Holmes_and_Watson

Surely Broja could have cut that back?

Bah!

Sad would have been realising that he'd totally lost his way, while we were paying his wages. While playing for another club in a relegation scrap with them paying his wages? A bit less. 🙂 I hope his dreadful performances continue and that he's in their starting XI every week, rather than admiring their famous dugouts from a seat in one.

Brim

A complete piece of s*!*

Up to us to be nimble in the marketplace. Our stepping stone status means we should get caught out less often than "bigger" clubs where it comes to players winding down their contracts. It's in everyone's interests - us, the player, the "big" club if a player proves his Premier League pedigree with us before moving 3 years into a 5 year deal. By offering top academy prospects the chance to get on that pathway sooner for lower fees, we are already minimising our outlay. WIth the players focus on using our more direct pathway to move on, we're less at risk. We could also look to take advantage of players who are on the fringes of squads at larger clubs, who will be released on a free/ or are winding down their contracts knowing they won't get a better wage deal. Again, a reduced outlay and the chance of that player reestablishing themselves ot move on. Although it's relative. I don't begrudge the likes of Forster or Walcott for example staying, although it will be a drain on our budget. There are clubs that pay a lot more in wages, and transfers. But a little less time thinking of players only as commodities wouldn't do any club any harm. Knowing the player could run down his deal, should be factored into the thinking at the start. Ralph's not doing well with the Kicker quotes I've seen. 🙂

Always good to make use of those Charles Miller links, with our scout also carrying around posters of Lyanco. 🙂

Out of that lot, an Everton, Leeds *and* Newcastle bottom three would be perfect. I can dream...

I'd prefer taking top and a Newcastle relegation. I see no reason not to have both. 🙂

From watching some German football, it's not uncommon for players and coaches to announce that they are leaving in advance of the end of the season. They seem to be grown up about it, and there's no suggestion of anyone slacking off as a result. So Ralph speaking to a magazine that covers the league in which he used to manage, with such openess, isn't unheard of.

Grip

Newcastle v Everton is one where you'd want both to somehow come out with no points. But Newcastle are on a different level of dislike for me, so seeing them thumped heavily in every game until the end of the season would be nice.

Crumbs. I never thought it was quite as bad as this. Must be due a win then (typed optimistically, when would take a point if offered) 🙂

Although not Scott Marshall Kane and Son.

Square

My initial thought was that I'd rather nothing got said at all. We are in a decent place, so why mess with it with such statements. I was hoping, that with the new owners in place, he'd get to see the fruits of his hard work for a long time to come. But it's a long time away. I hope we're in a position where there aren't calls for him to go before then. That our trajectory is upwards. It also gives the club every opportunity to plan ahead. Better this, than scrambling around in the last summer, when he decides not to renew. Besides, we'll always have his play book.

No doubt there's been players who have patted and kissed their badges and who were the first out the door as soon as the next window opened. But I'd prefer seeing Armstrong's actions to him taking off the shirt and throwing it at the manager. 🙂 I hope that if there was anything behind him not playing ealrier, that it's all resolved and that he'll stay for a long time to come (caveat of keeping up at least a decent bit of form during that time).

Weird ref decisions in this one. Over zealous with cards in the first half. A game littered with stoppages for free kicks. Ref's reluctance to follow through on his card decisions meant there were bookable, persistent fouls in the second that were let go. He booked someone for winning a header at one point. Yet, he was always in control of the game and there weren't too many complaints from the players. He did offer his book and whistle to Salah, after some complaining as if saying "are you running this game?"

Thanks for the league update Vectis. It's opening up a bit more than I thought it would.

Ex-Saint scores winning pen at AFCON. Can't imagine it being a different headline anywhere else. 🙂 Back up headline of brother of Saints player scores in AFCON final.

Snack

Trick

Thanks for the summary Chez. Good to see there were positives in there.

Perhaps, like a modern day Samson, Grealish's man-child attitude was all in his hair. I doubt it, as I doubt seeing the restraint shown by Romeu to not rearrange more on his head than his hair, will have had an impact either. We'll see.

It didn't look good for him. It's unfortunate, but I'd have fancied Broja, on current form, and in the way Coventry playes, to have more of an impact on the game. And impact was needed. There is the question on there being too many starting changes prompting the need to bring him into the game. But then, he was one of those changes. Had he started and got crocked, I'm sure the manager would be getting questioned too.