Chez

Once the parachute payments disappear, it becomes very difficult. In the seasons immediately after you are managing a huge hole in your finances. If you manage to navigate that nightmare, then you probably find yourself with a squad of very average players, making a promotion challenge, well, challenging. As Coventry have shown so far this season, you can still be very competitive on a smaller budget if you get things right, but it's a damn sight harder getting it right if you have a £45m parachute payment on your back pocket to pay 'better" quality players.

Good point. The club might say that it's five or six months since his last injury cleared up, so at some point you have to treat the player like anyone else. If we had Downes pushing for the spot then maybe they'd of rested him, but his failure to shine has seemingly forced Still's hand to play him (either that or no one thought about the risk).

Yes, he played as much, if not more than anyone during the preseason games. He played in one of the hour long Brighton preseason games (the last game before Wrexham), he got 20 minutes against Espanyol, played half the game (as everyone did) against Castellon, played one of the hour-long Valencienes games (as everyone did), played one of the hour-long Gillingham games, played a half (as most did) of the first preseason games against Eastleigh. I think his previous injury was also a hamstring issue. That had cleared up by end of February, his general fitness then had to be improved in March and then he was available from the start of April and played in the last 8 games last season.

You are seriously suggesting we give Quarshie a run out at centre forward?

Armstrong and Archer up the middle on their own just doesn't work, so if Stewart is going to miss games we have a problem. We either gives Downs more games and hope that faith is rewarded or...well, I am not sure what the alternative is to be honest. Didn't see the game yesterday - did we play 4 or 5 at the back. BBC website says four, but seen some posters referencing wingbacks. Can you confirm?

not quite sure where I stood at the time, but many suggested in the summer that we needed to reboot and create a side that would not only get us up but give us half a chance of staying up if we did. None of these strikers would be any use in the PL. Agyemanng was certainly an alternative option to Downs. Not sure he has set the world on fire yet either.

fresh legs, a little more defensive minded players - seems an obvious move to me when you have a lead away from home.

I can. We were fucking horrific last season with a host of players nowhere near good enough for that level. The ones that were have left. OK, we have spent some money, but turning that sinking ship around was never going to be easy. Give it time.

I thought we look pretty good in the middle period, moving the ball with purpose, although the two chances they had were good ones and a little worrying from a long term view. Once in front we went a little too defensive, but by and large it was all in front of us. Stewart has looked lively in most of his sub appearances, so glad he's got his goals and perhaps he can go on from here and be that striker we have hoped he could be. Very happy. Four points off promotion place.

He isn't in charge. His job title is head coach. His domain is therefore player coaching and picking the team. He'll have a say as to whether players get new contracts, but multimillion pound assets (players) belong to the board.

I wonder if Sheffield United fans were thinking another season in the championship would help them prepare for the PL. I don't want to think about anything other than promotion this season until it's mathematically impossible.

we are only 6 points from the automatic promotion place with 40 games of football to go. Isn't a little early to be hoisting the white flag?

It's good luck to tread in cow shit. We could do with some of that, luck, not additional shit.

it will be very interesting to see who Still selects. When you spend a shed load on someone like Azaz, the pressure will be on to pick him, but with lots of options, tough decisions have to be made to find a winning format.

Armstrong looked good to me. It's a shame Fellows also looks good on that right side, but it would be very harsh to not start him in the next game. Glad Quarshie looked solid. He needs to come in too.

The Archer chance should be buried. Really bad miss IMO. How Scienza doesn't score, I will never know.

it's too tight. Make that assessment and hit it long. Simple. Really poor decision-making. Why is McCarthy trying to play Russball now?

In the games I've watched I have seen plenty of movement and runs, but that knack of going where the cross will be isn't there, not at the moment anyway. Whether that will click into place I'm not sure. At the moment he seems to be the opposite of a magnet. To his defence, some of the crossing is woeful and he is not picked out. However there have been some crosses into decent areas and he's been no where to be found. I don't see a big powerful athlete that we had hoped for. He moves well, but where is the power and physical presence. I have yet to see him win a header. I haven't really seen any hold up play yet. When a long ball goes forward it never seems to be anywhere near him and we don't really ping it to him to play off. Not sure that's entirely his fault. The one-on-one chance he got was the type you expect a decent striker to finish. There isn't really any excuses. He has enough time to set himself, but not much time to overthink it. It wasn't all that close. A really poor finish. He hasnt exactly had a lot of shooting chances, so it would be folly to write him off based on that one.

Kieffer Moore gave Edwards a torrid time in the opening game of the season. Wood hasn't exactly impressed either. We seem to have plenty of options, but not sure how good any of them are.

The second goal was just as much of a train wreck that revealed itself almost in slow motion in front of my eyes. Lose the ball, little hussle to win it back, McBurnie pulls to the back post, easily wins the header against THB to an unmarked runner (Roerslevs lack of effort to be there is shameful) who couldn't miss. Fucking horrible. The third makes me grind my teeth in anger. Zero fucking desire from any player to win the ball at all. Id be absolutely slaughtering them in the changing room after the game. I'd have that goal on loop on the coach home (fuck flying back) and then all week in the changing room. Disgraceful. If you are not willing (desperate) to win a header as a defender, midfielder whatever you can just fuck off... Still is getting slaughtered, but some of the players have completely fucked him yesterday. They don't seem to want it.

Tough game to bring them in, but maybe Liverpool play their kids?

His subs have been fine imo. From what I have seen so far he wants to freshen things up in the final third and he doesn't want to mess about, so brings several on at the same time. Some subs then play well, some don't.

Totally with you. I saw a little progress yesterday undermined by some horrific defending. That said, Hull were pretty poor though, so I may be giving him too much credit. I'm hoping it's like the Sunderland away game in 2023, which was a terrible performance. He recognises that THB is lightweight, gets Quarshie back in the side and we go from strength to strength....I'm dreaming now aren't I?

The Derby showed that we needed a more physical target man and a focal point of attack. Playing Archer in that role doesn't work and never will. The choice is then Downes or Stewart. Stills only job is to pick the side. It was his choice and no one else's.

I'm with you totally. Edwards looked no better in preseason. You have to win headers as a centre back, at every level, which is why Arsenal, City and Liverpool are like land of the giants. Big physically powerful guys. It's literally the first thing on the centre back check list. I thought that's why we bought Quarshie.