GrahamC

Was told by someone whose view I respect that he consistently did all last season, reckoned for him he was in the top two for their player of the season, but he never got a chance then..

Don’t think it will happen, but agree. We basically have 2 natural senior defenders fit in Pring & Dickie, so Sykes who would give us so much more if played further up the pitch, sadly has to stay at RB. Looking at the other defensive options it is then one from a number of the U21s or shuffling another midfielder (probably TGH) to go back there. Idehen is older at 21 than Knight-Lebel, Araoye or Joseph James & although it is all relative, does have some league experience from his time at Grimsby & his couple of sub appearances for us. He is also both a proper centre back (as opposed to playing someone else out of position) & a physical type. I’d start him tomorrow but I don’t expect Nige will.

Not going to lie, they have surprised me by doing so well. Despite an alleged transfer embargo they have (again) recruited heavily & brought in a couple that the coach clearly knows. Say this about virtually every away game but would take the draw now, absolutely no idea who will partner Dickie at CB.

Not necessarily directly but it isn’t that wise to try & rely on the same 16 to 18 players, is it? We knew before a ball was kicked that Atkinson was out long term & McCrorie would be missing until January at the earliest. Once Kalas moved on we effectively tried to get through the first half of the season with just 3 centre halves & 1 fit right back, presumably largely on the basis of Vyner & Dickie’s historically good availability records. It hasn’t worked.

It was.

Most clubs look for continuity at a time like this, so whilst he’s probably a long way out in the betting, I’d put good money on it being Kenneth Noye, similar sort to Barton.

So replaced a jailbird with someone who was found guilty of betting on matches he played in. Stay classy, few.

What he would have achieved with them compared to the Merseyside crime syndicate narcissist doesn’t bear thinking about.

The overall standard of referees is terrible, this appointment doesn’t change that either way.

Being reported by Talksport that Barton has been sacked.

You see far more of this level than I do & as always, I respect your view. However I think bluntly there are now a significant group in the 21s who aren’t ever going to feature in the first team squad, unless like happened with Idehen this week there simply is no one else. Re Idehen I still believe that he’s got no long term future with us, will only get on the pitch in an absolute emergency & will be let go. My hunch is Leeson, Wood, Francois, Pearson, Kadji, Taylor-Clarke & Backwell also are in this group too now for a variety of different reasons, plus at least one of our U21 goalkeepers.

Spot on. Even with just Tanner (what on earth happened there?) & either Vyner or Naismith available we look a different prospect, with Sykes (who was very good) able to play in his natural position. The sheer number of injuries & not replacing Kalas after he moved on, is killing us.

I think it will become clearer why at season’s end. There are a significant number in the 21s now or on loan elsewhere that aren’t seen as having futures with us. You have named 2 of them here & there are up to half a dozen more.

Agree with 99% of this. Certainly don’t see a way back for him under Pearson but personally thought he was worth a go tonight (would have been my first sub) because Bell was having so little impact, obvious though that NP prefers Yeboah. As for whether the money was “wasted” that all depends on what happens next, as I can see him moving on in January. However the club I would have good money being most interested in him (QPR) might well not have the same manager by then. Not your post but the comments elsewhere on Yeboah are OTIB at his worst, unsurprisingly for a raw 17 year old he’s had some good games & poor ones so far, so to describe him as “abysmal” & “losing the ball with every touch” is embarrassing.

We were top at Easter, I very much doubt Ipswich will be!

25 minutes at Leeds, was really poor.

Doesn’t that involve our owner spending some money? Don’t hold your breath, we already have him on a season long loan, SL won’t want to do that if he can avoid it.

Not be absolutely terrible the last time he got a chance? Having said that I would have given him a go tonight, I thought Bell was poor & it was worth a try. Wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him move on in January, that’s assuming we still have the same manager by then.

Agree- Cornick (the brunt of so much criticism on here) couldn’t have done more. Certainly deserves a start on Saturday.

Be interested in what you think Conway & Bell have done that Weimann hasn’t. Don’t think any of them have been better than the other two.

Tough- as expected. Probably needed to capitalise on a decent start, thought Conway could have done better with his header & need him & Bell to get in the game more. Towards half time we started to look like what we are, a team with a completely makeshift back four, couple of poor clearances by King & Sykes (very good otherwise) too far from his man. Best hope is to try & stay in it & pinch a goal. Ipswich are good but cynical, plenty of time wasting, moaning to the ref & couple of sly trips.

Thanks Noggers, remember this well. Pretty sure it was 4% in favour of Cotts (probably me & you!) & particularly love the reply to my support of him on page 7 of this that says he’ll be “no better or worse” than SOD. 99 points & a JPT win later, how did that work out?

Plus it really is not a stretch to argue that as he’s still only 22, there is a lot of time yet for Mehmeti to come good. If he doesn’t I’m also very confident that we’ll get our money back. The Cornick stuff is more debatable, but no doubt some are just judging him (like Andi Weimann) on his goals. Most would prefer that he’d scored a few more so far but he’s been a useful squad player (100% availability record, used in virtually every game since joining) who has performed a role for the side, coming on late & extending the opposition defence to keep us up the pitch (Hull & Swansea being specific examples). I have reached the conclusion that some just don’t like him & so are never going to give him any credit, a bit like they used to do with Zak Vyner.

Leeds are 3rd, Southampton (even with a fraud like Russell Martin in charge) will go 4th if they win tonight. I would not be remotely surprised if Leeds overhaul Ipswich & finish second. Anyone who doesn’t think parachute payments don’t distort everything is deluded.

What I consistently find odd is that Radio Bristol & whoever reports on Rovers never mention this awful record. Are they scared of him & his Merseyside crime syndicate associates? Biased? He’s a deeply unpleasant person but in the more important terms of actually being a football manager, not very good. No way is he ever placed under the same scrutiny Pearson, or to be fair to them, his predecessors like Holden or LJ, were.