The anti-Martinelli brigade seem very quiet

[Peter]

Kai Havertz might be back in the next few weeks. Gabriel Jesus too.

Havertz is a key player for us. We need him fully fit.

I still think the captain is the single most important thing to get right. When he is flying, we are. If we get him back to where he was two seasons ago, we will be a massive problem for everyone this season. The two major trophies are on the table.

I'm starting to get a bit concerned about City.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

I don't think we have much to worry about. Win the next game and we are 12 points from 12, with two easy games to come. That is a top 8 finish pretty much nailed on.

Moving through to Christmas, he is going to have to trust Merino and give Rice the odd break here and there. Same with the other key players. They cant be expected to play 90 minutes twice a week.

Christmas may be coming but can we please not count turkeys or geese until they've hatched?

He'll have no problem trusting MnM. MA likes him. It was just the injuries last season that meant he never got to have a serious run of games with a Dec-MnM-Odin MF. It will be nice to see MnM with a ten and CF ahead of him and one of Dec/Zubi behind him or alternating with him. He's a very good MFer, is tall, wins duels etc but we'd then also have him arriving late into the box to score like Freddie did.

But as opposed to him being the CF/false 9, he'd still have a 10 to play him in {like Bergy with Freddie} and Vik to occupy two defenders so there aren't as many to track his run.

I reckon it'll be Norgy and MnM in the LC vs BHA.

It's Ethan he needs to trust more. When he came on, he had one great goalline clearance and a decent shot on target. He has oodles of talent, is only 18, scored loads in the 2nd half of last season but just needs to play more to learn the ropes of pressing etc at this level.

We normally play with one 10, but with Vik getting better and better for us with each passing game, we could have Odin, Eze, Kai and Ethan all going for one or two no.10 positions.

[Pat Vegas]

he was outstanding, I thought.

When we play teams that actually want to play football, his name should be on the team sheet, every time.

And I wonder if, as we get used to Gyokeres, Martinelli might need to get used to him more than anyone.

I actually think it is Gyokeres changing us, rather than us getting used to him, if you see what I mean.

He's been very good lately.