Michael Hudson

Mind-bending, isn’t it? There are still people on here who think Dan Burn is an absolute liability despite having watched him play over a full season as a very highly accomplished centre half.

Someone suggested Graham Potter. At least he’s now available, I suppose.

No, you’re absolutely right - that’s why we conceded 100 goals last season. Literally everytime someone runs at him with pace it’s a goal. Can’t believe we ever signed him at all, to be honest.

You said he should have been sold by now. I’ll need to ask a) what defensive issues? and b) why anyone would think someone in their mid-30s would be a longer term answer? This season? Absolutely fine as rotation with Botman.

It’s one game. Any of our players could be shown up against that team. If you think there’s a massive drop off from Botman to Burn right now, then you’re ignoring every bit of evidence stretching back over 12-18 months.

You mean like he was last time? Of course, ideally you wouldn’t have him filling in at LB any longer but he was consistently one of our best players last season while Botman was out.

He’s been able to turn it on when he wants, which is excusable when you’re the focal point of the team and others are willing to do your running. If Slot thinks his current lack of movement is solely due to him deciding to take the summer off, he’s in for a shock.

Big Nick. Isak was brilliant at what he did, but think Big Nick will offer a lot more movement, variety and team ethic. Isak’s goals - and there were a lot - covered a lot of things that were increasingly starting to grate even before this summer.

Also, rich people refusing to pay taxes levied to pay for services they’d already benefited from.

They did sign a fair few players at the end of the window who better suit his style, which makes it, on the face of things, so odd they waited so long to make the change. For better or worse, you know exactly what you’re getting with both those managers.

Shame it’s always that game, though!

Is it watches through customs?

When Wissa, Elanga and Gordon get attuned to his movement and passes, he’s going to create as many as he scores. Bayern really did make the best decision getting Jackson in a blind panic for a big loan fee, didn’t they?

They owed us one after Tino in Paris, but I agree that shouldn’t have been a penalty. Really soft.

Better than I thought it was going to be when I saw him being stretchered off - and we do have Hall back at the same time. Trippier, Krafth, Murphy and Thiaw on the other side should be ok with a bit of rotation.

Likewise, Alf.

They’re professionals. They occasionally make mistakes, as we all do in our jobs. Saka was a Newcastle fan as a kid - should be be banned from playing against us too? Actually…

Alf, you do realise this is a bit daft, don’t you? They’re not fans the same way you are. “Are you now or have you ever been a fan of…?” is a bit, well, you know….

I dunno, Chris, but you might have just broken into the top 100,000 whiners of Arsenal. Tough competition, win, lose or draw.

Perhaps a bad joke, but it’s not me plastering my daughter all over social media with some overblown anecdote. Do crack on with the tagging, though. I’m sure she’ll thank you for it!

I can see why she left home.

Didn’t you say it’s her first year at uni and so presumably only her 4th day on the job? Bit of a small sample size.

At least they’re not clamouring for Mourinho this time. Small mercies.

I’ve missed that pleasure!

Does that mean we get a free Havertz tackle in the return game?

Think it’s the boardroom he needs to worry about losing. Lack of obvious replacement probably keeps him in place a while longer but that system is not working with those players, irrespective of whether they’re still playing for him or not.

I think Amorim would probably welcome the boot at this point, wouldn’t he? Always an odd fit with that squad and the inability to reshape it quickly.

Though not at all odd when you take more than the last 5 games into account.

Has to be the second, doesn’t it? I think…

And the best time of day to see it!