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Reply | Ashes thread
at 12:43 4 Dec 2025
Turned out alright in the end. As said, impressive to get to the score we did with so many not troubling the scoreboard but when Stokes and Root were batting, trouble free, it feels we missed a trick.
Would love for Archer and Root to hang around for 30/40 mins tomorrow. Wouldn't actually get them to throw the bat at it, just soak up time, maybe do a bit of the Smith timewasting antics. With a 10 min changeover between innings, wasting 30 mins plus in the morning if we can, would mean we'd get even longer under the lights to bowl at them. Plus late order hitting annoys all batsmen. |
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Reply | Robin Smith gone
at 15:04 2 Dec 2025
Was just reading about him the other day, and sounded like he was getting help and was in a much better place from what he was a year or two earlier when he was so close to death. Makes it all the more sadder. Excellent player of quick bowling and a decent bloke by all accounts. |
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Reply | Eastward Ho ! Match Fred
at 15:55 29 Nov 2025
Really poor. Centre midfield has been abysmal today, but a lot of others struggling. Feels very open so not sure the Manager has planned this very well. Still a lot to play for and score next and you can see Norwich getting very nervy. |
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Reply | Begrudging respect to Second Tier podcast
at 13:06 28 Nov 2025
I suppose the recruitment point still stands, as the 2018/19 team included Furlong (think he left end of season although could be wrong) and included Dieng, Manning, Bright, Chair, Eze, we even had Wzolek and Luongo that went on to do impressive things. Throw in Nahki Wells arriving on loan during the season, that team, with some good transfer business should have either kicked on and achieved a lot more than it did, or we should have been able to polish some talent and make a lot of money in the market. It's criminal that we did neither - with only Eze generating anything to write home about. |
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Reply | Begrudging respect to Second Tier podcast
at 09:14 28 Nov 2025
I always thought he was class, but watching that back I didn't realise how class. It will be a long time till we have someone with that ability, at that age. People mention Kolli but he's not anywhere close to that level.
It does make you look back and think with Wells up front, Eze behind, Bright on one wing, Chair on the other, Manning at left back, Darnell coming through...that could have been such an exciting side had we got recruitment right. It should have been good enough for the play-offs. How did we not achieve more. |
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Reply | Sam Field
at 11:34 27 Nov 2025
I've not been impressed to be honest.
Impressed with his approach, his willingness to muck in and help the team - which is typical Field, top pro etc. - but if he was a new signing, bought to play left back, based on what I've seen of him there, I wouldn't be singing his praises too much. But I don't hold anything against him as he's playing out of position, and tbh has deserved more opportunities to play in his natural position and show what he can do than he's been given so far this season. |
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Reply | Loveliest Town in England Match Thread
at 21:56 26 Nov 2025
Disagree on Varane. First half I though he was very good. I thought Field was generally poor with the ball throughout but sympathy from me for doing a job at left back. Smyth excellent performance and made the difference. |
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Reply | Southampton… How do we think we will line up?
at 17:32 5 Nov 2025
You know we're in a bit of a mess when there's not really 1 player that you'd say is a guaranteed starter. While I definitely think there have been some good performers this season (Burrell/Madsen and to an extent Saito and Smyth), for all of them, tactical reasons/opposition, you could make a case for them not to play. I think the Manager is right, he's going to have to make some tough calls and upset people.
Personally, other than Field for Varane, I'd agree with that team. I'm not against looking at Morgan again at right back given Dunne does seem to be struggling a bit. I don't think Morgan performed as poorly there as some do, and it would add a bit of creativity going forward and with Smyth in front, a bit of protection for him but I understand why you wouldn't do that. Jimmy D is our captain and performed exceptionally last season, rightfully earning a new contract. But we do need to start playing some of our younger players, especially those with ability, and based on form, you could make a case, although perhaps not tonight. |
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Reply | Chair for No.10
at 22:01 23 Oct 2025
Another advantage of picking Chair is that it gives you the option to pair Varane with Field or Hayden in the middle of the park. Playing a basic 4-4-2 with a Kone and Burrell attack means you have to get Madsen in the team, as without him there’s just zero flow and attacking intent and a 2 from Field/Varane/Hayden just doesn’t work. But chair in the 10 means we can be more combative in the middle of the park but still have a 3 behind the striker giving us some decent options. Now I’m not saying drop Madsen as he’s been playing well, but gives options to rest him and can help see out games if we want some workers in the middle of the park.
And as others have said, Chair means we can do away with the Kone/Frey partnership. |
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Reply | Celar / Madsen - Sliding Doors
at 10:30 23 Oct 2025
Interesting, having this debate on the Madsen thread as a fair challenge whether we should have shown same faith in Celar. Key differences for me is we got more suitable strikers in over the summer, so less need to show patience with him and despite being mainly rubbish I did see some positive signs with Madsen, who has a skill set others don’t have (i.e. can pass). I didn’t see much with Celar to say he would have been suitable for our style.
The above said, now we’ve moved to more 4-4-2, it does make you wonder whether he’d looked more dangerous playing alongside Kone. |
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Reply | Madsen
at 10:20 23 Oct 2025
Ultimately, you’ve got to take account of the cost of the player, what he could add to the team (potentially) and whether there’s any positive signs to work with that suggest the player can be improved. As poor as he was, I thought there were signs with Madsen last season he could be improved - scored 3 and got a few assists as well. I didn’t see as much with Celar and Santos to suggest they’d reach much higher but also importantly, a midfielder that can pass was something we’ve been crying out for. An immobile striker relying on service, playing in a position we got reinforcements for in the summer and a right back that didn’t show much and was peanuts to purchase isn’t so demanding of patience and developing. We can afford to move them on.
