Bright start descends into miserable farce

We can do this though, have to stay tight, hopefully the improved bench will keep the starting 11 on their toes. COYB.

Well done, Jenson Metcalfe. Hope he gets some minutes this season to help his development.

COYB.

Otherwise, it's the same old spots, but did we have three keepers to put there?

First home game of the season: handed the initiative to Brighton with our team selection.

Safety and caution first, so a bit disappointed with that but it's up to the guys, create the chances and we will win this!

Harrison — so inspiring.

Let's go with ‘Life is Bluetiful!' The steady eddies will keep it tight for 70 minutes and then the flair from the bench will be given a run-out and wrap up the points with a late flourish.
COYB / UTFT!

A half of tedious bollocks – only likely to improve when the subs come on – may be too late. I just do not understand the rationale.

Get Lindstrøm, Ndiaye, O'Brien and whoever else on. Brain-dead twats!!! I can't wait til the new lads are in the team…

Mitoma runs the length of the pitch, makes and scores the goal. But McNeil can't even score from 3 yards!!! Wankers!!!

Dyche was right to say the entire team is for sale!

He can't possibly come back out in the second half.

Shocking that we went one-nil down, isn't it?

We started by playing the long ball for a few minutes which came out to Harrison and stayed like that for almost the entire half. Iroegbunam apart, the midfield looked disjointed and I couldn't fathom why McNeil stayed so wide left instead of coming inside more often, especially when it was with Harrison.

The goal was a bit soft – almost as if a slow defence had been caught too far up the pitch – but I hope Mr Dyche has enough time at halftime to explain the offside rule to several of the players, Doucoure in particular.

It doesn't compute on any level.

New season. Same old shit.

Hang on, just on that Everton no-penalty...

It turns out there was a technical issue with the VAR screen so referee Simon Hooper wasn't able to see any replays. He overturned his decision on VAR's advice!

Calvert-Lewin wants more than £130k a week? Hilarious.

Harrison and the new guy were good in the first half.

Pretty much the worst start we could have made.

Based on what we're seeing, we can't afford to lose him.

And the words "Mason Holgate is being readied" are uttered…

Are we just not bothering?

Enough said.

Holgate on at home with 10 minutes left and 2-0 down? Your joking.

Creative players left on the bench whilst we watch the same shit who can't pass 5 yards. Get him out right now!

Long ball punt it into the corner rubbish. Complete humiliation.

You change a game when things aren't working but it's still winnable. That's not what happened here.

We just persisted with smashing the ball towards Harrison while Doucoure stood offside.

That was the plan, right?

They have a young inexperienced forward thinking manager.
We have a fucking fossil who couldn't organise a gang bang in a brothel.

Gonna be a long season.

Doucoure and Calvert-Lewin need to gain some awareness of what offside is, must have been off 10 times between them in the first half. McNeil was useless too. Very sobering way to start the season.

On the bright side, Harrison and (especially) Iroegbunam looked good in the first half.

Calvert-Lewin the main waste of space but not the only one out there. We are so far off, it's almost laughable.

Veteran players are expected to perform to their appropriate standards. Only the oft-derided Harrison and Keane did so. And the debut of Iroegbunam was all we could have hoped for.

Lindstrøm must be in the lineup for Gana next week. Perhaps Ndiaye for Doucoure. Tragically, Holgate will be at right-back. Sickening.

The same team and same start as last year. On top and should be taking the lead. Don't and pay the price. Carbon copy of last year.

Young and Coleman not up to it. No pace in the side. Up against one of the quickest and trickiest wingers in Mitoma and what happens? Bloody obvious.

Game crying out for Dixon to have a go, who must be one of the quickest players in the league. I'd rather a young kid be given a chance and make mistakes than a has-been who'll be hanging his boots soon.

Criminal from Dyche. 100% blame squarely on his shoulders. Have some balls, man.

Calvert-Lewin doesn't move anymore. Beto is shite but at least he tries. Doucoure is a waste of space. Is always offside and offers nothing.

McNeil is way off the pace and was all pre-season. Only one who gave a shit was Harrison, who did look bright pre-season.

I mean, Holgate… for fuck's sake – I am a better player than him and I'm 47 and my body is knackered!

I give up, I'm not doing this anymore!

We need at least a couple more in. But what's the point really, when Dyche continues to field Young, Keane, Holgate and leaves new signings on the bench?

