S-Clarke

That's it in a nutshell really, when you have a 'proper football team', you can have off days and still get something (as we did against WBA). We had a few off days under Adkins at this level, Leeds away one of those - we were awful, but we were a team with those two key attributes you mention - and we got the points because of that. It was never rocket science and it never required us to sell everyone really, just stop with the square pegs and play players in their right places. I'm not saying Armstrong is a bad player, but we were often tempted to play him as the 9 because of our options in the wide areas - but it never worked. It felt a bit forced with Armstrong around, but it's more of a natural attack now.

Well deserved, pleased for him. Let's hope this isn't the peak!

100%, with those sorts of players you have to take the rough with the smooth. They're naturally fairly inconsistent in game and over a season, but have enough moments over that season to be worth their place - isn't he our top scorer? I think he's got 7 or 8. Not bad numbers for an AMC, about right - the issue with our numbers is we've not had a proper number 9 to hit those double figures ahead of him. He somewhat reminds me of a 'Tadic'Lite' in terms of how he's seen by the fans, ''lazy, not doing anything, lumbering around''. I just don't think some fans have the right expectations for these sorts of players.

My fear is that we'll not be able to trigger the Peretz deal early on, due to Ramsdales likely 'temporary' return - the club will very likely need to shift Ramsdale before we can sign another number 1 goalie. Newcastle not taking up their option complicates things a bit for us, if it drags on I'd say Peretz has probably flagged up on enough scouts radars to have a few interested parties if we dawdle around. Hopefully we have a plan..

I think the biggest takeaway from last night is how important a capable goalkeeper actually is. It gives you an opportunity to still scrap a point or 3 in games you have no right to do so, we didn't have that before - but Peretz was the biggest positive for me. It was an absolute smash and grab point, it was horrible viewing. Nothing went right, our passing was all over the place, some of the free kicks were wtf. There was no real pace or energy in the game and it was horrible to watch - but these games happen, it's just how football and form goes sometimes. I do worry about Downes and Charles in CM. I don't like them as a pair and I don't think it's ever worked right from the off. Jander has been off form in recent weeks, but he's certainly more progressive and less passive in his game. Charles wants a lot of time on the ball, if he has time he's a good footballer for sure - but when you've got Downes and Charles in CM I think the game has a tendency to pass them by if the opposition are pressing harder. A point from that is remarkable though, so take that, get the fuck out of west brom and take it to Coventry. Totally different test and we'll see how we fare against a side, if we're totally honest, shouldn't be as far ahead of us as they are based on our starting positions (squads/transfers/finances).

I don't think the end goal is really clear, all that's happened so far is massive destabilisation across the entire middle east, which will ripple world wide into our own pockets. We'll see the costs, it's the 'war machine' at the end of the day. I think you can get rid of all the leaders you want and I don't think anyone disagrees with the idea of trying to topple this regime, but you'll always have radical people left behind in huge numbers who end up dictating the next course of action. Trumps idea that 1) the Iranians will topple the rest from inside and 2) he will choose who is next in charge feels a bit far fetched to say the least. Iran isn't Venezuela. It's an enormous country, in an already volatile region with splinter groups spilling all over the middle east. I honestly have no idea how this is going to end.

They will likely stay up, but it's fun to watch them sweat a bit. Liverpool away next, who haven't been great...but I can't see them getting anything there. The Forest game in a few weeks is massive. I personally think it'll be Forest who go down in the end of it all, it's nice to see a close battle for a change though rather than it being tied up by November. Nuno will have the last laugh at the end.

Yep, credit where it's due. I'm still not totally on the Downes side given how he kicked up last year and the way he downed tools in previous games, but he seems happier in the setup we've got right now.

I don't think he did, no. It was a slow burn to get there, not going to lie. I think looking back some elements were forced with the injuries to Jelert, Mads, Wellington, Bree not here etc - so we had screwed full back positions for some time, which didn't help. He did have Jelert available for a few weeks though though and we still persisted with Fellows at RWB, which confused me. But maybe there is something we're missing with Jelert. What we were doing previously was square pegs/round holes, but it all feels and looks more balanced now - and all it took was a bit of common sense. Honestly sometimes it's as simple as playing the best players in their best positions. We're not perfect, don't get me wrong, and if we get done tomorrow then all chips on the table....! But I'm more comfortable when I look at a balanced team, rather than seeing players forced into roles not suited to them.

