Sheaf Saint

You're right about Cash.

How in the hell is Garth Crooks still employed by the BBC? We just went and nullified the current champions, who had scored 16 goals in their previous 3 home games, and yet he doesn't pick a single Saints player for his team of the week. I thought Romeu would be a shoe in.

What's Bradley Wright-Philips up to these days?

Mike Dean did it at OT last season when he sent Bednarek off, and if he had actually bothered to watch the replay from other angles he would have seen it was a dive from Martial and not even a penalty.

Bit of bad news I'm afraid... The Sheaf View pub - which I know is a favourite pre-match watering hole for a few people on here when visiting Sheff Utd - is closed at the moment following an arson attack. It hasn't burned down or anything dramatic, and they are hoping to have it re-open very soon, but it doesn't look like it will be in time for Tuesday. However, just up the hill from it is the Brothers Arms (Formerly the Shakespeare Inn), which I can heartily recommend as a suitable alternative. It's a bit small inside but they have a great range of beers and a really good outside seating area.

Yeah, this. And the look on his face when the decision was overturned was also a giveaway. He looked like a naughty school kid boasting to his mates that he had talked his way out of being given a detention.

Well yes, because he has to be certain that his original call was wrong.

Yes, of course. I appear to have added in an extra win in my calculations. Even so, 15 points would still be fairly respectable, given that many people tipped us to struggle and we will have already played Utd, City and Chelsea, and gone away to two of our bogey grounds.

At the very least he should be hauled in front of the PGMOL and made to explain the thought process behind his decision, because it appears that he didn't apply the rule about 'clear and obvious error' correctly.

Interesting that even the MOTD analysts concluded that Redmond is rubbish at choosing the right option when he gets in or near the box. They highlighted a couple of moments where he wasted a good attack which, on repeat viewing, look even worse than they did at the time. If it's a confidence issue then he really needs to engage with a sports psychologist.

Well blow me down - I think this might be the first time I've ever seen you agree with someone on this forum! Yes it does, but they were very much on an upward momentum curve at that point. despite being a division higher this time, they're still on the way down again following their relegation last season and they've not made a brilliant start to their league campaign. As long as we play a strong enough team, we should beat them with ease this time.

So we've emerged from the tricky first 5 fixtures with more points than many expected, and after our disappointing capitulation against Everton on the first day we're starting to look like a team that is actually hard to beat. Our next seven look much more winnable than the first five did before the season started, with the exception of a trip to Chelsea. Although, given we just went to the Etihad and Made City look ordinary, I wouldn't put it past us to get something at Stamford Bridge as well. Wolves (H) Chelsea (A) Leeds (H) Burnley (H) Watford (A) Villa (H) Norwich (A) 3 wins and 2 draws from that lot - which I think is more than achievable given our current performance levels - would put us onto 18 points after 12 games. After that we've got consecutive home games against Liverpool and Leicester, then another four games where we would hope/expect to get points from - Brighton and Brentford at home and Arsenal and Palace away. 2 wins and 2 draws from all them (again - achievable) would put us on 26 points as we reach the half way point of the season. I'm actually feeling pretty positive right now.

Looks like we have become hard to beat, after we were so easy to beat in the second half of last season. We've already played 3 of the current top 4, and only lost one of those games, as well as holding our own against a very good WH team, and getting a late equaliser (something we were incapable of last season) at Newcastle where we would usually lose. Just got to hope we can find our scoring boots in the more winnable games coming up, of which there are a few between now and the end of Nov. 2 or 3 wins out of those and we can head into the Xmas period in a healthy position.

Spot on. He just bottled it in the face of the whining from the City players, and the VAR ref gave him the opportunity to 'correct his error'.

On what basis? Walker didn't go for the ball, and stuck his leg in front of Arma's to stop him from getting to it. Anywhere else on the pitch it's a clear foul.

Back to back clean sheets against WH and City isn't to be sniffed at. Away at the Etihad is the toughest test for any team, and we passed that test with flying colours. I'm very happy with a point from a game where we all expected we would get thrashed, but I'm just aghast at that shitshow from Moss. Whether he's a cheat or just a coward, I don't know, but he needs to be removed from reffing games for a while.

Jesus, why did that take so long to check and confirm? It was so obvious even without the lines.

And there it is. Did anyone honestly expect anything different?

If Moss had given that one for Sterling, there would have been a riot. I almost expected him to as well.

This. The City players put enough pressure on him to convince him to change his mind. The VAR ref shouldn't have given him the opportunity because it was blatantly a penalty. It's fucking corrupt is what it is.

What the fuck has Moss seen on the replay to change his mind? It was a blatant foul and a penalty. He's just succumbed to the City players' whingeing. Absolutely pathetic, spineless prick.

Are you fucking joking me!?

Penalty!

With Stu and Theo still unavailable, it's the perfect excuse to try it. Some people reckon we shouldn't because he's a full back not a winger, but he has played in more attacking roles before with Chelsea and England, and I seem to remember another young Saints full back who successfully converted to an attacking player - he didn't do too badly for himself did he!

Just FYI everyone - this weekend is students moving in weekend, so if anybody is thinking of trying to get into Manchester by car I would strongly advise against it.