S-Clarke

It's probably a bit of a stretch, but we have gone to the shit since he's been back on the scene.

I'm not really sure what Sulemana is all about if I'm honest. On reputation alone, price tag, wage etc he should be destroying this league. Yet he's never really done anything. Yeah, he's been injured a little bit (another negative with him), but when he does play he doesn't do anything other than run into blind allies. I'd take the cash in the summer and move him on, accept the loss and another shit bit of scouting. (That January window is now on bar with the Carillo one - 4 players signed, two out on loan, one given away for free in the summer and the one left behind has been pants.)

This isn't a place for rational thought, you should know that!

I thought Mara had started to improve in recent weeks, but by christ tonight he was as bad as I've ever seen a CF play for us. And I remember watching Jordan Robertson!

We were forced to actually try a 'Plan B' a few times in the first half particularly, just to get out of our half. A few long balls from Bazunu and our CB's, sadly we only had Mara up there who'd struggle to trap a bag of cement tonight.

I didn't think we were very good in the second half, we improved - it would have been hard not to, but it still wasn't very good. Left it too late to have any real go at them.

I don't think it's anything particularly new, I mentioned it int he match thread. Teams with pace on the break can do us quite easily, as long as they press right and get the transitions spot on. Huddersfield did it against us, so did Bristol City. Back at the start of the season Sunderland and Leicester did us like that as well. We play an expansive game, so we do push up high. Against dross like Swansea, Blackburn, Rotherham etc you can get away with it to a point as they don't have the pace or guile to counter it. When you play that same way against teams who can field players like Mvadidi, Fatawu, Clarke, Philogene, Carvalho etc then we will always concede goals sadly.

I think Hull borrowed the video from their Yorkshire mates in Huddersfield, they did exactly the same. Difference is that Hull are better quality so didn't afford us the gaps that Huddersfield did, but the approach was pretty much identical. Close the passing lanes, press hard and transition at pace. There are goals for teams against us if they do that, guaranteed.

If it's the playoffs, I hope that we know that a good few weeks before the season ends. Ending up in the playoffs after a gut wrenching defeat at Elland Rd on the last day isn't my desired outcome. We'd never recover from that.

Yeah the team wasn't right. We played that weak as piss midfield in Bristol and it ended just as I'd have expected it to, to try it again against better opposition is nuts. Our recruitment has been ok this season, but we have left a glaring gap in that number 6 role. We simply have no one to do Downes role and that is going to bite us in the arse imo. Had a feeling since the start of the season about our lack of a proper DM cover.

Too many bad nights at the moment. Our run up to Bristol City was so good, cannot take that away from us - but even slightly before that the chinks started to show. Giving head starts to poor sides Huddersfield is bad enough, but to do it against slightly better opposition in the forthcoming games is quite simply a bit of a disaster. I think it's quite clear what our kryptonite is - high pressing teams who close the gaps, and transition at speed with pace down the flanks. Leicester had that, did us 4-1. Sunderland had that, did us 5-0. Hull had that, they've done us. Huddersfield had that, they had a good go as well (but they were of a lesser quality so still allowed us chances). It's a little concerning it has to be said. That first half was simply not good enough, too slow, too passive, weak as fucking piss in the middle (as expected), and it was a doddle for Hull really. I'd have had no complaints if we'd walked in 4 or 5-0 down, it was that bad. 2nd half was marginally better, but you're not going to recover from a start like that against decent sides. It was game over as soon as the 2nd went in. Lots of huff and puff in the second half, I thought Aribo did well when he came on and Adams did give us a focal point (less said about Mara the better). We really cannot afford this to transition into a horrible inconsistent run, we've already had our bad run this season in September - we cannot afford another one, simple as that - the standard is too high this year.

Yep, I think we must have - and so did everyone else by the sounds of it.

Depends on Bournemouth's situation I guess. They were signing from the rooftops a few weeks ago proclaiming they were the PL's next best thing, but they're only 4 or 5 points above the bottom 3. If they do stay up then you'd imagine he'll be back there and playing.

No he wasn't, don't be so daft.

He's been good for them, it was only a few weeks ago some WHU fans were calling for him to be their captain. I think most WHU fans think he's been a good buy for them and they like him, there are just a few trying to get clicks by saying something controversial. There are many worse players in their team.

Yeah, Burnley's summer window was bonkers. Never made any sense. Him and Tella would be shoe-ins in their team this year. Sheffield United's window wasn't much better mind, probably the worst ever by a promoted side.

Pretty horrendous game though, there are better footballing teams in L1.

Been in the works for months, not one for conspiracy theories and all that, but Roy's hospital visit did avoid him the sack - so he could be seen to leave on his own terms.

It's an obligation to purchase on promotion, either automatic or playoff winners. Very good bit of business to do at the time! I think it's more around £20m though. I think it was written into the article on the OS when we signed him.

We were strongly linked a few years back - Sasa Kalajdzic. Wolves sent him out on loan to get some game time in Jan whilst he got up to fitness after his ACL, and he's just done his ACL again - third time now. This time it's a multiple rupture of the ACL and lateral. He needs to retire now for the good of his life after football. I guess we dodged a bullet, but you have to feel for him as he's just lost his career.

As per most Premier League fans, WHU fans are a bunch of entitled pricks. Same as the Palace lot. Not entirely sure what they expect from their club. They're not in a relegation battle, and are in and around the Europe spots after winning a European trophy last year. They've lost a few on the bounce, as every team in the PL is at risk of doing. They need to wind their necks in, they're not as 'big' as they like to believe - a pretty middling also-ran PL club, same as everyone else out side of the top 6. Take what success you can get, but if you think the grass is greener as you want 'more' then there are lots of examples to suggest that they're totally misguided.

Sadly often the case if a team is pipped to the auto's at the death, the phycological impact that has is enormous and it's very hard to pick yourself up again. That's why you so often see a late charger into the playoffs actually pip everyone else. I remember the National League last season, both Wrexham and Notts County on 100+ points. Notts County ended up in the playoffs, 30 or so points better off than their opponent and almost...almost ended up failing. They got up on pens in the end, which are a lottery anyway. Got to put all hope into us getting that 2nd spot, as it's our best chance now.

Sounds like Beale has been dumped by Sunderland, no surprise really as it had turned toxic. He did the Jones on them and alienated the fan base with his shocking comments and actions. Also Mowbray is stepping away from management until the end of the season for 'medical treatment' - so Birmingham will be managerless too.

Won't play this season, they're targeting pre-season to build him up and see where he is. I don't even think he'll be ready for the start of next season.

This is not the game you rest your best players, and Stu and AA are certainly two of those this season. Millwall maybe, but not Hull. We need our best first 11 available and playing tomorrow.