Yes it's only the first game, but this isn't Dyche's first rodeo. We know what to expect. And it's invariably crap.

Difficult to see how this season is likely to be any better than the last two. I think we are in for a long hard season.

Well done, Tim - easily our best player. Harrison had a go too.

Hoof ball from the first minute and silly errors from experienced players.

Another long hard slog to try to get to the new ground still in the Premier League.

New season optimism has already evaporated.

Put your suit back on, Dyche.

The Iroegbunam - Onana swap, +$54M, was absolute genius. Skinned Villa clean on that one.

As for Young, he might be able to manage at left-back… but right-back against Mitoma?!

Gana, Tarkowski, Doucoure, Young were all atrocious, as was Dyche's game management when we went a goal down. His decision to bring on Holgate should have been accompanied by a laughter track over the tannoy.

Dyche surely has to change the team for Spurs; he will probably play a back three now.

Why play Keane, Young and Doucoure? All useless.

Why play 4-4-1-1 when you can play 3-5-1-1 just to fit Young and Doucoure in the team?

This was a disaster waiting to happen.

Get Gueye out the team. Terrible, terrible player. My dog could protect the defence better.

But at least the consensus seems to be that, as a manager, he is dog-shit. We can take some comfort in the consensus.

The failure to sign a right-back is criminal. It's going to be another long and joyless season. Spurs away next so we will still be bottom.

I was optimistic this morning… within 4 hours, Everton have destroyed that!!! I thought Brighton looked very good.

We've seen this 3-0 loss play out loads of times now, it's what happens. The first goal is the key.

There is a negativity and sense of entitlement about the club sometimes, we are lucky to be competing in this league, given the horrible errors that have been made.

Leaving early and booing players on day one, disgraceful. If you don't like what you see, don't go.

Personally, I think he will keep us up again but it won't be pretty. We clearly need cover at both full-back positions if Patterson isn't going to be given a decent run at right-back. Maybe Dixon can step up?

A sickening start to the new season admittedly, but a change of manager? Absolutely no chance.

I, along with many others no doubt, can only hope to see both Ndiaye and Lindstrøm in the line up next week. Things can only get better. Can't they!!?

Get him in the squad.

Dyche is a cunt who would rather repeatedly give old Ashley Young a game, than a young kid a chance. I'd rather see a young player make mistakes and learn, than that old man at right-back.

Another shite season of struggle with that arsehole at the helm. Que all the Dyche lovers now. Bring it on.

That was an absolute shambles from start to finish – and all down to Dyche.

Makes signings and only played... One, and that was by default because, if Garner would have been fit, he plays.

Only one player came out of that with any credit: Iroegbunam; the rest were atrocious.

And while I'm on, I've never seen a substitution empty a ground out like Holgate's – who, by the way, starts next week.

Thanks for ruining my weekend, boys.

Young! O'Brien had a good pre-season and gets totally ignored in place of Keane.

Then he brings deadhead Holgate on. Ndiaye and Lindstrøm surely need to start the next game.

Truly awful opening-day performance.

He won't — and that is why the stink of that show will linger for quite a while.

I still thought he should have tried to bring in Phillips, who would be an upgrade on Gueye, but Dyche said in his press conference that was never in his plans.

I can see Branthwaite reaching for his phone "Get me out of here!"

Such a disappointing start to a season.

Dyche has never changed in his career. He's a terrible stubborn manager.

Christy #55, I trust Thelwell completely, and I believe he will succeed in bringing in a right-back.

The straw that broke Dyche's back.

We're going nowhere fast with this horrible football.

Young is the Joe Biden of the Premier League — nowhere to be seen on the first goal and killed us with the red card. It must be frustrating for him knowing what his capabilities used to be.

I am a fan of Sean Dyche except for his use of substitutions. He doesn't put enough fresh legs on. At 2-0, go shit or bust. Give the new signings a run.

A simultaneous gut punch and reality check. I had one eye on the Ipswich match earlier, as we'll be down in the mud with them come May.

I still think the manager is the right man for the job. And I think we've done as well as we could reasonably have expected to in the transfer market.

You found something positive to comment, when today's game offered us nothing to enthuse about. If Thelwall can magic up an all-round full-back happy on either side, then we can rebalance our back line...

I can only repeat what others are saying though, what are Young, Keane and flipping Holgate doing in the first team?
Oh boy, here we go again Blues...

