Groundhog

How many managers down the years have had to work with fuck-all and stuck at it? Ex-players like Lambert only seem to care about their reputation, not our league position. I've been a manager and hated some of the places I've worked, in total disagreement with those in charge, but I never threw my toys out of the pram leaving my team in the shit. I totally understand his reasons and the whole goal-post shift, but he needs to be careful, he'll struggle to get jobs if he is so outspoken. Who's he doing it for? His own pride, the fans? We'll have nothing left if he walks. We love it how he's clearly speaking out at Waggott, the bus jibes, his want for players - but what is it achieving? No wonder the squad look like they've downed tools. I'd rather he concentrated on making us hard to score against first, maybe coach a few set pieces himself perhaps. Like someone else said, it's not as if we can gain anything from how frank he's being, they'll make him sign an NDA. He can never tell us the whole story anyway.

Give your head a wobble, stay in your job and keep us up. Fuck the project.

If he leaves now, he's lost a lot of respect from me. No matter how hard done by you feel, stick with it until the end of the season, you've just signed your fabled striker and some experience, better than most cash-strapped clubs, you love the fans or so you say - keep us up and walk head held high, then stick the boot into the owners and CEO on the way out, NDA depending. He's just another moody ex-pro throwing his toys out of the pram. Yeah, we're all fucked off by the Venky's, but do your job for the squad you have. If he's upset at Wharton leaving, has he been living under a rock? Maybe the reason why we've been shipping so many goals is we're hedging all our bets on a 19 year old kid who is/was still learning to deal with the physicalities of the league. Poor management for me that. Some people think it's great he "tells it like it is" and that he's not afraid to upset the apple cart, I think it creates issues within the squad and is irresponsible - a manager is meant to protect the players, not constantly undermine them. I have a soft spot for him as he's brought some identity back to the club, the cup runs, his charisma, and I'd love him in a world of no consequences or reactions to spill the beans, but come on, the man is arrogant, you can see that by the way he refuses to change the way we play even when we're clearly under the cosh and regardless of the opposition. A sad day if true all round.

No - that's your opinion presented in a slightly milder manner, and a lot, lot different than people writing the players off before a ball is kicked. I would say that "what did you expect?" Where you expecting to be overwhelmed? I doubt it. To play devil's advocate, the grass is always greener, and there'll be a lot of club's envious at our business. I know the club is at an all-time low, but christ no need to kick it down further. Again, save your ire for the fact our ticketing strategy is a mess, the ground is falling apart, the CEO is obsessed with a bus and we are always a few weeks away from total financial oblivion.

I was responding to some saying "Fleck is the only good signing." which is a separate issue altogether. In the circumstances you've got to hold onto something. Some of the negativity is totally OTT and uncalled for. Venting like this actually encourages the apathy that is destroying the club, if some of this anger was bottled and let out on matchdays we might be able to force these cretins out. Bashing the new players arriving into the club is not the "constructive argument" you refer to.

Yeah, well done mate, focusing on one transfer plus the usual media spiel that you have to put out. Doesn't support an argument in any form. It could have come off, it was a free - you could bring up Hirst as well, Ipswich fans seem to love him? Ennis might not have fit here, JDT seemed to dislike him from the offer. Might do well for Stoke, who knows? That's football.

If we're going to be negative, you're right Fleck is not the best of our signings this window, he's now injury prone BUT maybe, just maybe, he's been brought in to have a word in Garrett's ear when we're 1-0 with 5 mins to go on Saturday... I don't know...people need to see the bigger picture. It's not a computer game, we need to shape a squad and provide some balance for our youth. If Fleck's experience gains us 3 points more this season, it could be vital.

What a shit post. Go back to bed. Take your negativity somewhere else. God help us if the players read shit like this. Board is full of it. I despise Venkys and our CEO as much as the next person, but this stuff is uncalled for. People hating on Gregg, he's bound by some severe restrictions and is as frustrated as us I can imagine, people want a scapegoat - he should not be the subject of your ire.

