HarvSFC

Downes has missed 9 league matches, 1-0 defeat against Ipswich, 1-1 draw with Watford, 1-1 with Coventry, 2-1 win against Plymouth, 3-1 loss against Bristol City, 2-0 win against West Brom and then 2-1 defeats against Hull, Millwall and Cardiff today. So, of the 9, we've won 2, drawn 2 and lost 5 without him.

What ever happened to that myth that all our possession would eventually tire the opposition out? Seems to have the opposite effect, all the work on the ball knackers our players out.

They seem to be changing the FA Cup final dates every other year these days, one year it's played the week after the season, the next it isn't. The argument is lost a little, when as already mentioned Newcastle and Tottenham are playing a friendly in Australia three days after the Premier League season ends. Two years ago Manchester City played Barcelona in a friendly three matches into the season, which was also bizarre.

I was surprised McCarthy was picked ahead of Lumley given he has been non-existent this season, but you've got to pick the goalkeeper who has played for England and been a below average Premier League goalkeeper, which probably makes him serviceable in the Championship over the below average Championship goalkeeper. Remember Lumley's stats at Reading weren't much better than Bazunu's, if they were, from what I can remember. Fortunately, we've only had to see the Watford FA Cup howler from him and that wasn't too costly. Feel more confident with McCarthy in the sticks, we know his drawbacks and deficiencies, while I don't think we've seen enough of Lumley to get the full experience, but I remember that lowlights video of him when he signed. Now, knowing our luck with McCarthy, he'll have a good end to the season and we'll offer him a new contract and a wage increase.

It's the hope that kills you. Up the Saints!

Strangely, there are only three players I'd be disappointed to lose this summer, Harwood-Bellis, Downes and Walker-Peters and they feel like an inevitability if we don't get promoted anyway, so double misery potentially this summer. Think everyone else in the squad is replaceable with a good scouting team, even with A. Armstrong's strong numbers. The good scouting team, is of course as always the worrying thing.

Indeed, it's a token gesture from them to make them appear as though they care about the fans, when there isn't a single professional football club in 2024 that does. Hence they charge their own fans £47 to watch Championship football. They said £15, or £47. From one extreme to the other. Leeds would make up the shortfall from the £15 pricing because they have a bigger stadium and would grant us a bigger allocation than what we could offer Leeds. You'd imagine we made a counter offer and asked them to meet in the middle at £30, which they would have then declined, going to their £47 tickets, but announced how it was horrible Southampton who stopped the reciprocal pricing. They were too loud in pleading their innocence, when the only information from Southampton has come from Alfie House and it looks like it was only their terms, or no terms.

The nostalgic kits are done, red and white stripes now, please.

One day we'll play well across a full 90, that day was not today. Really good in the first half, untouchable at times, but dismal and complacent in the second half, giving Coventry something to cling to with their goal. Could understand the poor second halves under Hasenhuttl, the players had used all their energy in the first halves under him, but with these tactics everyone kept saying the opposition would eventually tire from us keeping the ball, but it doesn't seem to be happening. Feared another Middlesbrough at the end. Onto the positives, Aribo was really good, especially in the first half. Coventry couldn't get the ball off him in the first half and couldn't understand why the Coventry player wasn't booked for a deliberate pull back after Aribo beat him all ends up, but the ref did seem to favour Coventry this evening. Glad the player who initiated the contact with Bazunu in the second half went off injured, karma. Scrappy goals to score, but we'll take them. Even with the autos pretty much out of our sights now we still need to keep winning so that we can go into the play offs with momentum and a good feeling. Coventry aren't a bad team either, beaten Leicester and Leeds in the last few months and are chasing down a play off spot in 7th, so could have easily slipped up to a team that wants it tonight, good professionalism. Major negative, Sekou Mara. What a waste of a sub, one of the worst performances I've seen.

We're closer to sixth than we are third.

This is what Russell Martin says word for word to his coaching team... But, it's about Jack Stephens.

Shields was wank. Has made two good signings at both clubs worked for amongst a load of shite in Lavia and Palmer and both he knew from City. Wilcox? Said all the right things in the media, but was Martin the best managerial appointment we could have made in the summer? Why did all of our transfer budget for the season go on a crocked striker from Sunderland and youngster from City, neither of which have contributed anything to the first team this season? Certainly question marks over him as well. Lets now hope it's third time lucky and lets hope we don't try the Rasmus Ankersen experiment again. Arsehole made us wait while he left Manchester City amicably while wanting to shoot off as soon as United comes calling. Twerks for the Manchester clubs.

He doesn't save anything that's not routinely right at him. Anything that's struck well, or hit with a bit of swerve and it goes in the net. Anything he has to dive for and it goes in the net. It's so poor. Like playing with an outfield player in goal for the entire season, well two seasons now.

Smallbone's on 4 goals, Aribo's on 3 goals. The key being Smallbone's played 2489 minutes this season, while Aribo's played 925 minutes. Aribo's also been used this season as a sub to help us see the game out, so driving forward hasn't been his primary role for much of the season. And I thought Aribo was crap up until December. But, Smallbone's just there. If only we had a Schneiderlin/Hammond/Cork next to Downes.