I believe Calvert-Lewin will leave before the end of the window. Beto is awful. So is the injured Chermiti. Not sure where the Onana money is but a new forward is needed.

What is needed more than anything though is a spine and a pair of bollocks for Dyche.

I've only seen him once, on TV in the preseason, but observers like Dave Abrahams know their stuff.

I'm an angry fan watching horrible football and a one-trick pony as a manager.

Have some balls, Dyche, and stop picking the same old same old with the same old results.

For us, we had a good start but nowhere near the finishing quality that Brighton have. The turning point was when Calvert-Lewin went down for the penalty claim. Watching in my living room, I was surprised that the penalty was given and it felt like Dom had gone down too easily.

I was unfortunately proven right. Lack of confidence from Dom is my conclusion. After that, it was a one-way street for Brighton. The mistakes from Gana and Young proved to be fatal.

The positives:

Tim Iroegbunam – looked looked good in the 1st half but faded badly later on.

Harrison – he kept running and was the only attacking outlet for us in the 1st half. I can see why Dyche plays him.

The others:

Young – you've got to feel sorry for him, the game has gotten faster and he is getting slower. Can't blame him for getting selected.

Keane and Tarkowski – just not the same as Branthwaite and Tarkowski.

Mykolenko – not his best game but kept trying.

McNeil – same as Mykolenko above.

Gana – his mistake apart, he was decent, but the lack of passing ability is a huge handicap.

Pickford – very iffy performance, got beaten 3 times on the same side.

Holgate – it wasn't nice for the camera to focus on one very angry individual who was mouthing obscenities when he came on. Sad to see a once decent player being mercilessly hounded by the home crowd. Hope he moves on for his own good.

Beto and Ndiaye – came on too late, and the 11 vs 10 situation clouded their performance.

Calvert-Lewin – he did not have a good game and, although I am a fan of his, I thought he chickened out of the goal-scoring opportunity. Poor!

Doucoure – had a really poor game and his flurry of offsides were the prime reason for the tide to turn in Brighton's favour after such a bright start.

So, where do we go from here?

I wanted desperately for us to sign Kalvin Phillips. It is too soon, in my opinion, for Tim Iroegbunam to be expected to be our midfield anchor. He needs someone experienced to guide him through – Gana and Doucoure are not those players.

But, we might have a solution in the squad – Dele Alli. If I were Dyche, I would do everything in my power to get him fit and playing. Even 50% of the Dele of old would bring a calmness to our play. He is the ideal player to replace Doucoure in the starting XI.

Secondly, the right-back position needs to be addressed urgently. Hopefully, we sign someone before the window closes… but, if not, get Garner fit and playing there. He did well in that do-or-die game against Bournemouth. And hopefully, Patterson will get fit again soon and play there.

Not the start I predicted and not what we all hoped for, but it is early days and Dyche won't panic, as he shouldn't. Let us hope the players turn things around for the club.

for what it's worth, I was very pleased with Keane today. His long diagonals out of the back were excellent.

We played very well for the first 30 to 35 minutes. They pulled a smash-and-grab goal against the run of play.

Mike Gaynes is right, this was down to individual player mistakes.

Sans one glaring thing for me.

Why in the hell do you put Holgate on? It's like a big "Fuck You" to all the fans. Unconscionable! Terrible sub that just took any positives from the game and soured them beyond repair in my opinion. Pissed me off to no end.

Yet the most important person. The manager, insists on playing him. It makes absolutely no sense.

Back to us, we'll be fine. Probably lose a few more than we win and some draws in there. Let's remember half of this league is garbage. Dyche will still pull off results. Expect us to get between 45-50 points.

I think fan pressure really does need to start cranking up again and this time on Moshiri to move forward with selling the club. Taking over a year to sell the club is scandalous.

The offside goal was 100% down to him, he's lucky it didn't count.

Holgate is a League Two player. He shouldn't even be on our bench. And to put him on is just inexplicable. What was Dyche's motivation to do so? Give literally anyone else minutes FFS!

I admit it's focusing on something that wasn't ultimately game-changing, I just can't get over it. Terrible. it's stuff like that which turns fans against you. We can't afford to introduce avoidable bad mojo into the landscape this season!

Please, please no. Just no. Anyone else. If that happens I'll be distraught.

The only shining light was the lad from Villa.

