Steve Watts

37% win ratio, 38% defeats 38% win ratio, 35% defeats I realise that we don't need the validation, but these are the figures for us and them. Just goes to show they are and always have been in our shadow.

I'm with you on this one. Hard to believe he's the offspring of Sir Terry. Clearly nothing alike in character.

I'm not sure the line "Joey Bartons mum is Bradley Orr" is really gonna catch on I'm afraid.

There were barbed comments about KN & HC leaving them to join us I think.

Well he's not lasted for a full year in (permanent) charge in his career, so I'm not sure it's that unfair a rep. Reading he just sneaks over the line due to his caretaker role starting in February 22. His first stint at the Franchise was impressive though in terms of results, but since then it's been pretty dire.

I'd say their good start was more down to luck than judgement. Tactical genius is Ince....

Just surprised it took so long! Immense player, diabolical manager!

Ummmm....ok.....? Of all the comments I'm not sure why you chose mine to quote?!???

According to our friends from Whorefield it's quite easy. You just have to be on the other side of a bus window.

Personally I'm not one of them. Simply cannot stand the way he willingly kills off any game as a spectacle. Respect for the turnaround at Huddersfield, but really won't shed a tear when he finally gives it up for good.

Because we want our medical team healing our players, not jacking off horses! Do keep up!

Spelling, punctuation and grammar are so important. It could mean the difference between knowing your shit and knowing you're shit....or between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse or helping your uncle jack off a horse! As for Kalas - everything will come down to what his bottom line is. I think we'd want him to stay, but there won't be any formal contract offer if his expectations and our ours are too far apart. Everything will be have been informal chats until that's known.

Could you imagine the carnage?!? ? I don't think it was ever a designated number of seconds, though I agree the general feeling at the time was 6 seconds. I think referees do still have words with the keeper and gives a warning for blatantly taking the piss. My assumption for why it's not really implemented very often is that there wasn't any real clarity as to when that "count" should start. The common sense approach would accept that the "count" doesn't start until a situation arises that the ball can be released. That's to say if a striker was blocking the release the count wouldn't start until the keeper is able to release the ball unimpeded. If he drops to the deck to smother the ball, there's another judgment call then to be made as to how long down is too long. Too many variables would make for even more massive inconsistencies in the application of the rules, hence it being rarely used.

Agreed. The only caveat is that if you're in the process of making the kick you're not penalised. I remember Tins getting sent off for kicking the ball away years ago. IIRC he was swinging for the ball when the whistle went. A 2 second grace period for the player to register the whistle and stop should be more than sufficient.

Want? No Who would I be angry with if he was sent off? Alex Scott, not the ref. Personally the change I would like to see made is that the ball may move to anywhere within the radius of the distance that the ball was kicked or carried away. So if an opposition player kicks it 15 yards away the ball can be moved 15 yards in any direction the team choose. That way if there's a foul on the touchline for example it can be brought into a much better position. No limit on the possible distance either. As for Managers and Players moaning about the number of bookings, the FA direction is ridiculous. Don't change the bloody rules/guidance. Get the managers to change their players behaviour!

On this, whilst they do have this option, you would hope that with the money being saved on buying physical cards, they will drop the fee for reprints. There's really no need to charge it as it is, but it really won't be a drop in the ocean to the money they're saving.

I think it would be heavily weighted in favour of digital. Yes there will be those that aren't tech savvy, but an option is being provided for those. I don't think it's that offensive to reference an older generation as likely to have issues or not use a smart phone. Regardless of being around for 30 years, they haven't grown up with tech and so it's inevitable there will be a good number that may struggle. I would anticipate that many of those with concerns about this will be older, however not many older fans will have concerns about it, if that makes sense. But as said, an alternative option will be provided for those. I think the main delays at turnstiles may prove to be young children who do not have smartphones. Whilst the parent can store their childs ticket on their device it could prove a bit of a faff at the turnstiles if you have to log out of your own account and then log back into your childs' account (which is how the "rewards" scheme works). You would hope that you will be able to access both tickets from one account to avoid this. It would be an interesting study to see what proportion of season ticket holders fall into various generational categories and how many in each category ask for the alternative method in an effort to find out how things can be improved. But that would involve fan engagement and we know that the clubs idea of fan engagement is to release a god awful "rewards" package halfway through the season, or a shirt with an embarrassing stock photo badge and watch the ensuing social media meltdowns!

I'm not sure I buy into the whole "There'll be x number of clubs ahead of us" theory. If that was the case wouldn't it have been likely that one of those clubs would've gone for him on loan this season? Instead he ended up in France. He was unfortunate at Fulham that he got injured and Sessegnon came in and did well enough to keep his place. + What is appealing to his return, if it were to happen, is that we would be getting a much better player than the one he sold. The exposure to different coaches, different environments and being taken out of his comfort zone will all have added to what he already had. Would definitely welcome it if we can make it happen.

Great thread, by the way. Some good discussion followed.

Definitely wouldn't have been alone with that original reaction. It was an appointment that polarised opinion just as much as the one that followed. I thought it was a dreadful appointment I'm still not convinced he'll make it in the Prem. He had one good half season for us. Until Christmas 2021 there was nothing really on show there. Similarly didn't add a huge amount when returning from injury this season too unless it was coming off the bench. This was going to be mine as well. I don't necessarily think KP was Dinning level shit after we signed him - he just almost seemed to lose a bit of love for the game and was rarely utilised in a way he'd affect the game. By the end he'd gotten lazy with it (hence the impression to me that he'd lost the love). Now Tomlin, however......now he most certainly was a Dinning of a signing. I'll add another to the list. I believed that Carl Hutchings was a phenomenal bargain at 60k or whatever it was. Head and shoulders above everyone on the pitch when we played Brentford. In the end it seems he bizarrely raised his game when playing against us!

His owner was sat in seat K9, but was hounded out when he let his dog off the leash...

Delusional indeed. Made up of empty cider boxes and MDF. But not a scrap of canvas anywhere to be seen. Nor a tv with soft porn on it. "Accurate" my arse!

Hey.... It could be worse.... Chesterfield have just released this belter of a polo shirt... https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/chesterfield-union-jack-football-kit-29538300

That's a flaw in the rules. Because the referee made a decision on Cunningham at the time the yellow can't be upgraded. Because he's missed the kick out by Sykes it can be dealt with retrospectively. A review of the laws of the game is what's needed. Until that happens though we just have to get on with the laws as they are.

Application of the rules has always been inconsistent and I agree that the situation you state should be a red. There's no attempt to play the ball and the speed of movement can cause damage. I doing think it changes the fact that if that was a Swans player suspended for doing what Sykes did we'd be thinking it was probably about right.