Personality is also important, you only had to hear the blokes interview to understand he’s a thinking footballer with a lot of self doubt so you need to work on that too. Madsen is someone that we needed to trust the management with to get right and think they’ve handled him very well. |
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Reply | Madsen
at 09:55 23 Oct 2025
Yep, he was poor, in a very poor team, clearly struggling and was dropped by the Manager. Came back near the end of the season in a more stable environment and played better. With 30 games under his belt, some decent coaching and support from the management he’s come back strongly this year. Not unheard of for players to be lot better as they get up to speed and adapt to their new environment.
I personally didn’t see a player last season where I felt we should have just put our hands up and said we’ve signed a dud let’s sell him at a big loss and start again. I thought he deserved a bit more time and patience. If he’d been similarly poor at the start of this season with 2s and 3s I’d have reluctantly agreed, time to part ways. But I think harsh to have formed that view after 20 games last season. |
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Reply | Madsen
at 08:48 23 Oct 2025
It’s all fair calling performances out when poor, it’s why we need places like this to vent. But Madsen and countless other players that have come to England for the first time, there seems to be a lack of patience. No acceptance that it could take him time to settle. For you, and others, to basically say we should take a large financial hit (because there was no way we were getting our money back last season) and ‘ged rid’ without trying to develop the player, improve his weaknesses, and show some faith in the lad, was the wrong call and I’d say a fairly harsh judgment.
People want instant success with players and aren’t willing to put the time in to improve their game and develop them. Our fanbase can be quick to judge and as the Madsen case shows, we need to make more allowances for some players and trust our coaching staff a bit more. |
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Reply | Madsen
at 22:39 22 Oct 2025
Maybe not abused but pretty sure it was you (and think you’re more one of the fair minded supporters), said“Madsen is sh*t, we should get rid” or similar after one of his average performances and this was during his first season in English football. So I do think it’s fair to say that he received a lack of backing from the fans.
Think the owner of this website said we should part ways with him after an average performance against Watford on his second game this season , even after putting in a decent performance first game. I’ve always backed him, though got to say not as big on him as some seem to be, but I definitely think he got a rough deal from the crowd and a lack of patience, with nobody believing this was a guy that given time, could adapt. Sign of the times I guess . |
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Reply | the golden generation England debate a
at 17:14 13 Oct 2025
Not sure I agree.
Fantastic individual players, but not a team, not a well balanced side. We talk about the lack of pace at Rangers (until Burrell) but that first 11 (midfield and strikers) isn't mobile or quick. Yes Owen was one of the fastest in his early years but he openly admits post injuries he was in decline and stopped using that part of his game as he was too worried about breaking down. I don't think the 4-4-2 system helped either and we always got 1 or 2 injuries just before a tournament and our squad depth was shown to be lacking with the backups not being anywhere near as good as the options we have now.
The one area where I do agree is the defence, that defence is probably the best we've ever had. |
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Reply | Dembele
at 22:27 4 Oct 2025
There’s a thread under this one on Nic Madsen - a player posters are eating humble pie over and who was referred to as “shit” and one “we should get rid” not long ago, is now being lauded as a success story. No idea if he’ll make it, but at 22 Dembele’s got time on his side and after so few games and injury problems last season, he probably deserves a bit more time. I don’t have any problem with him not making the side, time out may be a good thing, and with Poku coming back I think he’ll find it tough to get back into the team, but he deserves more of a chance than what he’s had to show what he can do. I wasn’t one that wrote Madsen off, would suggest people shouldn’t write Dembele off…just yet. |
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Reply | Stephan stands by team selection after QPR draw and gives Clarke-Salter update
at 10:06 3 Oct 2025
I think decent individual players, terrible team.
I look across the starting 11 and there seemed to be no connections, no decent pairings. You've covered strikers and agree, but then you have Field and Hayden, individually excellent but together two defensive minded, pass backwards or sideways midfielders. Full backs, pretty decent, but naturally more defensive and not comfortable passing forward and receiving the ball under pressure, so made the centre midfield and strikers look even more out their depth. And two centre backs, one whose not able to pass it quickly into the strikers feet.
Swap Hayden for Madsen, Kone for Smyth (Dembele or Kolli off the striker), and I think you'd have seen a much better performance and still been able to rest a fair few of the team. |
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Reply | M40 pile up Witnail and I edition - Qpr vs Oxford Match Thread
at 15:35 2 Oct 2025
Yep, said similar on another thread. I also thought Cook played well, even remember an impressive low fizzed in cross he played, but when defending, his passing at the back was definitely slow with little zip, and he never passes into front players, always sideways. Morrison, I thought was missed because he has the ability to pass through the lines into feet, which also helps our centre mids who aren't always the most comfortable with the ball. |
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Reply | Dembele
at 15:22 2 Oct 2025
At the time we got him and Saito, and that first cameo, I thought we had 2 special players on our hands, and if pushed I was more impressed with Dembele. But I think signing him so early was possibly the wrong move, especially now we have Poku to come back. Vale, Saito, Chair, Poku, Smyth and even Rayan, he does seem vulnerable.
You do wonder if the money we spent on Dembele could have gone towards that ball playing centre mid we're crying out for. A positive is, he does still show glimpses of exciting ability, so there is something there, and he's young, so can certainly improve. [Post edited 2 Oct 15:28]
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Reply | Oxford Utd Reflection
at 12:43 2 Oct 2025
Fair point, but I think our record is one of the worst in the 3rd game of a 3 match game week so if we were able to get a win, that would at least suggest some progress on that front. I'm not confident mind, and think going out all guns blazing last night would have been better option. |
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