Forester

Mixed views on this as season ticket holder with family of three tickets, one of which is my elderly dad who needs some help on this stuff. And am influenced by my mate who is a Spurs season ticket holder (family have four tickets) which is a club that has run with this approach for a few years. Trying to be balanced here: - good news is not waiting on Royal Mail for cup tickets being sent out - I also get club saves costs with no mailing, paper and plastic, eco friendly eg etc - the transfer device is potentially useful if my daughter is travelling independently and saves faffing about to hand her card etc - less positive is my mate has had experience of waiting for a couple of tickets for match day to drop into the app and not receiving it until two hours before game, which is pretty stressful! Hopefully our system will be bullet proof…! So people saying “it’s just like going to a gig” is not the same as I go to plenty and they don’t arrive as late as 12 hours before in my experience - also you only realise how all of this is tricky for some elderly or less able fans when you actually experience it So pro’s and cons. Would be way better if for season tickets they simply sent the QR code that works for the whole season through in one go

Baz is a write off for the season, if he is fit for later in season it’s a bonus. Even if he was fit, in my opinion he is not top class needed. So retain McCarthy as number two, sign a top keeper as number one

I disagree. I think we need to sign two more top class full backs, so Manning leaves and Bree becomes number four. KWP able to play both flanks. Loan out Larios and Meghoma

Lallana

Yes some very good signings. Think we also converted Cork’s loan to permanent, which was good, and signed a useless African striker who barely played

I think for a one year deal this is a good signing. And not remotely due to his past links. I imagine he will not be a regular starter, but will be a good change option and brings experience and know how to the squad. If you listen to most managers they stress the importance of this off field element much more than fans recognise. These guys are effectively attending a workplace six or seven days a week, and the culture and environment created is crucial. Given Brighton link I suspect Martin knows him very well.

We are going to need to be patient I feel this summer. A number of factors: - we are two weeks behind most other clubs knowing they are in Premier League - the playing season starts later in August than normal because of Euros - a number of our competitors have serious FFP concerns and therefore comparing their current squads is futile - we have a lot of outbound and inbound Ioans ending - many deals will be on hold until Euros finish I really don’t think we will know where we are, and what we are up against, until end of August. My sense is that other clubs competing in “mini league” at the bottom will likely include Leicester, Ipswich, Brentford, Everton and Forest as a minimum. But probably eleven weeks away from becoming clear

Quite surreal that 24 hours ago we could be writing up what was needed to manage a tighter budget in championship! For my part here is what I would try and do: Retain……Baz, McCarthy, Lis, KWP, Bednarek, THB, Stephens, Aribo, Smallbone, Alcaraz, Edozie, A Armstrong, Adams, Stewart Loan out…..Larios, Meghoma, Charles, Diblin, SAA, Ballard Sell/Release....Lumley, Bree, Manning, DCC, ABK, Lyanco, Perraud, S Armstrong, Kamaldeen, Mara, Tall Paul Loan in….Brooks Buy….Downes, Fraser, new goalkeeper, new right back, new left back, new centre back, two holding midfielders, new ten, two new strikers That is nine new faces as three have been with us this season. I think we signed six when last promoted, Forest and Fulham in recent years have brought in about 20. When you are reminded of the loans out and loans in, there is a lot of work needed. The goalkeepers numbers may look heavy, but I have written off Baz for the season and you need three fit keepers at all times. I see some of the retained players, such as McCarthy, Stephens, Aribo, Adams, Fraser as squad players who bring experience but unlikely to start many.

A very good summary, very much reflects my feelings after a special day

Good day up there, and am satisfied with that result. We have played teams in third and fifth this last week and conceded just one goal. The back 3 really helps, and makes it harder to press us as often an outlet is available. It was noticeable how we ran into more problems playing out when we went back four late on, which I found puzzling. McCarthy has regained the form he had when late on in that season a few years back he helped keep us up under Hughes. Long may it continue. Fingers crossed Adams is fit Friday.

Is anyone else still waiting for tickets to arrive in post?

