HappyClapper

7 minutes ago, sh1t_ref_again said:

Just watched it about 10 times and cannot work out what he has given it for, perhaps someone can let me know. Although ref was buying the diving and giving very soft free kicks all game.

Bentley missed the ball and punched their player in the face. Unfortunate, but definitely a penalty.

16 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

HC - Gould suggesting we will take a points deduction is a bit of posturing by him to curry favour with other clubs for greater civic allowances.  There won’t be enough clubs to support it.  The PP clubs, the low cost clubs don’t need extra covid allowances.  About 7/8 clubs do.  That’s not enough.

We are really going to have to take things deal by deal to understand what’s available to build next season’s squad.  As it stands we need to reduce costs to stay inside FFP next season.  As per my many posts there are several ways of doing that.

Firstly we need to see who gets re-contracted, both the OOC players and the ones with a year to go.  And take it from there.

But unless we generates £10m plus somewhere, we will be free transfers or Lg1/2 punts of the Tanner variety.

Good reply Dave. I think I understand what we might need to do to stay within FFP next season (thanks to you and Mr Pops). I guess my real question is … Is it worth failing FFP in the short term (as long as we’re good enough to absorb the points deduction) to gain an advantage in the medium term?
 

Can we accelerate our team/squad building by making some sensible moves in the summer market that would likely make us very competitive in 23/24?

Would SL sanction it, if he thought it made sense?

We could take advantage of a depressed market.

I’m not talking about selling any of our assets, or paying big fees. The market below the Prem is depressed and I think we could build a good squad if we’re brave.

There is definitely at least one psychologist employed by the club. They usually work with individual players but I don’t know how many ( if any) of the first team squad he sees.

Genuinely interested in what people think. Those with a close eye on the finances @Davefevs @Mr Popodopolous and others have given figures showing we are sailing close to the wind FFP wise for next season but then things improve. Gould you would imagine is in contact with the EFL trying to get extra allowances and has already stated that we may get a 6 point deduction. We’ve made some cost savings so seem to be just about ok.

Rambling a bit, but my point is this. Is it worth spending in the summer (not outrageously) but enough to get some championship ready players in key positions and whatever league1/2 players we believe have a high ceiling. The market is likely to be depressed and we could potentially improve the squad considerably without a massive outlay. It would also show some ambition to our more talented players who we would like to stay and grow with us.

We might fall foul of FFP by a relatively small amount, and would a points deduction be worth it in the medium term. (I’m assuming it would only be 6 points at worst).

Seems to me that there might be a reasonable business case for it, but then I’m not a billionaire!

1 minute ago, MarcusX said:

Penalty, against Bentley. Strange one... not sure whats happened there

Punched him in the face!!

Half time

Much better than most of us expected so far.

1 minute ago, And Its Smith said:

Nothings Pearson’s fault as I understand it. 

It reads more like everything is Pearson’s fault as you understand it.

11 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

love the camera angle

On a phone from the dugout?

Showing on robins TV apparently.

17 minutes ago, chinapig said:

Good piece on this from Barney Ronay:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/mar/11/shouldnt-someone-in-football-also-care-about-the-war-in-yemen-just-a-little

Really good piece. Ronay writes intelligently on most subjects IMHO.

43 minutes ago, Born and Red in 82 said:

Today for the first time this season i decided that i wasn't going to follow the match day thread

or 

watch sky sports news

or

check the scores on my phone 

Today i decided id talk to my wife for 90 minutes …. It was hell

You all owe me a pint 

Cheers

Same again Tuesday evening please. 

4 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

That’s why until recently he’s right at the bottom of my Champ refs…until Andy Davies briefly replaced him.

Hes bad for both sides.

Hes typical of trying to even up a wrong.  This time Atkinson’s foul on Dolan that both he and his assistant missed…Ward couldn’t wait to make up for that.

Thought he seemed like a parks ref. Gave a lot of decisions to the team that appealed the loudest.

23 minutes ago, REDOXO said:

Yes there are one or two, but, he was dropped, so Pearson thought OLeary earned his chance. However that was great goal keeping today, so that kick in the backside did him good!

Good man management?

@IAmNick has clipped the goal and penalty etc. In the match day thread.

1 minute ago, REDOXO said:

Can anyone put the goal up so it can be seen overseas. 

Our 3 young guns all having relative shockers to put off any watching scouts…. Smart.

10 hours ago, 1960maaan said:

I'd be a little surprised, but money talks so I'd guess more money. If it meant a return to this, the best ever kit IMO, then I'd be happy.

I loved that kit. Had the home one as well. One for Christmas and one for my birthday. A great reminder of happy days. My dad (sadly no longer with us) would drop me and my younger brothers at the children's enclosure and would go and meet his mates in the open end. It was very exciting.

Little did I know then as a 10 year old that my city supporting experience had peaked.

1 minute ago, VT05763 said:

And you haven't covered player development it seems.

No, just the development of young people. 

Just now, VT05763 said:

Ever done any coaching qualifications ?

Really??

Why do you want this to become a p*sing contest?

I’ve just called you out on a post(s) that in my opinion are delivering another false narrative.

FWIW I did the old “Prelim” back in the 90’s now hold EUFA B and have been a teacher for 25 years. 

2 minutes ago, VT05763 said:

From someone who just said that Sam bell has played RWB and RB for the under 23's.

Absolute classic.

Wow, such a lack of self awareness. Even here where I may have made an error you are making things up.

 I didn’t mention that he had played at RB and thought he had played the odd game at RWB.
 

Before Saturday he had started 2 first team games at RWB/FB and would’ve been taken through this in training in the lead up to the games.

My point was really about your comments on player development, which you curiously have decided to ignore.

3 minutes ago, Lrrr said:

You might be thinking of Zac Bell in fairness 

Hold my hands up if I’m wrong. I know you’re more across the U23’s than most of us. I thought he’d played the odd game there. 

Just saw this on twitter. Seems apt.

33 minutes ago, VT05763 said:

Says a lot about our coaching staff that they thought it was acceptable to play an under 18 centre forward at RWB.

Damage done to the player, the team, all round confidence in the group.

Crazy at every level.

Undefendable on a player welfare and development level, let alone anything else. 

What a ridiculous post. Hasn’t Bell played at RWB for the U23’s?

It worked fine v Middlesbrough and Coventry. It didn’t work so well on Saturday. Bell was exposed and lost some confidence. It happens, he now has an opportunity to show some resilience, which will serve him well in his career.

Scott being exposed and taken off in the first half earlier in the season hasn’t harmed him.

Are you now an expert in player welfare and development as well?

12 minutes ago, VT05763 said:

Odd he brought Wells on and not Conway then.

Is he planning to keep Wells ?

I don’t know for certain, do you? People have made assumptions based on the need for cost savings.

You constantly assert your opinions as facts. It is getting a bit tiresome to be honest.

I don’t think there’s any big drama.

In his post match press conference NP stated when asked about Simpson something along the lines of planning for next year and looking a little longer term. At that point it was obvious that he wasn’t going to play again. Now it has just been made formal and means we can all move on.

32 minutes ago, WessexPest said:

I thought obnoxious people who are justifiably considered pariahs peddling laughably false propaganda was being clamped down upon in the current climate…

Maybe it’s a group that Boris will be happy to sanction?