Fucked whilst we have Dyche as he won’t change.

Tarks had his worst game since joining us. Hopefully it was just a one-off.

Michael Keane who has basically been placed in football limbo this past two years, all of a sudden is a better choice than a central defender you started last week with?

Bringing Holgate on, another forgotten man and complete walking disaster area?

Is Dyche trying to make a point I wonder in saying

"this is all I have at fullback, one old man that's fit, another old man that's never fit and a Scottish lad that's made from glass"?

I'd have given the fans a huge boost by playing O'Brien, Ndiaye AND Lindstrom.

We know what we get from McNeil, Harrison, Young, honest hard work but any type of attacking cohesion, any type of pace, guile, creativity is not even on the agenda.

Same disjointed attacking play, same isolated forward, same poor end product, same poor final passes.

We had a good purple patch around April where some of us felt quite optimistic but games like this, and most of last season has had us scratching our heads at how inept we can be in so many aspects, from managerial decisions to simple basic footballing skills on the pitch.

Play a back three. If he insists on believe it Keane is a good player then put him in a three with wing backs.

Or better still. Instead of giving him another contract, sign any other available right back

Some here have speculated that O'Brien can play the position but I've been unable to find any evidence that he has ever done so.

I will have the same sick feeling at seeing Horrible on the pitch.

Dyche needs to take a good hard look at himself in the mirror, that team selection and game plan was so predictable. The cross field pass from tarks to Harrison is not working.

Speaks volumes that the ground looked like it did during COVID 10 minutes from time.

They had one real chance and scored. For their first, I don’t feel that goes in if Branthwaite is there as he would have been closer to the goal than Keane to make the angle of the pass different - and Young didn’t pick up the winger.

The VAR was laughable. Calvert Lewin clearly stands on the outstretched boot of Dunk and his standing foot visibly slides half a yard. It’s impossible to stay upright in that circumstance, you immediately lose your balance. If you slide through a player it’s a foul - and you are effectively sliding under them. This is no different - and that changes the game completely. You could visibly see our heads drop immediately after that decision.

2nd goal is exactly what many are afraid of every time Gueye plays. He can have excellent games but is always prone to a stupid mistake. Again - Brighton were clinical where we would likely have missed.

Red card was inexcusable. I would have played Young today as we don’t have another right back option - but he’s proved today that he just isn’t up to it anymore - especially at full back.

Hopefully Coleman is back for the next game or I dread to think what Dyche might do. Holgate might, unfortunately, be our only realistic option. I’d love to see Dixon played, but if he plays in a weakened team and makes a couple of mistakes that could be worse in the long run.

Sadly, the line-up told everything. Shame the manager didn't get it.

Staying up is Success!!

Mykolenko rarely gets beat so easily. I blame him more than tarkowski because I wouldn't have expected myky to get beaten so easily either. No excuses for tarkowski but I think if you asked mykolenko he'd take all the blame.

Gana for the second.

Ash was our only option at RB. He made a mistake trying to bring the ball down. Not many others but after the red we were done. Brighton hold the ball to well

Most prem teams have people on the post so Jack wouldn't normally be offside and I'm still not sure it wasn't a penalty. Is that true Hooper never got to see the replay??

Was loving Holgate not coming on for 20 mins but was furious we ended up bringing him on anyway. Anyone else.

Sadly Michael Keane is like a QB and I haven't watched Obrien but Jarrad and Tarkowski can't hit diagonals like Keane. Shame he's an awful defender who isn't sure where to step next.

Does Doucoure know what offsides is??

Pickford - poor kicking, and too easily beaten for 2nd and 3rd. Why he is still here is a mystery.

Young - absolute liability. How you can go into a season with him as the only fit right back reflects where the club is. You might get away with 5 minutes here or there, but 100 minutes of football he's going to get punished & did. 1 game ban, wish it was 4.

Mykolenko - skinned for the opener and no real quality through the game.

Keane - heart is in your mouth with him. No where near good enough for the Premier League.

Holgate - just amazing he got on the pitch. A terrible player on £70k a week. Again tells you everything about this club that he got on the pitch when he's so bad.

Tarkowski - picked up a yellow, and was plugging the gaps of a piss poor back 4.

Gana - lost a lot of duels and short range passing was wasteful. Gave away the second goal. Looks past it.

Iroegbunam - good footballer, but tired in the 2nd half and started giving it away.

