S-Clarke

Sadly how I see it, we won't go anywhere near the top 2 at any stage this time round, which given we've spent £50m is absolutely nowhere near acceptable. We'll be in contention for the playoffs right until the end I think, but once we come up against the sides we're in there with I think we'll slip away.

With Fraser as RWB we were never going to do that, same with Fellows really. We're playing with wingers at RB at the moment. And Manning, well he's manning. He's incapable of defending as we all know. Could do with a LB and the return of Mads. Remain entirely underwhelmed by Wellington.

'He's fine for the Championship' (tm)

He's had a set back, apparently some way off. Gone for another scan.

His inability to influence games in the second half is a theme, and that substitute where Manning or Wellington became left centre back was like a nod to the Will Still roulette days. Trying to be too clever. He's relied on huge slices of luck in the first half of games, but in the genuinely tight matches he needs to influence he has come up lacking. Millwall, QPR (We won, but just), Norwich, WBA. It's a worrying theme.

Back to back defeats away from home, some really worrying signs and some regression back the 'old days' showing across the entire team, it was like nothing had actually changed. 1st half we started fast, as we do, but we didn't get that slice of luck/score the pen and put the game to bed, and we clearly need to score 3 or more goals to win a game with our GK and Defenders, but that's not realistic to achieve every week. Second half was utter abject, honestly. Defensively, especially from Wood, who was an absolute mess. He really isn't much cop, let's be honest. Leo providing the only real drive through the attacking third, everyone else simply not on it. The regression in quality when we play Fraser is so glaring, you kind of feel sorry for him. The subs and how he switched it was a bit wtf - I didn't understand what he was trying to do. Wellington and Manning both over on the left side, why? The lack of ability to influence a game when required is continuing to haunt Tonda it has to be said. Ultimately the blueprint to beat us remains the same - press us high, hit the ball long. Ultimately I think we've benefited from some abject Charlton/Wednesday/Leicester sides not pressing or hitting it long. The fear we just hit a purple patch continues in my mind.

The accom and flights will be crazy for a lot of those games, they'll ramp up around those dates. New York prices are already stupidly high in the summer, so add another premium to them. I reckon if you wanted to go to say New York, grab a couple of games whilst you're there for 5-7 days...you'd be out of pocket for around 6-10k, easily. I guess people could use it as a holiday of a lifetime with football bolted on, but yeah - you need to have stupid money.

Che Adams is back??? thanks for the rundown. Sounds like Fellows is touch and go rather than 100% out, which is a positive.

I'm not a huge stats follower myself, but they're useful to backup what you see with your own eyes - I think that's all everyone is doing in the case of Bazunu.

But, but, but...look at that pass accuracy. I'm sure that's the only stat everyone looks at.

Where does Alex McCarthy sit? It's not like we have Alison on our books being kept out. We have a very poor selection of goalkeepers, and comparing one with the other is pretty irrelevant really.

We have definitely had our slice of luck in the last run of games, but....you make your own luck in many ways, we're racing into leads/scoring goals through our own play at the moment. Two of the goals we scored against WBA were just simply good football, nothing lucky about them. I don't think we've had too many pens either, just the one I can think of. So that's a big positive I can take, we're scoring goals through good football in the main - not through it hitting the arse of players/bobbling over the line etc.

He was down at the arse end in the Belgium league too, when he was there for a tiny period. I know some people hate stats and don't think they actually mean anything, but you can still ignore the stats and look at what's in front of you - and that tells me more than stats, the stats just back it up!

Positive, especially given their other forward is a doubt too. We always struggle against Sargent, well we do against any tall/physical CF. I'm not sure who else they have? I'm sure their Danish CF is injured too. These games do make me nervous though, on paper they are depleted, 23rd in the league pretty poor. We did an easy job against them in the league cup, but this is a different context.

I guess we'll see what happens with Jelert first. A strange loan really, looked like he came with pedigree and has actually looked capable when played - but that's what, 1 or 2 games? I imagine he'll go, as well as Bree, so we'll have a full back slot to fill.

Absolutely, Kelvin Davis was what you'd describe as fine and decent for the Championship. He won us games, that Leeds away game won't ever be forgotten...! Bazunu isn't capable of pulling that out, we all know it. It's false hope to think otherwise. I just wish the club would cut their losses, 4 years is enough.

I think Leo drifted out of the game in the 2nd half early doors to be honest, he wasn't as influential as he's been in recent games. He looked a bit leggy. The biggest problem we have at the moment, IMO, is a lack of a proper Right Back. We've lost both Jelert and Mads at the same time which is mega unlucky, so we don't really have alternatives when Fellows needs to be subbed. That's an issue for us at the moment, I hope Mads is back soon to give us an option there. With Charles as an option we'll have stronger midfield depth too. Downes as really good yesterday, Jander dipped quite a bit - so having a Charles rather than two out of condition players come on would have been better. We're not far from having solid sub options, just unlucky with injuries at the moment.

The way 'decent' is thrown around with Bazunu in the context absolutely bamboozles me. 'He's decent for the champ' 'He's fine for the champ'. It's horrible complacency, because neither are true and never have been.

He struggled massively to integrate these guys, he was flapping around so much at the end to find a formula - none of which made sense, as Azaz and Leo were on the bench. I kinda felt sorry for him, I didn't expect him to be as out of the depth as he was, but seemingly he was.

I don't think people are saying he was the direct problem yesterday as such, but he does create problems for us. Luckily it didn't actually harm us yesterday. But we won't keep getting lucky with quick fire 3 goals in the first halves. I'd want my goalkeeper to compete for that 2nd goal, every single time. It was awful, so, so bad from a professional goalkeeper. We don't often talk about his lack of presence as being a flaw, it's usually his shot stopping, but the lack of presence is certainly up there too.

Goalie is up there for sure, most people can see it. McCarthy is OOC in the summer and George Long leaves - Ramsdale will come back for a week and then go again, so if we've upped our game (as shown with Leo, Jander etc) then we need to start scoping for a new GK, and I'd like to see one in January. Realistically we won't though. I expect Bazunu to sign a new contract shortly, and in the summer we'll spend the time signing 2nd and 3rd choice goalies again.

Exactly, his first goal yesterday was really tidy - a little dink finish. The 2nd one was really well directed too, like an arrow. Good movement to boot. He's a confidence player, but he also does thrive on space. That's less forgiving in the PL and it's harder for him to stand out, so his confidence takes a battering up there - and he loses his instinctiveness, which is there when he's confident.

I'm with you on Quarshie, he scares the living daylights out of me. He's like a rabbit in headlights out there when put under any form of pressure. Sometimes you can spot a good player - like Fellows, Azaz, Jander, Leo (irrespective of age), but this guy looks like a bit of a dud.

He's looked well off it so far, will probably take him a month or two - if he ever does get there. He's never going to be the player we had in the PL, miles off it nowadays.

I think the players need to take their share here - they were 3-0 up, they shouldn't need a manager babysitting them on the touchline. They pissed the game through their passiveness. I sensed it from around 55 mins - the subs were too late, but then we don't have RB's at the moment which makes it tricky. Fraser at RWB when we were against it was a poor move - should have been Edwards really. I hope he gets some experience around him, because the Championship is not forgiving. Some moments require experience and having seen it before.