rubberman

Surely we were just behind them?

Good results last night. Great opportunity to put a marker down - please make it so.

De Laet for Taylor, otherwise as you were. It's worked for the last four games - no need to mess about.

9-10 points from the next 5 please. We need to keep in contention, but I'm not going to get too worried if we're not top 2 by the November break. Back half of Nov and Dec will need to really push on.

Name Home Team Away Team Guess Wolves 1 1 Villa Draw Liverpool 1 2 Man Utd Man Utd Burnley 1 0 West Ham Burnley Palace 0 4 Chelsea Chelsea Man City 3 0 Stoke Man City Spurs 3 0 Bournemouth Spurs Swansea 0 1 Huddersfield Huddersfield Watford 1 2 Arsenal Arsenal Brighton 1 1 Everton Draw Southampton 1 0 Newcastle Southampton Leicester 0 0 West Brom Draw rubberman

If he gets us up - big if - I think whether he stays will be dependent on how we go up. Scraping into the playoffs on the back of turgid 1-0 wins, probably he'll go. Going unbeaten from here and topping the league and he'll get a go in the PL. But let's get up first and then worry about it.

Well I'm glad the international break is over. It's no fun watching an uninspiring manager trying to get the best out of a perennially underperforming squad, serving up dull football which results in a few expected wins against inferior teams by the odd lucky goal. Oh...

On the one hand, they are round the corner from me, so have a bit of a soft spot for Palace, but on the other hand it's good to see our awful records being broken and mesmerising in a car-crash kind of way.

Given we started the same side for the third game in a week, against a side determined to not lose, I think the Bolton result is fine. We'll be rested for the Wolves game and I'm sure Steve will play the same team apart from a Taylor replacement. Wolves aren't impregnable at the back so we'll get opportunities. I'd take a draw now, but think we have a decent chance of sneaking a win as well. Should be a much better game of football than the Bolton grapple-fest.

Weak bench. Hope we stay clear of injury.

Ipswich Bristol draw please. Come on Burton And Sunderland. And don't screw this up please Villa.

That's the spirit!

Name Home Team Away Team Guess Villa 2 0 Bolton Villa Huddersfield 0 2 Spurs Spurs Bournemouth 0 1 Leicester Leicester Man Utd 4 0 Palace Man Utd Stoke 0 1 Southampton Southampton West Brom 1 1 Watford Draw West Ham 1 1 Swansea Draw Chelsea 2 2 Man City Draw Arsenal 2 0 Brighton Arsenal Everton 1 0 Burnley Everton Newcastle 1 2 Liverpool Liverpool rubberman

Deary me. I guess the 30 second rush predictions aren't the way to go!

That was great - credit to Bruce and the squad. Correct formation, settled side and the confidence and swagger are starting to flow. The most impressive element for me is the range of scorers and assisters - that shows a team clicking. Having hoped that we would keep the same team last night my concern now is that we need to rotate a bit for Bolton to keep everyone fit and firing. The concern part being that, as in the 2 bob cup, he might try to change formation. Please don't Steve. Like for like swaps where necessary. We will need plenty of other players through the season so they have to slot into the same roles - try a couple for this match but don't go changing too much with a couple of weeks break coming up. It's a shame to have only gained one place last night - but a couple of draws tonight (or even, gulp, a SHA win) and see what Saturday brings.

Eh? We have 60% more points than this point last season. It took us another 4 games to get to this many points. We NEVER got as high as 8th in the whole season. At this stage last year we were 10 points off automatic promotion places - now it's 4 points. Seems to me that is rather more than 'just about doing better'!

I'm assuming most would be able to manage two games but not 3 in a week. Bolton at home should be the easier game. Maybe one or two changes, but I'd like us to keep the momentum going and another win, especially away, will bring a lot of belief and positivity to everyone - fans and players.

Not this season thankfully.

I'd go full on for this and then rotate for Bolton.

Agreed. That was where it started to go downhill and has barely let up since. It was a tragic day.

Name Home Team Away Team Guess Villa 2 0 Forest Villa West Ham 0 2 Spurs Spurs Burnley 1 1 Huddersfield Draw Everton 1 0 Bournemouth Everton Man City 4 0 Palace Man City Southampton 0 2 Man Utd Man Utd Stoke 1 2 Chelsea Chelsea Swansea 1 1 Watford Draw Leicester 2 2 Liverpool Draw Brighton 0 1 Newcastle Newcastle Arsenal 1 1 West Brom Draw rubberman

Please Steve - Same side (as Barnsley), same formation (as Barnsley) , win + a couple of goals to improve the GD ideally.

Ah... penalty then.

Replay or penalties?

Words I never want to hear at this club again