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Mine too. It’s scary that it’s becoming more and more common as well, as it’s literally my worst fear. Gutted for Marcus and his family. I used to live a few doors down from him until earlier this year. Nice guy.

I’m sure Esteban Holdings will make a healthy profit once the 510 houses are built on Ashton Vale.

159 for Harris, 92-9 for the rest.

I’d be happy for Somerset to stay up, too. They’d be certs to come back up, whereas I think we will struggle without new signings to replace the quality we’ve lost. I’m not overly impressed with the signing of Marchant de Lange either. IMHO we’d have stayed up with Harv and Boo-boo in charge. The style of four-day cricket has changed at Glos this year, it’s become far riskier and it’s backfired terribly. We’ve let draws turn into defeats, wins turn into draws and in some cases defeats. Really poor.

The new head coach, Dale Benkenstein, has a lot to answer for IMO and now our best players are jumping ship. We were in a really good place with Harvey and Alleyne at the helm, the wheels have come off spectacularly since they left. It was a poor choice of captain, too. I’m not even fussed about this match, considering the insipid performances that’ve seen us go back down after years of building to come back up. A really poor season for us from start to finish, although I judge it mainly on red-ball cricket.

Go on then. We are a shambles, a rapidly sinking ship, and despite the rare good start from our openers down in Taunton today, get your money on Somerset to win an innings.

I thought it was just Scott repeating a term what Hadwin used in his question, almost as a bit of filler for the sound bite. I’m not reading too much into that.

I was having a similar chat with a mate at work last week. In an era when climate change is very much on the agenda, the FL would presumably be looking to cut their carbon footprint like anyone else. So why not, for example, play Blackburn (a) in midweek and Blackpool (a) at the weekend? Same with other games in localities. I agree with you, it’s crap planning although many elements supposedly go into the ‘fixture computer’.

Nothing’s ever black or white. I’ll give you Kelly, he was exceptional, but Bryan’s breakthrough was under Cotts in the double-winning season and Reid was in and around the squad then too. Tammy didn’t come through the academy, so we can disregard him. I agree with you that the current crop of youngsters are the best so far, but they wouldn’t have got the chances under previous managers IMO. They might’ve been in for one game and thrown under the bus the next. That’s neither here nor there, mind. Anyway, back on topic, we are going up!

Southampton have poached plenty of players we could’ve/should’ve picked up over the years. It’s about time we turned the tables on them. We need to compete with them at youth level.

Scott was superb in the middle today. I don’t want to see him deputising at RWB, although he can do a job there. Get him in the middle and let him run the show. He’s already a £20m player IMO, and could be worth a lot more in May.

Tinnion’s had a huge role in talent identification, look at the boys from Guernsey for examples, and for using the loan system to develop relationships with other clubs too. LJ and Holden didn’t give our youngsters any opportunities. Sure, LJ developed the likes of Reid and Bryan but he always asked uncle Steve for another signing and got it. Two things: 1) the move to the new training ground has had a huge effect, 2) Pearson’s had to play the youngsters because the negligence of the previous regime meant we’re strapped for cash. It’s been a long time coming but I’m bloody loving watching this City side playing for each other and growing together, and long may it continue.

If the season ended now, Atkinson would be my POTY.

Times like this make it worth trudging through shit watching the City since that Wolves game under LJ. For the first time since Cotts, there’s a real collective, talented team working bloody hard for each other and not being undermined by the self-interested board members.

There’s a bloke behind us in the Dolman who constantly moans about this. “Why’s a centre-back taking corners” blah blah blah. Naismith’s got a wand of a left foot and I love having inswinging corners from the right. It’s been a bloody long time since we’ve had anyone who can take a consistently good set piece IMO.

I thought it was Scott who made the awful pass back to Bentley second half, or am I thinking of another one? There's lots to like about Naismith IMO, but he keeps making the same mistakes with these high-risk passes in and around the box. Cut those out and he could be class. Despite that, he’s part of a back three that’s won three out of four home games by two goals and kept three clean sheets, and are seven unbeaten in all competitions so it’s not all bad.

What a strike that was from the boy tonight. Top drawer. I’ll be pissed off if he goes in the next 24 hours. £20m now will be worth double that next summer if he, and we, maintain our upward trajectory.

Just got back from two days at Old Trafford. SA completely misread the pitch and got their selection totally wrong. So pleased to see Foakes get his second Test ton (I saw his first on debut in Galle coincidentally). Both he and Stokes coped with the conditions the best and made hay while the sun shon. I wouldn’t fancy chasing much, so fingers crossed we keep the ball reversing and get the innings win today.

I’m another member of the Tommy Conway fan club. The lad looks to be the real deal to me, and someone who will surely get better and better with experience. His work-rate, desire, and general nuisance reminds a bit of a young Vardy. If he has half the career he’s had, he’ll have done very well.

Agree it would’ve been unjust, but disagree it could’ve gone either way. We carved out the better chances IMO, Conway should’ve scored from an identically position Wells scored from in midweek, and then Conway should’ve picked out Wells for a tap-in — both before we got our first. That’s me splitting hairs in what was another solid team performance, mind.

And just shows how shit we made them look.

Two excellent performances in the space of a week, six points gained, four goals scored, none conceded. And the most pleasing thing for me is that we’ve made both sides look very ordinary with our work-rate and desire. If I didn’t know better, I’d say something’s building…

The Wells-Conway partnership is the way forward IMO. We forced both the last two teams 10-15 yards further back, which essentially put them on the back foot — and let’s not forget Luton won 2-0 at Swansea yesterday, so they’re no mugs. We’ve stumbled on a great partnership up front, potentially the best I can recall for a very long time. We’ve got the makings of a decent side here.

I think it depends on when he’s able to get back on the grass, so to speak. The winter break for the World Cup could come at a good time for him. If he’s back in light training by then, and avoids any setbacks, January looks realistic.

They better play better next week, but I’m glad I only have tickets for the first two days based on that performance. Now let’s see what this new England side are really made of. It’s all good and well playing ‘Baz Ball’ on flat pitches in mid-summer but they need to adapt, especially on pitches that offer a bit of everything (which Old Trafford will). They need to be more watchful and earn the right to play the big shots.