On train back to London having witnessed second 5-0 thrashing of the season. As others have pointed out, the goals conceded show we are well short of being equipped for promotion. Leicester have put nine goals past us this season (albeit at least took two games to do so!). I have enjoyed the football this season, but we don’t have the right defensive capabilities, and we lack pace and cutting edge against good teams. We may still get lucky in the play offs, although I fear this team will take some lifting. But the level of overhaul in the summer will be huge irrespective of what division we are in. We have six loans returning, five loans in finishing, two senior players out of contract etc. The two Bournemouth loan signings have proved to be hugely disappointing overall. I wouldn’t start Brooks next week

Be good fun to keep it running as long as we can, and good I think in terms of being “in the groove” if we end up in play offs, which remains most likely outcome. However with that Plymouth win, it now means that if we win our remaining games (unlikely, but not impossible as it is six not sixteen), and by virtue of two of them being against Leicester and Leeds, essentially we need each of our rivals to lose just one more of their other games. All this is unlikely but you cannot now say there is no chance. Slim, yes, but no longer ridiculous. What is helping is that 19 or 20 teams have something still to play for, so Plymouth, Millwall, QPR, Brizzle have all enjoyed wins over top four sides recently and who is to say there won’t be more of these results as sides fight for their lives

A good guy, put in an impossible situation with us. In what other profession would you get your first role at the very top. Like our squad last season, some promise but too young to be thrown together at once. Pleased for Selles

Downes and either Charles or Smallbone, with the latter forced to be deeper. But in truth I don’t think the squad this season has been built for the system of two holders. It would need to be addressed in summer window

But, and it may not be helpful to your argument, Sheffield United went up in second place with less than two points per game last season. This season is materially different, it’s just a fact. Detestable or otherwise….

Lots of histrionics on here. Like everyone else who travelled to Ipswich last night, I was gutted at the end but it’s mad to begin calling for the manager to go. We have 78 points with eight games left, there is every chance we will finish with two points per game which is promotion every year, but sadly not this one. I will take the play offs if that is what it is to be. I have enjoyed the football this year, but I think Russell can get better. I personally think we can still play “Russball”, but would like to see two holding midfielders and one ten, whereas we play one holder and two tens, it’s a small adaptation, but we have conceded too many on transition from being very open. So still play out from the back, still give licence to defenders to go into creative spaces, still play with two wide men. It’s a compromise that I think sees us concede ten goals fewer in a season and probably pick up an extra 8 to 15 points

Bazanu KWP, Bednarek, Stephens, Bree Downes, Armstrong (S), Smallbone Fraser, Armstrong (A), Brooks

I have stuck by the view that two points per game is the target, it will have got us up each year over the last ten. I agree this season may be the exception, but that is by no means certain yet. Matches at this time if the season are much harder as a rule, with weaker opposition often highly motivated. See QPR, Millwall, Cardiff all beating top four slides over the last fortnight. If we hit 92 points and it isn’t enough I will take the play offs and not be too down about things. As difficult as those three away games at our rivals will be, as the team chasing it is good news that we have them still to play. Looking forward to the run in

After KWP limped off suspect it will be Bree right back and Manning left back, other than that I like your line up

I think he would be one of two front line keepers, and it would depend who else we got in. But I think at 22 he would be much better than when he was 20.

Wow, so much negativity on here. A reminder that, having changed half the team, we have just lost away to the Premier League leaders but having outplayed them for an hour. The difference, as so often the case, is in both boxes. Liverpool were clinical, we were wasteful. Positives for me were Stephens, Charles, Rothwell, Aribo (first hour). Despite not scoring I also thought Kamaldeen looked sharpest I have seen him this season. I don’t get the “no point being promoted” narrative. It’s pretty obvious there is a big gulf. But from our current squad I think the following are all capable of being in a Premier League squad, albeit not all as starters: Bazanu, KWP, THB, Bednarek, Stephens, Charles, Aribo, Armstrong (S), Armstrong (A), Kamaldeen. But we would need to make eight or nine signings. That is what being promoted entails.

Bazanu KWP, THB, Bednarek, Manning Downes, S Armstrong, Aribo Brooks, A Armstrong, Fraser Have said all season our target is two points per game, which over last decade guarantees promotion. 13 games to go, lots of twists and turns to come. We remain on track, as do three other clubs, but I will personally settle now for 92 points and if some of them are gained in games at Ipswich and Leeds then all the better

I think our best side currently is: Baz KWP, THB, Bednarek, Manning Aribo, Downes, Armstrong (S] Brooks, Armstrong (A), Fraser As others have said, this is getting increasingly difficult as Manning gives us more balance going forward but is suspect defensively, Smallbone v Aribo is a marginal call, and I prefer Adam Armstrong to be down the right but can’t bring myself to not start Brooks or Fraser. Nice problems to have. So you end up with an insanely good bench (for the championship) that includes Stephens, Smallbone, Rothwell, Adams, Kamaldeen, Edozie and others.

Great to wake up and only exits are Holgate (albeit we could not have otherwise names all loans in same squad) and Alcaraz which looks good value for money especially considering him being unlikely to start. We need to constantly think of FFP rules, just ask Everton and Forest. Only material risk I think is centre back cover, where reliant on Charles to be effectively fourth choice. Always an option to play a back three and use Bree there I suppose to bolster, but fingers crossed THB, Jan and Jack stay fit