Steve Watts

"We’ve received our stock for the 22/23 season and can reassure fans that our retail offering in the run-up to Christmas will not be affected" And quite right they are too....before this happened we were in a position where the retail offering was sparse. And this announcement has done nothing to suggest that this is going to change, and so their retail offering in the run up to Christmas will indeed not be affected.

Thanks mate, but I don't think I'll ever grow into them....

The official attendance at a game where the stadium is about two thirds is full given as 1,700 over the capacity! Gasheads out in force in Qatar!

Straight reds can be appealed whereas a red from 2 yellows cannot. If neither offence was deemed worthy of a red card, then to give the straight red would probably result in it being overturned.

Take it from me, it's awful! I bought one and it's not particularly well made and stands out as a fake like a sore thumb. Colour is completely wrong for one thing - almost an orangy red, material feel is well off, cloth badge - even the fake "Official Authentic Apparel" patch is just an iron on and an obvious one at that. Kids can be cruel buggers, I would recommend steering clear for kids sizes as they are very obvious fakes and provides an easy target. They're essentially more detailed versions of the ones you used to get at the market for "Liverpool Reds" etc.

As a separate point, but still on this subject, was this raised with Richard Gould at the forum the other week? I've not had a chance to watch it as yet. If not, then I would suggest that it's raised the next time we have one. If I am free and able to attend I'll ask it myself.

There is a pop up shop in the concourse by the Sports Bar. I managed to get a YXL away shirt there at half time in the Sheffield Utd match after drawing a blank in the shop, so worth checking there at the Stoke match.

Yes, but is he a great human being....?

In the same way that we're not going to stop people smoking? Only with that, the prevalence of smokers has reduced from around 20% of the population to around 13% in the space of 10 years. The government won't legalise something that can prove to be harmful to the public. The amount of tax they would receive from it I feel is irrelevant insofar that they were getting billions in the tax of cigarettes, but that didn't stop them from making it less tempting to buy them, thus reducing the tax they take in. In relation to the topic of drugs in football, can I just say that I have never dabbled in any narcotics of any type, but a part of me wishes I could've found a supplier during the game last night that could've made watching that shower almost bearable!

Sykes has been given a fair bit of leeway because he was signed as a midfielder, not a right wing back. He started off very well, but the last 5 or 6 games has shown that he is a player playing out of position. Like you say, his lack of awareness fails to protect the defence sufficiently and in all honesty his application is now being called into question. That first goal last night resulted from him backing out of what should have been a routine clearance. Instead he just stood there, the ball was laid out wide, pulled back and shot into the net. Tanner has to return to the side for the Rotherham match in his place. What I would say is that it's unfair to make a judgment on him before we've seen him in his natural position.

I'm in two minds over when he should've gone off. He was indeed clearly out of his depth, but the reaction he was getting from the crowd, then if hooked before the break I can imagine the jeers he'd have received whilst making the long walk and you wonder how he comes back from that. Genuinely thought sections of the crowd were disgraceful in their treatment of him tonight. I know some will say it didn't happen, but he really was being booed after almost every mistake. This is a kid making his debut and that's the support he gets? He was left massively exposed by Klose and Sykes and had no support. When there was an injury and the players went to take instructions it was telling that Joe made the walk back to his position alone. There should've been proper leaders walking with him, encouraging him and trying to lift his mood, but not a single player stepped up. Some of those players tonight I hope will only be seen in a city shirt again by way of necessity because there is no one else. Because they certainly shouldn't be in the squad on merit. Tonight has left me angry. Conduct on the pitch and in the stands was shameful. Tonight should have been a real statement performance from some, and indeed it was.... Just not the statement we hoped for.

Most people do .... When they're talking about a fucknugget!

I wouldn't be so sure - the OP has previous for being a fucknugget of the highest order. He's very fortunate that he's able to safely navigate the cost of living crisis....unfortunately he doesn't seem to be able to comprehend that others have to be more choosy where they spend their hard earned. And before the OP comes back with a jibe at me, I am fortunate to be going with my boy, but I certainly wouldn't call others out for not attending. I don't smoke or have numerous cans of natch every day, so for me when I need to cut things out - and I'm sure I eventually will - I will have to dig a little deeper.

Great insight as always Dave. With the quoted bit of your message above, irrespective of what happens with Scott, Semenyo and Conway the most important bit of business in January will be RG's replacement. Get that wrong and I can't see the best deals possible being reached for those three or any others. The hope is that the groundwork he's laid since coming on board means that his replacement is stepping onto a far more secure footing than he did.

???? As if that's the word that gets starred out!!!! As others have said a lot is said down the ground and it hasn't been picked up by people, meaning that what the OP was saying must have been considered excessive. Judging by his huffy puffy response to people disagreeing with him on this thread, I can only conclude that he's a bit of a pillock and the stewards were right to have a word.

I'm more offended by your use of the English language, to be honest. You know when you're typing something and a red squiggly line appears under words.....? Yeah...that.... Some of our songs have swearwords pointlessly shoehorned into them regardless of whether or not it scans. Case in point being HNM. "His hair is massive" scans...."His hair is f*****g massive" doesn't! I've been wracking my brains trying to work out what the G**r word is?!?

Yep. As others have said, the boos were aimed at the officials. After the initial reaction, the team were (rightly) applauded off, with the only break in that support coming when the officials finally got towards the tunnel at which time they were jeered again. Nige has alluded to it previously, but what we saw on Tuesday was a real honest shift from the boys and they deserved nothing but praise. Certainly didn't deserve to lose after the first half performance. Second half was just too stuttered to really gauge the performance, but I felt we did well in difficult circumstances.

It was like we had two different refs out there last night. First half, he was trying to keep the game flowing, and avoiding becoming the centre of attention. Second half he just had no control over it. Going a goal ahead early in the second half unleashed a touch of the Warnocks in them, and the referee ate it up in spades. The time wasting was so obvious and all a ref has to do it book someone for it early and then another caution every time and it would soon stop it happening. Instead he just allowed them to carry on - even enabling it by allowing the player going off to cross to the other side of the pitch instead of going around the Dolman and South Stand. This all meant that we weren't able to command the sort of momentum we had throughout the first 45. Add to that the impression that his contact lenses had fallen out rendering him half blind and that second half is the result. His management of the game, or rather lack of, was a massive factor in the defeat last night. It of course wasn't the only factor. Defensive lapse again for a really poor goal - irrespective of whether or not Sharp was offside. The guy was 1) unmarked at the back stick and 2) the ball floated right through the six yard box and past Max on the way. And the fact that we just couldn't get the goal that our display richly deserved.

I have to say I'm a little baffled by the fact that someone was filming the Swansea fans from their seat in the Dolman before they'd even scored! Action's down the other end!

Is this Schrödingers post-match....?

The comments are just as bizarre on there as on Sagchat....

So Collins gets to number 4 for being a pissed up full kit manual manipulator sitting on some traffic lights? What a bizarre set of criteria that is!

Well that's bollocks (pardon the pun)....their balls are drained every night by their sisters!

Landed awkwardly and looked to have possibly rolled his ankle.

Don't spout such utter drivel man. You can't play Williams and James at the same time.... . Apparently...