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Reply | Making an Appearance
at 09:20 4 Feb 2026
They know what they’re doing in there. Quickest serving in Shepherd’s Bush. |
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Reply | March matches moved by Sky
at 09:18 4 Feb 2026
That would be so annoying, and will mean I can’t go. Would have been helpful to know this a couple of weeks back. |
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Reply | Making an Appearance
at 19:20 3 Feb 2026
It is miles better than The White Horse, but don’t tell everyone. It’s often busy enough as it is. |
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Reply | Field to Norwich
at 18:24 3 Feb 2026
We may have Hayden. Was his deal not a short term contract? And he’s 31 in a couple of months, so won’t be here ages. Smyth has also had rumours around being sold, although I wouldn’t remotely put him in the same category as Field. Chair is a good shout.
There will be some left, but we’ll be losing two big leaders in the dressing room. And I wouldn’t say we’re bursting at the seams with them. |
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Reply | Dembele and Obikwu out for Charlton game
at 16:10 3 Feb 2026
Both the training ground groundsmen and the Loftus Road groundsmen (and sub contractors) report to one “Head of Sporting Operations” who has a background in cycling fitness. He oversees everything regards maximising our performance.
I know I keep flagging this, but it seems utterly mind boggling to me that the areas failing the most at present seem to report to him, and that his background does not appear to qualify him for the role he is in, at a football club.
It feels the most obvious role/area for attention at the club.
I expect the club to tell us all why this thinking is entirely mistaken and he’s actually one of the best in the league though… |
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Reply | Field to Norwich
at 15:58 3 Feb 2026
The reality is, we have a CEO/DOF who loves playing “Football Manager” (a reference to the PC game, all, not team selection) and has openly communicated our strategy of Player Trading, so he will want to be bringing in and moving on as many players as he can. We also have a Head Coach who, for whatever reason, took against Sam Field. And, finally, because of the Player Trading and all the spending we have done, we need money in through the door or salaries off our books.
Those three things together created this move. I don’t think longer term thinking around culture, around squad balance, around a strategy of creating an environment into which to blood the young, high potential players so they succeed as best they can was really considered. It is a shorter term focus, IMO. If it wasn’t, the DOF and HC would have been discussing the situation and getting him more game time (not going up or down), so he could step in next season when Varane is sold and the new “young, high potential” signing needs a season to bed in. And by giving him more minutes season to date, he wouldn’t have wanted to go somewhere else to play football. There were ample opportunities to rest/drop Varane and play Field.
It might be the right call (I don’t think it is - but I could be wrong) but I really don’t think we’re half as strategic as some think. We are Player Trading. We’re spending money - lots of it. We want players who we think we can sell for more. And if the Head Coach doesn’t want to play you, you’re dead weight best thrown overboard, ideally for some cash.
It’s short term thinking, data-led wheeler dealing, with an overarching model termed Player Trading as the label.
I agree with Player Trading, but would prefer a tad more balance in approach and a tad more long term thinking. All squads need Cooks, Fields, Dunnes. We likely will only have one of them next season…that feels a gamble and short sighted. |
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Reply | Field to Norwich
at 19:51 2 Feb 2026
£6m of player sales a year to net out on what we have already spent an amortised. More if we want to continue to spend over the next couple of seasons.
I think it’s a real shame to let Field go.
Fantastic servant to the club. Kept the club afloat during that disastrous Beale-Critchley-Ainsworth season when every around him was sitting down lame. Burnley away winner kept us up.
The season and a half before, he was a big part of that play off push and phenomenal calendar year we had under Warburton.
Then he was at the heart of the Cifuentes side that miraculously stayed up. Important goals in the run in against WBA (2), Leeds and Plymouth. Started the last 10 games.
Always available. Always worked hard. Never hid. Never stopped running. And some of the best performances over the prior 4 seasons were with him at the core of the side, somewhat undermining the idea we couldn’t play good football with him in the side. Warburton and Cifuentes managed it.
Overall though, I just don’t like seeing characters like his leave the dressing room. Cook will almost certainly leave at the end of the season too. Losing both worries me.
And assuming we will only get a couple of million for him, we’re still going to need to sell. Varane for 4-5m seems the obvious candidate. Perhaps we might get an offer for Madsen we can’t turn down.
But if either went, with Hayden turning 32, I think, we’ll need to sign another two central midfielders. Good ones cost. No guarantees we sign well or that they don’t need a whole season to bed in. Keeping Field would have made that transition much easier.
