shurlock

He didnt have that much to do - of the shots he saved, most were hit straight at him. Still he got behind them comfortably enough. Millwall got into plenty of crossing positions but were very wasteful.

Say what you will about the away support but at least it gives credit where its due and shows a bit of restraint. By contrast, SMS always seems ready to get on some player's back. Generally, you see less ignorance and abuse meted out by our away supporters.

Agree- Hammond wasn't very good, though Millwall ended up bypassing the midfield with the long ball. That Hammond played suggests Cork and Morgan will be starting Tues.

Was thinking of the same Libertines lyric, though why drop the line before? Its just as good He knows theres fewer more distressing sights than that Of an Englishman in a baseball cap And we'll die in the class we were born But that's a class of our own my love

Just back. Meh game - draw was just about a fair result, though we sat back too much in the 2nd and allowed Millwall to come on to us. They were very poor in the final third, so despite their possession, I thought we would nick it. In the end, it took a very poor goal to level things - we were probably guilty of ball watching and shouldn't have given Henderson the time to take the ball down the way he did. Some positives - above all, Punch was excellent. Was easily our most threatening player. It was a nice change to see one of our players drive forward in possession from deepish positions. Tracked back tirelessly and if he continues this form, he'll be the best addition we make this January. But we've here before, with Punch starting brightly and then tailing off. The boos at the end were from Millwall; he got a standing ovation from our lot. Reeves was also excellent - always playing with his head up, looking for a forward pass. At the moment, he's the one most likely to make the grade. Similarly, Martin was very good - we survived a few scares in the first five mins -in part due to miscommunication between Martin and Fox as to who was picking up Henderson; but after we settled down, he was pretty commanding in the air. Henderson still caused trouble but none of his headers were cleanly wonf and Fox was able to sweep up the second ball. If the lad's distribution was better, he could do very well. Less convincing were Barney and De Ridder. Barney's first touch was very heavy and he was outfought in the air; while De Ridder never looked like he would beat his man (granted both haven't played for a while). I understand SDR was taken off for precautionary reasons; but I would have taken him off anyway. Holmes should have done better with our one real chance in the 2nd half - instead of going it alone, he should have played the ball into the box earlier and indeed, when the ball returned to him, he should have buried the header. Tadanari didn't really have an opportunity to impress - he made some nice angled runs off the ball but the ball was not passed early enough or played on the wrong side. Towards the end, he was effectively playing as a lone forward, as the ball was being cleared and pumped backed in. Won a couple of headers; but at times was brushed off the ball. Can think of easier debuts than Millwall away when the home side is chasing. Anyway, no complaints - am relatively please. We more than coped with a full strength Millwall side and we're in the hat for the next round. Ordinarily, I wouldn't want a replay but with so many players returning/coming in, its a risk-free opportunity to blood them in.

Just back. Meh game - draw was just about a fair result, though we sat back too much in the 2nd and allowed Millwall to come on to us. They were very poor in the final third, so despite their possession, I thought we would nick it. In the end, it took a very poor goal to level things - we were probably guilty of ball watching and shouldn't have given Henderson the time to take the ball down the way he did. Some positives - above all, Punch was excellent. Was easily our most threatening player. It was a nice change to see one of our players drive forward in possession from deepish positions. Tracked back tirelessly and if he continues this form, he'll be the best addition we make this January. But we've here before, with Punch starting brightly and then tailing off. The boos at the end were from Millwall; he got a standing ovation from our lot. Reeves was also excellent - always playing with his head up, looking for a forward pass. At the moment, he's the one most likely to make the grade. Similarly, Martin was very good - we survived a few scares in the first five mins -in part due to miscommunication between Martin and Fox as to who was picking up Henderson; but after we settled down, he was pretty commanding in the air. Henderson still caused trouble but none of his headers were cleanly wonf and Fox was able to sweep up the second ball. If the lad's distribution was better, he could do very well. Less convincing were Barney and De Ridder. Barney's first touch was very heavy and he was outfought in the air; while De Ridder never looked like he would beat his man (granted both haven't played for a while). I understand SDR was taken off for precautionary reasons; but I would have taken him off anyway. Holmes should have done better with our one real chance in the 2nd half - instead of going it alone, he should have played the ball into the box earlier and indeed, when the ball returned to him, he should have buried the header. Tadanari didn't really have an opportunity to impress - he made some nice angled runs off the ball but the ball was not passed early enough or played on the wrong side. Towards the end, he was effectively playing as a lone forward, as the ball was being cleared and pumped back in. Won a couple of headers; but at times was brushed off the ball. Can think of easier debuts than Millwall away when the home side is chasing. Anyway, no complaints - am relatively pleased. We more than coped with a full strength Millwall side and we're in the hat for the next round. Ordinarily, I wouldn't want a replay but with so many players returning/coming in, its a risk-free opportunity to blood them in.

