DJS

Sooner or later though, they'll face someone who'll get an inkling of what their penalty area looks like.

In over 3 hours of football, a whopping 3 shots on target for the Mancs...

Incredible how easy Villa have allowed these last few minutes to be for the mancs. Pathetic really.

Gestede finally coming on. He's taking off Sinclair, who's threatening to make things happen

All these balls into the box and Gestede is still sat on the bench. Sherwood is such a buffoon.

I actually thought Villa could give them a game. Then i saw that the PL's usual Billy-Big-B*llocks has decided to bottle it and not start the big striker who could give Smalling and Blind nightmares. Good thinking, Timmy... Jesus, Villa are so sh*t How the feck did we lose to them at Wembley?

I know it's childish, but i'm finding this De Gea situation hilarious.

Even by Mourinho standards, this is disgraceful... http://www.marca.com/en/2015/08/13/en/football/international_football/1439493652.html?cid=SMBOSO34503&s_kw=facebookCM&t=281985716

Season before last, Gerrard scored two pens and missed a third. They had Moyes. We had fun.

We beat them relatively comfortably each of the last two seasons, at their place in the cups. Not gonna be stupid and say we should beat them 6-0 or anything but if we're entering stoppage time nervous and clinging on, something has gone very wrong.

First port of call here is getting people closer to Benteke. He was isolated too much at Stoke so any ball he won or contested, just went to a defender anyway. In fairness, we started the second half higher up the park and I would expect us to play more advanced at home to Bournemouth, as opposed to Stoke away, where staying a bit deeper is more understandable. I'd be a bit nervous if Bournemouth came and played deep, with ten men behind the ball. Can't see them doing that though, it's completely alien to their usual methods and Eddie Howe's philosophies. As the season goes on, if they're in the sh*t, he may compromise his methods a little but surely not yet.

Brendan might be seen as being under pressure but it's ludicrous if that's really the case. There was a decision to be made in the summer and if he was to be sacked, it should've been then. Having decided to keep faith in him and after giving him all the scope to make the changes he wanted to, it'd be pure absurdity now if he wasn't allowed to see that job through. All the back room changes, all his own signings and decisions. Must be backed now.

Surprised there isn't a thread for this yet. Hoping for a convincing home win. Also hoping Bournemouth stick to their principles and try to out-football us. Moreno in for Gomez probably and would be nice to see Firmino start, in place of Lallana. Otherwise, as you were. Could give us the chance of going to Emirates with a nice points cushion over Arsenal.

Good to see some writers having the balls to call him out on his utter twattishness...albeit, the article is from about 2 weeks ago... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/11771186/Jose-Mourinhos-classless-attack-on-Rafael-Benitez-and-his-wife-was-Chelsea-manager-returning-to-his-old-bad-ways.html

Chelsea's appeal over the Courtois red card rightly rejected. Imagining if it had been the Mancs when Ferguson was at the helm, the red would've probably been voided. Mind you, if it had been United during Ferguson's time, the penalty and red card wouldnt have been given in the first place.

Reckon West Brom will be this shyte and timid when we go there?

It's his general ability (or lack thereof) to strike a ball cleanly and with power, that is a major weakness.

Yeah, i was concerned about him at times yesterday too. All to be expected, young lad, debut at a hard place, out of position and up against a brute, All things considered, he was pretty decent but there were a few tricky moments and Stoke clearly targeted him with that diagonal aerial ball to Walters. No doubt he'll develop into an excellent player and even at this stage, being so young, raw and inexperienced, i'd still have no qualms with him playing games, Any wobbles were what you'd expect, but it wasnt serious enough whereby he looked out of place or out of his depth. Decent experience for the kid.

Henderson - put in a good shift at both ends, made a couple of crucial blocks, never stopped running and provided an attacking thrust in the second half. Coutinho - it wasnt happening for him for periods of the game, but he was still our main creative force in trying to make things happen & of course, the matchwinner Lovren - solid throughout, put his head in at times and showed authority we havent seen much of previously. Didnt do much wrong & dealt with what he needed to.

That ruling was changed 3 or 4 years ago. Each appeal costs the club £1500 (non refundable) and fast-track hearing system means the idea of appealing to delay a ban doesnt work anymore. Back to the game - bit dubious about what Pulis thinks is a good way to approach this game - every City player has at least 5 yards of space around him in possession and all the time in the world. In what possible way can that work for West Brom? Useless. And that's 0-2. Pulis is a k****ead.

Unfortunately he can't get an extra game.

Only day 1 and Mourinho is already crying on MOTD

This has bugged me for eons. Never understood why it's 100/30 rather than just 10/3. And nobody has ever been able to explain it to me.

Reckon Lallana will start and Firmino as sub. Otherwise, the same as the team posted above. With Ibe, Phil and Lallana playing behind Benteke.