chinapig

Rafa commented that we have a coach and players able to change tactics successfully mid game , more than once if necessary, which was why he kept it tight at AG. Praise indeed.

My preference is for 2 holding players but goalscoring midfielders are priceless so I'm not dissing Bobby at all. I'm glad LJ is less cautious than me!

Stupid question!

LJ has said he can play there of course.

Is Bobby a luxury away from home in the circumstances?

Should have got 6 points for sure. Not just down to Flint though.

We are looking for another coach. Better be a defensive one.

Given the chances have gone to midfielders what difference would that make? What we lack is a midfielder who can score.

Which makes it odd Pack isn't playing

So called leveraged buyout I believe. Amazes me it's allowed.

Nobody would have predicted that top 6! There are a number of new or relatively new coaches/managers having a big impact so far in that lot. Note too that Fulham sold 2 top strikers and it isn't hurting them so far.

Rafa Benitez said after last week's game that they played defensively because City had a manager who could change systems during a game, the implication being that most can't. Praise from a coach of his pedigree counts for a lot and reinforces the view that LJ is well respected in the game. SC had one system and would not change it whatever happened, a big part of his downfall.

Improvements were needed in the summer. Instead we got months of nothing, followed by SL saying they didn't realise how much Championship players were paid, followed by panic attempts to sign strikers who were never going join us then last minute loans. Utter incompetence, all apparently down to Pelling since nobody else has admitted responsibility. Straightforward incompetence by all concerned as far as I can see. Any reason to assume it will be any better in January?

Do we still stick to the line that everything is fine and the wins will come along any moment now? Seems like sleepwalking to relegation again.

Won't happen if we won't pay the wages strikers command. Could be a long hard season.

As I was commenting on what has happened in the last few months you are correct of course. But if we're talking foresight I'm not sure anybody foresaw those events. The professional way things have been run by SC and KB would have led us to expect a rather smoother transition I think, if not some of the more wildly optimistic predictions. The way things have panned out so far is certainly a big surprise to me and I imagine to many. I wouldn't care to predict what happens next though.

The confusing mess that has been the transfer window, meaning we started the season with an inadequate squad, the tensions that appear to have arisen between manager and owner, 3 defeats and 9 goals conceded, fixated on an expensive striker when both our current strikers scored today and with Agard approaching full fitness, no indication of current efforts to strengthen other areas. The momentum seems to have halted and the smooth professional operation suddenly looks rather less so. Shot and foot come to mind.

Thanks for clarifying. If we were taken aback it suggests that we didn't do much research. Given we were promoted in good time we should have been well prepared for the transfer window. Instead we seem to have been taken by surprise, with no guarantee we wil get the 2 or 3 we need. It amounts to saying "We had no idea what wages and fees were paid in the Championship". Surprised Steve admitted as much, as it belies the slick professional approach to recruitment we thought was now in place.

Quite. We have a bottom 6 budget. Doesn't mean that is where we will finish but it's a reasonable guide to what our expectations should be, including getting used to losing a lot more.

I'm still not clear what was said. Could you/somebody clarify please? Adam saying there is work to be done is stating the bleeding obvious. Did anybody actually say 2 or 3 signings are on the way or merely that we are hoping for that?

Perhaps he heard what Steve said backwards? Sometimes the stupidity of footballers is hard to credit , and Wade seems to be more intelligent than most.

Not to mention 2 against Chesterfield.

No Ray Savino? Sack Fred Ford I say. And that Atyeo is all very well being top scorer but he's crap at one-on-ones. Replace him with Terry Bush now.