Mcneil - lacks pace, quality, desire etc. I think he's terrible to play in a front 3 and contributed nothing, but stays on the pitch..

Harrison - probably his brightest game on the right, but final ball is poor.

Doucoure - gets forward, but is so limited. Constantly offside at 30 odd is just embarrassing.

Dcl - robbed of a penalty with var having no right to take it off him. Scraps of service, his body language said what the fuck am I doing here.

Dyche - poor. Team started bright enough, but end product is so lacking. Only one game but in for a long season if you're relying on Keane, Holgate, Gana, Doucoure, Mcneil, Harrison and Young.

Holgate should not be playing at this level. He's doesn't have the talent. It's that simple.

And Dyche putting him on is another thing that's entirely reasonable to bitch about.

Welcome back. I miss the closed season

So the recruitment team couldn't identify a RB (and a backup LB for that matter) anywhere in the world, who could do a job? Instead of waiting round for Gnonto like a lovesick teenager, they should've been addressing the obvious flaws in the squad.

The knives are out for Dyche but I don’t think the alternatives were obvious. O’Brien has just arrived and looked rusty vs Roma. N’Diaye would have been nice but Doucoure has historically had the running needed against opponents like Brighton. No options at RB. Not saying I agree with the lineup but I don’t see obvious mistakes.

An obvious mistake has been not recruiting a RB. I’ve mentioned this several times over the summer and don’t quite understand why everyone has been prioritizing a CM or RW. We could use depth there too but we have NO OPTIONS at RB who are up to scratch.

Early days but Tottenham away will be no picnic. Need JB back and hopefully a new RB in the market. The prospect of Holgate is not filling any of us with joy.

Dyche knows he has a season left; whoever buys us will not keep him on. He just needs to firefight and keep us up and his stock will remain high because of his ‘impossible’ work environment. Moshiri won’t sack him because he’s not bothered and couldn’t pay him off or be bothered to bring in anyone else.

Yet again our support at Goodison will be needed to drag us over the line. Utter shambles.

Hibbert should have been a local hero but was derided throughout his career and only towards the end of his days did Neville get anything other than stick.

Patterson is a kid thought well of in Scotland but is derided by speccies young and old alike down here whilst Young was doing his manager a favour today knowing he would be murdered at `rb` - even before he got on the field.

Astute Evertonians, my arse ! Ruthless observers and long distance word warriors, more like !

We don't need reminding our manager was sacked by Burnley, and was out of work for months before Everton made their move for this limited, dated manager. He got nearly 3 million being sacked by Alan Pace. He's a very lucky guy.

I think Coleman and Patterson are reasonable at right back for another season. Unfortunately Coleman got injured so we’re down to what I think is our third choice RB.

The problem I have is Dyche’s apparent blind spot for Young. I didn’t see the incident today but I’ve never seen such an experienced player make mistakes you’d expect from a 20 year old. And it’s exactly the reason the likes of Dyche, Moyes etc wouldn’t play an inexperienced defender like Patterson.

I hope the club has warned players not to read TW for the sake of their mental health!

As for Dyche, I agree he is not the most inspiring manager but let’s not forget he kept Burnley in the PL, I.e. one or two divisions above their normal place for a long time, and got another poor side (us) up to 12th (prior to points deductions) last year. It’s all very well saying sack him, but then what?

As for Patterson he has not progressed and it seems clear Dyche does not trust him. He looks suspect defensively in the PL and so is a poor fit for a manager who wants to keep it tight.

I assumed RB would be a priority position to reinforce this summer. Not doing so cost us today and may well cost us again.

Quite concerning really

If our starting line up is similar next week then another 3-0 defeat will be looming down at the Spuds!

No he wasn't.

Re Roman Dixon, watched him last season for the U21s and pre-season, and again last night at Southport. He's pacey going forward - but that's U21 level. And his defending is nothing at all to write home about. It's clutching at straws to suggest throwing him in against somebody like Mitoma - suicidal, for us and the lad's confidennce.

Last season Dyche waited several games before starting Branthwaite - a mistake I thought at the time, and we know how well he performed once he started games. I just hope now that Dyche quickly gets Ndiaye starting instead of Doucoure. And that we quickly get the injured players fit again.

Three at the back next week, with O'Brien starting?

