ExiledAjax

15 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I guess some market knowledge will come from knowing Azaz was £2.5m in a winter window, which typically is overpriced.  So hope that there are other affordable targets if they can’t acquire Twine.  But you can bet they are gonna bloody try!

Twine is obviously our number one target.

But who else...you're more on it than me but could we go for Rudoni, maybe Miyoshi? Two options where their current team are/may get relegated. Could well be available for nearer Azaz money than Twine?

38 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

So, for my book it’s still likely to be £5m or near to. And as excellent as Scott was today, it reaffirmed a known about him. On the body of evidence over the wider spell, I’m not sure there’s enough to do that deal.

I agree with you that based on what I've seen, £5m feels steep. But isn't the pertinent question: what else can we do with £5m (and the £15k p/w of wages)?

If we go to market and players like Twine, of his rough ability, and in his position, are generally that price, then that's the price. But if we think we can do more with that money, we think there are better options, then yeh I think you send him back to Burnley and go for someone else, regardless of the head coach's love for him.

1 minute ago, George Rs said:

Very good point to be fair, the season as a whole can quite rightly be taken both ways. 

But saying our last 10 have been easy fixture is a tad misleading, average position of the teams we’ve faced is 13th and we are a midtable side. 

Average position now, or average when we played them?

We looked at this a few weeks back - there's a thread somewhere on it - we were pretty widely considered to have one of the easier run-ins. Not the easiest, but one of them.

Still, we've got the job done and that all you can ask.

Even if we lose without scoring next week we'll have a record of 18 points and 15 goals from the last ten, which is "finishing strong" as Manning wanted.

Just now, Kid in the Riot said:

Yes - I was specifically talking about the run-in though mate, as we perennially finish seasons poorly/average at this level.

Ah right got you. Yes I'll agree with that, although with a nod to the 15 points from last ten games we got a couple of years ago in 21/22.

7 minutes ago, Malago said:

Mentioned neither.  You lose.

Luckily I bet against myself. So I win.

I've been thinking a little.

I think this is a season where an observer can take whatever they want. 

It's possible to look at the same facts, and see either great hope, expectations, and positivity, or signs of concern, failure, and negativity. What you see will depend on your outlook, your biases, your personality etc.

There's been brights spots as you rightly highlight, but lows as well.

Take these ten games. Yes great results, but one can counter that and say it was an easy run of fixtures, we got 4 (I think?) penalties, and some games were dead rubbers. 

It's just one of those seasons that in the moment seems very volatile and interesting but I suspect in 3 years' time no one will really remember anything bar the manager change in October.

These musings may not be totally on topic, and I'm not trying to be negative, but it is just one of those seasons where there's a bit for everyone.

7 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

I make it our best set of results since 2016-17 season.

Last season we had a spell where we got 19 points from 10 games, Birmingham - Blackpool, W5, D4, L1.

1 minute ago, mozo said:

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is a big achievement. I'm just delighted to watch City dominate and win against anyone 

Absolutely. Absolutely. Also, I thought...I do t know if you play golf, but "Par" is actually a pretty great result. Play an entire round in Par and anyone would be delighted.

So if that was what you originally took umbrage with then it's actually a compliment.

2 minutes ago, mozo said:

It would be very funny if Birmingham went down

As they're a client of mine I'd selfishly really quite like them to stay up for budget-preservation reasons. I can understand that no one else cares about this though!

1 minute ago, mozo said:

 

Well according to many on this forum, Manning's City can't break down the lesser teams. Then we beat Plymouth, Blackburn, Swansea and now Rotherham (maybe Stoke next week), and the new criticism is that the opponents aren't good enough.

I can't speak for others but I don't think I have personally ever said we cannot break down "lesser" teams.

I think we've had issues breaking down conservative, defensive teams that sit in with a low block. A team can be low down the league table playing any style of it's not got the players to do it. None of the teams you mention are that kind of "low block team" either, so I see no real surprise in losing to Sheffield Wednesday and QPR, but beating Plymouth and Blackburn. This was an issue under the previous regime as well as the current one so it's, in my opinion, an issue with the squad rather than the coaching staff.

Regardless, we're currently playing a team that was relegated weeks ago, has conceded almost 2 a game whilst scoring less than 1 a game, and is roundly heralded as one of the worst teams in the Championship for many a season. They've also rested their one good player - their goalkeeper.

An easy 2-0 is a decent, but expected, result. We've done it without really breaking a sweat, and that's to be applauded. 

Nice for King to get a 10 minute testimonial. Hope he enjoys it.

Just now, redkev said:

Try telling Leeds that , they only had relegation threatened qpr

QPR aren't relegation threatened, and weren't last night either.

