Welcome to the latest episode, looking back at 1 point from 3 games and now an important last game home to Brentford where fortuitously 1 point is needed to absolutely guarantee Champions League football next season. I’m Paul, joined by Daz and Enrique.

Part One: Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa

• Team selection - limited options obviously. How much of a pass should the team get?

• The optimism before the United game really drained away with the Isak injury

• In each game, a period of passivity, a period of optimism and then a disappointing ending where confidence seemed to drain away (especially away from home)

• Lot of discussion about Szobo, Gakpo, Rio and Mac Allister

• Some poor individual moments (Chiesa’s offside trap, is he really Italian?)

• More set piece woes

• James Pearce trying to buy favor with the naysayers

Part Two - Brentford at home:

• Then there is the negativity surrounding the team

• Mo Salah’s unhelpful intervention

• Xabi Alonso gone as an option, the current feelings about Arne Slot

• Training and rest days

• Style of football. I think there’s been a decline across the league (which may have missed last season because we were so in control of the race).

• The social media noise

• Who are the real options?

We will be back after the season, to round the discussions about the future. Thanks to Enrique and Daz for joining me, Paul. And most of all, thank you dear listener for joining us.If you enjoyed the pod, please share it with a friend. Follow us @FirstStateKopites on X  – we only tweet and retweet from sources we think are credible. Music is courtesy of Hypenotic – they are a Welsh electro-pop band – https://hyperfollow.com/hypenotic