SNSUN

Long on for injured Redmond. Still no place for Armstrong but it’s a long season...

Goal at last for Sam Gallagher for Blackburn.

Another injury prone player? I hope not. He has such a promising future. An Ings goal for confidence would be good, surely a decent finisher should be able to score a bundle with Boufal, Redmond, Djenepo and JWP setting them up!

SSN look to be doing highlights as they happen.

I assume Sky Sports News will be showing highlights of our game as they happen, as in previous seasons? If so I need my kid to hurry up and go to bed so I can turn off In The Night bloody Garden...

Had Pope over Gunn in the fantasy. Useless bloody Burnley, so close to a clean sheet. I still think Newcastle will be OK, leftover from Benitez’s legacy, Almiron looks pretty good. Even though the bookies have them as favourites to go down, if Joelinton can score enough they could be fine. They did lose two big players in the summer but their defence is ok. They’re probably our competition in lower mid table though it will be interesting to see how much Bruce can get out of them. Weird results this weekend, bar Liverpool’s result, and Wolves’ extremely late equaliser, that was all away wins!

Depends on the line up for Fulham. Their attack is potent but their defence is average, our attack should be too much for them. Could go to penalties. After that I think we can beat both Sheffield United and Bournemouth, though the former will be a tougher game than we realise. Man Utd? Who knows. Seemingly beatable but maybe a draw? All I do know is after the Bournemouth game we have some really tough fixtures through October and November that we need some Hasenhuttl magic from, before a smoother December. Most of our home games in the first half of the season are against tough opposition which bodes well for the second half of the season when we are hopefully in full flow.

And boom goes the dynamite.

Monaco are targeting out-of-favour Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, 25, and Southampton's Gabon international midfielder Mario Lemina, 25, before the end of the European transfer deadline. (L'Equipe, via Talksport)

He'll get game time this season, loaning him out would weaken the squad, even though it's unlikely he'll be a first team starter on a regular basis. Needs to play against Fulham really.

From your other First Win thread... ...I still think we will beat Brighton. I will however rethink them as relegation fodder if they keep up their form from the first two games.

He’s had two very good stints with Championship clubs and was one of two recognisable defensive midfielders we had in the squad. He absolutely would have got game time with us this season as we’re light in midfield as it is. If we hadn’t signed Danso, who can also operate as a defensive midfielder, I’d have been questioning this more than I have. I guess this is make or break season with a Fulham side I think will win the League. I bet we lose Cedric before September, and this loan would look even more puzzling as Reed played RWB for Norwich. On the plus side it must mean Ralph has faith in Slattery, who has become 3rd choice central midfielder. (If you consider JWP and Armstrong more as attacking midfielders.)

Beat them there in the cup last January. Was there with my Fulham mate. Bednarek played right back and didn't make a bad fist of it. It's winnable but I'd say they are stronger now than they were then ironically...

Kill them with pace. 4-2-2-2 counter attacking. Gunn Valery Yoshida Danso Bertrand Hojbjerg Romeu Djenepo Redmond Long Adams I've gone for a Liverpool win in this one but in a close high-scoring game.

Pompey in the Carabao! In the league? Brighton, despite their early season victory.

It's a long term task (whether he gets the time to do it remains to be seen) but they do have some good players there IMO. Obviously a very young, raw team backed up with a bit of experience, even though Hazard has gone I think they'll do OK. Defensively they are strong, or they will be with Rudiger at the back and Kante in defensive midfield although neither started today. They're OK in midfield too - up front is where they might struggle. Abraham was good in the Championship but is effectively like Adams in making the step up. Giroud isn't getting any younger either. Batshuayi is the one I think will end up being their number 1 striker this season. They won't be top 4 though, but I bet they'll still make top 6. When I get FM2020 I'd be interested in managing them for a little challenge and I'm no fan of Chelsea! Surely a team like: Kepa, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, Emerson, Kante, Jorginho, Hudson Odoi/Barkley/Loftus-Cheek, Willian, Pedro, Batshuayi is better than any outside the top 6? The problem with Lampard is he might trust in his young players TOO much. For instance today he might have been better playing an experience a side as he could have put out and then introduced his youngsters gradually against "lesser" teams. I've been over to Redcafe forum - United fans are excited about their new look defence. Let's see how it copes against our new pacier attack in 3 games time.

There's been a few spankings this weekend - this is when, if the window were still open, there'd be a few panic signings by teams next week! (Well except Chelsea obvs.)

We have to hope this guy is better than what we've got! I hope he can be introduced soon enough. When's the first cup game?

Sounded awful. Need to ditch the 3 at the back. I'd rather have two crap defenders playing than 3, although we have Danso to come in and we can only hope he's decent. Ings will have his uses on occasion but Hasenhuttl wants to play with pace and he doesn't have much. My favourite formation in the last few years was the 4-2-3-1 we used to play under Pochettino and I think it suits our personnel. We could field a team like: Gunn, Valery, Danso, Yoshida, Bertrand, Romeu, Hojbjerg, JWP, Boufal, Redmond, Adams. Pace and creativity. It can only get better, right? Liverpool next, then Brighton who won enthusiastically today, then United. (Deep breath...)

What a start to the season... Thiiiiiiings can only get better..... Have to hope before the European window goes that we can keep the likes of Boufal and Cedric as we may well need them this season. I hope Danso can improve the defence.

37 and a 1/3 games to go...

bugger

The speed and directness of Djenepo, Boufal, Redmond, Obafemi, Adams, Long and even Bertrand, Valery and Cedric should make a few teams crap their pants this season. It's just about finding the right balance. Our bench is decent today, let's use it.

Patience people. As long as we keep creating the chances we should be able to put one away. And we have Djenepo, Boufal and Obafemi on the bench if need be... Pope though always has a stormer against us. What is it with Burnley's goalkeepers having stormers!!! Definitely need Adams to scuff one in.

A Saints goal and we're in the Champions League places...