And even if they were, it just shows what I mean. Leeds were embarrassed last night losing a game that they really shouldn't have, equally we can be happy with this scoreline, but it is what should be expected. 2-0 v Rotherham is par. We've still delivered the goods, done our job, and done it fairly easily. But it's still just what we should expect.

4 minutes ago, mozo said:

It was a curious fact to reach for when we should be celebrating a dominant performance 

If a lion dominates a mouse is that something to celebrate?

The relative quality of the opposition, and their particular circumstances at the time we play them, always has to be to be taken into account. 

1 minute ago, mozo said:

That's the first time I've ever heard someone calculate the average goals concedes of an opposition to then extrapolate how many we should score!!!??

That's the first time I've ever heard someone extrapolate a statement of "should" from someone simply stating a mathematical fact.

It's just a fact that illustrates how utter cack Rotherham are defensively.

1 minute ago, mozo said:

Is that Tommy and Matty's last minutes at Ashton Gate?!

Mehmeti's too? *

*just a joke, just a joke  

Just for context. 2 is (rounded from 1.93) the average number of goals conceded by Rotherham this season.

Par.

That is a very good free kick.

We've pretty clearly been the better side, and all whilst playing pretty lackadaisical stuff. Chilled shooting vibes in the box and some loose stuff elsewhere, but still notching decent non-pen chances, which the penalty then glosses up.

I guess this is the luxury that coasting to a mid-table finish gives you.

Manning just cannot stop getting penalties. 

Is that 7 in 30 games now?

It's liquid football but the liquid is slurry from the local cattle farm.

4 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I’d like him here, but I think he’s gonna go somewhere to be no1.  QPR if Begovic leaves would be a good destination now they are safe.

And again, he absolutely deserves to be someone's No.1, as does Max. So on that basis yes I'd like Johansson here, but only if we lost O'Leary. 

I've liked Phillips as well over the past few seasons. But I guess he will go down to L1 as their No.1. But, if he wanted to stay up as our new No 2, I'd say we could do worse.

17 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Johansen on the bench, suggests he won’t be following Rotherham into Lg1.  Will have lots of suitors home and abroad you’d think.

As he absolutely deserves. He's had one of the toughest jobs of any goalkeeper in the country this season. Not done too badly in that context.

37 minutes ago, Betty Swallocks said:

 Yes he’s a Bristol City player that was signed for over £1m who has been loaned to Derby. He can’t just cancel his contract with City. 

Quite a few don't seem to understand this though!

Just now, Cobbsoldun said:

A certain Brian Tinnion on RTV today.......

Sweepstake on whether he mentions beating Southampton or Leicester first?

11 minutes ago, petehinton said:

I'm sure he’s gutted to be living in a nicer place, playing at a more settled club at the level, and earning a fair bit more money each month!

And back playing with his academy mate.

Also, and this isn't directed at you, he's our player right? We signed him, and loaned him back. There's nothing to "cancel". 

21 minutes ago, Tim Monaghan said:

highest league position in years

Probably going to equal the 12th place we achieved in 2019/20.

21 minutes ago, Tim Monaghan said:

fewer goals conceded

Fewer scored as well though. But importantly the goal difference is looking better overall. That's really what matters in terms of goals scored or conceded.

21 minutes ago, Tim Monaghan said:

improving moving into next season.

Perhaps. In some ways. In other ways looking quite static.

15 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Normally you’d have to be registered on our squad list at the end of the winter window, and normally he’d be registered with Aldershot for the season.  Max Bird is registered on Derby’s squad list for example, not ours.  But because he’s u21 that’s not the case.  And because Aldershot are national league, it means it’s a bit uncertain.  Seb Palmer Hpulden couldn’t finish at Newport tomorrow and play for us at Stoke next weekend for example.

Feels almost like one we should just try. 

I'm pretty sure the penalty for fielding an ineligible player in a league game is simply a forfeit of any points gained in that match, plus a fine. We can take that penalty. It would have no effect on us.

Could be that we try it. Test the EFL. 

24 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Huddersfield look nailed on to me, 1 point from the last 9 available & taken a couple of hammerings.

If they win today they could well drag Birmingham down with them.

Sheffield Wednesday’s last 2 look tough, so can’t see beyond them or Birmingham to join Huddersfield, depending on their result today.

Largely I agree. I think Huddersfield have to at least get a draw today. They have to force Birmingham to require a result against Norwich on the last day.

Playoffs are likely going to be decided today. Norwich have a much easier game home to Swansea than Hull do hosting Ipswich. A draw is enough for Norwich if Hull lose as well. I think Norwich will seal 6th today.

That means Norwich v Birmingham is likely a dead rubber unless Huddersfield force the question.

I agree that it's Birmingham/Huddersfield/Sheff Wed competing for one safe spot.

Although having said that there is a (pretty unlikely) scenario where Plymouth are in 22nd tonight. That's the wildcard outcome that would really make next weekend interesting.