 | Forum
Reply | 15th again
at 16:26 2 May 2026
It's sort of right, but really it's only because the results have come in a different order to previous seasons. I've much preferred not sh1tting my pants every weekend for the last three months of the season, but we've still ended up more or less with the same outcome.
If I'm being generous, the positives are that for the first time in aeons we have two proper strikers, each with a Championship season (or part of one) under their belts. We have what could be a proper pairing at centre back as well. And Madsen is obviously a huge positive. Morgan hasn't gone forward but he's got useful minutes. There's something about Bennie, perhaps. Smyth has had the season of his career so far.
The negatives - we need a first choice keeper. We need a new left back. No cover at right back. The injury situation is farcical and has surely contributed to the goals against - you can't be organised defensively with different personnel every week. Varane has been frustrating and if money is offered I'd be taking it. Hayden has also been poor, we could do with a big hairy bloke to smash people about in midfield.
Sort out the keeper and full backs, a few old heads added, maybe Saito gets his mojo back, the kid from Coventry is able to play, all the good things stay good and all the bad things get better... |
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Reply | Let the kids play with freedom (or encourage them to do so)
at 15:26 23 Apr 2026
It's not why any of us turn up but there's something in giving Adamson in particular a couple of cheap games at the end of the season - he immediately has some kind of resale value (assuming he's still under contract) that we can reinvest into some additional bag checkers in Ellerslie Road to form an even bigger human barrier to stop people getting into the ground. |
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Reply | Cook 100 and out
at 21:18 20 Apr 2026
Thought he was done when his foot exploded against Preston. To get 100 games (and 5 goals) out of him over the course of three seasons is probably more than even he expected. Great signing, sad to see him go but seems to be the right decision for all parties. |
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Reply | Friday's referee
at 21:22 3 Apr 2026
Ellerslie Road linesman was the spit of Alex Horne from Taskmaster. Felt like the task was for Watford players to find the most inventive way to pretend to be injured. |
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Reply | Spurs Belivie
at 21:51 22 Mar 2026
Recent-ish ones... Paul Walsh, Terry Fenwick, David Kerslake, Peter Crouch, Luke Young, Big Tom Carroll |
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Reply | Spurs Belivie
at 21:15 22 Mar 2026
Worst day for North London since Amy Winehouse met Blakey |
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Reply | This Season Almost A Replica of The McLaren Season
at 16:51 9 Mar 2026
We've shipped a horrible amount of goals but the goalkeeping situation has been absurd since day 1. Walsh is a competent stand-in but probably shouldn't be a number 1 in the Championship at this stage of his career.
The defence has been a mess... left back has been a disaster... Larkeche gone before the season started, RND a solid signing but dropping off like Nana after Xmas dinner, Esquardinha not at the races but made 15 appearances, started 7 (only one of which we won, at Bristol City). Sam Field when we're really in the sh1t.
Central defence - a mess... Dunne has been fine, the unwanted but turns out quite important Cook, the important but never available Clarke-Salter, the useful but needed Sam Field as a human sacrifice Edwards, Morrison who went backwards and has been returned to Scotland...
Right back? We don't really have one, although Dunne, Edwards and Mbengue have all given it a go.
How often have we put out the same keeper and back 4 in consecutive league games... we managed three games in September (Nardi, Mbengue, RND, Dunne, Morrison) and took 7 points; three in February (Walsh, Cook, RND, Dunne, Edwards) and took 4 points, ending with the horror show at home to Blackburn; then another two straight after (Walsh, Dunne, RND, Mbengue, Edwards) ending with the shellacking at Southampton.
And I think that's it. We've chopped and changed all season, often (but not always) forced to.
Point being, even moderately successful sides have a relatively settled and organised defence. Ours has been chaos all season.
And all of our wingers are injured. And Varane can only pass backwards or straight out of play.
Apart from all that we're doing OK. |
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Reply | Three game week - the modern excuse
at 17:11 1 Mar 2026
Sheff Utd played the same side for the first two games last week, apart from Soumare coming in for the suspended Phillips.
They then made 6 changes for our game. Apparently the keeper was injured, but the other 5 were from choice. Bringing Cannon and Campbell in for Bamford and Hamer, you can't compare the squad depth, it's not remotely close. |
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Reply | This season Vs last - progression
at 22:35 22 Feb 2026
In probably any other season from 19/20 onwards, Chair playing just 11 games (and only completing over an hour in 8 of those games) gets us relegated. |
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Reply | The window that was (and wasn’t) – Preview
at 10:51 6 Feb 2026
I'd genuinely forgotten Pascal Chimbonda. Didn't go away to Millwall or Scunthorpe that season, so only witnessed him for 16 minutes versus Forest. 16 of his 72 minutes for the club. Forever R's? |
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Reply | Boring boring Arsenal
at 15:19 4 Feb 2026
Got hooked at half time against Villa at the start of December for the crime of losing his man in the build up to a goal and has barely featured in the league since. Seems about right, that Arsenal side is a tough watch, not surprised Arteta was gagging to drop him. |
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Reply | January transfer rumours
at 16:42 2 Feb 2026
I like Field a lot but Edwards brings arguably better quality defensive/midfield cover and I presume getting his wages off the books for a few months will help.
Hayden's performance at the weekend might have been the clincher for Field.
Left back cover still a problem though, obvs. |
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Reply | Christian Pullella
at 22:18 28 Jan 2026
On the Aussie flipping theory... there was a Dave Mac article a while back where he was talking about how giving players any first team minutes immediately bumps their value up... Adamson has played 69 minutes across four games so maybe there's something in the strategy, if that's what it is. |
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Reply | Four minutes of injury time
at 14:54 25 Jan 2026
I thought Vale was a revelation in the middle of the park, as I'd hoped he might be, but second half he fell away rapidly and should have been hooked well before he was. His lack of game fitness far more of an issue than Madsen, who was exceptional yesterday and didn't deserve to be on the losing side. |
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Reply | Just back
at 18:17 24 Jan 2026
The ref has absolutely Fredwested us there... Wrexham 12 fouling at every corner and continually hacking at Smyth, no card. Smyth first foul is a card and he has to be subbed to save him from being sent off.
Mbengue, I'm not sure the second yellow was a foul let alone a card, but even if it was, we've got a minimum of 4 minutes added on, and in that time we have a sending off with Mbengue leaving the pitch after an absolute age, followed by two goals, each celebrated like they'd won best actor at the Oscars, with the band striking up to try and get them back so we can restart the game. Whistle blows on 94:47. |
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