RandoEFC

He's quite skillful. Always looked half decent when he played for us in League Cup and stuff but didn't get many chances in the Premier League. Presumably for a reason.

Been three games lad. We were five points from safety with six games left or something and when push came to shove, the quality over the bottom three came to the fore and we survived. And you've got many more players who are "too good to go down" than we had last season. Granted, like I think you said elsewhere, the biggest suspects have made good starts with Fulham looking alright, Bournemouth picking up an opening win, Forest getting some points, Brentford looking nowhere near having any second season syndrome, Leeds smashing Chelsea and Southampton coming from behind to beat you lot. Makes you nervous but really until after the World Cup even the bottom club will only be one good run of games away from being clear of it.

Nobody can reasonably predict that we'd go there and win.

Barely a week left of the window and we're still dicking around. Gueye still hasn't signed despite having agreed terms over 3 weeks ago. We're four games into the season and Rondon is still our backup striker with Calvert-Lewin injured. That's the bare minimum and ideally we need another creative attacking player to add to our wide options. And this is before you factor in the possible loss of Anthony Gordon, for whom we're turning down offers that appear to be too good to turn down. All the while the days are ticking away.

It's usually the minor characters that grow to become more interesting. The motivations of the main Targaryen characters might be a tad obvious and one dimensional but the other characters, Hightower bunch, Velaryon bunch, Cristen Cole, Lord Strong all supposed to carry a bit more intrigue.

I'm no expert on the rest of his career but Koeman certainly wasn't an academy focused manager in his time with Everton.

Obviously none. But if some other world leader is insane enough to do so and you say on a worldwide broadcast that you'd never push the button even in retaliation (which is true of me) it increases the chance of your nation getting targeted. There's nothing to achieve by it. There's nothing to achieve by using nuclear weapons at all. Which is why the discourse around it is so stupid.

I don't need this to be a masterpiece. As long as it's not mega cringe I can enjoy it for what it is.

The nuclear button thing is so dumb but the British press are obsessed with it. If anyone ever asked me that, I would answer by asking what circumstances in which you'd want to see me press the button. Because we're talking about a genuinely apocalyptic fallout. I do understand at least why a world leader can't say they'd never press it under any circumstances because that would be dumb.

Do you mean a dance with dragons or the Targaryen spin off books like fire and blood? If the first option then I'm slightly confused by this comment .

Just watched the first episode. I'd call it a strong start.

Lampard used two out of five substitutes today. Dele Alli was left on the bench. If the player is erring over whether or not to take the deal with Besiktas then I'd read that as a gentle nudge from the manager that he'd like to create the space in the squad and free up some of that wage budget.

It's weird because he hasn't exactly been given loads of game time with us but obviously he hasn't impressed the manager in training in that case.

All very sudden but to be honest it's hard to see where he fits in a 343 or 433 which are the two systems Lampard has settled on as options. At least we paid nothing for him in the first place apart from a small nominal fee of some sort. He's made 13 of the 20 appearances required for the first £10m to go to Spurs. Was worth a punt with the structure of the deal on the table and he did contribute to the all-important comeback against Palace that kept us up but can't say the squad will miss him if he decides to go to Besiktas. Spurs also stand to get a quarter of any sell-on fee so they'll get a couple million if they go for the £8m permanent deal.

If we end up with a first and second eleven that looks something like this, it isn't spectacular but it shouldn't be a serious relegation contender either. Our recruitment team will have just about done their job so it will be over to Lampard to get 40+ points out of these players, obviously provided we avoid too many injuries because this was an under-rated factor in our struggles last season. Currently got Mina, Godfrey, Doucoure, Townsend and Calvert-Lewin out already. Anyway. Pickford (Begovic) Patterson (Coleman) Mykolenko (Vinagre) Tarkowski (Godfrey) Coady (Keane) Mina (Holgate) Gueye (Allan) Onana (Doucoure) Iwobi (Alli) Gordon (Townsend) McNeil (Gray) Calvert-Lewin (new striker) That's actually two sets of 12 players to factor in a 3-4-3 or a 4-3-3 so there should be flexibility there too. I've backed Lampard without any caveats so far but provided those last two signings go through and we have no more outgoings, there would have to be questions about his performance if we get 12-15 games into the season and we're down there struggling.

Neville in the press saying that if United sell Ronaldo, they could finish in the bottom half. I think it's a load of shite to be honest. Of course he'll bang in hat-tricks whenever Man Utd dominate a game but you can't avoid building the team around him if you're going to play him and it won't work for them. This whole transfer saga over the summer and the constant drama with him storming off the pitch when they lose, refusing to clap the away end, arguing with the bench, etc., which has already reared it's head at Brentford, it's all a bit toxic. The guy can't help making himself the story and as long as he's around I don't see Man Utd being able to focus on their priorities. Ten Hag genuinely should just say to him, if you're not committed to this football club then you can train on your own and find yourself a move. I saw a report today that Ten Hag actually wasn't arsed if Ronaldo left and it was Joel Glazer who has been fighting to keep him. I don't know if it's true but it wouldn't surprise me.

Did you choose the wrong "A" team?

I have enjoyed the "if they can come for the President they can come for any of us" takes as if that's a bad thing .

Onana in the door along with defensive reinforcements. Another case where we've paid £8m or so up front with installments stacking up over time to hit the reported £33m fee. Delay with Gueye is at the PSG end and the severance package for leaving his contract with them early. Club now looking at alternatives after a frustrating delay. Striker coming in last by the looks of it with a variety of players being sounded out as chances of securing Broja from Chelsea are looking minimal.

Yeah I think Kean took a two year loan to Juventus with an obligation to buy but he's been a bit shite for them which is why there was talk of them activating the clause or negotiating a deal a year earlier so they could sell him on.

I don't even know if Moise Kean plays for us anymore to be honest. Dele Alli has had some good minutes as a bit of a false nine in pre-season so I expect he'd be next in line.

What's even funnier is that Rondon is actually suspended to start the season because of his mental red card against Brentford.

He isn't hated, he actually grafts which the fans respect. It was just that run of games last season where Calvert-Lewin was injured and Rondon started about 8 games in a row when we could have tried Richarlison down the middle with Gray/Townsend/Gordon down the sides. So there was a lot of "fucking Rondon fuck off", not least from me, but the real beef was aimed at He Who Shall Not Be Named.

Big Sally Rondon starting the season up front lads, wheeeeeey .