SNSUN

Or Caleta-Car, not that he's done much for Lyon by the looks of it. The most successful loan out story this season appears to be Lis.

Yes. An injury to Jan or THB and we're screwed, let alone losing both for whatever reason. We need a specialist 4th choice and if it isn't Holgate we'd need another IMO.

Win win is where I am too. Now I like Charly, post relegation he was happy to stay and help us get promoted and he's had the odd game where he's been good such as his goal recently, but approximately €7 million for half a season on loan is a large amount of money for us. Add that on to the fact that we've been winning games perfectly well without him, and that he's not exactly 'lit up the Championship' in the way we all thought he would, then we'll be fine without him. In addition we either get him back in the summer a little bit more experienced ready for our next campaign (in whichever league that is in),we get £40 million for him which is crazy money, or we sell him to someone else but they'll now know our terms. While I'd love to have kept Charly for the run in (especially a run in that we may need a spark of inspiration from somewhere), this deal seems to make too much sense to be ignored. Would I be too greedy though if I said that because of this I want another striker? Charly was playing high up early in the season and our striking options now are AA, Che and Mara.

Cracking signing. And whatever happens in the summer, he can leave this message... Now to get to work Brooks...

Brooks is class, my Bournemouth supporting colleague only the other day said we have "no chance" of signing him. An experienced (but still fairly young), talented player like him could be the difference between promotion and not. I still have reservations about our defence, I would like one more reinforcement but aside from that I think our squad would be as good as we can make it without upsetting the balance.

The Bensons for Reds headline writes itself then.

Hoping the replay is Weds 7th, a game I could actually get to for a change.

Oh god... a replay! Still keeps the unbeaten run going. Maybe the unbeaten run ends at Liverpool? 😁

Woke up after my sleep after night shift and... goal.

Tricky fixture. Obviously a loss is a bad result as we'd be out the competition (duh) but really with automatic promotion in our midst it wouldn't actually be a terrible result long term, it would just end our unbeaten run - rather in the cup than in the league. What we don't want ideally is the draw and a replay. We're good enough to win but it does depend on what side we put out. Tough to guess the line up but you'd think perhaps Lumley, Charles, Holgate, Stephens, Rothwell, Charly and Mara would be involved and hopefully SAA, Dibling and Meghoma would get game time.

Wow. Didn't see that coming. Probably their best player this season and certainly most consistent. Big loss for them even if they get good money. Another midfielder in front of Kami Doyle too. Just saying...

Southampton have only got 1 ball...

Signing the best players from Scotland was definitely a decent tactic for a few years. Bargain and underrated.

If Leicester can be reined in, it's going to be one of the best ends to a Championship season of all time. It will definitely go right to the wire... and our final game could actually be key. Better to be a part of it than not.

Agree to a point, but this is a season we very much need experience to get ourselves back up out of this league. It's not really the season for risks as such, but even then the likes of Edozie (and I suppose early season before we'd finished the signings SAA) has shown there are pathways. However if we don't go up this season I do think there will be chances next season for the likes of Dibling, Meghoma, SAA etc to make their mark as we'd lose a fair few of the current senior side. Either way Doyle's not going to get much game time at Brighton for a while, but if that's where he thinks he's got the best chance of playing, or whether he's going for an early life pay day, so be it. Bring on the next talent.

5 year contract on £45k a week. £12 million odd (pre-tax) before sponsorships and bonuses. That's "never have to work again" money and well done to him for getting it based on a good Championship season with Burnley. And here's me sitting on my 700 odd quid a week like some chump. 😁

