Ronnie Whelan

Given rumours of him being out for the season, that would be good news. Ideally he could work towards the Manc game, but in reality we have a few nasty looking games like Villa away and Spurs at home in April where he could be a huge presence. One of the best players in the league. The term world class is used easily, but when he is fit, he is imo that calibre. My Evertonian mate said he reckons him and Foden are the two most exciting players in the league right now, just literally minutes before the injury. You know what, he's a massive loss for the derby. While we should on paper batter them, it will be a warzone and Diogo is ready made for them. Gutted but we have good options.

Yeah Ali is the best of the best but Kelleher is a good and potentially very good keeper. If Kelleher is sold this summer, I'd insert a buy back clause but I agree totally we need a very decent backup.

They seem to have a real problem with Miguel Delaney on Bluemoon. Genuinely if I was one of the handful of journos that raise issues against them, I'd be looking over my shoulder.

Gvardiol is out for two to three weeks, Grealish likely out for a few weeks and Silva took a "big" knock on his ankle. Would be brilliant if they lost Silva for a while. He's a knobhead but a brilliant player.

Grealish picking up an injury is a good result to be honest. All I was hoping for from that game was injuries to them so happy days. Hope they get Arsenal next round and they knock fuck out of each other.

Sorry I meant to say if we win all our games past Everton.

Devilsadvocate is the kind of maverick that could fire us to a title but he could equally be a Rodney Marsh or Tino Asprilla. Pictured out on the town with a gorgeous brunette and a few bottles of champagne always close at hand. Appearing on Graham Norton the night before a game and funnier than all of the other guests. "We're winning all of our games you cheating Mancs bastards and take a picture of that Odegaard you big knobhead". Code is the Phil Neal here. Taking each game as it comes. Giving no soundbites to the media, talking up everyone elses chances. Waiting in his car for the caretaker to open the gates of the training ground to get in a few hours of gymwork before the rest of the lads come in. Anyhow, I can't help but feel that the games up to Everton away will pretty much decide it. If we were to beat City, we would also have away games against the Blueshite, Brentford and Forest boxed off. At worst, we'd be two points clear of both City and Arsenal, which allows us a draw later in the run in. I think it will go to the wire but I'm very nervous about Brentford. They're a good well coached team and Toney is top class.

You're right, some of the results haven't been comfortable for us. The Brighton away was an example of one we left behind, whereas other games we got over the line. Brentford is an awfully tough type of place. Toney is a top class player and they are well managed. They actually gave City a good game and didn't make it easy for them. I would take any type of win there. We need to win the next few league games and the League Cup before the cheats come to town and that will really give us a huge lift. If (big if) we turn them over then that is one hell of a shot in the arm for us that hopefully takes us over the line. Villa and West Ham away look slightly less daunting now than they would have a few hours ago. Everton is daunting because of the occasion, but if we have the right mindset, it's three points. To be fair, the Mancs are awful, but that's still a battlezone. Forest and Fulham just have to be three points, but again it will be the right mindset from us.

I don't disagree with that Barrington, but we just need to do our business away against for the most part vastly inferior teams. I could accept dropped points against Villa and possibly United on one of those days, but Arsenal's result today shows even more that if we do our stuff, we should pretty much drop nothing.

I'm convinced they have lads in the media paid off to give them good pr. That Fletch fucker comes to mind. The BBC are right up their arses. I probably sound like an Evertonian but fuck me it's nauseating the coverage they get. Fact is, it suited a lot of fans to have them pipping us to a few titles. United are shite for pretty much all of the last eleven years, Everton get further and further from being a big club every year, Arsenal have only begun to become relevant again. They were our historically three biggest rivals. Others like Forest and Leeds weren't in the premier league for a lot of those years. Others like Chelsea hate us, while plenty of clubs fans are packed with Little Englanders. Others like Newcastle need City to continue as is, because they hope that can be them in a few years. Thing is, United will find in a few years that City have more Champions Leagues than them and they'll be not far off them for titles won. Arsenal were done out of a league last season and if they come second this year that will be two. And the media might find that a Jurgenless Liverpool means nobody can really give them a fight and there's basically no title race for nearly any season. Might as well be Ligue 1 or the Bundesliga where bar the odd year or when a Jurgen comes along, it's a closed shop. I hope we get awarded those titles, but ultimately the real moment of joy has passed. I just hope they get their moment and get fucked down the pyramid. They are absolute scum. I said it before on here that the first real rivals I had were Revie's Leeds. Giles was the De Bruyne of his era and that team was majestic. I'd happily sit down and watch a documentary on that Leeds team. Pep's City are souless. I just feel so different to them than I did any other rivals down the years.

