Dangermouth

I expect them to be a better version of Feyenoord.

They have a very good manager. I think they'll do a Wolves.

Grammar.

I know he won't be here much longer, but any chance you could type Clasie, rather than Classie? Ta. You're normally accurate, so take it you have a blind spot over the word. As to the fat player; how much overweight was he? Slattery was never carrying any weight and he is only 18 or 19 still, isn't he?

The fella from Leeds is too mediocre. Better than Stephens, but wasn't he talking to Fulham (someone here said they heard him talking about it in a pub near them) or Leeds?

Pretty much everything. He just won't score like that in the better league unless he catches the keepers out because they think he'll hit it cleanly. Having watched him I think he's regressed since he started at Sheff Utd where I thought he was going to be very good.

So play offs it is then.

I agree with derry: there were times when a quick pass would have got Sims away and he can motor. Another thing we need is to get the weight of pass right and not try little dinks that Cort could swallow up all day. It did seem that for a while in the first half as we used Sims they double and trebled-up on him quickly so he couldn't get away from them.

No, the Americans did.

You all know Mason was born in Portsmouth (so that explains everything), don't you?

Oh please. It's plain what he's saying. Are you being deliberate in that assertion or should I now just put you in the 'Heisenberg' category? I'm not even going to discuss that comment further.

I am lost. Most who post on here are like you, as you say. Some e.g. (to quote from the above) are non-committal or perhaps somewhat critical. Which makes sense if, as some have said he either didn't work hard enough, couldn't work hard enough because his level of fitness isn't high enough if that is the case, and didn't do a great deal e.g. there was nothing in his play to indicate that he was in any way anything other than quite ordinary. Criticism is a good thing. I understand, as do many, that he has been considered a very good prospect for a long time. That he hasn't really played much and that Burnely is a good test of what is required. From what I've seen of him I've been unimpressed and I've watched what I can of all of the under 18s and 23s/21s over the last few years because it's interesting to see who's coming through and what you see of them. That's why I rate O' Connor and Barnes (although post injury he seems possibly a little off it; at one time he looked like he could be a player) and Gallagher and don't rate e.g. Obafemi as much. Finally, I do presume you don't mind being English rather than e.g. the good old 'happy clapper' American, do you? Your post seemed to indicate that.

Lewis - 21 - No idea really - *Yes, I've copied the post and edited it. Valery - 19 - Unsure. Wasn't too keen on him at U23 level but he's done ok when he's moved up. Ramsey - 18 - Seen a little of him on the telly. Brought a ball under control nicely but can't say. Jones - 21 - No idea, think I've seen him once in a pre-season game. CB is a difficult position to come into as a youngster. Slattery - 19 - Wasn't impressed at the lower level, not impressed here. He just hasn't played or done enough and been steady. Hesketh - 22 - Wasn't impressed previously because he didn't have the physique. He did well at Burton. I don't know if he's quite got the engine RH wants but I think a lot more of him now than I used to. Easily good enough to play at the level below ours and has youth on his side. Sims - 21 - Nice feet, good football brain, needs to play and see how he gets on over the next 18 months - 2 years. Johnson - 20 - Too early to say. Barnes - 22 - Before his injury a couple of years ago I rated him. He might have gone backwards, but hope he goes forwards again. Gallagher - 23 - **** loads of potential. Play him and keep playing him. Better than that lad from Brum we're meant to be intererested in. Obafemi - 18 - Body shape wrong, positioning wrong, even his goal wasn't hit cleanly. Jury's out. McQueen - 23 - Let's see how he gets on after he recovers from his injury. Reed - 24 - Not sure. Would like to see what RH can do with him. Could be surprisingly good.

It's unbelievable anyone does.

That got misinterpreted by some: RH doesn't say the midfield (and, as some have said, OR) are crap. Liked his answers: as he said MO is very heavily-built but more in the sprinter (as in athletics) mould than someone who is more wiry and can repeat the sprint again and again and again like SL does.

And might still come good (for someone else): https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/i-dont-say-lightly-what-2432704

Subbuteo.

Criticism =/= abuse. He's still inconsistent and hasn't done the business for at least 3 years in a row. Even Salah shouldn't be deemed as exceptional until he can replicate Messi/Ronaldo/someone who's good and keeps on doing it. Redmond is doing ok so far and it's good to see. Let's hope he continues to do so and finishes that book on mythology he started reading some while back.

Nah, he can only play if he turns his back on it. C'mon.

Seen him a couple of times. Lots of potential there. You could also always look on the forums of the other fans: Blackburn and Brum. They seemed to quite like him too but would probably have a good idea of how he might develop. I think we should play him.

I thought that, but then I realised he's probably about 20. Not that I care, but who is he?

Gallagher isn't slow. He isn't a target man, he's a good player in the making. I hope once he's fit and gets a chance we see what he can do.

1/ He's on his own at the back. It's probably right that he's the last man but we didn't seem to have a staggered approach to going forward, we all seemed to lump into the box with no consideration that they were likely to get the ball away. 2/ He has to make sure he gets the ball as he has 5 on 1 or he delays to lower the angle, make the attacker worry that they still have someone in front of them so they have to get past them/pass past them successfully, he has to try to slow the action down a bit so that other defenders can get back e.g. the speedy Bednarek or Vestergaard (so we probably should keep Yoshi back as he could cope, or SL as he's fast and can't score anyway), he needs to try to make it so that from being outnumbered 5:1 (the goalie doesn't count at this stage as he's too far away) he can either make it 5:2 if need be - so the space is compressed and it's viable to have McCarthy in as someone in the phase of play - or a nippy attacker can look to get to the man on the blindside and put them off. Basically as soon as they break and have their numbers on just him he's on the back foot and anything he gets is either his very good play, and some defenders are that good but we don't have them, the poor play of the attacker or lucky. Yes, he was poor in other areas but he's nowhere near the finished article so we have to expect that. Other players e.g. Targett have had a lot more opportunity and we should hope that they are sufficiently blooded and capable to be able to improve to the requisite standard. Either way, let's forget it and see how he and we do over the rest of the season. I think RH is the best manager we've had since administration so we're covered on that front. We might need a few more of the old guard in terms of the backroom staff to move in the summer though.

I'd like to see Barnes added to the 25 in January to see what he can do. Before his injury a couple of years ago I thought he was potentially very good.

That's unfair. I've argued with the grapefruit a lot but to be fair to him he has said he has had enough of Hughes and has been pretty critical of him and the club recently. I think you've missed a few posts or not read them properly.