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I know he's the scapegoat on here and absolutely hated, but that chance there (and the penalty) is why I'd be giving Gueye more minutes. He's a chaos engine - he makes things happen when he's on the pitch (some good, some bad). The players around him simply have to be ready to capitalise on it.

After a lot of talk about 2 games in about how this seasons promoted sides were all totally different from the last few years when they all were outside the drop zone. Leeds and Burnley (thankfully) are starting to look well off the standard. And Sunderland have had to spend a massive amount to be where they are. Its really not healthy and shows the impact of all the TV money and the gap its created.

The priority for a CB is to defend. I loved watching Batth put the ball into Row Z when he was playing for us - he assessed the situation and rather than trying to lay off a deft header / pass to a teammate he just cleared the danger and got us set. It's a lost art. Everyone tries to be Rio Ferdinand these days.

We have the worst owners in football. That said we were clearly heading for an iceberg in the summer - all of our assets were heading into the final year of their deals (Brittain, Hyam, Travis) with no intention of extending them (nor should they on the terms offered). At least now we have young(ish) assets and a future. Even if it's just kicking the can down the road.

The difference being Ferguson wouldn't just put up with it and bat on as though absolutely nothing had happened.

I think Pratt is considered agricultural in his style, and Litherland more cultured. The latter being more popular in the modern game. But I think there is still a place for the old fashioned no nonsense CB, personally.

This is a genuine question as my memory is shit… Did overseas players used to need time to adjust?

Ah, apologies if I misunderstood - but I guess the logic applies to both.

I certainly thought 100 was a bit of an exaggeration but who knows? She said at the time that you can tell from some of the buildings they used to be Pubs

If Venkys owned the club - yes

He damned right should start the game. He was very good on debut. He deserves his chance to stake his claim for the future. He's 22 years old

So do you think when Ferguson was at ManUre the Board would have sold a key player behind his back?

You are deluded if you really think the manager would have the power to veto or block a sale that senior executives were determined to make

Where I served my time, a bloke in our shop said, if you started at The Station pub at Cherry Tree with a thimble of beer, then doubled up in every pub, you’d not get anywhere near the town centre due to being pissed. Backs your story up Rev.

Must be at least a £ there.

Spurs look absolutely terrible going forward and their defending has been atrocious, too. Goalkeeper should have done better for the second goal, I felt. Spurs looking very frustrated and turning it into a bloodbath, but they’ve only themselves to blame, they’ve been woeful.

Sounds like one hell of a pub crawl!

Win. play like we have done, it's a win

It paints the picture of exactly where we are right now* - as you say in 5 games time things could be much worse and can’t be any better (vs last year). * this stat is fine as it’s proving the point I wanted to make, it’s the ones which don’t which are wrong 😁😁

Agreed but if anything it’s even more ‘condensed’ than usual.

Indeed, Aeschylus.

Wow, 3-0 before we hit the 46th minute.

Yes he should play on Wednesday (we have no alternative but to play him although he deserves to stay in the team anyway) and my opinion that I have shared a few times about how we did on Friday is summed up in those first 4 words, "Pratt did very well." He should certainly start the next game, and he will be given the opportunity to be considered a first teamer because regardless of how he does in the next month, he is one of 3 centre backs that we have so he will need to play every minute of every game this month. The opportunity is there for him. Best case scenario, we come through December and he proves that he can handle consistent Championship games. Certainly no suggestion here that he should be dumped or forgotten about. But we will need new centre backs either way.

I don't disagree with any of that. But then it just makes me question why the manager allowed the club to sell Dominic Hyam right at the very last second of the transfer window? He was by far our most experienced and least injury-prone central defender, we didn't need to sell him for any reason. We should actually have been doubling down by giving him a small pay rise and a new contract. VI should have been arguing for this. But we 'cashed in'. If I was VI I would have blocked/vetoed that sale and made it a red line. It was a crazy decision, but he allowed it. Knowing how injury prone our other defenders are and not knowing whether youngsters like Pratt would be ready to step-up made it a massive gamble. Yes we've had bad luck with injuries and suspensions, but that's why you keep the squad as strong as you can and retain as much experience as you can. We didn't do any of that this summer. On his watch. I don't understand what his ambition is for Blackburn Rovers. I know I come across as really negative about him, I would genuinely like nothing better than to be eventually proved wrong, looking a fool and have people saying "cannot believe you wrote him off, you're an idiot". However I cannot see us making any progress as a football club under him. To me, he's part of the cheap, cheerful, mediocre approach which is endemic throughout the club.

2-0 Arsenal HT We had the Polar opposite of the Liverpool v City game, when a goal that probably SHOULD have been ruled out for offside for a player blocking the keeper's view, wasnt. I absolutely despair with VAR. Most of the time you just get the wrong decision being made twice.