Saint86

He should have been kept at the club. I am really pleased its working out for him, but its a pretty big bollock drop - how many goals have Archer, Stewart, Larin, and Downs got between them this year to make getting rid of such a promising kid worthwhile.... Not enough thats for sure. I hope we get him back at the club frankly.

Its not happening, people need to let this one go 😅 I fancy Coventry and Ipswich for the automatic spots, and us to go up via the play offs and make the fa cup semi finals... Not being too greedy i feel 🙃

Our run is harder than it looks imo - we have the most congested upcoming fixtures in the league (along with Ipswich). Oxford this weekend is the 5th game in 13days. The reality is they're unbeaten in 4, have only lost one of the last 5, and won 3 of the last 4. Including a draw away at boro. At the end of our current run, this is not an easy game. Two immediate 6 pointers - Wrexham (a) and Derby (who are playing very well). We play arsenal immediatley before them. That's 3 tough games in 7 days, and the absolute minimum we can get away with from the two league games is 4 points... A loss to Wrexham would be disastrous, a draw with Wrexham and a draw with derby would likely see us drop out of the play offs and put it into Wrexham's hands, and a draw with Wrexham and a loss to derby would likely see us fall behind both of them. We are also carrying key injuries currently - we cannot afford to lose any more first team squad players. So all in, that first week back is an absolutely massive week for us - could well be season defining. Swansea (a) - they are the 7th best home record in the division (above us, Wrexham, and hull) - thats not an easy game. As for the rest... Bristol city are a bogey team for us for whatever reason. You'd bet on us to break that but who really knows. Blackburn have a good new manager, are in form, and will be fighting for their lives. Ipswich are probably the other "best" side in the division, and will be scrapping for autos. Its a developing picture, but on current look, i'd say we've got the following: Summary: Oxford (h) - its going to be a tough slog imo. *** International break *** (04/04 - Arsenal) 07-04 - Wrexham (a) - tough (3days later) 11/04 - Derby (h) - tough (4days later) *** 7day break *** 18/04 - Swansea (a) - tough 21/04 - Bristol City (h) - medium (3day later) 25/04 - Blackburn (h) - medium (4days later) - This is also the FA Cup semi final weekend, so if we did make it, you would imagine the 7day break above will be filled by a rearranged game. 28/04 - Ipswich (h) - medium ( 3days later) 02/05 - Preston away - medium (4days later) We have put ourselves in a fantastic position - but I think its asking a lot of the team to maintain the current intensity and performances throughout the run in. I just can't see us going on winning games, so its going to be tense and proper squeaky bum time to get over the line... Make it in the playoffs though, and you've got to fancy us. Championship play off semi finals take place in the 2weeks after the season closing - so up to 16th i'd guess. If by some complete miracle we win 2 more games in the cup and manager the play offs, the FA cup final is on the 16th May... (championship teams aren't expected to make it)... Playoff final is the 23rd May.

As much as i would love this to be the case, the Reading style "McDermot" just isn't on. There is essentially no chance we're catching up 10 points in 8 games at this end of the table, let alone overhauling the 4 sides between us and claiming 2nd. Maybe we can grab 4th and get a home playoff 2nd leg... but right now i'd just be happy to take the playoff spot, or perhaps a cheeky 5th. We have the hardest fixtures of us, Wrexham, and derby.

Needs to have Derby added i reckon.

Perhaps, but Scienza, Azaz, Peretz, and Jander are all superb signings. Larin is a solid addition given limited financial wriggle room as well. Fellows is a good player (but he's off form lately), and the club have broadly done well defensively from a depth perspective (if you consider the players that have been out over the season we've been pretty solid there so far). CM was always strong - i don't think there is a better CM in the league than ours with Downes, Jander, Charles, and Bragg. And its worked out very well letting Bree go out for fitness and a reset, and then the decision to bring him back in - i think he is our best RB now... Been a few misses as well (their always are in truth), but Spors has done pretty well with his first 2 windows - not to mention the fact that he largely cleared out the stink of last season and shifted an impressive number of players out the door.

Tonight had shades of the Seige of Elland Road for me... not quite as epic, but its a similar goalkeeping performance re bringing home 3 points for a promotion charge. For a non tranmere related memory...

Spors' next conversation with Bayern...

Suspect he'll be on the bench vs Oxford, but only used if needed.

I want to say Dave Jones. I don't think i'll ever not remember that loss eitherway though - i also recall a cup defeat against Stockport as well. Both very upsetting to a young Saint86.

He's a loanee that's essentially scoring a couple of goals a game, and who we can buy for £8M... Absolute bargain business.... If he doesn't attract too much attention from bigger sides😅

A fair few of them do look absolute shattered (and it has been an immense run of games - 4 matches in 10 games, including 3 tough away matches), so fitness/freshness is a concern. It will be 5 matches in 13games when we play Oxford. That is a crazy amount of fixture congestion. If we can come through it with 4 wins (and i think oxford will be hard, especially with a tired squad), then its frankly superb by the players and Eckert/coaches.

That was like having teeth pulled out by the end. I am finding it hard to even be happy, let alone relaxed after that. Crikey! Crucial 3 points, pretty much crawled over the line, some of the players were absolutely knackered by the end, just sat down. Peretz superb. Azaz very very good as well (great engine on him). Downes and THB did a good job, and Larin put a lot into that as well. Also Manning (who often doesn't get the credit he deserves). Well battled, the definition of winning ugly 😅.

We're going to get Gazumped for his signing i reckon. He's far too good for us 😅

Thats about 3 times this match where the ref and linesman are slow to give a thrown in, norwich have rushed/stolen it wrongly, and the ref has let them and the linesman flagged after the fact to "legitimise it". Joke.