You did have evidence though, you presented it. The last few years in particular are highly indicative. You just don't have proof.

Good point. I hadn't noticed that when I pored over the bench - what occurred to me was that the bench had 3 CBs for some reason (McFadz, Litherland and Pratt), which seemed excessive. Which makes Garrett and especially O'Riordan's absences even more conspicuous.

They're such a weird lot. Did they really think that 'yeh you've only got so many trophies because of this one great trophy you won' was any kind of successful criticism? I mean, obviously it's a great achievement not something we won with a scratchcard, and the whole point of a trophy list is including the trophies you won, and even if you take it away we still have 9 major trophies, which would put us joint 10th instead of just outright 10th.

Worst kind of draw for me. A lesser Prem team but still with a deeper squad of quality than we can muster, so can likely rest players and still field a much stronger side. We can't rest many unless we are fine to exit the cup. Not one of the glamorous sides, so unlikely to attract a big gate, and any casual fans that go get drawn in for a dose are likely to just see us lose. If you do get one of the more glamorous sides away it can be a nice wedge. Basically, they'll probably beat us, and we'll probably have most of our first team giving their all and wearing themselves out at the start of a congested fixture run. There's the prospect of a higher league scalp, sure, but not one of the really rewarding ones. Only get 45% of the gate on what will be a modest crowd. The sold out away end you mentioned probably means more need for policing if it happens. I always want a home game against lower league opponents. More chance of progression, chance to rest knackered players, and the opportunity for some of the younger players to cut their teeth or fringe players to make their case. Course, we managed to balls it up in the EFL Cup against Blackpool, but that shouldn't have happened. Totally agree on the bullshit of the elites robbing lower league teams of life-giving replays just to save themselves a match. Then they turn around and refuse to give decent solidarity down the leagues even though their money pot is creating intense downwards pressure on wages.

Riis' goals record isn't even that good. He is generally a 1 in 4 scorer, with only one season that was much better than that (16 in 44, all the way back in 2021/22). He has also not played more than 26 league games in a season since then (that 26 being this season though, so he should do it this year). Even if we could afford it, which we can't, it would be a fairly risky one.

In theory, this should be exactly the right move. Too good for League 2 (as predicted) and moving to a team in a good position in League 1. Going to a struggling side might not have been productive at this point even if he got games. My main concern though is almost the opposite...Orient are in sizzling form. They've won 7 of their last 8 in the league, 9 of their last 10 in all comps. The other game was a draw. He may have to be patient breaking into their team, as they'll be loathe to change a winning formula. That might allow time for him to lose his momentum and confidence. Early appearances may be off the bench, and with others having played so well presumably of late, he will have to shine to break in, which isn't always easy in 10 minutes or so. They'll be quick to judge (manager and fans) I expect. Ideal scenario of course is he hits the ground running, whether that be off the bench or in starts, otherwise I think he could find it hard going and the loan might not go well. If he can have a similar degree of success to his Chesterfield loan, but in League One, I suspect we might give him another look in the summer, although he will be in his last (extended) year of his deal by then and if he breaks in here we'll be under pressure to get him on a new deal or lose him for free due to his age. If he doesn't do well enough it may be a case of selling him (not for very much I suspect, maybe with a deal mainly based on a sell-on clause).

You know full well Chaddy won't be judging the manager until he has left.

Thanks. Do they hear them in strictly numerical order do you know?

Not what I was offering though. I said everything else being the same until Venkys arriving.

Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by that?

No, still just based on the Nicko story from a couple days ago.

Question - if this was exactly what had happened, ie our time with Venkys was the price for that glorious 94/95 season and triumph - was it worth it? So if you could make it so Venkys never took us over, but also we only finished 2nd or 3rd in 1995 (and every subsequent season before Venkys still turned out exactly the same as it did in reality), would you prefer that, or leave things how they were?

What seems like sarcasm in the early posts aside, they seem very very happy with him. If we can get him a League One team who will play him regularly and aren't struggling every week, I'd certainly try to move him up there. His contract situation means we will probably look to sell him this summer and we won't get much of our investment back if he has only shone in League Two. I don't think he is anywhere near as bad as some do. Personally don't mind him as a squad player, but we have enough of those in his area at the mo, better quality is what's needed. Unless someone gets injured he probably won't be brought back for the first team squad, now or in the summer (well, maybe in the summer if Dolan leaves).

