trousers

Sounds like we'll have to agree to differ on that 👍

The main reason for our 'shitness' over the last month has been our defence having a weekend midfield in front of them. Bednarek and THB seemed to do quite well in our "25 game unbeaten run" (copyright forum optimists) so maybe persevere with them on that basis rather than a much smaller sample of games in which our best midfielder was out of action...?

Indeed. Surely Stephens was the obvious choice given he had a decent enough game there the other day?

Exactly what I predicted last night

I'm sure the bookmaker in question is delighted...

Drew (otherwise, highly amusing... Keep it up )

Result!!

With Downes back, Smallbone won't be playing the same role as he did on Wednesday...

How many games have we lost in which Downes has partnered with Smallbone in midfield? (Genuine question as I've no idea and you appear to be more knowledgeable than me in this area)

Nah, stick with Downes I reckon....

Half right

Just looked back... Nope... So he's available for today then... I'll stick with my hunch in that case

I've got a hunch he might go with Stephens at right back and Bree left back Edit: ah, hang on a minute, is Bednarek suspended? Scratch that thought if so

I guess it's human nature to take form and 'momentum' into account when expressing a gut feel opinion. Around a month ago, when we were still on the crest of a wave and before the 3 'unexpected' defeats, I countenanced the possibility that we might catch Leicester, whilst still feeling it was more unlikely than likely. I don't think it was unreasonable or bizarre to have kept that possibility on the table at that point in time. To me, it wasn't unreasonable a month ago to believe that we could/should beat Bristol City, Hull and Millwall. Had we done so then we'd now be sitting in second place 2 points behind Leicester and 4 points ahead of Leeds and Ipswich. (Yes, I know.... "If this"..."if that"... blah blah blah... but taking those 3 games in isolation, I'd like to think we could agree that expecting to win them wasn't such a bonkers notion a month ago...?)

That was 4 defeats and 12 lost points #mathsinnit (I don't recall anyone thinking we could still go on to win the league after the woeful September games)

3 defeats (and 9 lost points) ago, to be precise.

One would hope that RM will pick him on merit rather than just to stick two fingers up at the keyboard warriors

It's ok to offend others when you're defending the offended though... #goingaroundincircles

173 #whataboutnathanjonescounter

Surprised that we haven't "kept the opposition guessing" for another 12 hours.... And the club announcing this on social media at bang on 10:30pm makes a bit of a mockery of the 'printed press' embargo...

Nor was he suggesting that there are people who are against playing out from the back in any circumstance, which is your interpretation of what he was saying....

Name someone who is against playing out from the back as an optional tactic?

Is this one of those @hypochondriac type posts where you've got some inside info but put it across as a question or suggestion in order to avoid making an overt 'ITK' post...?

Agree that he's never going to be overtly critical of individual players, but I'd expect him to at least acknowledge the issues we clearly have in the depth and quality of our strikeforce overall, which was clearly exposed in Wednesday's game, rather than just saying that everything is rosey. That said, I acknowledge that he's got to focus on the positives, of which there are many, to galvanise the players for the run-in, so, yep, it's a difficult balance to strike as a manager I accept.

Why not "keep them guessing" until 1 hour before the game rather than 10:30pm the night before in that case....? #logic (Sorry to bang on about this but I'm just highlighting an inconsistency in the questioning at today's press conference. Just chewing the cud on an internet football forum. That's all....)