ExiledAjax

Agreed. I've not said he should be dropped or anything. I just think that what he needs to learn, in time, is that he's playing both with and against better players now, and so can't, and doesn't need to, do everything himself. His runs are brilliant, and he sucks defenders towards him creating space for teammates. He needs to sometimes pass to those teammates rather than shoot. Not every time, but sometimes. That's what I think he needs to learn.

Thought that was a fairly odd attacking performance. Mehmeti was dangerous but too often trying to do it himself rather than pass - you might have been the best player in the game in League 1 - but here you're passing to competent players. Other than that we were just pretty toothless. Got in the box but Sykes seemed shot shy today. Bell and Cornick moved around alot but Bell couldn't get in the game and Cornick I'm far from sold on. Wells was ok but looked leggy. Says a bit that it was a fullback who won the penalty, and Wells did convert it with aplomb. In the end it goes down as a well fought draw. Not a bad performance or result overall. We were good in midfield and Kalas played well. O'Leary continues his good form as well. Organised and quite prickly, definitely didn't give Sunderland a comfortable or respectful afternoon. Ps. Given O'Nien got just a yellow for piggy-backing Scott does this mean all players now get one permitted piggy-back in a game?

We need to be watchful though. We need to be on it. If there's a whisper of us being sold to someone who we as fans are unhappy with then we have to voice that. We cannot accept it.

Simply saying that it's a case of picking your poison, and that getting a "British" buyer doesn't necessarily mean you get one any more palatable.

Oh I don't know. The other guy that has bid - the billionaire who's made his money from exploiting this country's hard to extract fossil fuels rather than another's - he's British.

Chairman of one of the banks, and prominent member of the royal family. Let's not make it sound like he got the gig on merit. Let's also not make it sound like this is a private individual buying them. It's not one rich banker, it's Qatar that's made the bid, the nation we were all berating only 3 months ago for being unsuitable hosts of the World Cup.

Well this is just it. As he's simply posted an extract from a book it's very hard to understand his meaning. It could certainly be read as Barton speaking to the football-watching proles and warning them that he merely need stir the "primitive patriotism" that they feel for the Gas in order to get them to accept the shite he serves up on the pitch. He then laughs that they cannot direct their discontent because they lack the brainpower or education to focus it on anything beyond "petty specific grievances". He may as well have posted "Live, Laugh, Love" and be done with it. He's the biggest pseud I've ever seen.

Joey's been doing that thinking thing again.

Borderline unreadable. "...hope, which for some has trickled into expectation." What? What on earth does that mean? "undoubtably"...sorry do you mean the relatively common English word "undoubtedly". "...a desire by them all..." surely the desire comes from them all? "...discussed within the Board minutes..." I assume it was discussed at the Board meeting, and then minutes were produced. I cannot be arsed to read further. What a load of rubbish.

I'd like to see Mehmeti, Wells, Sykes. I think Mehmeti could do something with his crossing to Wells, and Sykes can then mop stuff up at the back post if those crosses miss Wells.

I assume he also texts everyone the meeting time on Friday night, and sorts the sandwiches for the away team. Probably also does the Christmas raffle - although he's dodged that this year.

To be fair the Club have never to my knowledge fully set out exactly what the "Club Captain" role entails.

Enjoy the turbulence. I always think of it as a free rollercoaster ride. It's fun!

Not sure I've seen anyone say it but that point for Wigan makes Cardiff's relegation slightly more likely. In case anyone needs a little silver lining.

He's been made Club Captain. That's slightly different to match captain. If he plays then yes he'll wear the armband, but it doesn't automatically mean he'll play. Bentley was Club Captain for the whole time he was on the bench this season.

Mehmeti... inches

7th last season as well.

Mehmeti take a bow. All about that assist. Lovely chip out of the bunker and dropped onto Atkinson's head.

If the possession stays like this then it will be interesting to see how we, as a "counter-attacking side" can cope with being asked to make more traditional long-form attacks. Also can we defend the kind of counter-attack we normally produce? It's already a completely different match to Saturday's, as I think a lot of us expected.

Yeh. But it's not every match he takes the ball from a throw in in the 9th minute, shimmies past two, then spanks a shot on his weaker foot from 20 yards. Had four Weetabix this morning I reckon.

Scott's on it tonight.

For the purposes of suspensions earned for accumulated yellow cards the Cup and League are separate. A tenth yellow card in a league match will not cause him to miss the Cup game.

Ha yeh but even that full quote was "I've been very successful playing a real fluid style, at Luton we were a real aggressive front footed side. Statisically there weren't better than me around Europe in terms of clean sheets, defending the box, balls in the box, xG, all those things." So still harping back to Luton.

Not in the league. In all competitions yes he has, twice. Both this season: 1. August 2022 - Luton home 2-0, Cardiff home, 2-0, Wycombe home (EFL Cup), 3-1. 2. CURRENT RUN! - WBA home 3-0, PNE away 2-1, Norwich home 1-0. He's not managed 4 wins in a row...yet.

As much as I am counseling for feet to remain on the ground - this is also our best 10-game run of form under Pearson. The last time we took 16 points from a possible 30 was in the middle of Holden's run.