I mean...this is like an FA Cup game against a lower league team. I feel sad for Wednesday, because their team is barely L1 in quality at this stage - so in that respect, this should be a no brainer for us. They always put up a fight though, that's what's struck me all season. They don't have any real ability or depth at all, but they always give all that they have - so it won't be an absolute walk in the park, but we just need to do our game and things will happen.

I think he's made a huge difference to the camaraderie in and around the defence in this team, he's a presence, a character and he's mad. It's what you need as a goalie. Bazunu on the other had was meek and weak as piss, so as well as not being able to make saves, he never ever commanded his area or provided any form of presence in that sense.

Slightly different from 2024 I think, we were pretty much always far away from everyone else - it was always the 'Top 4', we were never battling for the playoffs in 2024. That was pretty much always a given. I think we're primed to be one of the teams who come from 'bottom half' to playoffs, probably the most primed and capable of teams to do it in recent seasons - outside of Forest a few years ago maybe. The big positive for me in the last few match days is that we've swatted away the teams above us, rather than being 4 or 5 points off but in 12th with loads of traffic in between....we're now 4 points off and in 7th, so we've really strengthened our hand here. I don't think we'll be able to maintain what we've done in recent weeks all the time, there will be dips - so it's not going to be easy, because we're chasing rather than protecting a cushion, but there's something there to catch.

Yeah the use of him at the start of the season was very odd, I think a lot of it was due to our squad size as well. We carried too big a team after that summer transfer window, and only now are we seeing the likes of Edozie, Matsuki step back out into the fold. He's not the quickest, nor the strongest - i think he gets knocked off it a bit...but he's tenacious, and that's what I love about him. He's always pressing, full of energy, he's your perfect press trigger in that sense. He's got good quality with the ball at his feet though, as shown by his second goal. I think playing him off the right is an interesting use of him, because he's not getting lost in the middle with his lack of physicality and he can get more space. I think naturally he's more central/10 type, but he's doing well.

I want him to do well, and he has done well up to this point - but we do have one of the best teams in this league, so we had to have an uptick given our quality. However, once we've moved away from this fixed 3 at the back, shoehorning Wood and Armstrong in at 9, we've looked more comfortable. I never thought we had the CB's who are happy in a 3, they all seem much more comfortable in a pair. THB - Bednarek, THB - Stephens etc. There are a few things that have shifted since that miserable Christmas - - The Bazunu experiment being ended - The return of Bree, so we didn't have to force a winger to play in a 5. - The introduction of a 4 at the back as we had Bree to operate as a proper RB again. I think we were somewhat unlucky with Mads and Jelert having injuries pretty much all season, so our RB slot was never perfect and I think we tried too much to fill that gap, thus changing the entire team structure to fit around Fellows. I feel there is more balance now, we play with proper 9's, we play with proper full backs and we have a pair of CB's in position to build a partnership. It's the most consistent 11 we've had all season to the point where we can actually name it most weeks, that's a huge shift from earlier days. Credit needs to be given to Tonda who has been involved with 1) identifying the issues, and 2) suggesting and implementing the solutions which make sense. There will be further bumps in the road, he is still very inexperienced in many aspects, but it looks like he has the backing of the group and they're all grown up and big enough to know what's right or wrong on the pitch. We just needed someone who didn't overcomplicate the plans they're asked to follow.

