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Reply | Mbenge
at 22:03 25 Jan 2026
I agree that the second yellow was dumb , but I can’t accept he cost us the game. All they had to I do was keep their heads for four (FOUR) minutes and see it out. We had enough experienced heads out there, Dunne, Cook, RND, Field to ensure that this happened. We were big on shit-housers against stoke for the entire game apparently, yesterday couldn’t do it for four (FOUR) minutes. Walsh should have gone down, take a yellow if needs be, just kill the game stone dead. Parkinson said they ‘smelt blood’ and he was right, because we absolutely capitulated. That’s on the players ON the pitch, not the player OFF it. Twenty minutes left, I would agree with you, but four (FOUR). I mean, come on. |
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Reply | Marti gone...
at 21:49 25 Jan 2026
Shocked that a narrow defeat to Oxford was the catalyst and us so delighted to get a point there during the week. |
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Reply | Would a newby be a booby ? Match thread
at 14:57 25 Jan 2026
Banks definitely would have. Probably Clemence, Shilton and Jennings too. Walsh should be dropped. Bring back Nardi or Hamer, or better still both of them. |
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Reply | Form Guide:
at 23:35 24 Jan 2026
So, I suppose this is going to sound weird, but I am far happier after today’s game than the last. Obviously absolutely sick at the end, but this was much closer to the level of performance and intensity - particularly first half - that I want from my team. We clearly needed to be more than one up at half time and also to continue to approach the 2nd half as we did the first. Why we didn’t is an interesting question. Following (unsuccessfully) gaffers half-time suggestion to hold what we have? Out-thought by Parkinson? Fitness levels not good enough? Not enough quality on the bench? I am not even blaming Mbengue for this. We simply had to be a lot more resolute with 10 men and hold on for at least one point (which would have been a fair result imo). We have huffed and puffed against ten men for huge chunks of games in the past, and yet here we capitulated with only a handful of minutes. It’s about discipline, everybody giving a little and leadership on and off the pitch, which was sadly lacking at the end. But overall I was happy enough, because football should always be about entertainment, not grinding out 0-0’s
Oh and before anyone points it out- yes we scored twice and got nothing - first time this season or last. I’m going to run with ‘it’s the exception that proves the rule’ |
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Reply | Form Guide:
at 20:03 23 Jan 2026
I suppose both are true Weston. The first is factually correct. The second is accurate in terms of aesthetics or the complete lack thereof. Lots of valid points being made by the various contributors. I don’t even pretend to know the answers. I’m more focused on performances than results, because I believe that -by and large - if you play well, the results will be favourable. Trouble is, we haven’t played well for a long time. |
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Reply | Form Guide:
at 13:52 23 Jan 2026
But when did ‘we win a few, we lose a few’ become acceptable to the fanbase and most especially to management? How can JS look us in the eye and say a clean sheet and a point away at the second worst team in the division is a ‘good result’.
I’m not looking for histrionics here. Just a calm assessment of when,why and how have we let our expectations drop to the point that we are satisfied with the result and performance at a team 5 points from safety. And I don’t even mean for my focus to be on Oxford. WBA lost 5-0 nil at home the other night, but beat us a couple of weeks ago. For me, ‘it’s the Championship innit’? doesn’t cut any ice. For an occasional upset sure. ‘Anyone can beat anyone’ is valid in terms of a once off unexpected result. But not an excuse to under-perform game on game.
I said after the Leicester game, that we could never under-perform again. Lose games? Of course, but never turn out inept dross again. Au contraire ,said the players, we can actually do that in every game if we want. And they have. |
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Reply | Form Guide:
at 10:28 23 Jan 2026
Can’t say I agree with you on this one, Spaghetti. Our performances fluctuate wildly (except recently when they have been consistently crap ) Leaving aside, the first half v Leicester and go back to the game before v Birmingham. We have not gone close to producing the intensity that we produced in that game since then. If we had, we would have blown, Oxford, Portsmouth and WBA away, whatever about Stoke and Norwich who have better quality players, and we would have reached double figures v SW. Only Walsh (since he came in) and Dunne can hold their heads up and say they performed to the best of their ability over the last half dozen games |
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Reply | Form Guide:
at 23:28 22 Jan 2026
What you’re saying makes sense John and hopefully your right. I chose the last six as it reflects where we are since we played Leicester, which is obviously the high point of our season. It’s not just the results, it’s the performances . How dare professional footballers, on money most of us cannot come close to matching , turn out that dross game after game. Anyway, beat Wrexham and Coventry and I’m sure all will be well with my world again. But at the moment, man we are bad. |
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Reply | Player Sales
at 21:55 22 Jan 2026
It was Phil Parkes for me. Always hated West Ham since. Then they went and did it again with Paul Goddard |
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Thread | Form Guide:
at 20:40 22 Jan 2026
I have tried really hard. I have examined all the ‘mitigating circumstances’. The injury crisis. The busy Christmas schedule. The weather. Our pitch. Four games away out of the last six. I have searched for slivers of a silver lining. Walsh back in goal. Clean sheets ….err…. thats it.
BUT. We are 18th in the form table based on the last 6 games. Games that included Portsmouth, WBA, SW, Norwich, Stoke and Oxford. Norwich are top 5 in the form, but Stoke are bottom 8.
We have taken 6 points out of a possible 18. 33.3 per cent. Against several really poor teams. AND in doing so, we have played REALLY POORLY .
We are laughably 3 points off Preston who occupy the final play-off spot. It is the worst standard Championship in my memory. Yet we are 12th. Having won one of those last 6 games. Against the bottom team - where 3-0 flattered us significantly.
I have tried, I really have. Looking for ‘progress’ and all I can see is one professional player unable to pass to another in the same coloured shirt, five yards away
I have tried, and I should know better after 50 years. But I’m hurting. Because this is bad. This is really bad. And I’m worried because there seems to be an acceptance that it’s okay. It’s not okay. Standards. [Post edited 22 Jan 21:44]
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Thread | Modicums of comfort
at 22:57 20 Jan 2026
Back to back clean sheets for Walsh. Not exactly peppered with shots in either game, but still made some important saves.
Reached 40 Points, which is more of a psychological thing. I tend to judge the season in ‘10’s’. 0-10.11-20 etc. In an ideal world you move onto the next ‘10’ after four games. We moved onto 31 after that epic last minute winner v Brum, NINE league games ago. So just a relief to get to 40. |
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Reply | And we never spoke of it again – Report
at 23:36 18 Jan 2026
Or the 0-0 draw with Russia in Moscow, Noel, which must have been Dunne’s single most outstanding performance. What made it even more iconic, was when he had to change his shirt as it had blood on it. We hadn’t brought a replacement No5 shirt with us to Moscow (who’d have thunk it, Roy) so the coach had to use a permanent marker to draw a number 5 on his back. Sponsor be damned! |
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Reply | St Oke Methodist Church Away Match Fred
at 23:47 17 Jan 2026
I was fortunate enough not to have watched this one as I was otherwise occupied. But from the outside looking in, it seemed very similar to Sheffield United away (maybe it’s the kit) when the sole height of our ambition was not to lose. Some mitigating circumstances here, with our injury list and Stoke having a much better season than SU, but it must still be soul-destroying to pay to go and see. Sound like very typical mid-table fare.
Footnote - pleased for Walsh with a clean sheet |
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