I don't think we'd be doomed, we'd still have a now-fit (you'd hope) Stewart leading the line, I'm not totally sure I could see AA or Smallbone going anywhere, and you also have promising youngsters like Meghoma, Dibling and SAA still to come through but we would have to trim the wage bill a lot more and KWP would go, THB and Downes would probably go back to their clubs, Fraser might stay (based on what's he's said recently) but other players like Charly, Sulemana and possibly Bazunu and Bednarek would most likely be sold to raise funds. It would be an interesting rebuild project, only it would be one with talented youngsters and a core of decent senior players. We'd also still be an attractive proposition at this level, and you would hope that we'd use the loan market again with the same excellence we have done this season. Unlike the Burley years when we hit play-offs then drifted down the league/s, I really think we will be fighting for promotion next season (if, of course, we don't go up this season) and I think a lot of that is because of the decent youth recruitment over the last few years. I don't think we'd get torn apart as much as Leicester or Leeds if they didn't go up in the summer. Still, let's hope we go up and none of this matters.

If you think about it, we're averaging a 2 points per game ratio this season (slightly better actually). We got 0 points from 12 in those 4 games - hypothetically a one point per game ratio (or relegation form) would have given us 4 more points and a 2 points per game ratio (which we've hit for the rest of the season) would have given us 8 more points. Even those 4 extra points right now would see us above Ipswich, more clear of Leeds and only 4 points behind Leicester. 8 points more now and we'd be sharing the top spot. Now 4 losses over the course of a 28 game season spread out doesn't seem too bad, Leicester have 4 and Ipswich (surprisingly) only 3 but it does show that we have drawn too many games when we haven't killed teams off. Thankfully, for now at least, it seems like we have more of a killer instinct and are tighter at the back (for the most part) so hopefully going forwards we can keep winning instead of drawing. My last point is that, thinking about it and reading some of the comments, the draw last night probably was the best outcome for us. Can Ipswich keep it up as the season goes on or will their squad struggle as legs tire? All it takes is for an injury/knock to a key player or two (they've already lost Hirst for a month or two). Our depth along with Leicester's and Leeds's is still the reason I think it's 2 from 3 not 2 from 4 but maybe that's just wishful thinking.

Instead of Boing Boing Baggies it’ll be See Saw Saints

So are we hoping for a Leicester win, Ipswich win or draw for the game on Monday? For me I love the idea we could catch Leicester but ultimately I’d rather they won and we consolidated 2nd. Would be huge mentally. Draw not a disaster though and if you offered me the draw and Leeds failing to get the 3 points tomorrow I’d bite your hand off.

My guess as to which players would feature: Bazunu - has improved immensely but still occasionally worry. Would be first choice but I’d want a good experienced back up. Lumley - good in the cup but an unknown quantity. Good enough for the Prem? Maybe need another. 3rd choice. McC - see ya later. KWP - would be first choice Bree - competent back up at best. THB - first choice Bednarek - would do a job as first choice but ideally he’d be back up and we’d bring a new CB in. (Or ABK back!) Stephens - back up at best, 4th choice. Holgate - probably gone but would be decent back up. Manning - back up at best. Larios - we may never know Meghoma - potential. Downes - may not be here but would be pushing for first choice for sure if he stayed. Charles - potential but back up Smallbone - tricky. Back up IMO but could be more. SArmstrong - back up/rotation if he stays Charly - should be good enough but doesn’t seem favoured at this level presently so… Aribo - was crap last year but may be good back up now he’s found his feet. Fraser - I think he stays and is a good back up but pushing for first choice Edozie - pushing for first choice SAA - potential but back up Sulemana - not sure off he’d be here but would be pushing for first choice. Needs end product. AA - not Prem quality but he deserves another shot after this season. Pushing first choice if not there. Che - May not be here but does a job. Back up but pushing. Ross - who? Mara - back up at best A lot of work needed but we’d do better than last season. CB, LB, CM, Winger and striker minimum. I’d also be hugely surprised if we held on to KWP. Promising youngsters like Dibling could help. Long way to go though, I dread to think what our team will look like if we don’t get promoted.

Martin with a quick word in Wood’s ear there…

Fair play to Swansea, they didn’t give up and kept battling.

Sloppy from Charles

I’m still divided on Baz but his saves have won us the 3 points. Awful second half after a great first half.