Back at the start of July, we reported EU sources telling us "the EU27 now plans to allow the Commission to continue to push HMG for as many concessions as possible, with no intention of member states ‘stepping in’ to encourage a more conciliatory approach". We also detailed what those concessions would be and how the EU is really preparing for March 2019. Brexit is often presented as a series of dramatic twists, but those turns are predictable - if you know where to look.