S-Clarke

You can't just assume every link means that we're after them now. Clubs have plans afoot for the summer as well, dependant on what league we're in. If we fail this season then our midfield will look very threadbare when Downes and Rothwell return, and Armstrong's contract expires - so I'm sure the club are pretty focused on the CM area for the future, that doesn't mean we're getting them now.

Something has been a bit off with him all season to be honest, I thought maybe he was frustrated at seeing the likes of Bragg, SAA, Dibling etc get involvement before him - but then I've just noticed he's been injured, so I'm not sure how he can be miffed at a lack of game time. It's a strange move for him if it's playing time he wants, if we don't quite make it this year you'd see the likes of him, SAA, Dibling etc get much more first team involvement as we'd have to plan around young players. I'm not quite sure he's getting in Brighton's first team for many, many years. (unless they get relegated, which isn't beyond the realms of possible in the next few years)

Reading came from nowhere really, they got 44 points out of 54 from their last 18 games, that is incredible. Their GD went from +8 to +28 in that time as well. That shows how anything is possible, but you just feel Leicester have set too high a bar this year.

I think what we saw last season was the club split into two parts, both in conflict with each other. You had the Crocker/Semmens/Ralph part which were wedded to one way, then you had Rasmus, Henrik, Dragan who wanted to move in another direction. There were definite power struggles last year and it sadly filtered down onto the pitch, as the club were caught between two different directions. You can tell how keen Martin was with the RB project, he'd have never got rid of Ralph imo - that was on SR. Ditto Nathan Jones. But sadly it was fractured at the most important level, which is why you ended up getting the January window we did. The key difference this year is the CEO, Manager and DoF were all employed by the ownership group and are all aligned to the same approach. You can never get success with a club as fractured as we were.

10 min interview shown here -

When he's back, won't it be almost 2 years since he's played proper football? (I'm not counting a 10 min sub app). Not many players, if any, ever return the same after that long out. It's not like he was a word beater before his injury either. We've clearly lost the gamble on this one and failed with another striker signing!

Not sure why you're putting such a downer on what we're doing, talking like we're failing and belittling anyone who may be a tiny bit positive. What we're doing this season is really good - in any other season with what we're doing we're top 2 by a distance, probably top - no dramas. This is a freak season, we have done better than anyone could have imagined back in September but for us not to be sat Top 2 isn't a slight on us at all - we've fought as hard as we could have to get back into the picture. If you want to be picky and look at the 1-1's against Huddersfield and Rotherham then go for it, but every team is going to hit those sorts of results over a season. We just have to keep plugging a long with the same relentlessness. I'm sure there will be a dip, but we need to make sure it's the smallest dip. We're in a good place, I don't care that we're not Top 2 today, tomorrow or next week - doesn't matter. What matters is the momentum in this league and we have shed loads of it, and that momentum will ultimately land us where we want to.

No result was really a bad result tonight. Leicester didn't look great in that 2nd half, and their forums are a hoot right now. You'd think they were battling relegation, some of their fans going on about how they won't get promoted now - over emotional wallies. Points taken away from Ipswich and Leicester though, being 2nd today or tomorrow means fuck all - it's the long game.

I think the quality of the 3 relegated sides has created an unusual gulf season, the gap between us 3 and the playoff chasers is pretty illustrative of that. All 3 of us have been able to keep hold of players who are PL players, as we were all established PL sides with some hefty wages bills/expensive players. Ipswich are the anomaly in all of this, but in most leagues you often get 1 side who do something against the norm. On the other hand the PL for me is as low quality as it has been since I can remember. The three promoted sides look like dead-rubber, if you stuck Luton and Sheffield United in this league this year I don't think they'd be anywhere near us, Leeds and Leicester. I have seen people saying that the bottom 3's struggles in the PL this year shows how the gap is widening, it doesn't really for me - if you come up, sell your best players and don't spend any money then there is only ever going to be one outcome. I'd say Leeds, Leicester and ourselves would give the league much more of a crack. The quality for me is much lower than the media try to make out (Palace, Forest, Brentford, Everton, Bournemouth in and around it). Not much to be scared of up there if you are prepared to compete.

What, the same Sulemana who has also been part of this 21 game unbeaten run? Why must people always look to pick out someone to moan about.

I have no idea how that bloke has made a career out of punditry. A very limited footballer, but as a pundit he's got nothing about him. I have to mute it when he speaks.

Still weird seeing JWP celebrate goals for someone else. Sheffield United's lack of any quality coming to the fore today, they haven't played bad, they just have no ability up front. When you're relying on McBurnie then you know it's game over.

