S-Clarke

I agree with you on the left back area, it's one of our weakest positions as well as cover in CM imo. Manning is just inept, he really is not up to it at all. I have no idea how he performed like he did at Swansea as he looks like a fish out of water trying to do the same here. In every game he's played he just looks painfully out of his depth. Bree isn't even a LB but we look much better with him there.

No one has really over reacted yet, but you win I think.

To be honest that really wasn't the game for Charly, he wouldn't have made us any better. There was some sense in the Charles sub, but I still do believe we're a play short in CM as I'm not 100% sure Charles is truly ready for this level consistently.

First half we had them on the ropes, fully deserved. Usually a goal at the death against a team totally deflates them, but in typical fashion it has the opposite effect against us. I thought we were truly inept second half, the worst we have played all season by a stretch. The subs didn't make us any better either, in fact they made us worse. Manning is a walking disaster as soon as he's on the pitch and Edozie isn't someone you want when you're chasing a game, runs into nowhere. This for me is why you keep someone experienced like Fraser up your sleeve as a sub, makes all the difference. Throwing kids on as subs doesn't really have the desired effect. I think the team noticeably dipped when Sulemana had his strop as well, he did a brain dead thing and then stropped off down the tunnel when he was rightly substituted. He's part of a team, sometimes you take the hit for the team, it's not an individual game. A very frustrating afternoon really, sure we didn't lose, but in a season you don't get too many chances to make up the ground as a chasing team - we've just blown one of the few we'll get. Looking every inch a playoff team if I'm honest.

That game demonstrates why you cannot take any game for granted at this level, it's a slog of a league and these sorts of sides never make it easy. Huddersfield will be a very, very tough away day.

I'll be honest, I've seen nothing in him at all. He struggles to impact the game from the start or as a substitute in whatever league we are in. For sure he's young and developing, but there comes a point where you just say he's not suited to a country or a style and just cut your losses. He'll be off on loan to a random lower french team in January I think, probably to never return.

They're kicking it down the road so far in the hope people forget about it, when they come to debate it again in 2050

This is what happens on social media, people read way too much into things. He's not signing for us. He has returned to a former club with some people he used to work with, this will help him keep fitness. He's probably having a mini holiday back in the UK to see some friends and he's using our facilities whilst he's here. No more than that. He's not signing for us and no one has thought of it either.

It only comes across like that if you read it with a serious face! He's clearly having a bit of a joke as he says it.

There is a good crop to be fair - SAA, Dibling, Doyle. Not seeing anyone in our setup who could come in to replace THB, KWP or Downes though. Maybe Zach Awe?

We really have to make the most of this season, the talent available to us at this level is ridiculous. We won't have anywhere near that next year, and no money to reinvest to replace THB or Downes as they're both loans. KWP will be cheap as he'll be down to 1 year, Che will leave on a free, ditto Stu Armstrong - so the chance to generate transfer fee's is kind of relying on Sulemana. I don't think it can be stressed at how important this season is for the immediate future of this club.

We really did get relegated at the wrong time, that'll be 4 teams at the bottom now on single figures in December! We'd have strolled this season, Wolves aren't any great shakes but they seem fairly comfortable already.

We've done so well to get this guy, our best signing in many, many years.

It's the only chance England fans have to watch Jordan Henderson play football anymore, for that we should be forever grateful.

I think they're long gone, they're not getting out of it now. Hard to really plan for them either, as 90% of the players they have now won't be playing in L2 next year. There is talk of further points deductions on the horizon too.

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It's just like everyone predicted. More games to deal with in Europe, more injuries on the back of it, having to play players like Lascelles again and low and behold they drop levels. I see their fans are kicking up a fuss. They are such an entitled bunch.

I remember clamour when we were winning promotion last time in this league ''we need to replace Fonte, he will get caught out in the Prem''. You can't predict how this team would perform in the Prem when it's not even there yet.

His distribution is on a different level to what we've had for many years. Our CB's protected him really well to be honest, but he was called on in the last min and put in a ridiculous block - not sure what part of his body it was. He's playing with confidence now and it's good to see. He was hung out to dry last year and he must have some balls to come back from being pummelled for 12 months.

I thought the first half performance was really strong, against a strong opponent. Alcaraz was causing them all sorts of problems in between the lines, some of his passing was excellent. Looked a lot sharper than he has done, which should send fear to everyone in this league. Second half was polar opposite though, it was somewhat coming as WBA ended the first half well, but they had us penned in for a lot of that 2nd half. We struggle to get onto the ball because tactically they closed off all of our passing angles, and pressed us at the right times - so it was really difficult to gain any momentum on the ball. They were causing us issues with their pace down the wide areas and the equaliser was well deserved to be honest. At that stage I didn't see the winner coming, but for the first time in years it feels like this bunch have some steel to them. They picked themselves up from being penned in and were clinical in one of the only chances we had in that second half, absolutely priceless. I know Holgate got MOTM, and he was excellent, but for me it could only be one player - THB. He will make anyone look good, he doesn't get much mention because he does everything right and goes somewhat under the radar. The ball was like a magnet to him when we were defending corners, and he always got a fair distance on them. He is a top, top, top CB and for us to have him at this level is a bit of a joke. He should be playing PL now. The last few weeks were needed, Ipswich and Leicester have wobbled a bit and we've clawed them back in. Leeds will say the same. Leicester were 17 points clear of us at one stage, but it's back down to single figures. Let's get this last international break out of the way, and put everything into this next block of Christmas fixtures - this will be the defining run, anything can still happen at this stage.

I never thought we gave him enough of an opportunity or even played to his strengths, so he was pretty much null and void here without even playing. I don't have anything against him in any way. There is no agreed fee in the loan, so this is only going to bump up his value.

WBA have sorted themselves out, their manager has always been decent at this level to be fair. Not sure they have the depth to sustain the entire season, so it will be a play off scramble at best for them, but it'll be interesting to see how we deal with them tomorrow. I cannot stand WBA for personal reasons, so this is a game I take to heart - so please don't ruin my weekend saints.

There is a very similar, almost identical dynamic happening at Burnley this year. They spent a similar fee on James Trafford from City, only lower league experience. The general tone from their fans is that they want him replaced by their keeper from last year, he's too inexperienced, too rash etc. There are no glaring errors as such, similar to Bazunu, but lots of goals they say he 'should save'. I guess all goalkeepers need a start, but it does feel as if these City kids are getting thrown into the lions den a bit too quickly before they're fully matured (Gunn is another one). I reckon they'll all have decent careers for themselves, as Gunn is now demonstrating at Norwich (before he was injured). It's just the clubs having to deal with their growing pains.

With the greatest of respect, it wasn't a good day. We weren't front footed enough in our search for Ralphs replacement.

Yeah it was mentioned that we were looking for experience. Conor Coady was mentioned too, but that Leicester move was tied up pretty early. I think we were probably waiting to resolve the futures of DCC, Lyanco, Salisu and ABK before we brought in another CB - by the time we'd shifted those guys on it was late in the window. We were pretty lucky to snap up THB in my opinion, pretty happy with that one and not too bothered about missing out on so called experience.