Midfield_General

Half time. Armstrong getting very little service but generally looking utterly ineffective down the middle, yet again. A spectator, barely touched the ball. I wonder how many times they need to see it before they finally accept he can't effect the game as a no. 9 against any half-decent opposition. Pretty weak for the goal. Macca missed the cross then we got beaten to two headers. THB should have done better. Great delivery from Taylor for the equalizer; good header from THB. Lallana showing a few little flashes of quality, decent feet and one of the few looking for a forward pass. Wood having a physical battle with Beto and doing OK, but looks clumsy. Bree giving the ball away a fair bit under little pressure. Fraser looking lively when he gets the ball but lacking quality with his delivery. Generally lots of the usual sideways and backwards possession with little point to it. Very little real attacking threat from open play. Overall, seen worse but pretty damn average all round.

Your obsession with Russell's looks is very odd. Presumably you're much better looking than him?

'Leonardus'.

Just watched the Man Utd post-match press conference in full and the very last line was interesting. RM was giving an answer about the size of the squad, talking about how they were handling it and how there would need to be a reassessment in January, and at the end he signed off with "I'll have to stay in the job for that long first". He didn't say it with much of a smile either. Even if it was just a throwaway line, it shows he's clearly feeling the pressure. There was some talk that the contract extension meant that he may have been given assurances that he'd be allowed to stay in the job if we went down, to bring us back up, but I don't think someone who has had that sort of reassurance makes a comment like that. He comes across as quite bolshy sometimes (although, in my opinion, nothing he said in that press conference was particularly aggressive or out of order), but I don't think he's under any illusions as to the expectations and the likely consequences of falling short of them, even this early on. He knows his job's at risk already.

Play the same team in the same formation, swapping in THB for the suspended Stephens if ABK is still persona non grata. Leave everything else the same. We need to find a consistent first team and shape and they need to learn how to play together and win together. We’ll never do that if we’re chopping and changing from match to match. Let’s see if the same team can build on what they did for the first 35 mins on Saturday, by converting chances, cutting out defensive mistakes and doing it for 90 mins. This is a great opportunity to play without the pressure of PL points at stake and get the feeling back of winning against PL-level opposition. We’re not in a position to piss that away by putting out an experimental or reserve team. We need to go into the Ipswich game with some confidence off the back of a win, not feeling even lower after another demoralising defeat.

Onuachu isn’t getting called up, under any circumstances. He’s as far away from being a Martin player as it’s possible to be. Unless we have a major, major injury crisis he’s not even making the bench.

The Championship

Absolute screamer. What a goal.

Calvert-Lewin spunks a one-on-one with all the time in the world, then Watkins equalises for 2-2. 58 mins. Everton are going to find a way to lose this.

Three words to strike a chill into any heart: Frank Lampard's Southampton. Careful what you wish for.

Uh-oh

He's at least being able to show what he can do, which is presumably what he wanted. At least three great saves today, would have been an ugly scoreline without him. Regardless of the result, you don't have people talking about any great saves you made if you're sat on the bench every week.

The psychological collapse was what was most concerning there. For the first 35 mins we played them off the park. The shape was loads better, we looked well up for it, we were first to everything, we were much more forward-looking and direct, and they couldn't handle Dibling at all. Lesley should have put that free header on target before the penalty was given, and it was criminal that no-one had taken up a position for a cut-back tap-in when KWP dribbled it all the way into their six yard box. But as soon as we missed the penalty you could visibly see the belief drain out of them. That led to the first goal and then we just collapsed and were lucky not to concede three in that fifteen minutes before half-time. Second half, there was just nothing there, the belief had completely gone. We've seen a thousand times, usually from teams we're playing against, how going 2-0 down is far from a sure defeat - pull one back and it's game on. But we didn't get anywhere near that because there was no belief that we could. We were beaten as soon as things went against us. Our heads went down the moment we missed the penalty and didn't come back up again for the whole match. Individual performances aside, it looked like the players are already starting to doubt that they belong in this league. That's really worrying this early in the season, although hardly surprising after four defeats in four matches. If they're looking that dejected already, Martin's got a huge job on his hands just picking them up and keeping confidence and belief in the team, because when that goes and heads start dropping every time you concede, you really are screwed. The Ipswich game is massive now. He has to find a way to scratch some sort of result out of that, however ugly it might need to be to get it. We need to find some street fighting mentality to get some points on the board however we can and then build from there. Ramsdale was good though. Thank god we've got him, because with any of our other keepers that was five or six today, easily.

One more player and that side would probably do alright in the championship

United starting Eriksen and Fernandes together in midfield with Mainoo means they don't really have a recognised DM. That's a midfield that can be bullied if we get it right. Fuck 'em up Big Les. Rashford starting over Garnacho is an interesting one. And no Casemiro. United fans not happy at all with their line-up.

If we give ourselves a chance by not doing anything silly at the back then that side is more than capable of giving them a proper game.

Love that. We need to get Dibling's contract sorted! Smallbone goes from starting to completely out of the squad.

Turkish window closed. Looks like he’s still with us?

Pretty much all of them! But if pressed - Egil Ostenstadt, Gordon Watson, Matty Oakley, Ken Monkou

Good news. KWP and Dibling next please.

Cool. Think he's said he tends to prefer the left as he can cut inside and shoot, but if he's flexible enough to play either side then that's great as we look a little bit light on the right otherwise. I'm looking forward to seeing him. Edit: Re Cornet

Fair enough. If you're dropping Dibling to start Fraser on the left though, who have you got starting on the right?

I'd go 4-3-3: Archer Cornet Dibling Fernandes Downes Lesley KWP Bednarek THB Sugawara Ramsdale Subs: Macca, Stephens, ABK, Lallana, Aribo, Fraser, SAA, Stewart, BBD. No room for Armstrong, Smallbone or Taylor - sorry lads. We won't though.

Martin's right when he says we have a bloated squad now. When everyone is fit and available for selection, there are going to be plenty who don't even get amongst the 9 subs, let alone the starting XI. For example*, this weekend we could put out a first XI of: Ramsdale; KWP; Bednarek; THB; Sugawara; Downes; Fernandes; Lesley; BBD; Archer; Cornet With a subs bench of: Macca; Stephens; Smallbone; Aribo; Lallana; Fraser; SAA; Dibling; Armstrong Which would leave no place at all in the squad for Taylor, ABK, Bree, Stewart (now apparently fit), Larios, Edwards, Wood or Manning, plus Onuachu and Sulemana (when fit again) who we know they're trying to shift out. Most of those you could argue we won't miss, but it seems a bit harsh on Taylor for example, and who drops out of that squad to fit Stewart in? (which presumably is the plan, given how long we've spent getting him ready). I really hope it's not SAA who has to step back down. (* It's just an example, I'm not saying this will be the formation, team or bench)

Declared fit and available for selection vs. Man Utd.