firstdivision

Yeah, but that was the same bloke who said Weimann’s late goal against Coventry was an own goal.

The only disappointing aspect of that first half is that we’re not about 3-0 up. Blackburn have been lacklustre. We have passed it nicely. Can’t believe Blackburn will be so passive in the second half.

Kalas, yes. But when is he going to be fit? I’m not even sure NP is totally convinced by the others you mention. And he keeps talking about the need for a new central defender. The defence we’re currently employing is like watching the climax of a cliffhanger movie. Which is not to be overly negative - it’s just a reason why I think the top six is beyond us.

Sometimes you go to football, - travel a long way to be there - for one moment, for it all to be worth it. That happened tonight - it was the moment AS’ rocket hit the net. Glorious. Hands off tomorrow anyone thinking about it.

Our defence? Our lack of defensive options?

I’m not sure we are the same team, though, Dave. Didn’t the more mobile forward line in the last two league games made a big difference? I’ve watched all five league games and there was a definite difference between the first three and the last two.

Delightful man, too.

The squad is definitely thin. In an ideal world, we would change nearly the whole team for Wednesday at Wycombe with a league game at Blackpool next Saturday and then two more games the following week. But I’m not sure we can. Also, let’s see where we are by the international break. We’ll have played 11 by then, including Blackburn, Norwich and Burnley away in September. It has been an encouraging week but I think some are getting a bit carried away.

NP talked last season about having a team that opponents hate playing against. I've seen that for the first time under him this week, consistently anyway (for 180 minutes in back-to-back games). That's the team I want to see as well: energy combined with quality - a significant improvement on the first three games and vast swathes of the last 18 months. The challenge will be keeping it going in a packed schedule before the international break.

Best aspect of this week (apart from the obvious): we’ve passed the ball, which makes us so much more exciting/interesting to watch.

Semenyo, if he isn’t sold, won’t come straight back. He’ll be eased back in. But we’ll also need to give Conway or Wells a breather. It’s a squad game over 46 matches. And it’s physically demanding. Well played NW and TC, but Semenyo is our best striker.

So is Sykes banned for the League Cup game, not three league games, because it's an EFL competition as opposed to it being an FA competition (FA Cup)?

He’s not wrong.

Yes. It was just a penalty. Simple. I thought it as it happened and the replays confirmed it.

I’ve seen it several times. It was a clear penalty.

We passed it. Joyous. Unbelievable decision from the ref not to give a penalty for a foul on Rob Atkinson. Glad it didn’t matter in the end. But just not good enough.

I agree. Antoine well ahead in his development.

If we stay up, Dave, will we able to spend any money next summer? I always enjoy your posts btw. As for me, I have a questioning attitude to most things. I try to be realistic and even handed. I am naturally sceptical. For example before the season, I didn’t see much justification for the ‘push for the play-offs’ sentiment. I thought bottom line: ‘just stay up’. I’m concerned that might be beyond us. By no means impossible - and we might do ok - but I can see a path that takes us to relegation and the season has started exactly as I feared. Same mistakes, same fallibility. Also, this has happened in games against less intimidating opposition (although I always think it’s best to avoid promoted sides early). We do have Semenyo to come back though. What I would say on positive/negative and NP or no NP is that there is always more than one way to do most things. Therefore, I think it’s fair enough for posters to be NP sceptics. And to question his ability (as against someone else’s) to solve our problems despite the contraints he is working under. I’m sure you do too. Stick or twist? One of life’s enduring questions.

Sorry, Son of Fred, I don’t understand your reply.

A bit rose tinted, Dave, for me. I thought it was dire game admittedly on a brutally hot day. Two very limited teams. We did work hard but we always have a daft mistake in us. Wait until teams start to score proper goals against us. Conway miss astonishing. Might have won it for us but we look pretty unconvincing. Ref awful obvs. Same bloke who gave the incredible Posh pen for a ‘foul’ on Szmodics v Lincoln the day Posh were promoted in 20-21 (the single worst decision I’ve ever seen in the EFL). Bennett an obvious ref card. What did the assistant ref see? How could it be a yellow. What on Earth are they watching. And a pen for a foul on Conway. But there is such a lack of quality and creativity in our play for the most part. Wigan won’t finish above bottom third. And they were far too strong at times for us in the second half. We need Semenyo desperately. Desperately. Squad is thin and we can’t strengthen. The winter feels to me as if it’s going to be long and hard.

Desperately poor game. So much hoofing. Red and a penalty for us. Obvs neither given. I can see danger if we don’t try to keep the ball and pass it on a hot day.

Coventry defending like us.

I, for one, didn’t have much expectancy. I started the season, as I always do, trying to find three clubs that will finish below us. Can’t speak for others but it looked another ‘just stay up’ season to me.

Yes, good point. But we’ve changed the plan from pre-season because Wilson got a knock in training. And we acquired a player with the intention of changing his position plus he won’t get in the first eleven when Semenyo is fit (although I take your point that we, inevitably, will need different first elevens). I think my point is that Sykes was not a priority signing when you consider the problems elsewhere. Mind you, we needed a defender, brought in Naismith, and thought we’d pulled off a coup - and that turned to dust today (admittedly it was only one day).

One thing I find perplexing, Dave, is that we have limited cash but we seemed to have spent the money on two players for the same position. (Or, on the other hand, why did we bring in Sykes if the original attention was to teach him a new position? He was a right midfield player at Oxford according to my Oxford-supporting colleague.) Surely we should have used the limited budget to try to bring in a player in another position. We have Tanner - but he’s now looking like a waste of cash. Today was a shambles. The 25-odd minutes after we scored our second was embarrassing. And IMHO extremely worrying. We looked a relegation team in August. I didn’t actually think Sunderland were that great. Good in parts, and in some positions, but not what you can come against in this league. Semenyo can’t come back soon enough. All in all, a depressing day.