So did Lee get clearance?

Not at all. Just stating a fact (well they kept one or two while shipping a ton) But i think he's a good, no-nonsense option whose experience will be handy.

Still didn't help them to keep a clean sheet.

Yes, possibly, but I'd say the whole club has been caught on the hop. And perhaps NC doesn't think missing out on promotion this season is the end of the world. Interestingly, NA has been stressing in interviews how we are ahead of schedule, a tone that suggests the pressure is slightly off him and the team. Can debate the rights and wrongs of this approach. Either way, if we don't go up, our squad will have been shown that its objectively not good enough to go all the way without reinforcements. And NC will have to walk the walk. Only then will I seriously begin to question his ambition. But that presumes we don't strengthen between now and the window and we dont get promoted, a thicket of ifs and buts that's impossible to settle right now.

Too early to compare - we've only been in the NPC for a half a season and this transfer window hasn't ended yet FFS. The irony is that while we were in L1, the criticism was that we were the equivalent of Man City, spunking silly money on big players -Lambert, Fonte, Punch, Guly etc. So what's changed? No doubt, this season has taken NC and the club by surprise. Its conceivable that the clu budgeted on the basis of consolidation followed by steady progress next season and thereafter. Doesn't mean NC is not ambitious - its just that he has a longer time horizon than most dins on here. That could never be said of Lowe. He didn't have an ambition -short or long-term- apart from treading water and hoping we made it past the finishing line each May. Now we have a fantastic opportunity to go up, it would be wrong not to try and seize it. But everyone accepts that, after our terrific start, we don't need an overhaul, that we're only short a few players and that consequently quality is more important that quality. Why is it a problem that there hasn't been much activity if we only need one or two players? Why is it a problem that we're taking our time if means we've assessed all our options and do deals with our eyes wide open? Either way, lets see where we are at the end of the window -bearing in mind that its been barren for most clubs- and then assess where we are at the end of season. Perhaps the club genuinely thinks we have enough (we did last season, even while people here were going into meltdown) and that buying overpriced stopgaps who might not cut it at a higher level isn't worth it. I have my doubts; but I can see why the club might take that position (assuming it does). If the club is wrong, lets see if NC bites the bullet and accepts that some journeymen come with inflated wage demands. Only then can you judge. Its a work in progress - and its premature to call our transfer activity tightfisted on the basis of the last two and a half years let alone compare it to Lowe.

Like 13% of respondents, you've been rated: Euro-septic. For you, the European idea is poisonous, even if you did once have a pretty good holiday in Alicante Mother's french - must explain it.

i know what you did last summer

Last time I looked, there was still four or so days till the transfer window shuts.

Does Liquidshokk just turn up on New Years Day?

Sticky Fingers ...sorry that's an album

Spot on - never understood this 'can't ask a tricky question' line. Always found that its not content of the question that turns people off but the tone in which its asked - and tone is much easier to control in an informal setting.

I know - quite a few here seem to like a bit of CoC (conspiracy of cortese)

Where did you hear there was a dinner?

There will be blood

OK - apologies if any offence taken. I agree with you to a point that we've lacked balance with 3 defensively-minded midfielders (we lacked balance with two DMs last season and the season before!). But how far that alone has cost us in games as opposed to various other factors and how far SDR would have really made a difference given his inconsistency is less clear. We've looked excellent (Blackpool) and poor (Leicester) without him; just as we've looked excellent (Hull) and poor (Bristol City) with him. That alone makes your certainty on this issue hard to accept, even though I continue to respect your insight.

Cool Running

I'm not attacking you -just disagreeing. What garbage? I back my points up each and every time. I am just interested to know how you think we scored plenty of goals and went eight points clear. Its a fact that we did so without a player like SDR or conventional width/pace. I do think the lack of pace up top has been an issue - said it as early as the Barnsley game; but that's a slightly different point.

NA led L1 with Scunny for a considerable time, so I'm not sure where the "chasing, rather than out in front" jibe comes from. Likewise, worth properly analysing why we got eight points clear - Guly played on the right for most of that spell and frequently came inside, interchanging with the midfielders which sucked teams in and opened up space for Richardson on the outside. Had nothing to do pace or width as you put it, though even then it was clear we needed some pace alongside with Lambert to keep teams from pressing too high. We've tried De Ridder on the right -I've seen him home and away (did you see him at Palace, Donny etc?)- and the jury's still out IMO. Admittedly, our pedestrian passing in midfield doesn't help him; but neither am I for the old-fashioned ball down the line or into the channels. The game has wisened up to that. I think he has something to offer but you're expecting far too much of the lad which probably says more about your prejudices about how the game should be played than anything else.

Both of which fall in the 'know f**k all' group to which you obviously belong.