decent second half after they socred, we looked much more in control, and in the end we should have won it, they were not a threat once they went ahead. Great goal by Shane, and cross by Tadic. Take that, but lots to do for the future. There was a massive Morgan-shaped hole in the middle and that has to be filled somehow.