Chez

He was fantastic as a winger, for us, but never convinced me when he moved inside. Still a talent player and as we saw in the Leicester game, if you want to pass your way out from the back, you need a high level of technical proficiency. I am sure Martin would love another technically good midfielder that can deliver his passing game, but personally, I think our frailties are because we don't have enough fight in the middle or players that do the ugly, often unseen stuff well. Not necessarily another defensive holding midfielder, but midfielders that can run all day, get up and down, press, get tight, get a foot it, and then when they get the ball have enough skill to keep it and pass it to the flair players. He has the ball skills but he won't add that that little extra grit.

The United website paints a different picture and their story about the meeting between the two has ten Hag saying that they are behind schedule, in what I presume is the summer transfer negotiations. If Nixon's story (about an instruction on a change of playing style) is true, then Ten Hags days seemed numbered. If he has coached the players to play one way (not a possession-based game) and then suddenly changes at the drop of the new owners and Wilcox's hat, he's not going to look credible to the players. Better to bring a new guy in who believes in that method, like RM.

I suspect any standing (by home fans) in non-safe standing areas will be clamped down on.

what's this silver bolt on give ya?

Did WBA sit back and not press? I'm amazed when teams do that.

Can someone tell me how we managed to win away at WBA? I seem to recall they had one or two brilliant chances that they didn't take and we scored ours. So perhaps the game could have gone another way on a different day? That game seems like a real outlier - winning away, at one of the decent sides, not conceding, controlling the game and us seeing the game out calmly. How on earth did that happen? I have to be honest. That win is the only thing that gives me any confidence that we can win the play-offs. So was it a performance that can be repeated?

This is tosh. We made four passes with the fourth (reasonably direct, to be fair) up to Adams. But he always had a guy right up his arse and struggled to keep the ball or he had to carry it about ten yards backwards. We didn't really beat the press. Aribo was brave and prevented the ball being immediately turned over. The rest? And that was in the first half when energy was high and we were competing. In the second half we didn't even manage that. We struggled to get out of our own half. The midfield was pathetic and then when defenders were left exposed we saw just how limited they really are.

we weren't. Doesn't mean players didn't try, but we were outclassed.

"we broke the press' did he say that? Utter bollocks. Barely got out of our own half.

Don't want to blame any single player as they all showed they are limited, but Charles was disappointing. When you are under the cosh and not able to get out of your own half, it's usually because your are losing the central midfield battle. We had no control at all. The drop off from Downes to him is massive. Get Downes back and we have a chance in the lay off. Without him, we can't play it out from the back

Four passes and we turn it over. All teams have to do to beat us is for players stay close to their man and the ball will be turned over. We haven't got the ability to overcome the press. Unless play off opponents sit off us - which they wont, we are fucked. First press conference question: teams the press hard seem to have the measure over us. How do you plan to counter a decent press?

very good point. The side I would fancy playing the least in the play offs.

this is why KWP was playing at left back. Bree and Manning aint quick enough to stay with their winger. Leicester have been impressive all season. Easily the best side in the division. We have been outclassed, again. Press us, just as they and Hull did at SMS and our limitations are exposed.

waltzed through it again.

I don't see it that way. They are trying, but we simply just ain't good enough to play when teams press us hard.