S-Clarke

Exactly, I've not seen any difference in how we give up space, chances and how panicky we are at the back. Fundamentally I think we have a poor spine and that will always hinder us until we change that up. Eckert has simply had what Will Still never had on his side - luck.

But even that argument was flawed, because they didn't need to be a world beater and nor did we need to spend a million dollars to bring in anyone remotely better than Bazunu. Mat Ryan for example was a freebie. 1 year contract, option for a 2nd once the Ramsdale situation is finalised next year. Job done.

The club missed the opportunity in the summer to replace. Bazunu had returned to the club after his loan and a long lay off, not necessarily at that time seen as number 1. McCarthy was getting on, Lumley had left and Ramsdale was off. So rather than bring in some genuine competition and make a case for it, we added George Long as a pointless novelty squad addition. We didn't need a 3rd choice keeper, we needed a 1st choice who'd demote Bazunu to 2nd choice. It was really that simple, yet a lot on here lapped up the George Long addition in the summer saying it was sensible and that Bazunu was 'fine for the championship'. He really isn't and we're now in an almightily mess with 3 utterly horrendous goalkeepers.

I'm not getting carried away whatsoever by these two wins. QPR away was a disgusting performance by the way, we won...but fuck me, we were utterly non-league standard during the majority of that game. Today was better, but you have to look at it in the context - the oppo were horrendous. We had it on a plate really, we'd have had to have been totally out of our minds not to have won today. We didn't make it straight forward though, as I said I thought we gave them way too much of a sniff given their limitations - and a better side would have almost certainly picked us off. There are still lots and lots of problems and these two results don't cover those up for me, nor does Eckert.

He makes me sad. 4 years of having to deal with this utter heap of shit, and he's still throwing them in. He has never, not once, shown any remote sign of learning or improvement. He is not a goalkeeper. At this stage I'm just bored of it all.

I can't see it being Rodgers, we're not at the level for that kind of manager anymore. He'll hold out for a bit more and take a Prem job when Leeds or Fulham inevitably ditch theirs. I'm glad the O'Neil chatter has somewhat died down, he seems to be whoring himself about again on Sky this afternoon doing analysis - so probably safe to say that's not happening. Someone like Viera would be a solid shout, but I can't see us doing anything remotely sensible. We all know it can't be Eckert, someone none of us even knew in August, but sadly I think we also know it almost certainly will be.

It was OK, and two wins in a week cannot be sniffed at after what we've had to endure - but it wasn't amazing or breath-taking by any means. Today was better than midweek as Wednesday, for all their effort and fight, are one of the worst Champ sides in many years, maybe ever - yet I still felt they caused us problems, which is a massive course for concern. Whenever they attacked with any form of purpose they could have nicked one - luckily they had no quality to take advantage. A better side would have done us today. I liked Tom Fellows performance because he was able to push up today, and when he attacks he's a threat. That's why he was one of the better wide players in this league. He's a wide player, not a wing back. Against better sides it would be a travesty to have him held back defending. Bazunu is a boring argument really, we all know he's not a goalkeeper and today proved once again that he should simply retire. I'm just bored of it at this point, apathetic maybe. The next week or so is huge, as we need to use the tiny bit of momentum we've garnered to make the next appointment count. Let Ekert head back to the U21's and continue to grow with them, and maybe when we're less of a basket case he could be an interesting candidate to take over - but not now, absolutely not now. We need some knowhow on that touchline.

At this point you have to form the conclusion that '3 at the back' and Bazunu in goal is club directed. That's why any seriously competent/experienced manager is never appointed here, as he'd call it out for what it is. Still had a go at it, and he's now not in a job. Go figure.

This is the leak stage, gauge the reaction from the fanbase at tomorrow's home game, feel the un-rest and fan push back - but then appoint him anyway.

Well exactly, that's a genuine question and it's why any 'rope' Dragan has is really losing length. He can bring in another advisor if he wants.

I'd say he's messed up more than the Jones appointment. I look at his horror transfer window of January 2023, he was confirmed as having full responsibility over that window as Joe Shields had left. He left us with Oric, Onuachu and Sullemana - and an outlay of almost £50m on 3 players who contributed zilch. He has a lot to answer for beyond the Jones appointment.

