SfcPhil

Do our lads remember how bad Baz was? Just get a few one target and half of them will go in.. isn't rocket science. Still plenty of time yet.

We/I need a second goal.

I think these are the points people are missing. If we'd done it before a league game, it would've been a 3 point deduction (2 on appeal with mitigation as per our punishment in the summer) but because the play-offs are seen as a knock-out competition, expulsion had to be the only punishment on the table. They were never going to delay/cancel the play-off final. We were hoping to comply and get a softer punishment due to time restraints, basically trying to force the EFL's hand towards a lenient conclusion. If this had happened before an EFL or FA Cup game, we'd have been kicked out the competition, like when a team fields an eligible player for example. We messed up, and the media circus from Boro was a joke, but we were handed the right punishment in my opinion. Parsons even said himself if the shoe was on the other foot, he couldn't say that we wouldn't have reacted the same as Boro did. We gave them an opportunity and they took it. At least we can finally emerge from the cloud of uncertainty which we've been under the last few months.

Just don't get caught next time. Simple.

I see you've been ITK about our kit designs in the past, so I'm prematurely celebrating.

I must admit, I'm expecting the worst outcome. But if you think about it this way, we've had a better start under Tonda than we would've under a brand new coach IMO. I think we've actually started pretty well, with this saga still lurking over our heads. Part of me says that if Tonda is given a hefty ban, then at least we can start to move on, but the other part says that he's such promising manager and our best chance of promotion is under him. Either way, it'll be good to have some clarity later this week.

I have it on good authority that Prowsey wanted to come back as soon as the season after he left (the summer we were back in the Prem). Apparently his family weren't settling well with living in London at the time. I think he'd be a good addition to a Championship squad. We need to remember the level that we're at.

Yeah it's cost us more than people realise. We lost Charles and soon to be THB because of it in theory (I think we'd have beaten Hull, then no need to sell). We're now weaker squad in a stronger Championship, in the final year of our parachute payments. Spors has a monumental task in the next week to try and build a side fit for promotion. He pulled off some great deals last summer, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt until the window closes.

We need two CB's once THB leaves. No ifs or buts about it.

Won't be doing the Pompey game this year after working out it'll be £140 for my dad and I, just for memberships and tickets, before even thinking to start about travel, food and drink. We only get to a handful of games each season as we've both moved away from the area, so we'd be getting the memberships just for this game. Can't justify it. After being to a few derbies in the early 2000's, the atmosphere from those games compared to last season was night and day. Didn't feel any different to playing any other team in the league due to the "bubble". I think the Boro game might be spicier.

We needed that, badly. Doesn't matter how we won today, we just needed to make sure we did. The CB pairing and Matsuki in CM did concern me, but the squad will chop and change in the next couple of weeks. We just need points on the board and to get that feel good factor back around the club.

Game completely passed him by in Germany. Nowhere near the required level unfortunately.

If there's one thing that Sport Republic do well it's that we usually get good fees for players leaving. Alfie House alluded that we would be looking for at least the same fee that Charles left for, but I'd harbour a guess that it would be £30m guaranteed + add ons. He's not going anywhere for £17m.

So we're still looking to sign a striker then? Interesting considering Tonda's comments. We have a lot of business (mostly out) to do in the next couple of weeks, that's for sure!