Ridiculous to refer to any game as "must win" at this really early stage of the season.
However, it should give us a good marker as to where we're at. (And I know it looks like Luton have beaten Everton but that's not a particularly high bar.)
But if we get a bad result, it's not looking good.

100% a must win game for me.

I think we will get a win.

Yes, must win. Mainly for belief really. If we lose there then who do we even think we can beat? A draw doesn’t help us either.

Cork must start.

Get Odobert and Bruun Larsen starting.

Foster back who has been massively missed for all aspects of his game. First win of the season at Luton..

It's a 10 pointer!

Not a 6 pointer, too early for that, but we really need to win this one. Even more so after their win today.

Just started another thread saying the same.

I have to say, it’s a must win.

We’re not going to get much from the Top 10, which is fair enough with the gap in riches, but it certainly piles on the pressure when playing the teams around us.

Arguably VK’s biggest game since he’s been with us.

————————-Trafford
Roberts——O’Shea—Beyer——Taylor
—————Cork—Cullen-Brownhill
—Larsen—————-——————Koleosho
——————————-Foster

It's definitely massive. Lots of posters (correctly) saying continually "look who we've played"
Well that ends on Tuesday and as the OP says, it's a chance to see where we're at.
The huge worry is now the dust begins to settle after a very bad opening fixture list, are we going to be able to compete against the lesser teams?

Odobert left wing and koleosho right wing would terrify defenders. Just not sure how we get zaroury in the team, who has so much to offer

————————-The lad that did well last year
Roberts——Al Dhakil—Beyer——Taylor
—————Berge—Cullen-
—Odebert———Amdouni————Koleosho
——————————-Foster

We've now got games in our mini league
Luton and Chelsea are winnable games but Muric must start in goal

Haha how can anyone watch that game today and not want Trafford in net.

Our best player by a country mile today

jedi_master wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:05 pm

————————-Trafford
Roberts——O’Shea—Beyer——Taylor
—————Cork—Cullen-Brownhill
—Larsen—————-——————Koleosho
——————————-Foster

Take Brownhill out for someone else and that’s probably the team I go for

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:11 pm

Haha how can anyone watch that game today and not want Trafford in net.

Our best player by a country mile today

Ha ha because the composure is not quite there yet.

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:11 pm

Our best player by a country mile today

He had to be. It'd have got embarrassing otherwise.

Guller Bull wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:13 pm

Ha ha because the composure is not quite there yet.

How can any of you even be remotely concerned by the keeping position whilst our defence is as bad as it is.

The defence parted like the Red Sea on at least three occasions today. Regardless of who is in net that defence needs to be urgently addressed

Put it this way. Winning home and away against the bottom 4 only gets you 24 points, where do you find the other 12?
You have to pick up a few results either away at mid-table sides or against a top side at home.

If we can't beat Luton, who you'd expect to be one of those bottom four, I don't know where points are coming from.

It’s as close to a must win as you can get so early in the season.

It’s going to be a huge task for VK to keep the morale up.

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:12 pm

Take Brownhill out for someone else and that’s probably the team I go for

To be honest it was flip of a coin him or Berge. Berge’s height may help in such a game, I was just disappointed with him today. Brownhill shouldn’t be starting many more for us at this level, but we are just lacking in options there (hence good old Jack Cork being considered again despite spending £100m plus!).

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:16 pm

How can any of you even be remotely concerned by the keeping position whilst our defence is as bad as it is.

The defence parted like the Red Sea on at least three occasions today. Regardless of who is in net that defence needs to be urgently addressed

I would agree to some degree but if you know that if you have a calm collected keeper who can find a pass and comfortably play out comfortably then the defence ahead of you relaxes. Trafford is a top shot stopper and will be phenomenal as he learns to assimilate into the team he plays in but at the moment in a team that is struggling to compete against big quality attackers and pressurised offensive situations he is not as commanding as he will learn to be. Muric has that fearless (but occasionally reckless) factor

Massive game against Luton on Tuesday and I have a feeling we'll batter them.