I thought we took a bit of time to get going last night, the early goal was a big positive as it felt like we were going to struggle our way through - we somewhat did after we scored, we lost composure and control for some reason. I guess QPR rallied, but we didn't grab that first half how we should have after the 1st goal. 2nd half was a different picture, the two goals either side changed everything though. QPR knew the game was done on 48 mins, and from that point on it was as easy as it'll ever be at this level. What I did enjoy for the first 60 mins or so was Larin, because he provided a genuine attack pivot point and others played around him - similar to how Stewart operates when he comes in. As we all said throughout the summer, we needed a proper number 9 and not an Archer/Armstrong trying to do it. But to put it into perspective, QPR's goalkeeper was dreadfully bad. I'd say 3 of those goals, at least, were thrown in by him. We took our chances though and cleared up their errors, but there will be much tougher tests to come that's for sure.

The Edozie sub improved us I felt, but Jander has struggled since the turn of the year for me. Needs some time out of the side. Where was Romeu out of interest? I thought that run out against Leicester would have been enough to at least get him on the bench, but no sign.

I felt it was just one of those days, I think we've seen a hell of a lot worse this season. In the first half I think we should have had at least 1 goal, they made a great block on the line from Leo as that was in otherwise. (think that was the first 5mins). I didn't think we stretched them enough though, certainly second half. We could have used Fellows and Leo more to stretch it, but they were coming inside into any area already crowded. It was your typical Nathan Jones backs to the wall low block, nothing spectacular about it - but those games need players willing to break the lines and get in behind, that's how you beat those. So the main criticism is our lack of width at times and our habit to come inside all the time, the subs didn't change that as Matsuki is naturally as central. Edozie was the only player doing a true 'wide' performance in that game, and it did make a difference. We were never going to win 3 games in a week, the results around us could have been worse - but if we're honest, the playoffs have always been a longshot. We look like your typical 10th/11th placed team to me.

Yep, King Power almost went bust on the back of the pandemic - as their business in duty free was null and void for months. I think the Thai Government saved it, but in exchange a big % of their profits have to go back to the airport authority for rent space, as well as the Thai Government - so the King Power brand is not what it was, their profits are down 75% and the club is a big casualty of that. Quite a few of the players on their books don't have a relegation clause in their deals if they did go down to L1, so they'd automatically be in breach of the L1 rules and have further deductions. King Power going into trouble hasn't helped them in any way, but they've been horrendously mismanaged in light of that.

I heard about this last year, it was a pointless suggestion then. So count me not surprised that they've pushed ahead with this pointless suggestion. I'd imagine this format has been heavily pushed by the American owned clubs.

Their owner is batshit, so it's no surprise. They'll be another Watford before long. If they reacted based on them not winning last night then they're bonkers, as Forest absolutely trounced Wolves - thrashed them off the park, they just couldn't finish for toffee. Not sure how that's the managers fault per-say. I think it'll be one of WHU or Forest. I hope it's not Leeds though, as having two promoted teams go back down again would be a bit of a kick.

I've looked at it a few times, I thought it was intentional. Maybe I'm giving him the benefit of doubt! Either way, it's an assist!

He's always looked better in a 4, so has THB. There was a moment yesterday though where they both forgot to head the ball, but other than that they seem more at home as a pair. 3 CB's didn't work for multiple reasons and I think the wrong profile of player was a key reason in that. Not saying we can't do it from time to time, but that can't be our go-to approach with these players.

Certainly one of the most memorable games and results in my lifetime, I'll never forget this one. Everything about it was great, but to win it with the last kick of the game just makes it even more special. There wasn't even time for us to panic about holding on!

It certainly made a difference to have two 'big' men on the pitch at the same time, I think Leicester's defence was already at 6's and 7's, and it just pulled them all over the place. Larin had a shot just before our 2nd or 3rd goal as well, so he was causing a nuisance. And Stewarts movement in and around was also causing a problem, his assist for the winner shouldn't be understated. Cute touch and an awareness of what is around him.

Pressure is an interesting point, last night by all accounts was a team playing without any real pressure. 3-0 down at HT, nothing position in the league - nothing to lose, just go all out and give it a shot and see what happens. We'll certainly encounter some 'pressure' if we do remain in the conversation over the next few weeks, and I'm still not 100% convinced we have the players or the coaching setup who have the experience to handle the pressure - but last night at least showed they have some character and fire in their bellies.