Badger

Perhaps Les can work his magic charm offensive once more as this bloke is meant to have been high up the Les scale: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43924395 But we can spend June and part of July chasing Emery, only to recruit Phil Brown.

Prutton - a good player when he wanted to be but let's not forget his immense personal contribution to our relegation. That chance at WBA alone.. could have changed the course of our season. Then the 'red mist' against Arsenal, or against the linesman rather, getting a 9 game ban.

Will it be live on Youtube this year as well? Sure Les & Ross will buff themselves up to look smug and resplendent for the occasion.

Golden Turd award would be more appropriate.

Was the opening gambit written by Ralph, or did he just borrow from it earlier in the year: ... and Bell. When did he play for us? Is that meant to be Gareth Bale (who did), or Colin Bell (who didn't)?

His agent must be another Arfa, Arthur Daley, hawking that bloke around and selling him as a top level footballer with pretensions this was a stepping stone to a glittering career. When he signed someone posted he'd be the next Adel Taarabt. Many will ask who ?. A player who had a few good games for QPR,before disappearing off the scene and not living up to hype. Seems a reasonable comparison to me at the moment.

But they do buy theirs from the proven pedigree market, whereas we look for bargain basement, possibly with potential (for creaming a bigger club in a year or so). That strategy worked well with Mane but has proved our undoing by bringing in some that were talented but needed further development (Lemina, Boufal). On top of which it seems we by-passed looking too closely at their questionable attitude.

So is Neil Chen the Chinese Cortese ? https://www.soccerex.com/events/soccerex-china-2018/the-studio/chinese-investment-in-global-sport Worrying times ahead, as if we weren't already aware of that.

Now is this reassuring, or a matter for concern? Stability and continuity are to good but if it's a continuation of the last two seasons its a concern. Don't know what qualities Ross Wilson brings, and no track record anywhere else to talk of. In many ways it's the direction from the owner and his CEO that will be critical, get that right and things will fall into place.

Merirngton was a bit too polite about Carillo, and not sure I agree with his summary of Rodriguez, but otherwise thought he gave a decent response about the team.Also questions how players have been managed this season, Gabbiadini in particular. Without naming him Reed gets some stick, Blackmore refers to "people above him" [Pellegrino]. Only listened to the first ten minutes though.

I suspect there will be plenty of single digits on display from the supporters at the end of the season, and then again when the season tickets come on sale.

Glad to see we're represented in that starting XI.

Me too, I said we should have signed him when he was a foetus.

Who do we want on the pitch f it goes to extra time and penalties ? Apart from Austin & JWP not sure there are many candidates.

I think some supporters deserve a mention on this thread. Adults who wear half&half scarves are on the fringes on c^nthood in my book. But Reed and Wilson out-c^nt them all of course.

Given rumours that several players have been set aside, presumably due to attitude and effort (Lemina & Gabbiadini for example), and others dicarded because they're crap (Carillo & FF) we don't have a large pool to select from. Might end up playing the youth team.

Why such a scheme is beyond the imagination of our club defies belief. I can understand not selling as a 'free for all' and not knowing where the tickets are going but if they are bought and linked to a ST or membership someone remains accountable if they need to trace it. Utter f^ckwittery.

Don't disagree with any of that. I'm not looking to blame Hughes for things since he joined , the rot had well and truly set in. Point I was replying to was the suggestion of a different appointment at that time.

I think you're probably right, my reference to the fabled Black Box was almost tongue in cheek about our recruitment policy, and of course all the Les spin on it when things were going well. Alderweirald I thought came as a Koeman connection. Strange thing with Mitchell's time at the club was how we seemed to get deals sealed, was he also involved in the negotiations ? As they have certainly been a fiasco since he left.

Not if you aren't prepared to attack they don't.

Long term I agree. But for the desperate choice we made at the time. Who were the other credible options? Tuchel was apparently sounded out but gave us a resounding f.o . I'm not sure of those available then for a short term fix who would take it on that basis but I'm interested in those you think were around at the time. The club, Reed and Wilson in particular, have shown themselves to be Grade A Cretins, but making a short term appointment when they did isn't on the charge sheet. (Timing of it most certainly is though).

Who else was available at the time and willing to take it ? Don't say Clown should have gone sooner - which I agree with - that's not the question. If you look at the league table, the relegation battle is a fight between the scrapings of the barrels, Pardew ( until recently), Hughes, Lambert, Moyes, Bloke sacked from Sheffield Wednesday, Woy, and also Allardyce a few months ago. It seems other clubs took their barrel scrapings before us. Although I'm not sure I'd have wanted Paul Lambert instead for arguments sake.

Damning isn't it that our four most expensive signings are currently out of it? Obviously the Black Box did a good job in the psychological profiling never mind targeting their abilities. Yet again something Reed and Wilson are answerable for.

Ralph looks as if he is struggling to stay awake. Reed looks his usual bald bloated self, something of a Roy Barraclough clone. Although he does look a bit glum, which is hardly surprising as its all his own work.

.. it's a slow suffocation though...