IAmNick

If we criticise each other for being "knee jerk" by having the knives out after one bad loss, surely if we're being intellectually honest we should have the same view after one good win?

That's tackling the symptom, rather than the problem though right? I'd argue that so are parachute payments. The problem isn't that there isn't enough money in the Championship / Championship teams aren't spending enough. The problem is that there's too much money in the Premiership. Limit them, and that'll reduce the chasm.

I agree SL is a big problem and ideally would sell some or all of the club. I also think him getting pissed off is the greatest chance of change at the senior levels in the shorter term (Tinnion and Manning). We're looking poor enough that I'm slightly concerned about next season, so I want that to happen - ideally before the summer. I don't think those things are mutually exclusive. Hoping Steve steps in to avoid complete disaster isn't saying he's not part of the problem.

I think our best hope is that it's seen an a JL/BT mistake which SL then has to step in and sort out, like with Holden. Maybe he'll even get a little ego trip out of it, who knows.

I agree with you, I think, but that "might be" in your fourth sentence is doing some serious heavy lifting in your logic! I don't know but I get the feeling when the wheels are really coming off Steve steps in and tries to sort it out. I guess you opted to ditch Manning that's your best shot of getting an ok outcome? I can't believe I'm saying that...

"**** off behaviours, we want some outcomes" would work

I agree. The really annoying thing is we avoided what was a pretty high chance of relegation with the screw ups in the last few years that Pearson sorted out. Now we've potentially brought one on completely unnecessarily. Talk about pulling defeat from the jaws of victory. It's just beyond belief.

We appear in the list of possibilities because suckers will then put £100 bets on, which is free money for the bookies. Not because we'll go down.

Loads of managers and players have what seem like bizarre rituals they follow. In fact let's be honest, we all do. We're shit at the moment but this is reaching a bit I think.

I like the sentiment but we're losing games because we're total dog shit, not because there are 800 more away fans in the Atyeo

Implying there's a functional board at the club is a stretch even by Roy's standards!

I think there's definitely a time to get your players opinions and thoughts on your system. However, outside of the basics in case they've seen something you haven't, at half time when you have a very short period to come up with a plan, and communicate effectively so that it'll happen out in the pitch five minutes later with a reasonable sized group that isn't it. That needs clarity and direction.

Didn't bother me too much in the first half tbh but he got progressively more idiotic once it was clear they were going to win

West Brom second: https://streamin.one/v/eb188426

Really all we need is a new goalkeeper who never concedes a goal, at least one playmaker who creates multiple high quality chances every game, and then a couple of strikers who never miss chances and we'll be golden! Someone should contact the club and make sure they're aware - we might have cracked the code to winning promotion here.

Until the goal it was sort of a 6/10 on the effectiveness scale, about a 3/10 on the entertainment one. Little harsh to be going in behind perhaps but we also didn't look much like scoring - Conway's slightly fortuitous chance aside. Hopefully a bit of a change and some not back foot (I can't bring myself to say it properly...) football in the second half.

West Brom goal: https://streamin.one/v/52852331

Isn't he a West Brom ex player, fan, and commentating on some kind of West Brom tv...?! What are you expecting exactly

Yeah me too, they're actually commentating on the game and chatting about what's going on more than I'm used to on RobinsTV. Bit of passion too (even if it's for the wrong team), I think it's decent

Probably, because that's exactly why it's hard to feel optimistic at the moment - it's so unpredictable and rare when we'll put in a good performance

A lot of "I demand to speak to the manager!" energy in this thread

I'm not saying we should, just that it's more complicated than saying the cost to the club is the same whether you try and offload a player or just keep them for the duration of their contract.

Presumably though there is a cost (not necessarily monetary) of every player being at the club though - physio time, whatever training they can do, medical time, and so on? You might also be able to negotiate some lower lump sum I guess, the benefit for the player being they can take that and then potentially get a new contract elsewhere.

Ok ok, but get this - have you tried all those same songs, but randomly shouting "you ****" at the end?

Ringside seats for the apple roll though!