He's already draining the life and confidence out of Lindstrom and Ndiaye. Clearly playing football is NOT a beep test, and no doubt they're both already wondering wtf they chose.

I'll assume O'Brien had an injury, if not, then using both Keane and Holgate ahead of him is sackable alone. My brain cannot process this decision.

Young is a horror show, if Dixon isn't ready to replace him then find another 17-19 year old who can…..because he hasn't been premier league quality since 2015.

Tarkowski had a horror show. I pray it's because his brain melted realising who was alongside him and was in flap mode because of it. However, thinking it's another “thanks for service and hope you stay for the squad”. I.e., what should have been said to Doucs a year and a bit ago after the Bournemouth goal.

Holgate sub was arlarse on him and can only be seen as a FU to the fans. DCL getting brought off to boos was half “taking a striker off” and half “clearly you cba today and just trying not to get injured to keep a chance of a move.”

All in all another disaster of a day from disaster of a club. It's not all on Dyche, the Moshiri rein is THE reason we even have these players here. However, he is now another big part of the rot.

I never wanted Moyes back, but if he fancies it, do it now. Least he had bottle to attack players who didn't perform on the pitch. PE manager Dyche doesn't concern himself with that. Only bleep test seems to matter.

Mike Gaynes 34 “100% on the players”

And the next post:

Phil Smith 35: “Criminal from Dyche. 100% blame squarely on his shoulders”.

You couldn’t make it up!

With respect MG, how on earth can Dyche have zero – zero – blame for that today? He picks the team and sets it up. He has the opportunity to change things for the better as the game unfolds. He has a chance to take stock at half-time. He makes subs as and when he sees fit. He sees the players all week long. He now has the opportunity to learn from this travesty but let’s see if he does.

Red card for Young. Not Dyche’s fault. But Dyche picked him. He had no choice because of our right-back situation. Dyche has had all summer to address that with Thelwell.

Dyche had a massive hand in that disgusting performance – how could he not have done, he’s the manager – and then he has the fucking cheek to have a poke at the fans.

There might not be a “consensus” MG, but you are in a small minority with that opinion. Is it a Yank thing!!! I think JC said something similar!

Onana making a tit of himself after the final whistle.

Kevin Molloy 48: “Leaving early and booing players on day one, disgraceful. If you don't like what you see, don't go”.

So easy for you to type that Kevin, isn’t it.

He's right, though, it's just JP hoofing it up and diagonals to players who cannot cross.

MG and Chris Sutton should go out for a drink. CS loves protecting managers.

Dyche isn’t going to change his 442/4411 system at any stage. Ever. EVERRRR. He might try a 3/5 at back away to spurs but even if it does a job he’ll revert to type first chance he gets.

So, WHY did we buy Lindstrom and Ndiaye when NEITHER will play the “track back” LM/RM roles that McNeil and Harrison currently shoehorn themselves into??

They’re both AM’s (or an AM and a secondary striker). But Dyche likes Doucoure in that role……because he too puts in the yards that is Dyches only real yardstick and metric (well, that and “experience of premier league”).

So, looking deeper I think it’s once again an issue with DOF model and the selection of managers not coaches. We’re suffered it since the day Moshiri came in. Since the 4 x number 10’s days it’s been a disaster. It is continuing to be one.

This time I can’t see any depth in Dyches preferred formation, nor any Wing backs that would allow Thelwells 3-4-2-1 preferences. Maybe McNeil and Harrison could convert, but that’s square pegs in round holes too.

It’s a mess simply beyond compare. Almost a random squad.

Only hope for me is now to a) sack Dyche immediately and bring in a COACH who believes in 3/5 at back and giving youth a go, or b) sack them BOTH and bring in a manager who can identify their own players in January. Moyes, potter, etc.

Inaction is suicide. This is the season where it turns for us, but the current situation means it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

They put together decent attacks with their two fast wingers, which eventually brought about a good goal. The signs were there.

Substitutions were needed at halftime. We signed a player in Ndiaye who, I am told, has guile. Such a skill was required. No change. I am truly puzzled why Sean Dyche would agree/sanction such player acquisition and not utilise him immediately.

Around the hour mark, Tim, who had played well, looked like the plug had been pulled on him - I hope that is a sign of early season, and not why Villa thought fit to release him.

The last half hour or so was painful. Young’s sending off was perhaps the nap of the day. The team looked battered, the touchline looked battered, the crowd felt battered.