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:11 pm

Haha how can anyone watch that game today and not want Trafford in net.

Our best player by a country mile today

His ball out was atrocious,he made 3,or 4 decent saves ,but we paid all the millions to do more than just stop the ball going into the net.

It is a bit ridiculous to say it's a must win. But it's a must win for me.

It’s most definitely not a must win.

It’ll be a bloody relief to get one though!

Too early for your typical must win. We have plenty of talent and plenty of time to catch up. But it's a big game for belief and confidence. I think that first win will really help us kick on, whenever it comes.

ArmchairDetective wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:43 pm

Too early for your typical must win. We have plenty of talent and plenty of time to catch up. But it's a big game for belief and confidence. I think that first win will really help us kick on, whenever it comes.

I fear we’re top heavy with talent in wide attacking positions but also severely lacking in others. Central midfield is a huge concern and is probably the most important position in the Premier League, hence why we’ve seen two £100m+ transfers for central midfielders this summer.


We made a bit of a balls up in the summer transfer window.

I would start with Foster, Koleosho and Odobert

jedi_master wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:18 pm

To be honest it was flip of a coin him or Berge. Berge’s height may help in such a game, I was just disappointed with him today. Brownhill shouldn’t be starting many more for us at this level, but we are just lacking in options there (hence good old Jack Cork being considered again despite spending £100m plus!).

Must admit the thing that has concerned me the most this season is just how out of depth our midfield has looked.

I am honestly not sure cullen made a forward pass all game today.

We’ve got to go out and win that game.

Same lineup as today barring the front three.

Foster Amdouni and Koleosho or Larsen from the start for me

I’m say more of a must not lose than a must win.

I'm going. Who else is going on Tuesday?

Thank god Foster is back for this one.

Paul Waine wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 6:12 pm

I'm going. Who else is going on Tuesday?

Me. Any tips for parking?

Dont care what any1 says
Its a must win
We need points on the board ASAP

Certainly could do without losing it. If we could pick up 4 points in the next 7 days, it’d be a massive boost going into the international break.

Anyone who thinks this game is not a must win needs a reality check. We had similar discussions two years ago when some people thought we didn't need to win against Norwich and Watford and I don't think anyone needs a reminder how that ended.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 6:31 pm

Me. Any tips for parking?

Sainsburys 5 min walk from the ground when I did it last season. Booked it on the Just Park website for about a fiver. Easy to get away from afterwards.

Suppose we lose against Luton but win the following three or four.

Then it won't have been a must win, would it?
(Not that I'm saying we WILL win the next three or four, but you see my point.)

If we can nullify their crosses into the box we'll give ourselves every chance as their defenders don't like players running at them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n17qtyncbkQ

jedi_master wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:01 pm

Cork must start.

Why? He wasn't good enough last time we were in the PL.

fidelcastro wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 7:09 pm

Why? He wasn't good enough last time we were in the PL.

I just think for this specific game we could do with a bit more meat in the middle. Particularly for set pieces etc, it’s Luton’s main threat.

jedi_master wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 7:10 pm

I just think for this specific game we could do with a bit more meat in the middle. Particularly for set pieces etc, it’s Luton’s main threat.

If he's the answer, then we really are struggling.

fidelcastro wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 7:13 pm

If he's the answer, then we really are struggling.

In the middle of the park, we are.

Murger wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 7:28 pm

In the middle of the park, we are.

Agreed, but I don't see Cork making us any better.

Certainly a better option than Cullen or Brownhill on current form.

Murger wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 7:34 pm

Certainly a better option than Cullen or Brownhill on current form.

It's a really strange phenomenon how players become better players when they're not playing!

fidelcastro wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 7:36 pm

It's a really strange phenomenon how players become better players when they're not playing!

So you keep on playing either of the other 2 in the hope their combination actually starts working?