GrahamC

It wasn’t in extra time.

First thing he needs to do is retire. Pretty obvious last season against us the bloke can’t run anymore, way past playing.

Nathan Baker has too.

It’s shorthand for those who can’t look at the bigger picture, a nonsense. We simply didn’t recruit well in January & also suffered from having played a lot of games already. Wolves was absolutely a minor issue that season.

Rennie is a completely different case isn’t he? His skills are transferable outside of football (indeed sport) so he could pick up work now if he wanted. My understanding is Curtis’ family home is in the North East (& he also has a property in Italy), he has a sound reputation as an assistant so doubt he would be waiting too long for offers. Nige as you say is concentrating on returning to health, I don’t think any of us know exactly how he is right now but if I was a betting man on balance I do think he’ll manage again.

You would have to be 50+ to see a game that tops it, though to be fair I’d get the argument that the Palace playoff win did. In hindsight the high watermark of LJ’s time by some distance, as we faded away that season after being really well placed (very familiar). A great night, even for those of us who saw the 4 top flight years.

We did. Stoke have had parachute payments, a succession of managers who have done well elsewhere yet totally failed with them & a huge wage bill. They have still consistently ****** up, I know some on here are desperate to say every other club will overtake us, in Ipswich’s case that looks highly likely, there are no grounds (beyond the Pulis era, fast disappearing into the distance) to suggest that Stoke will.

I know this has become a stock thing to say (I’ve seen others claim that Plymouth & Wrexham will get there before us) but in the last 5 seasons we have finished above Stoke more often than they have finished above us & they have never even been in the top half, despite having parachute payments for 3 years of that, so I genuinely have no idea what you are basing this on.

In terms of goals scored but not by percentage. Suffered joint second most defeats in games against us.

Worked for him in Greece, mind you it certainly improves your chances if you bomb the premises of the referees of your games.

Not sure I would claim Harper as a “success”. He’s currently a squad player at Exeter. Point I was making about the Wilson era team (where we must have had our highest % of local players in years) was only one of them ever actually established himself at a level above League One. Tommy D & Aaron Brown played very little Championship level football in their careers. Bryan, Decordova-Reid, Golbourne, Kelly, Semenyo, Scott & now O’Leary, Vyner & Pring have all established themselves at that level or above with Conway & Bell (each with 50+ Championship appearances) almost certain to. That is the shift in standard.

How many of those ever became regular players above League One standard? Just Matt Hill. For context Sam Bell has taken a bit of flak on here recently, but at 21 he’s probably featured in more Championship games already than all of the others named. Those we produce now are having to establish themselves one level up.

The first bit was when I stopped reading, embarrassing nonsense. He actually said “double” totally clueless. With Wells on the way back & Manning apparently after another forward I do think his time here is going to get even more marginal & we should have a conversation with him about that, which is a completely different thing.

The post I replied to from @cidered abroad mentioned Rob as the only one.

Plus the opportunity to have a much bigger budget. Tough for Argyle, they keep finding excellent managers & having them poached due to their location. Be very interesting to see who gets it, brilliant opportunity but you have to buy in to how far away it is from everything.

Think we would have done so at any time over the last year if there had been a taker. One of a fair few who are certain to be released at season’s end if we can’t move them on beforehand.

Suppose if our wage bill was £182m last season then we would be too.

What about Swansea? Two Ronnies sketch famously said a hydrogen bomb had been dropped on it & done £26 worth of damage..

Andy Llewellyn certainly stayed in the first team beyond one season, as he played about 300 games for us. O’Leary, Pring (before anyone says it I know he spent some time in Cheltenham’s academy) & the unfortunate Benarous have also come through relatively recently, the first two definitely becoming regulars.

Yes.

Yes, won 4, drew 3 lost 3.

Last season they had Diallo on loan, Simms or Stewart up top. This season they don’t. Great to watch but a bit punchless. Would say though I’d happily see them, Boro & West Brom as opponents every time. Play the right way, no time wasting or Preston style nonsense.

“When all of those are all fit” seems a very unlikely basis to plan from. Naismith’s availability record is poor, Roberts has shown little to believe he’s going to be in contention. The other two have been unlucky with one injury, that’s where I’d start planning.

Is it grim reading? To me it is reality. I know Tinnion wants us to believe every year’s crop of youngsters will produce loads of first team players but even if you accept Alex Scott is always going to be a huge outlier, that so many have done so is down to us giving them opportunities & the number making it (Bell has appeared in 55 Championship games now by the age of 21, so whatever anyone’s opinion of him he’s effectively made it) is probably if anything, above average.

Probably best not to say on a public forum, had some brushes with the law.