Holmes_and_Watson

I happened to be watching his early Villa appearance, and he showed loads of promise. A few years later and a lot of loan spells, I was pleased when we signed him. Just in time for us to continue to be a tactical and recruitment basket case. We don't naturally play with 2 up front. But the last couple of games have shown where he can come in to be an important part of the squad. No doubt Tonda has seen that, and is working a3ay on improving it even more.

Keep up the not keeping it up. 🙂

Hush you! 🙂

The ball comes in, I'm distracted by the cat, the ball's in the net, and the camera is showing THB running back. 🙂 I've a Charles inventing time travel and going back to hog the glory excuse too... 🙂

A game that needed an instinctive, striker's finish to make the difference. And that's what Archer gave us. We're not asking him to lead the line. We now have players who are doing that in Larin. And that's given him room from a wider position to make an impact. He's had to be really patient to get his chance. But he's been a game changer in the last couple. I thought we did well to get back into it, in an even contest. When we did, and hit that ball across the 6 yard line, they made changes. That stopped Manning and Leo a bit. But Tonda eventually switched it on the right, giving us more of an outlet there and everyone stood up to play a part, in a hard fought win. We look to have such strength in depth, with everyone supporting each other, and primed to play at their best. Such a far cry from the start of the season, when the rotation was one of desperation. Tonda really instilled that winning, not just team but, squad mentality. We're digging put the wins, and not giving up from set backs, right at the highest pressure part of the season. Great to see.

Archer! So pleased for him, the team and a Tonda Tactic Turnaround!

Yay!

Excitement

Surprised that from next season, even the top franchise doesn't have look after it's roster going into post season. But they've just extended those play off slots, rather than having a proper race to a Wembleybowl final.

Deservedly beaten. Good timing for new people to have been brought in to look ahead for next season. They can watch this one as an example of many VA games. VA started busily, getting lots of the ball. But when the decision making is atrocious, passing poor and linking up non existent, then you're not going to score. As so often, VA are physically not a match for this league. At one point, it took a blatant foul to stop one of their players beating a swarm of 5 VA players. Today's comedy moment was watching Louchet lumping balls out to Niakate. Either bouncing over his head, or when he was marked. Niakate had one really decent pass, and a very long range effort. But was first off, after a game he'll not remember fondly. Fleury's first was also their first attack of the second half. Their player eased past 2 VA defenders. His shot at the near post blazed over Louchet, hitting the woodwork. VA were unsurprisingly second bast to clear it, as the ricochet took it across the center. VA tried upping the tempo with little effect. Fleury had another 2 really good chances, including a 1 on 1. The interim coaches rung the changes. Abi gave the side a bit more of an outlet and Courtet had a shot blocked. It was Niakate's replacement, who was responsible for the second. It was 3-4 minutes into added time. Collet's heavy touch was intercepted as VA moved up. A couple of decisive passes (of the sort VA bring out a couple of times a season), to take it away from tracking defenders, and Fleury put it past an angry Louchet. One of the early realisations for the new back room staff will be that, if it's true the players were offered silly deals to come here, it's going to be very hard to clear them out on a budget. And just think of those who aren't considered good enough to get a game, and what it will take to move them on.

I was wondering who Starmer would find as a scapegoat this time, after McSweeney had gone. Olly, not Oily, Robbins from the foreign office is to blame. Honest he is. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c747r3v90k3o

Medic!

From wiki "From 2007–08, any club entering administration after the fourth Thursday in March would have their 10-point deduction suspended until the following season." Leeds and Boston did it towards the end of the season, when they were down anyway, and so they closed that loophole.

I read that it was £5 million interest from a loan taken out by a previous owner. But footy finance expert reckons they might just be £1 million over. As for the impact? who knows? I thought Leicester would get a larger punishment, as they were something like £20 million over.

Only when we visit as a PL club next season, I hope. 🙂

My doing the same, but based on my daily post quality, is why there's not enough cash to host images. 🙂

I hope he realises it's nothing to Bragg about. 🙂

Thanks for that Christophe. I'd not have been surprised to see him go at the end of the season. Remaining in this league has been a failure. The stories around recruitment are in earlier posts. With the club safe, there's no real reason for it not to happen now. Planning will be underway for next season, and he wasn't going to be part of it.

Monarch

Oh, I read a paragraph, before giving up. Would you say that made you ahead of the curve? 🙂

That sounds nice, but it was probably more to do with making sure the lights were turned off. 🙂

Partner: I'm going up. Will you be long? Me: I'll be staring lovingly at the league table for a while. Partner: Weirdo Me: Hush, while I'm working out goal differences...

"Pep wanted me for City, you know."

Another wow! performance. Another game where the squad management Tonda put in from day one pays off. Excellent performances from a well drilled, yet changed, team that was pretty much in complete control. Blackburn got a bit more space when Bree went off. But we kept plenty of attacking options available, and everyone's work rate was just more than anything the visitors could muster. Very hard to pick a MOM. Pretty much everyone involved had excellent games. But lovely to see Archer get it from Sky. There's a great team spirit. From where we were, that's taken some doing. Not just the results, but in the way they work for and with each other. Ipswich losing certainly makes things interesting. But it means a fantastic run, has to keep going right to the end.

Nice little bit of tracking back from Jay. Forcing their player into a poor cross. Nice to see him back.