Don't forget Orsic and Gronebak

And Bazunu in goal. The script is pretty well written at this point I'd suggest, and it's not a nice one.

I thought it was a rubbish goal to let in, weak and dumb by Bazunu. But no one is slating his entire career on just that single misstep. This is his game, look at all the goals he's conceded over the last 3/4 years and it will make your eyes bleed. There is no credible reason for him to be a GK.

I don't see really buy this one. All I see in goal is someone who used to be an outfield player and has bene shoehorned into a position he's not truly suited for. He's not tall enough, powerful or strong enough. That wont change with ages, this is how he will always be. Calamity James got that name because he often had slips of concentration, a lack of experience in certain areas, dropping easy claims etc - his rep was more down to a lack of experience as opposed to fundamental physical flaws. Bazunu has fundamental physical flaws and he really shouldn't be a goalkeeper. I don't know why we keep persisting with someone who sits at the bottom of the pile no matter what league we are in. McCarthy is pretty pants these days, but he's still someone I feel much safer with in goal. The most memorable things he's done for us is a goal at PNE, and an assist header against Real Madrid in the U21's - that probably says it all.

There wasn't anything fundamentally wrong with Juric as a manger, he has more credentials than any we had before him. He's a strong defensive manager and has proven that again at Atalanta this season as they've only conceded 8 goals so far - lots of draws, but they hardly let any in. The idea for a guy like him made sense, but the club wholly misunderstood the level of player we had - as we've seen this season as well, we don't have good defenders - so Juric was always on a hiding to nothing, given that his approach is built around solidity, structure and pace on the break. He was probably the only manager who got a song out of Sullemana.

It wouldn't ever be a 3 year deal, we'd do something like a contract until the end of the season. But either way it would be bonkers.

Alfie said on the TSP last night that he's still actively involved, he's Dragan's main advisor on all football matters across all clubs and is involved in all major decisions across the group. He's a CEO for SR and still a CEO on our board. He was at QPR on Wednesday and will be at St Mary's on Saturday.

Gary O'Neil is not someone we should be pursuing let's be honest, it would be a similar context to when Cooper went to Leicester. The fans never took to Cooper, and the first sign of any chink or a couple of bad results it turned toxic almost immediately. The same would happen here. He'd have no grace. We'd be looking for another new manager in February. SR need to read the room here - not former skates, and no kid managers.

Oh that's really sad, he was a good poster on here. Always happy to have good debates and never turned it to bickering. RIP

The electric car per-mile tax is imminent.....

Yeah that was the appeal for a lot, you could customise the feel and make it really immersive with skins, the legitimate club backgrounds when you switched between clubs, or player backgrounds etc. It just made everything feel a little more real. But they've traded all of that out for a more 'real' match engine, which if we're truly honest isn't the great leap I thought it would be. They've made it look like a 'kids game' that's device agnostic, rather than a pure immersive experience for PC as it was before.

Another thing I've noticed is the skins - on the old versions, you could download a load of skins, dump them into a folder and then use a drop down in FM to pick the one you fancy at any time. Now you can only ever have one skin in the folder at any one time, no way to change it in game. The whole UI has been a massive regression and it's not even funny.

Ever since we sold him we've lacked his type, his absence is one of the main reasons we got relegated and have continued to struggle. This was one of the first major, major SR errors - selling him and assuming Lavia and AMN would replace him. Not just in terms of ability, but also his off the pitch influence and the standards he instilled. We went from Romeu to AMN, just think about that for a second! He is absolutely not the player he was back in 2020, it would be foolish to expect that, but you will tell and sense his influence around the place fairly rapidly I think. He doesn't get spoken about as highly as he does at all former clubs for no reason. He's a standard setter in a squad solely lacking any character.

If that was against, I don't know, Man City or Chelsea yep I'd buy that. But that was against a fucking horrific QPR side. That final 15 mins, as well as the first 45, was as bad as I've seen. They didn't show any spirit, they shrunk into their shells for the final 15 mins and panic panic like shit. They got over the line through luck and a Leo worldie, not because of any fricking spirit. Bazunu was lucky he didn't kill us the game. That 'save' he made is irrelevant because of the goals he lets in. He dropped one to almost make it 2-2, and then dallied on the ball and gave away a stupid final corner. That last 15min collapse was borne from Bazunu doing Bazunu things, and it's why he should not be playing.