Exiled_Rover

Can we not just be glad he's scored a brace today rather than picking up on his faults? We're in the Championship ffs, they're all deeply flawed players, that's why they're at this level.

Nah, he clearly deliberately stood on our GK - doesn't have to be any force behind it for it to be a red.

JDT wants his CMs to be pivots - showing for the ball for the CBs and linking play up. As much as I like Travis, he doesn't have the ball skills to play the position the way JDT wants it played. Wharton absolutely does - he drifts into space to support teammates and lays the ball off wonderfully to link everything up. He's a joy to watch.

Sadly he can't defend, which is why they keep loaning him out to Championship teams despite his obvious quality going forward.

Shit refereeing that - Muniz has deliberately stood on Kaminski there.

How did that work out for Birmingham? I think you mean he needs to be carefully managed so he can be at the centre of our midfield when we're back in the PL.

Are they trying to convert Harlock into a RB?

Looks like JDT hasn't changed a winning team (bar I assume a still not fully fit Gallagher). Obviously this isn't good enough for the growing number of detractors on here.

I gather the unused subs have a training session on the pitch after the game. Probably doesn't want to waste them for 5 mins if they're not going to impact the game.

8 games in a month is insanity and right now he's 3 points off top spot. He's doing alright for mine.

Nothing fortunate about having to play 8-10 games a month after 5 weeks of pre-season training with the players. He's barely got his feet under the table and the ridiculous fixture list has slapped him in the face.

Good job we didn't buy him then isn't it.

Nothing about this post is optimistic.

Who's playing RB / RWB?

Bloody hell, Jim. You've written Tomasson off after 10 matches?!

3 years works for both parties. If he develops like they think he will then when Prem teams come knocking in 12 months time we have some leverage. Conversely if he was just a flat track bully and doesn't develop then we can move on. Hopefully for all concerned it's the former and we can sign him onto a longer contract ourselves as a PL club.

Kompany has spent north of £20m, bringing in 14+ players and been completely allowed to revamp the team. It's not comparable at all. They're also only a couple of points ahead of us after all that.

Nvm

He got his foot on the ball (and actually looked for it) and moved us around the park. It's a team game, he can't run onto his own passes and put the ball in the back of the net too.

Personally I thought Buckley bossed it when he came on. Travis was neutered by that soft yellow card, but didn't play poorly by any stretch of the imagination.

Those cost money. Even Burnley, who've spent north of £20m this transfer window, failed to find a proper striker. It's a problem for everyone in this league.

Brereton gets bullied whenever he plays centrally - he's a big lad, but he's soft. It's why I was desperate for £15m+ for him in August - he drifts out of games at this level.

Well we played 3-4-3 with no CBs that can push on (ala Sheffield Utd at their pomp) and (for 60 minutes) 2 WBs that offer very little going forward. So the midfield was overrun.

Disagree, they had a good 15 minute spell and put the game to bed. Soft first goal, Kaminski's positioning and anticipation has to be questioned for the second. It's the nature of the league - if the players were any good they wouldn't be playing down here. Inconsistency is part of it.

I don't know why he stuck with the same side considering he used no subs on Tuesday. Morton and Dolan, especially, were poor today. Brittain offers far more than Carter going forward too. I'd have started the game with Buckley, Hirst and Brittain for Morton, Dolan and Carter - if he insisted in sticking with the same formation. Ah well, it is what it is. I didn't expect anything special this season, it's going to take some time to repair the damage Mowbray did.