Just say the top division of the nations league qualify for the world cup and top two divisions for euros, refine the numbers as needed through a playoff system - no need for anything else imo. For andorra etc they still have a route in by climbing up the nations league (although they wont obviously, but genuinely good small team like Iceland 10 years ago will rise up). You get double value - 1) nations league becomes genuinely important and interesting 2) loads of pointless mis matched games get eliminated

They really need to get rid of the qualifying round and just use the nations league instead. It's where everything is heading, just get it done. Huge mismatches like England vs Andorra don't help anyone. Incidentally the groups do look a lot smaller than they used to be - just 5 teams? I guess that's a function of the world cup in 2026 being so massive (48 teams!) so more places up for grabs.

Great he got the goal yesterday, seems such a likeable guy. Still think his performance was well below what we saw up until the Burnley sending off. But hopefully now with his confidence up he can go back to his early form!

I have to say in all my time watching football and chatting to fans of all different stripes your opinions on who are and are not good players are the most unusual. Pretty sure 99% of people who watched that game last night would have said Tronstad was very good.

Yeah I would say Eustace will stick around till a parachute club wants him. Could be as early as summer / early next season if we keep up our form and finish in the playoffs. If we dont make the playoffs no one will really be interested in Eustace, like all interest in JDT evaporated after we finished 7th in his first season.

For me hes very good off the ball, keeps running and running offering loads of defensive protection.. On the ball hes very hit or miss, recently been really poor in his decisions and quality of passing and shooting. Also - Ive never seen a rovers player so uncomfortable on the side favouring his natural foot. Always wants to come inside which makes sense when hes on the right, but why when hes on the left hand side?? He ends up with very few options as he has absolutely no right foot so just ends up losing the ball in traffic... Overall he did okay today but I think the preferred setup when everyone is fit will be Pickering left back with Beck left wing.

Yup, this is the start of the real season

I am pretty sure Dolan and Ohashi would get good gigs at playoff contending sides if they left us. Both are better players than given credit for by most on here. They have both played really significant roles in our recent good results. I do agree Hedges and Gueye are really struggling.

Yeah - the defensive shape under JDT was very very open. Eustace has gone completely to the other end of the spectrum so not surprising it took a while to bed in. Hard to think of two systems more different really while playing broadly the same formation. Must have needed a lot of work. It's remarkable how comfortable the defence looks compared to same time last year.

If we come out in a good position after these six games I will start to believe...... But also it's worth saying at the same point in JDTs first season (i.e. 24 games in) we were 3rd so it's hard to really feel that certain about anything. In the Championship you are always only one death spiral away...

Ange has real JDT vibes for me.... Great when going is good but so brittle, hangs the defence and keeper out to dry. He'll be gone pretty soon. Shame from an entertainment perspective but even spurs need something a bit more pragmatic.

I will be absolutely agog if we win this one on a Tuesday night. Surely end of the run? Sort of game normally an a nailed on loss (mid week, winter, away, won a few on the spin). But.... We've looked so consistently good defensively it makes you think maybe we could get a result?

Yup a sobering reminder that things can fall apart very quickly in the Championship. If we can get to mid Jan in this form i will start to believe.

The way of playing Eustace has found really seems to be getting the best out of all the defenders. Pears, Baath, Hyam, Britain, Pickering who have all had their detectors have been fantastic. What's even more impressive is going forward we have looked good too... I can't really put my finger on what it is precisely but its something around defending in numbers but pushing out very quickly so you dont get penned in. It seems to be working really well.

Is that 600 in the XI or 600 in the Match Day squad?

Dont think so except striker and centre back. Good backups at GK (Hoth), lb (beck or pickering), rb (JRC) cm (Buckley, Baker), wing (ACB, Sigurdsson). Obviously you can always do better, but compared to most seasons we're in a pretty good place

Squad looks in pretty good shape to me. The main issues are striker and centre back cover. More pace out wide would be nice too. But in quite a good place.

In the championship the odds on the vast majority of games must be pretty close to 50/50? It's such an unpredictable league. Would be interesting to read an analysis on it. Outside of the top and bottom two or three I would say it's very hard to predict anything.

Yeah I'd go for Buckley. On his day Buckley can be very good on and off the ball, likes a tackle - thinking of the Newcastle FA Cup game back in February. Would suit pretty much exactly the same role as Travis getting box to box down the right. Feels like Baker is a different sort of player - though not really seen enough of him to be sure. Just need Buckley to be the best version of himself, not the sloppy disinterested character who has appeared often in recent seasons. If not we can hook him for Baker, or even JRC come to think of it. I think the three player midfield with Cantwell will get the best out of Bucko so hope it works out.

We're in great form and they have lost five on the spin. But such is the bizarre rhythm of the Championship Id actually say that makes them favourites. Its very rare for a team to lose six in a row.

Its the Championship though.... If we come out the end of December (not a single easy looking game there) looking good I will start to believe!

What was Farkes beef with Travis?

Loving I am the resurrection!

Fabulous result, we were good value for it too. Beginning to think Eustace might be the best manager we have had in the Championship.

Dont think ive ever seen a player regress as much as Big Mak since his first half dozen games