S-Clarke

You'd probably be surprised, we'd actually lose a lot on free's. Smallbone, Stewart, McCarthy, Fraser all OOC and Jelert and Long leaving from their loans. We'd have Charles, Armstrong and Manning with just 1 year left and we'd probably have to sell at that point (Charles would certainly have takers). Thankfully, the good news, Stephens and Bazunu would be down to 1 year left on their deals - so that's a positive at least. (we're probably going to offer Bazunu an 8 year contract though, I can see it in my nightmares) But I could see us losing Charles, Downes, THB, Robinson, Edwards etc for fees - but they wouldn't be huge. So factor in those possible sales, with the guys on frees as well....we're basically in a rebuilding situation once again, but with less money.

Christ, I'd forgotten that 3-0 game. That left permanent scars. fricking David Healy.

They have shown they can make good picks, but they're few and far between. It does seem strange how the same scouting network can spot someone like Fernandes and bring him in, but in the same breath approve and sign Brereton-Diaz. Something just doesn't add up, it's like we've got two scouting networks working independently. I get clubs make bad signings, but the drop off from our few good signings to our bad ones is huge - it's not even that they're not 'as good', they're fricking trash.

Not sure learning the ropes is totally fair, more a case of learning the squad and players he has and how he gets the best out of them here. I know people rewind to pre-season saying that's when a manager does this, which is fair in most cases...but we had such a churn post pre-season, so since around Mid-Aug we've kind of had to reset again and he's got another load of new players to adapt. The point I usually start seriously questioning managers is when they start seeing a different game to me, that's when they're waffling and flapping around with their answers (so brave, so proud, front footedness, I've ignored my principles etc etc - all that shit). But Still is still seeing the same game as me and he's calling out what we're seeing, not trying to cover it up or smarm his way out or have on-camera mental breakdowns like previous managers did. I notice people are saying it's a negative that he's so moody and not very positive, but if you step back he's actually mirroring exactly what we're feeling like to. He's as frustrated as the rest of us because he knows what's needed.

I think it was 20 actually, it was abandoned around 70-71mins. The cut off for a 'replay of the remaining' is around 75 mins - I reckon they'll both be forced to replay the 90, but it'll happen next year because they'll spend the next few months arguing. It's basically the equivalent of quitting Football Manager when you don't like a game, and reloading the save previous.

Sadly, what doesn't help him is that his make up is a little moody/lazy, which is part of him I think and how he comes across on the pitch. When those sorts aren't delivering (which he isn't) he looks 10x as worse. My problem with this signing isn't taking punts like this per-say, it's that we keep taking punts on these sorts to be our main men down the spine of the team - and we don't learn. ABK, Bazunu, Mara, Edozie, Larios, even Charles when he came to us first. It's nuts when you don't have the genuine depth in quality in the spine as it is, because it means those young 'lads' have no scope to grow - they literally have to go from day 1, some swim (Tino/Lavia) and some completely sink, which we've seen far more of. For a club which prides it's self on developing, we're doing a fricking shit job of it as we keep throwing these young players out to dry without anything around them. We added 'proven' players at full back, wide areas, 10's etc - but the constant ignorance of the spine is what does it for me, if that isn't right then everything else is pointless.

The problem we have is highlighted in that post - we have poor keepers, full stop. Not one we can fully trust, and choices are made on selections at what they're less bad at. It's a very unhealthy place to be as a club.

I was just being a tiny bit picky tbf, but yeah 99% of that on McCarthy for sure.

I absolutely love it when a striker has a shot at Bazunu, feel so comfortable as his crisp wrists drop it into the bottom corner.

Quarshie is a good shout too, I thought he was good. Maybe he played a tiny part in the goal as he wasn't setup to receive the ball correctly, but that's being ultra picky. I thought he did the basics fairly well and he's got something about him. There's definitely a case to start with two new CB's at the weekend for sure.

I don't think you can moan about his interviews, he's as fucked off with the stupid give aways as the rest of us. He doesn't tell them to pass the ball to the Liverpool player in the penalty box, I'm sure of that - that's on the players in-game non-brain moments (of which there are lots). He sees it as we all see it really, frustration and good moments let down by the same cycle of so many years - self inflicted sabotage in play.

I think I speak for most of the fanbase in that we all feel much, much more comfortable with McCarthy in goal. He's not perfect, of course he's not, and it's a shame we're having to choose between him, Long or Bazunu - but here we are, and for where we are I feel safer with McCarthy.

I like Jelert, I think he gets a league crack now. Jander - I hope he's fit, I thought he was key in that first half. I don't like Downes and Charles together. Armstrong keeps his place on the right, left is up for grabs still - I don't think Leo grabbed it by the scruff today, he was OK but not 100% yet. Fellows could play left side, or even Robinson back into the fold. One of Stephens/THB shouldn't start, any of the CB's put in a case - but probably Wood for me. Obviously the no brainer is McCarthy in for Bazunu, but sadly that 'give away' made the 'club choice' easy again for the weekend, so we know how it'll be.

That's also my feeling, I'm a little bit cynical in that regard! But you see it all too often, players step it up for the big TV games at the big PL ground, and then shirk away in the bog standard away days at Sheffield United or Derby etc. Proof will be in the pudding in the league games, that's where it matters.

I think the choice is this - GK who cannot play with the ball at his feet or GK who cannot use his hands or make saves. I'll take the risk on number 1 tbh.