Chez

whatever fans think of Puncheon there should not be several thousand off their seats moaning at him after just three minutes just because he was slightly indecisive in their box. I have no problem with players getting stick, especially if they are not trying, but not just after the game has started. He is the new wipping boy. I wonder about our fans sometimes.

Dawson had him in his pocket. He's not the first centre back to do so. Really top class centre backs that are decent in the air kept him quiet last year as well. The difference this sezason is when he does get an easy flick on it is going to an oponent not a Saint. He must have flicked the ball on about 30 times and every sinlge time it went to a Dale shirt. Nothing to do with Connellys runs, everything to do with poor heading by Lambert. Because we rely on him t start most moves that is why we looked so poor yesterday. Improvement from Lambert and we'll get an iimprovement from the side as a whole. By the way he didn't look like he was injured and the fact he played in the JPT game suggests he is not injured.

What a talent we have on our hands. Not quite as pacey as Theo but a better touch and much more of an idea what he wants to do with the ball. He looks full of confidence too. Lets hope we can get into winning ways soon so none of that is lost. Our youth system seems to have done its job perfectly.

managers that try and get the job with lots of "I'd love the job" comments to the media never get it from my experience.

very good point. Last season when we conceded I thought we would always get back into it, right now I don't see it . No options off the bench doesn't help.

Puncheon is clearly the new wipping boy. I can't believe how quick the fans were to jump on his back. I'm not saying he had a great game today, or that he doesn't deserve a little stick at times, but swathes of fans jumping all over him after less than five minutes says it all. Yet another painful game to watch. We started quite well and dominated posession as usual. The problem though was both strikers were pretty average to say the least with almost every header from Lambert failing to find Connelly. Connelly himself looked not quite at his sharpest and lots of posession was squandered cheaply in the final third. As the game wore on this got worse as Lambert won hardly anything against Craig Dawson (why did we not sign him instead of Seaborne I ask myself). We were not really much worse than last week but the opposition were much better defensively so we didn't really create that much at all in the first half. We then comitted far too many players forward and a terrible terrible pass by Lambert put us in massive trouble and we found ourselves 2 on 2 and the 3 on two with butterfield struggling to get back with the midfield runner. Where Fonte and friends were I will never know. A proper sucker blow. We didn't deserve to be 1-0 down but that's how things go at this level. The second half was very bad for long periods. We did create chances, quite a lot when you start adding them up. Puncheon sshoulod of scored from close range, Harding missed an unbelievable chance and there were other half chances. But most of these came after we had gone 2-0 down. Sadly the second goal was due to a terrible pass by Chamberlain - we were our own worst enemies defensively - who overall had had a decent game. There were poor some displays today. Schneiderlin hardly grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and Hammond was little better. The real problem for me was up front with Lambert having a shocker and there being absolutely no attacking option from the bench. Davis 5 don't recall any saves. Thought he might have done better for their first Butterfield 6 some decent crosses early on but didn't threaten in the second half. Solid eough defensively but with more pace he might have helped prevent the second Fonte 7 dives in a lot (as he did at Rovers) and got caught out a couple of times. But a great battle with their centre forward today and came out abiut even. Martin 8 Didn't do much wrong for me. Left exposed for the first goal. Harding 6 some poor passing early on but back to his bullying self defensively. Not much going forward. Chamberlini 7 some bright patches, although quiet for long spells too. Showed a great first touch and willingness to attack directly. Some of the crossing was poor though and he was at fault for their second. Very impressive display overall though. Puncheon 5 missed a few chances, created a couple. Usual fare from him really. Not enough from him but not impressed with fans moaning after just a couple of minutes. Schneiderlin 5 did not do enough and got very frustrated at the end. Where was he for the first goal? Hammond 5 first touch not good enough at times and never grabbed the game in the second half when we needed it most. Connelly 5 worked hard but not cute enough, should have done better with volley in first half. Lambert 1 terrible day. Nothing came off at all in first half. Didn't do anything in the second. Mills strange to bring a fullback on for a winger. Shows our lack of squad. Mills can not play left midfield. I have seen him try 8 or 9 times now and he can't do it he is a fullback only. Why not use Dickson - he was excellent at Rovers. Gully he can play a bit, but he looks a little casual to me. A little early to judge but where is he going to play?

We still have two fit strikers and the loan window is going to open up awhere hopefully we have players lined up.

the fact the goalkeeping coach was sacked at the same time supports this. Why would you sack a goalkeeping coach just because the manager was involved in a incident?

Adkins has done a tremendous job IMO and I was impressed with his side when we played them. That would be a very good appointment if you ask me, very similar sort of move as Leeds did with Grayson.

Another fair point, but the difference here is that MON won trophies with Celtic and wasn't far away with Villa. His stock has a long long way to fall before he starts to get overlooked for jobs.

Fair point, but Eriksson didn't go there to be the manager did he?

if Lambert was still struggling with his groin injury why did he play on Tuesday? Is this groin injury actually still going or is this just people thinking because he has not played brilliantly so far that he must be still injured?

Plenty of challenges will come to light in the Premiership and the CCC in the next 12 months. If say Roy Hodgson has a mare at Liverpool an gets the boot (unlikley I know) wouldn't that be a challange? The Forrest job could become available as could any number of foreign clubs impressed by his time at Celtic. The fact people are failing to recognise it that he got Villa to a cup final, a semi final and into the Uefa cup two years running. From the starting point when he took over that is a bloody decent showing and not a managerial record to suggest he needs to drop two divisions to improve his `stock'. His stock is bloody sky high already. Maybe not Alex Furguson high but not too many steps down.

Look at the success of Danny Wilson at Swindon, allbeit given a little time, who hd a torrid time at Sheff Wednesday and the likes of Paul Jewell certainly look attractive. Just because a manager has failed in a previous job it doesn't mean they are decent managers. WGS is a prime example of this an he didn't turn out too bad, Neil McAnt signing apart.

This MON thing on here is rediculous. The guy was not long ago touted as the next Man U manager. Why the **** would he drop down two leagues to manage us? There is no chance of him being our next manager IMO. None at all.

let's hope the operation was a complete success and the recovery goes smoothly. I wonder if the new manager will look at Holmes again?

Funnily enough he is being slated by Skates for being so openly negative about these youngsters. Questions haev been raised why Marlon Pack has been sent out on loan whilst they can't field a full bench.

managers that use the media to try and get the job don't tend to get appointed

I would suggest the `group of players' mentioned possibly consisted of the likes of Zak Knight and Nigel Reo Coker who couldn't get a game for love nor money whilst he was there.

how many of these senior pros are realistically going to drop two divisions?

I was told (by a guy who works with a players dad) that some players were unhappy at being asked by Pardew to train both in the morning and afternoon. No idea how accurate that is. Anyone able to confirm that players were training for longer periods?

looks that way. I don't understand why we signed Pulis on a three year deal. Madness.

So did he or we take up the third year option on his contract? He signed on 29th August two years ago.