Mr Popodopolous

I'd say Manning needs 2 more wins minimum to get to something like parity. Hopefully we can press high as a starting point, like elements of the Leicester, Plymouth, Blackburn games- we are a better side when we take a positive intent based approach.

His whole reign has been periods and streaks good and bad in the League. 1 win, 5 points from 5... ...3 wins, 10 points from Games 6-10. 2 points from the next 5, no goals in 3. 2 wins, followed by 4 successive losses in the next 6. 14 points from the next 7. Seems a bit shit or bust, all or nothing. The performances are another issue. Some steady regression and certainly in relation to xG.

I'd also be interested to know this one..think quite a lot are still dismayed to varying degrees about the changes and reasons for in the Autumn and therefore patience is therefore less, more stretched than it might otherwise be.

Official site says. We know it was much less really. 15k maybe? 14-14.5k?

Yeah we switched back to a back 4 during the game, unless you mean last season? If so yes it worked..perhaps it would have helped us to resolve 2 other issues and been a net gain.

He got some flak for it last year, the experiment worked very well v Watford, to a reasonable level v Rotherham. Less so vs Stoke and West Brom! However he could have been an option yes..freeing up Sykes would have helped him and the team. Knight in midfield ditto.

Reckon South Stand had 4k at most. Holds something between 6-6.5k doesn't it. Lansdown was as usual not exactly packed..14-15k in the ground tops?

The only possible rationalisation I can offer, hopefully Manning was asked post game I haven't watched post match yet.. *Only realistic CB options being McCrorie, Tanner, Roberts means a back 3 is a must. *To do that you require wingbacks. *Who else on the right but Sykes. Could, perhaps should have gone 3-5-1-1..Knight, James, Williams- Twine behind Conway in a freer role. Maybe?? Certainly not a Plan A, or even a Plan B but trying to think how you get the best with so many CBs injured.

I'd rather he wasn't at wingback. I appreciate injuries have perhaps forced it a bit. As in he should be higher up (still prefer a back 4 and Sykes high on the right).

Dickie can carry it, Vyner can ping it. Still not very sold on this back 3, think it wastes certain players and the side as a whole often look less cohesive but no Vyner, Dickie, Atkinson, Naismith makes it difficult- as I dunno whether I'd trust McCrorie, Tanner, Roberts as centre backs in a back 4.

We have a thin squad. The answer would be no probably not.

Wasn't very good today was it. We had little flurries here and there but the intent, the positive habits of some recent gsmes seemed to be missing. The increasingly makeshift backline is an issue, but how big a mitigation Idk. What is wrong with Vyner anyway? I say not very good, it wasn't awful awful like Norwich, Millwall, Cardiff, Swansea- the first two and last were sleep inducing but it wasn't especially decent.

Swansea first half there was something similar when it back to O'Leary.

Hard to say really. At times post Christmas no, they've looked very good even against some of the better sides but at others..

One very notable item in Chelsea Accounts... "Profit on Disposal of Fixed Assets". This caused a great deal of issues in the Football League... UEFA rules certainly aren't inclusive of such transactions. Do these items merit some scrutiny too?

It was the best before..3 sides all with a chance of hitting or exceeding 100 points not long ago, Southampton with a huge unbeaten run. They might even wonder about their chances if they win the last 6 and hope a bit.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea ditto!

Well if they stay down, they would be walking into a potential Embargo and Business Plan which if anything can be more damaging and a Business Plan included targets to hit by March, or it is points as well. Even if they pass FFP to this year, they may have to as per the protocol arrange some kinda future looking Business Plan with the League which has targets among other things for Player Sales, Amortisation, Wages etc. Limits on expenditure, aim to keep a club compliant etc. If they sell e.g. Dewsbury-Hall to pass to this year, who do they sell for sufficient Profit by March from the start of 2024-25 Reporting Period. They would be far better served by going up. Embargo can restrict renewal of existing players but again it depends.

They (Leicester) also bottled CL qualification from a position of strength in particular 2019-20. Going into lockdown they were very handily placed To a degree the following year too, but espcislly 2019-20. I don't wish to bring it back to a certain manager but IMO, Leicester still very much had the culture and strengths in 2015-16 that he and his managerial team helped to instil. That served them very well in their surge to safety under him in the prior year and his 100+ points a decade ago. His resources then in the division set against Maresca hmm.

I'm not averse to radio commentary and the stream on silent on the phone.

Huddersfield v Birmingham on the penultimate game of the season is huge. Winner stays on?

Their away form but actually their away record is the best in the division. Incidentally our Home Record is 9th which is an undoubted improvement.

Maybe they have stated x and the League y, but the League shouldn't be slapping an Embargo on if they haven't forecast an overspend through permissible mean a. Happy to concede that point. If they haven't submitted Accounts they would be Embargoed for that, and if they hadn't submitted P&S Returns they'd be Embargoed for that. Maybe they submitted compliant with say KDH sold by end of June, or they submitted compliant with an impermissible method ie Training Ground sale and or leaseback. The former could lead to an Embargo, the latter definitely is impermissible.

Except staying down, would also see them run aground, possibly with Points but certainly shrinking Headroom and EFL Embargoes etc.

Some fun could really start if they stay down. Knock £22m off the Allowable Upper Loss limit and £5-10m off Parachute Payments...that is for a start.