He's definitely feeling the love in this photo!!

If it happens, you just have!!

Re Hyam - silly boy really, looking at replays. Needs a talking to, whether or not it gets retrospective assessment (can it be? Not sure if ref blew up or not). Dennis - first challenge directly in front of me; was late & painful, but low & clearly an attempt to get the ball. Yellow fair enough imo. His 2nd yellow was too far for ne to see clearly, but both players went in high in an honest attempt at the ball. Arguably unlucky, but can see why it was given. Not covering himself in glory so far isn't Dennis, tbf, but could still be an asset. Yuki - looked v close to being a pen, but I guess those go either way. Goal - again looked close, angle not good for me to know for sure & replays I've seen inconclusive. Felt like a winner though! Nunez - could easily have had 2 yellows himself for 2 hefty challenges in succession; didn't even get 1!! Overall - take the point & move on. Keeps Norwich at arms length. We've got 3 massive games to vome before the break 6 points or more is imperative imo.

Without wanting to join the ITK club(!), one massive issue with Gueye is his confidence having grown & it's abundantly clear how settling in has helped that happen. I used to work with the fella who has been hired by the club in the last few months to teach Gueye & Yuki to speak & understand English. He says both of them are lovely fellas & that their enthusiasm is genuine and that both their grins are infectious, but also that they are keen & quick learners. I sent him the video of Gueye's recent interview & he was well chuffed with how Gueye comes across in that. We can only hope that the more he learns the language, & he and his family get settled in to England, the more improved & consistent performer in him will continue to emerge.

Let Boro have Boateng, he's one of their ex players!!

It was a really solid, professional performance yesterday against an in-form side with their tails up. We didn't panic (aside from the Forshaw backpass at 0-0 & a Pearsism at 1-0), kept our shape & widened the pitch more, mixed up short & long balls, & were able to up the tempo 2nd half which Plymouth couldn't cope with. I thought Forshaw & Travis worked well together. In fact, I think me & Travis would play well together, which is a mark of how good Travis has become because tronstad, Buckley & Forshaw all look better next to him. Ribeiro looks great, a proper swashbuckling up n downer, love him already. Samderson looked decent but wasn't really pressured. Kargbo looks a real live wire & has pace to burn. Gueye was quiet but still had influence, Dolan was electric 2nd half & unlucky not to get MoM. Everyone else was solid 7s bar ACD, who had some good moments but looks a little lost at this level generally. Hats off to David Lowe in particular. He's clearly respected by his fellow coaches & the players & now I think the wider fanbase can see why. His under-the-radar persona led many to wonder what purpose he serves, which in turn fed into unfounded criticism. The same applies to Benson in many ways. I'm really pleased for Lowe that his stock amongst the fans has sky rocketed & I hope it leads his detractors to think twice about casting unfounded aspersions & his, & others' value behind the scenes.

I don't think we should be looking at just a short term appointment, but getting a longer term successor will be harder of course. I get the rationale given where we are in the table at this time of the season, and agree we don't want someone coming in & changing things drastically. But having a short term vision is what's put the club in the disastrous shambles behind the scenes as it is. If this shitshow has done anything positive (besides hopefully galvanise the players in adversity), it's shone a light back onto how badly run the club is in the eyes of the outside world, with most comments this last week being along the lines of how crap must it have been for Eustace to do his job here day to day to cause him to jump ship like he has, a move which is pretty much unheard of. I'd hope (maybe forlornly) that makes one of SW or SP to sit up & take notice, realise that for the benefit of their boss's reputation (and therefore their own comfy existence) they need to up their game in terms of day to day ops, structure, financing etc. order to attract the best candidate for the short, medium & long term & to actually follow through by not treating the next incumbent like shite, marginalising them in terms of recruitment & moving the goalposts. It's the hope that kills. So far as candidates are concerned, I'd be happy (or at least content) with either Carsley, Allardyce, Cooper or O'Neill. Gerrard would be a big gamble, as would Challinor & Wicky. Absolutely no to Rob Edwards (flash in the pan), Wellens (poor in all but one job), Rooney (obvs) or Boateng (no experience). I'm almost certain it'll end up being none of the above!!!

Lowe clearly making a point re poor recruitment in support of Eustace by not picking any of the new signings apart from Ribiero, & that only cos Beck is injured.

Bit in bold sounds familiar... save for it was the lack of VAR that did for us on Sunday!

But if he did that, he'd just get labelled a "yes man", or a "Venkys stooge / sympathiser", & "willing to put up with their nonsense in order just to feather his own nest" a la Mowbray

But he gets airtime, and some folk will believe what he says. It all adds to the skewed narrative that Venkys aren't the problem.

As a slight aside, I heard Clinton Morrison on the radio last night say, "but when a club like Derby County come along, it's hard to say no." I mean, wtf??? I'm old enough to remember the playoffs when it was us v Derby, and also Jack Walker v Lionel Pickering. Who, I hear many say? Exactly. He was their version of Jack at the time, but Jack swotted him away & he was barely heard of outside of Derby again. Now they're poaching our manager. That's what Venky's have reduced us to & I will never, ever forgive or forget how they've trashed Jack's legacy.

He'll probably lose more than that in his pay off from Leicester.

That may be true, but the whole point is that up until January 1st we had been deeply ensconced in the top 6 most of the season, with a reasonable gap to 7th & below &/or with very winnable fixtures to come, only for the club to the fail to support Eustace with proper fresh investment (both in terms of cost & timing) in January to enable him to properly rest & rotate those who were ailing from having played too much football due to the squad depth being shallower than the sea at Southport. All whilst we've had >£35m added to the coffers, during a period when there's "no impediment to the owners continuing to fund the club". Most commentators in football feel JE has worked wonders in the circumstances, and I think most people who know the game properly and who understand the background at this club, think it's all stinky bollocks. Because it is.

That's 3 things.... but I agree with your overall point!!