Read this on the Oatcake Forum last night, as was fascinated to see their reaction: "I work at Blackburn Rovers so have seen him all this season.... Well I've actually barely seen him because he never gets a game. Overweight in pre-season, couldn't stay fit, injured every game, poor footballer in general and I don't think he's even bothered one bit. Not happy with this at all." The second to last line, if true is pretty damning. If anyone knows about a striker it's JDT, and the fact Jon mentioned his lack of fitness publicly pre-season is so telling. I really wanted him to succeed, he showed glimmers, put it down to rustiness, but there's no excuse for a bad attitude. Watch him score a hatful for Stoke now under his old boss, maybe he needs that...

Don't usually watch anything from this channel, find it hard to stomach and sensationalist, but he's on the money here, I think we all feel his rage: https://youtu.be/A8fSVFut220?si=_CfDCKIlNZ1W17Ui

Is it heck, 20 lads shouting Venky's out, apathy has set in. Our fanbase don't know how to protest en masse, just don't have the amount of mobilised hard-core to make any impact. Go on the Burnley forums and you'll see a mirror held up to how pathetic it all looks.

Feel for him, why? He'd have come over anyway regardless of who signs him. I'd love a trip abroad now and be put up in a nice hotel. He's potentially going to sign for 3+ English clubs all desperate for his signature, developing his career to the next level, levels of financial income we can only dream of. I know it's relative but still... I bet this stuff happens all the time, in fact it does, and always has done, we just live an age where we can have instant updates and access 24/7. Imagine the ins and outs in deals 20-30 years ago. Nothing new, except the way we consume this info.

Already happening

That would be hilarious if it wasn't about to come true 😂

Probably last minute confusion from Palace as to what "10x balm cakes per week, some new alloys for my fiesta and GTA V with two controllers" means

Wins the internet for today does this 👏

I feel the same about Gally, but for me last night and against Huddersfield in part, is why we need him, or someone like him, I think the tackle on the defender to setup Tronstadt for the 4th was everything we've been missing in recent weeks. His presence alone keeps at least one defender on their toes. It's EXACTLY like in WWII when the Germans kept the Tirpitz in Norway, the Allies had to allocate forces there just in case, using up valuable resources and threatening our shipping lanes. He's a fleet in being. Exactly like it. I need another coffee.

With new owners who could actually implement creative ticketing solutions as well as restoring some pride/identity then I think we'd see more fans return, even if that meant dropping down after administration.

Carter was pulling his shirt was madness but Armstrong made such a meal of it. They're a mardy lot this lot.

How their lad didn't get booked for that foul on Wharton, on the edge of the D, about to shoot, he was late and it was cynical. it's insane. Refs are a joke. Moran gets booked for a shirt pull. Yes we're struggling, and under the cosh. Saints are bound to score, but we're fighting and I'm proud of our showing so far, considering the side we've got out.

Why did Hill not put his foot through it though? Played it back into the middle for Tronstadt, who was on the edge of the D, with 3 Saints players around him. Madness.

Thanks for capturing that and going to the trouble of sharing it - that was the highlight of the game for me, it was just beautiful to watch, had people off their feet in the Riverside.

It's amazing the influence Pep's pass-it-out tika taka tactics have had on the game from top to bottom. He basically pioneers a way of playing, all the little English clubs lap it up and make their own bargain basement copy, then proceed to give the ball back to City at every opportunity high up the pitch, making it easier for them to win games. Talk about Stockholm Syndrome. I totally agree with the OP on standards - keepers used to catch it and launch it. You got the odd sweeper keeper, or an eccentric Grobbelaar character occasionally. Across the board, right down to the lower leagues, every keeper nowadays is punching with a wet fish slap straight to a forward, and they all have to be players of the ball who can start attacks from their own 6 yard box. It's mad.

Was thinking on the way home last night, trying to keep my brain warm: If/when Gallagher is back - does he walk straight into the team? Where would you play him if so?

The great thing about Leonard is that he moves around a lot, seems to have a natural instinct to make clever runs, run the channels, get the other side of his man etc - he does remind me of Rhodes as another poster pointed out. If he can build on that with strength and more nous in front of a goal then all the better. Rovers are desperate for someone to aim at, an "out ball", and once he gets up to speed with the daily grind of the Championship he'll be a real asset.