Three points with not ideal preparation. Sometimes you need luck and I'm glad we had lads missing today than next week against Burnley. Need to win the next three and it's perfect preparation for the cheating bastards coming to town.

Agree with that. Very good goal by the Burnley lad. He's a good goalkeeper who has the tools to be very good. I'd like him kept on because he is a really good number two - he had a very dodgy game against Fulham and in games has had dodgy moments but has done well for the most part. Fact is, Ali misses more games than most goalkeepers and we need to have someone who can come in and not shit their pants. I actually think if we are letting him go, we have a buyback inserted.

Sorry I meant in the league. Jesus!

I know Chelsea are car crash, but I'm still glad we don't have to play them again this season. They have enough good players to turn up randomly in a game. I mean I still see City beating them about 4-1 next weekend but they are a team, a bit like the Red Mancs, that could randomly pull a result from nowhere.

They were like the pundits back then. Able to capture the moments well without going overboard. I mean if we had beaten Arsenal on Sunday, the likes of Neville would be coming out with shite like it's Liverpool to lose. Now, we might as well be 20 points behind. Carra is very exciteable as well. Don't get me started on the likes of Micah Richards.

One thing in defence of Drury - he's annoying as fuck but he seems equally excited by different teams scoring, whereas Tyler evidently liked the Red Mancs more than every other team. I never really rated Motson btw. Moore and Davies were far superior. I always thought Motson was a bit of a gobshite.

Could be waiting a while for the Blueshite to get two.

115-0 a goal for every breach.

It's a bit like the Territorial Army defending the border village against elite special forces. They might take out one or two lads out by chance that softens things for the proper army down the line. 4-0 City.

Brentford is an awkward one that they have boxed off. Very good result. I actually didn't think they were brilliant and on another day, they could have been punished. There is little wriggle room. March is a big chance imo. They could drop a few points. If they only drop points to us with a draw, then it's odds on they win the league. Provided we don't drop more silly points we have a chance. Certainly, we are a nightmare for them and they would view us in a different light to Arsenal, who may be a very good side, but have no history of going toe to toe with them. Injuries or suspensions will make a huge difference. De Bruyne is the best pound for pound player in the league and Rodi is arguably their most important player, because they possibly feel his loss more than De Bruyne. Fingers crossed they have a lengthy run in Europe.

I don't disagree with that Barrington. Everton and United will be warzones. In respect of Everton, we need to rise above the history of the game and realise the sheer difference in quality of the two teams. Same with United. We play to a good standard and we should win. The others are tricky. Again, if we play to a good standard we should win. Villa is a game you might reluctantly accept dropping points, though the Mancs might be that type of game as well. The others have really good players like Bowen or Toney. Just get the job done. I think we might be allowed one more fuck up, and two if we beat City. (As I write this City are losing). City might be cheating bastards but they are a fucking brilliant side. It's going to take a heroic effort to hold them off. I think we have an outside chance.

We were shite but perspective is needed. We win all our games and we are champions - yes very unlikely we do that but it's in our own hands. For my money, we have the easiest run in left and that will make a bit of a difference. Yesterday was a game where a draw would have been okay. We were shite and lost. In some ways, Virgil's fuck up might be a blessing. He has generally been very good this season, but his nochalent defending leading to the fuck up swung the game. He was kicking himself and rightly so. Villa away looks a nasty one. West Ham are generally a fine side so that won't be easy. United away will be horrible because they will understandably turn it into a warzone and Everton will be a hard one as well, purely because they need points and they'll be looking to fuck us over. Brentford is an awkward looking one. Not easy by any stretch but I'd be confident we win pretty much them all and given how good City are that is what is required. The home games are okay bar Spurs and obviously City, but I'd fancy us to do Spurs (though two years ago they ended up being the difference in that title race). I still think the City game in March may decide it.

It's incredible isn't it. Taylor is the worst though. Anyhow, common sense would suggest you don't have a Manc refereeing a game for us. Even if he tried to be fair, it's next to impossible. Imagine me refereeing the Mancs or City - there would be about six red cards given to them and in the case of City about four goals ruled out. I'd fuck them over in a game like Sheffield United at home.

Love that! I can see no obvious and clear foul here : Gabriel has just clotheslined Jota in the box. He's forcefully tackled him in the box with intent to cause injury. Penalty and red card : Konate has brushed off Saka but won the ball.

Jesus it's like the Axis of Evil.