Badger

What happened to the 1970's sponge and cold water from a bucket? That seemed to be the answer for everything (sprains, twists, broken legs ... ) Alternatively get him in the treatment room half an hour before kick off for a 'fitness test', spray some ralgex on his bollocks that would get him up and running around. Of course if the silly sod is still living on a diet of raw chicken there's not a lot we can do.

What’s the record for most managers in a single season?

Amazed Derby made it to six games left. Am going to the Spurs match so looking forward to seeing our heroic efforts (last stand ?) and going at the match all guns blazing …

Did shareholders or anyone else see Lowe as a “messiah” ? Not my recollection.

Why ? The bloke was clearly out of his depth and had no clue, or it seems intention of making changes in how we set up. This was clear to every man and their dog by the Bournemouth game at the very latest.

Isn’t BBD only an option for them though ? I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back with us however Sheff Utd do.

Got to admire/laugh at the wit and imagination of these loveable rogue scallies haven’t you? Was he in a shell suit and curly perm as well by any chance ?

I think the 8-0 v Sunderland was. Yes, jug eared cunt doesn’t really like us, but feeling is mutual

Red card for taking to the field with his hair in a bun, top knot or whatever it’s called.

It’s often said that we’d be better off with a couple of £30-40m starters than several £15m prospects who we hope to ‘grow’ and I agree with it to a point. But there are still players available within ‘our’ preferred price bracket (to compliment the ‘starter’ signings, not instead of). How much did Bournemouth pay for the Hungarian LB, or Semenyo (rather than Sulemana) , and Huijsen, all now linked with £50m bids ? Bowen cost West Ham c£20m. You mention Bottman. Lille signed him for less than we paid for Salisu the same summer ffs. Criminal waste. The players are out there but time after time we regularly make poor selections and recruitment, irrespective of the price.

One thing that appears to have gone unnoticed is how he played the ball out after his little transgression of the rules. Presumably thinking he’d got away with his arm control of the ball he then played it back into a key danger area. That for me was as ‘knobheaded’ as trying to control the ball with his arm.

If he can get down quickly to his left then perhaps there’s a GK in the making.

By a ‘banker’ I assume you mean a ‘nailed on’ or guaranteed success. That’s an easy claim to make in hindsight, and possibly unfair on our recruitment team at the time given our finances. Villa signed Watkins as I recall on the wish of Dean Smith who’d managed him at Brentford, so they certainly had a better insight into the player, but their records were quite similar. 2020. Watkins (age 24)joined Villa, his record at Brentford was 45 goals in 132 matches 2021 Armstrong (age 24) joined Saints. Blackburn record 41 in 130 From Wikipedia. Not dissimilar track records, although Villa clearly thought he had the potential to justify £28m. At the time most pundits thought they’d overpaid for him. Not sure how we’d have felt taking a punt on an untried player for that money. Had we signed Watkins no telling how his career might have developed (or regressed). Rather than Ralph, Jones, Selles he’s been coached by Smith, Gerrard (okay not great there) and now Emery. Had he come to us he might now be at Stoke .

This trend pre-dates the current owners. Elyonoussi, Hoedt, Carillo, Diallo, etc stand out in our long list of failures. Nothing new.

I recall we had similar debates about Yoshida being a mistake a game player when he first arrived. I don’t think he made the glaring errors that Sugawara has made but was playing in a more confident team with better players. I’m not writing Sugawara off yet, may be okay -going forward anyway - next season but on showing this season it doesn’t bode well

Yes, you’re correct of course, he was a LB, or at least meant to be. I’ll withdraw him from the RB discussion then, and will bring him out again when we have a Larios themed ‘midget left backs’ thread

I’ll raise you a ‘Lee Todd’. (or was he a left back ?)

I read somewhere, it might even have been an interview with AA, that Ralph wasn't keen on signing him, but sign him we did.

It’s not more noise though, it’s more of an echo. One outlet runs the ‘story’, and several others just repeat it.

Appears the Glazers are still the focus of their anger. Wonder when it will turn on Ratcliffe. He can't be popular there either.

Have been rumours of a takeover there for some time.

Perhaps too obvious for us… I’m half expecting Leicester to go for Rohl when they get shot of RVN. Apart from Alan Ball joining Lawrie when he was DoF, when have we ever gone for an obvious and outstanding candidate? Just remember most people thought Redknapp then at Bournemouth was the obvious candidate when Nicholl got the push. We ended up with Branfoot. Perhaps Spors will be the difference this time.

Good video. Not sure I’m convinced about the Sulemana contribution last season you mention, and Edozie probably squandered more chances than he scored. One player who stands out there is KWP. Bit worrying that we won’t have his extra quality next season. It’ll be difficult to replace him.

Is that the new banner for the Northam ?

Both clubs kept faith in inadequate managers for too long.