shurlock

Only got Four Lads Who Shook the Wirral and some of their Peel Sessions, anything else worth checking out?

To quote Nige, there are 17/18 clubs with a chance each season. And I dont think he included Coventry when he said that. No doubt there were/are preseason mind games in that statement. And yes you'll always get the odd Newcastle or West Ham in the NPC and the parachute payments benefit a few; but it really is a league where a bit momentum can go along way. Relatively speaking, the teams that try to buy success -W Ham/Leicester this season- don't spend as much as the big spenders in the Prem; and unlike the Man Citys and Chelseas of this world, NPC teams can't keep funding a promotion/title push season in and season out. WHU faces quite a hard landing if it doesnt go up this season.

Not really.

TBF, most of their fans accept they were pens.

Looks like ball to hand to me.

More lucid when he was caning lines of charlie after his cornflakes - still time to time he comes up with the odd (unintentional) gem: "they're like a bag of revels...they've got a bit of everything" being my fav. Or comparing us to Barcelona after our mauling of Oldham.

Think it was more than the first 10 mins. I thought we were in complete control until they fortunately went ahead - only then did we come unstuck. Midfield, even with a sub-par Chaplow, was fine. Hammond is a limited footballer, especially when we are on the ball and need to create something but was good yesterday. We missed him after he went off and looked much less compact.

Anyone know what happened with the offside/KD's handball outside the box? Was it definitely offside? Looked ominous at the time and thought we dodged a bullet TBH.

Fox

Back from the game Thought we were v.controlled for the first 20-25mins with Lallana and Lambert linking up nicely and deservedly took the lead (though I initially thought SRL had skied his shot). At times, we were a tad aggressive and played into Millwall's hands by giving then chances to hit us on the counter - as their away form shows, they're a decent counter-attacking side with good pace/width via Henry/Bouazza. After they went to 2-1 up - shocking marking for the 2nd, we lost our shape. Chappers sub couldn't come soon enough. SDR looked bright when he came on and had a shot cleared off the line; though he didn;t see much of the ball after that. Millwall looked more likely to score than us. Thought the Hammond sub which saw Guly drop into the centre of midfield set us back. But the rest is history.... We missed Lee - we tried to reproduce the tactics at Watford where Fox/Richardson hit a lot of percentage balls behind the fullbacks to stop them from squeezing up. Until SDR's introduction, we didn't have the pace to pull it off. That said, Guly showed good strength and had a solid performance up top. Other decent performances were Fox and Lambert. Lallana was excellent in the first half; but went missing in the second. Both Jos and Richardson looked ragged at the back. Would welcome a bit more cover at CB - Jos and Jose will be cream-crackered come the final strait in April.

Agree. Nobody covered themselves in glory. If he anything he looked a bit brighter when he swapped sides with Chappers and moved to the right. Guess NA believes that there isn't room on the bench for both Punch and SDR, that they're too similar players.

Talisman. Dynamo. Missing Link.... People had very high expectations about Chappers return but he hasn't been at the races for a while. V.surprised he started today and can't see him starting against Hull. Where does that leave us? RM is a position we've had problems filling and probably Adkins biggest headache at the moment. If Lee is injured, Sharp hit and miss, Guly will stay up top. Who goes into midfield? Thought SDR looked good in flashes today, at least at the start of the 2nd half. Puncheon is an option -and I would like to see him given a go. Or will it be back to the 3CMs that we deployed before Xmas?

Yep. Good interview. Should check out his pre-match Reading. Breath of fresh air.

Watched plenty of Stanhope's stuff and think he is a bit of a c**k tbh. An american Frankie Boyle (obviously Boyle copied Stanhope) who's not self-aware enough to elevate his humour beyond a cheap, soiled chuckle. Louis CK is much better. Pearson - another self-important, north london critic. Two a penny, a nonentity.

Don't know what the atmosphere is like in Japan; but in the US the PA/scoreboard is crucial to orchestrating the crowd. You effectively get told what to say which accounts for the military precision and sometimes contrived feel of the atmosphere. The lack of segregation -also the case in Japan I assume- also makes a massive difference to what gets sung and how it gets sung. And remember baseball is still the biggest sport in Japan, and no doubt its US origins have an influence on other sports.

Some good points. I guess its just a taste thing. Agree its hard go to smaller venues in large groups, though I've found them to be great places to hit it off with strangers who are there specifically for the same act. All for listening to random stuff, though I tend to do most of that experimentation in private. Gigs are the end point for me, the consummation of that album or band you've listened to repeatedly months, sometimes years before. Probably makes for a tighter and more exclusionary atmosphere; but I like that tribalism about music and a small venue is the perfect setting. Plus the music I listen to translates p i$$-poor to festivals and outdoor venues -either its too jangly and discordant or too lush or too introspective.

I assume it won't be flying over SMS

F**king hate festivals - like watching football in an olympic stadium with a massive running track and no roof. Nothing beats a gig in a smallish, in your face club. Remember watching Primal Scream at the time of XTRMNTR at the Hammersmith Palais and decided from that day forth never to go near a festival. Music and being out in the sticks doesn't mix.

If Sharp starts, would like to see SDR given a chance. Thought the tactics at Watford worked a treat - they squeezed up but we were able to keep them honest with Lee's pace in behind. If Lee can't do that, perhaps SDR can. Saying that he was poor against Millall in the cup and Puncheon shone. Still dont think Chaplow has done nearly enough to start.

Time for sharp to step up and deliver

Chiles is a safe pair of hands - completely unthreatening. I dont want to remember the presenter and on that benchmark he's quite good. He actually lets the 'experts' talk -and if anything, exposes their lack of talent and laziness when they drone on. Don't think he tries to be a lad. His stock is based more on being a long-suffering, salt of the earth football fan -an extension of the glum black country persona he peddled on the one show. Probably not suited to the glitz of the champion league where he can't do his underdog routine, even though that's become a parody of sorts. Murray is a different case. Used to be a hyperactive, flippant c**k, though he's toned down. As I say, I don't want an ego from a football presenter; if not, stick to XFM playing indie music to the prematurely balding.

As opposed to what? The alcatraz fencing of the new den, a heavy OB presence and and your own chartered train service to and from london bridge? A thoroughly unsafe away day? Would rather a horde of hicks from hampshire at places like palace than the w**kish posturings that trips to Millwall always dredge up.

He's good but an absolute beast no - a number of wily experienced CBs have neutralised Lambert quite comfortably -sometimes too comfortably and thats why, at times this season, we've looked very predictable. And to repeat Pearce did well against Lambert at their place - the goal came from his slack attempt to shepherd the ball out of play, not some mismatch in skill.

Wouldnt necessarily say that -he just had a dip in form and was dragged down by a poor team. Looked a real prospect in the NPC at least before the team suffered a death by a thousand cuts. Hard to say any one game turned things - if anything, his form picked up quite early on -around the time of Mellis arrival-remember he was fantastic against Gillingham and had a great run after that. That said, I wouldn't make him out to be untouchable either. I still think he leaves Fox exposed - one reason why Fox can't bomb on as people berate him to. And his decision-making could improve: he could be much quicker/more clinical in his passing.