I think it’s the wrong decision strategically and culturally, and doesn’t solve the financial requirements.
All that said, if it’s done, it’s done. Good luck to him. Should always get a good reception back at LR. Players’ Player of the Year, Fans’ Player of the Year (different seasons). A really good servant. But we move on. [Post edited 2 Feb 22:37]
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Reply | Rest of the Championship thread 25/26
at 22:07 31 Jan 2026
I think they’re waiting to see what impact a certain points deduction would have. A 12 point deduction puts them in the relegation zone.
Watch them wait and then award a deduction that has no material impact, just moves them down to 19th or something. |
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Reply | Harvey Vale
at 21:29 31 Jan 2026
Exactly. But he had a crucial hand in both goals today, which is great to see. |
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Reply | Coventry Reflection
at 21:23 31 Jan 2026
There is something a bit classy about Vale. He has had some dreadful games. And he isn’t the most athletic, but he can see and execute a pass and he has a great shot on him. I have had a feeling go a while that could be Madsen’s back up, either when Burrell is back or Chair is to a lot into that 10 role.
Was it a traditional 4231 today, or more of a 4411, with Vale off Kone? Be good to know as I couldn’t make it.
With Charlton and Blackburn up next, there is genuine potential for 6 points, which would put us on the cusp of the play offs before our tough run in begins. But that gives us something to play for and changes the dynamics of those tougher games. |
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Reply | Sent to Coventry (hopefully not again) QPR vs Coventry Match Thread
at 21:19 31 Jan 2026
Interesting! That tells me Stephan wants to stick with Cook and Dunne at centre half, and that’s why Edwards hadn’t played yet. Might intimate wasn’t that fussed about signing him, but let’s park that.
Great win. You have to hand it to Steve Cook. I know he’s playing for a last contract somewhere, but he’s been very good for quite a few games now. He’s played himself into Stephan’s first choice centre half pairing, hasn’t he?
Sounds like Madsen’s rebirth continues apace. Like you, one of his biggest critics last season, but what a turnaround. Fair play to him. Sounds like he was superb again.
Kone’s return to form is the most important thing all round though. For the run in, for his value, for the rest of the side. |
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Reply | Sent to Coventry (hopefully not again) QPR vs Coventry Match Thread
at 20:53 31 Jan 2026
Couldn’t make it today. Great to hear about the performance, Mart. It sounds like, and looked from the highlights like, Kone was back to his best today. That is great to hear.
How were Cook and Edwards at centre half, and Dunne at right back? Did it work? |
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Reply | Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary
at 09:19 31 Jan 2026
You’re right in terms of what the more sustainable, sensible long term approach is.
And you’re right that there are more expensively assembled squads in the league, most obviously the parachute teams.
And you’re right that some other non-parachute clubs have been spending, most notably the Hollywood duo of Brum and Wrexham.
But don’t mistake us for some pauper. We have spent a lot of money on transfer fees the past 18 months (some £25m). And all these players aren’t joining us for pennies. We are paying serious salaries too. I think this will become very apparent in the accounts for this season released in March 2027. The accounts released soon for last season will be interesting, but I expect them to look okay. It’s this season where we’ve really started to try to compete financially. Poku and Kone signed for us over others, and you’d have to be a little naive to think it’s anything other than salary as the main driving force behind that.
We’re not really much different these past two seasons to the middle of the pack in the league on spend, such as Derby, Millwall, Bristol City, Watford, Stoke, West Brom, Hull, Swansea, Boro even. And there are the likes of Preston, Pompey, Oxford, who’ve spent less.
We don’t have a god given right to be top half or super competitive on our spend. But, it’s certainly not an excuse not to be. [Post edited 31 Jan 10:09]
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Reply | Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary
at 08:59 31 Jan 2026
Didn’t they change the catering contractor at the end of last season? Or did they run an RFP and keep the exiting provider? Anyone remember? I’m sure they went to market. I remember Nourry referencing this in an answer saying how the catering side of things would improve as a result of the exercise. |
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Reply | Rest of the Championship thread 25/26
at 21:40 30 Jan 2026
Can anyone explain to me how Derby have built such a good squad, with so much attacking depth, so quickly? Where does their money come from?
At the end of the summer, after they signed Carlton Morris, I had a small dabble in the handicap market on them, so thought they’d go well as a surprise package, but they look electric here.
Eustace…oh my, what a missed opportunity for this club. |
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