Surprised it took as long as it did, Preston did not deserve anything from that. Horrific side.

Absolutely, I keep looking at that game and it's giving me the shits even now. I really, really don't want anything on that game. If it was at home, maybe, but at Elland Rd needing to win or something would be enough to do me in.

I'm not sure how anyone could be harsh about any player off the back of that 1st half, every single one of our players were head and shoulders above the opposition. Not a single bad performance in that first half from anyone.

It's a weird game in which every outcome would be good for us in some way. But from a table position alone, you have to go with a Leicester win and keep us in 2nd place by merit.

How can you be calling out 'happy clappers' when we have just beaten a club record - going 21 games unbeaten? If, as a fan, you cannot look at our team at the moment with pride and enjoyment then you will never, ever, ever get enjoyment out of football. Time for a new hobby if you are taking a negative slant after today.

Used the ball well once he settled into the game, was one of the main reasons we were so free flowing in that first half. He was pulling them all over and using the ball well. Good player, he's had a couple of good games on the bounce now for me.

People putting the goal on him are stretching really, I think for some fans every single goal we ever concede will be his fault. He has been such an important figure in this run, pivotal in fact - we'd have lost at Preston had he not scored!

Let's worry about it when we're there, so much water to go under the bridge yet. Let's just enjoy the second half of this season rather than worrying about how we compete next year.

I think disaster is pretty strong to be honest, we had moments where they created some openings but we also had chances ourselves. You sometimes have to credit the opposition, it was never going to be the same in the 2nd half - no pro team would be allowed to play like that again. We didn't concede, fairly comfortable in the main. No away game is going to be perfection for 90mins, but it was pretty solid for the baulk of it. The last 20mins maybe a bit ropey, but we were never really in any huge trouble. I think some of our nervousness as fans comes from what we've had to deal with for so many years, but there was no way this team was giving up a 2 goal lead.

What am I missing with this Tony love-in? He was caught breaking rules, served a punishment, yet his return is being treated like some sort of greatest-ever-return. He's not even good enough to be getting the attention everyone is giving him.

That first 45 was ridiculous, but we were aided by Swansea sleep walking around the pitch. The spaces they left and the lack of pressure on the ball made it an absolute doddle for us, there was no challenge and we could just do whatever they hell we wanted with the ball. It was a travesty it wasn't more than 3 to us at HT, we were that dominant and they were that bad! The second half was a different game though, as I expected it to be. Swansea did what they didn't do in the first half - pressed us, got tighter to us and were much more engaged. It was harder for us to find space and we didn't have as much time on the ball for this quick movements. We did still have decent chances in the 2nd half, but no where near as dominant because of the change in approach by Swansea - they were much more aggressive. Overall it's the sort of performance where everyone comes away with credit - the attack were electric, the midfield ran the show for a good portion of the game, and Bazunu when required was there. I didn't expect it to be as easy as it was in that first half, but you take them however they come. After September I didn't see this happening I've got to be honest, the recovery from the entire team (everyone in the squad has been part of this) has been epic. But.......let's make this season about promotion and not just beating a club record. It will be a very hollow and pointless club record if we don't achieve anything from this season, we need to keep going and I'm sure we will. There will be bumps in the coming months of that there is no doubt, but we will be in and around it until the end - so let's make sure we finish it!

Not everything is totally set in stone though, the club have opened the doors for fans to have a debate and discuss their opinions/thoughts on how best to approach it. They're welcoming suggestions. What I will say though is that there is simply no other alternative location to put the away fans. You mention Kingsland next to the Northam - very tricky to police. How do you funnel the away fans out of the stadium and keep them segregated? Either side of them are home fans. The current position allows for clean segregation and a quick exit to the main roads and coaches, moving them to the Kingsland would lock the away fans in. It would be a nightmare to police and would cost far more to organise. The only place you can really relocate the away fans, if you are going to relocate the away fans, is to the Chapel corner (family enclosure). 1) It already has a concourse dedicated to 2 or 3 turnstiles. 2) It's located next to a stadium exit path through the industrial estates and a coach parking location. You can easily funnel the away fans in and out of the stadium without crossing the home ends, much easier to police in the 'higher profile' games. So firstly I don't think the club have just pushed ahead with this without asking for opinions - they are doing just that if you read the article. and secondly the fact is that in terms of away fan positioning there is simply no other viable location for them.

Strong teams at this level often have a really good loan game. Burnley last season were excellent at it. The key is making sure you have agreements on the key ones though....or some sort of understanding of how to make a deal happen in the summer.