SNSUN

Yep, more optimistic about this line up than I was for last week’s against West Ham. Valery over KWP we can only think he’s impressed in training but again better to develop one of our own. Ings to score today, I can feel it.

I still give him a chance. It takes a while to get the Harry Redknapp stink out of things.

They’ll be set up defensively but have attacking weapons which is why it’s puzzling they struggle to score goals in the league. I’d like to get one over on a Bruce team. McCarthy, KWP, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand, JWP, Hojbjerg, Djenepo, Boufal, Long, Ings. JWP back in midfield please. I’ll take any kind of victory.

The Skate goalkeeper has a very apt name...

This season was always about surviving, while trying to improve on last season. We look set to do that, anything extra is a bonus. We’ll have had a mixed season with extreme lows (spanked first day, 9-0) and comparable highs (run of form, victories over top six clubs, Skates demolished) but signs are there that bit by bit Ralph is learning his players, learning his trade better (ditching a formation that wasn’t working and having faith in his own system) and could quite possibly keep building the team for the better. We just need to keep offloading the poor signings and hope that incoming transfers are better than previous summers. West Ham are fighting for their lives, and the minute I saw the line ups yesterday I thought we were done for. On paper they have a decent team, just mismanaged. Watford likewise, it’s likely both those two will escape relegation. (Norwich, Villa and Brighton for me.) Newcastle and Norwich to come, 3/4 points from those should see us over the line. Few pluses from yesterday, but Obafemi scoring continues his development at least in terms of confidence. At one point it seemed like we could have got spanked more, so keeping the score line down was also important.

Need the first goal today to un-nerve them. Don’t get that and we’re in trouble.

Their team looks decent on paper today. Absolutely would take a point if offered now.

Resting Ings? Odd decision. Need a performance from Obafemi then.

7 of Brighton’s next 8 games are against top 8 opposition. They need to win today. Would also do us a favour keeping Palace at bay.

Stat of the day as I blindly search through Transfermrkt: Shane Long has played against West Ham 8 times and Danny Ings 7 times, and neither has yet scored against them. Good time to break a duck. I can only assume the line up with be: McCarthy, KWP, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand, JWP, Hojbjerg, Armstrong, Boufal, Ings, Long. (Subs: Gunn, Valery, Vestergaard, Romeu, Smallbone, Adams, Obafemi.) West Ham fans on KUMB oddly confident about this game, saying we have nothing to play for. We’re 7 points off 5th. We have everything to play for, especially if City go tits up. Thankfully even in games we’ve lost this year, we’ve played well, so I expect Hasenhüttl to keep the team focussed. Redmond and Djenepo are losses (if Djenepo is out) but in Armstrong and Boufal we still have creativity. I’d take a draw but this team post-9nil is good enough to win.

If hypothetically Boufal, Djenepo and Redmond were all out, we’d still have a couple of options besides Armstrong to play in attacking midfield, excluding youngsters. There’s JWP, who used to play further forward on occasion in Pochettino’s system (assuming he’s not needed at right back), and Che Adams can also play as a winger as he did on occasion for Brum. But Boufal is fit so expect him to start.

The site keeps telling all my devices to reset the clock! And that it wants to steal my financial information. Well I have a piggy bank with £32 in if it really wants to know.

Just seen the Adams pass to Armstrong again on Facebook. Cracking pass, weighted perfectly and into a great area of space. I really hope he gets his first goal soon, but the problem he has is that Ings is our top scorer and prefers playing with Long, so he is reduced to bit part appearances. I can see him getting a chance though towards the end of the season, especially after safety is mathematically guaranteed, so I hope he takes it. I'd have him as third choice over Obafemi, even if the latter has more goals this season. He's the sort of player that could start next season with a bang and go on to be a 20 goal striker, it just needs to click for him.

It's one of those games that if we play well, we can win, especially with our form this season away from home. West Ham will no doubt be buoyed by their performance against the invincibles, but I wonder how much they'll have in the tank after a ball-busting effort. I actually think a draw would be a decent result here, another point for us in the right direction, and it keeps West Ham down there in fear of relegation. Moyes effectively said that the winnable games start now - that makes me want to beat them more than anything, but I still think a draw would be a decent result. We haven't had many draws this season, and from here on out this season, if we can turn the defeats into draws, we can creep up the table.

Never thought I’d cheer a Liverpool goal like that...

Get in. Fabianski double screw up tonight, usually such a good keeper.

****s sake Liverpool ****s just ****ing win you incompetent ****s, you’re ****ing up my ****ing Fantasy team and giving West Ham ****ing hope that they can survive ****s. And relax... Of course, West Ham busting a bollock tonight hopefully means they’re knackered for our game...

Injuries or sendings off for WHam tonight pleases. And preferably a humiliating defeat to go with it. They’re frustrating Pool so far though.

I’d guess if we could bring a striker in, Obafemi would be loaned out, leaving us with Ings, Long (and his new contract), Adams and New Str. However, bids could come in for Ings that could test our resolve, and I’d hazard a guess Championship clubs will be sniffing around Adams, as Leeds did in January. It could be interesting.

Hope he kicks on after his injury. I genuinely could not have told you what Radhi Jaidi was up to though! That was random!

EDIT: Forgot McGinn, he'll be sought after too.

I think I remember reading West Ham will, if they go down. Not sure about Villa but they'll surely be in trouble. Grealish and Mings would be their only real saleable assets too which is madness considering how much they spent. Average or not, I'd have Mings back here but the fee would be too high.

If we keep Djenepo, Boufal, Redmond and Armstrong as our attacking midfielders next season I think we can really push on towards Europe. Each one offers something different. However I'd hazard a guess that Boufal could be on his way, as he'd only have one year left on his contract and may not be entirely happy about spending large chunks of this season on the bench, just a hunch. However if he wants to stay, and we can get him to sign a new contract, I think we have a better foursome of attacking midfielders than a lot of other teams in the league. Then all we'd need is a striker, CM, CB and RB.

On the Shane Long thread I put: "I think it will be a higher total but have worked it out as 38 (not that it’s an exact science!). Bournemouth who I think are in real danger of going down, are on 26 points and relegation form is around a point a game. With 12 games left to play for them, that puts them on 38. It’s very possible it could be higher though, Watford have stalled slightly in their new manager bounce but have the players to fight, West Ham have the best team on paper (but some god awful fixtures they need to get some results from), Villa seem to want to make a fist of it also. If we keep playing well we will be fine but need those 7-9 points for comfort." I remove the Villa sentiment but I still think 37/38 points for comfort but it could be lower. A quick glance at some of the fixture lists though and you can see which teams are in trouble. If we had no games left to play, and we are on 34 points and the other teams had 11/12 games to play, I still wouldn't be confident of survival, but we will easily get the 4 or so points required and more.

I reckon Saints would ask £60 million, big clubs would probably be around the £35-£40 million mark, so around £50 million he'd go for, especially if he makes the England team this summer.