Birmingham have spent quite frankly obscene amounts in League One, so thought I'd check this. 4.1 million euros for Christoph Klarer from the 2. Bundesliga. Played a lot, 21 times in 23 games. A loan of Ben Davies from Rangers. Probably not a cheap loan given his CV and Rangers having paid about 4 mill for him. Although has only played in 15 league matches out of Brum's 23 this season (20 since he signed), so 8 games he wasn't in the way. The left back they signed for 1.2 mill Euros (just over half what they paid for Sanderson a year earlier) from Hearts managed 2 full 90 minutes at CB, more than Sanderson. So someone who plays a diff position and cost half as much has had more game time in his position. As far as I can see that's all they've signed that can play there. It does mean he'd be knocked down the pecking order, but they've signed 2 CBs and he seems to be, at best, 5th (behind the 2 new CBs, the new LB, and whoever got ahead of him in in the pecking order of a side who were relegated, in most of the 8 games none of those players played). So, he played the opening league game of the season, full match. Was suspended for the next one (due to being sent off in the intervening cup match) and since then has only had 2 minutes against Northampton, off the bench. Apart from the aforementioned cup game he got sent off, and one FA Cup game against Blackpool which ever so helpfully cup ties him for us, that's all his game time. Well, that and 3 EFL Trophy games, which I doubt Brum are taking too seriously given their spending and ambition to get back up. He has sat the league bench 7 times, coming off it that once. I'm not seeing that he has been injured. Without looking further into it all, I'd say their signing 2 CBs and a LB seems to have made him about 5th choice. Behind those 3, whoever has played more of the 8 games those 3 didn't play, which I assume is also whoever has kept him off the bench so often. If they normally name 2 CBs (they probably don't, League One has a 7 man bench not 9) he's even further behind. This also suggests he was only the second best CB in a team that shipped 65 goals and got relegated. Which in the interests of fairness, is still 9 less goals than we conceded. They saw him and his partner as enough of an issue against League One attackers to sign two CBs, one of them their second priciest buy in a summer of insane spending. Honestly, the signs here aren't good, if we end up having to call on him in our promotion tilt. We can only hope either we don't have to, or Eustace knows how you get a tune out of him. It's frustrating he's not even available in the FA Cup to give Hyam or Batth a rest and get minutes in his legs. Obviously this may not matter much if we get knocked out, and I'm not sure he'd have played anyway, but if we end up on a run and playing weaker sides than Boro it would have been one way for him to be useful.

Jesus fucking christ, how are we an even lower number than last time? There isn't a cat in hell's chance that case gets seen that low down the pecking order. Venkys are absolute charlatans, but separate to that, the Indian court system is a total joke (including if Venkys have paid someone to put us that low and delay the case again, as that's of course corruption).

It's nearly 15 years since Basturk, and you remember him...

In the sense of being a cheap skate CM signing, sure. But he doesn't seem to have as bad an injury record and given he has played 16 Championship games this season is unlikely to be injured in his first game and out for the season. The bigger problem is it sounds like he is past it and too shit for a relegation side.

We are literally discussing a very strong rumour that Adam Forshaw is imminent, so, whilst I'm not going to play the tedious page guessing game, I'm going to predict it will be a lot sooner than page 234. The first good signing, that's a different story and may not happen at all.

I thought you didn't really trust Nixon and certainly don't take his stories as gospel?

But was there outrage, as the poster suggested for players of this age? No. And some people were enthusiastic due to his CV. I wasn't one of them and doubted the signing due to his age, but for one season he was a solid freebie. Agree the second deal was unwise, especially since, if memory serves, it wasn't signed until he had missed preseason. I think it was after the transfer deadline even?

The best example to use to see whether this is true is Stewart Downing. Came in 2019 just turning 35 and played at times in CM and at times out wide (where pace is more important). No uproar. Some questions asked about whether he still had it (which I'm pretty sure were also asked when we signed Hughes), but I certainly wouldn't say uproar. People had different views on him as with all players, but overall he was deemed to do a pretty good job in that first season by most, when he was an almost ever present playing 41 league games. I think it's clear, it depends on the player not just their age. There'll always be question marks over players of more advanced ages, but no uproar unless they've also been shit in recent years or have abysmal injury records, and some will work out, some won't.

Armstrong is only 5 ft 8.

Leonard to a Championship side on loan would be very stupid, even if we sign another striker. Not only does it reduce our depth in a position we are light, but it would likely go the way of Buckley to Sheff W - at best. Truthfully he'd probably play a lot less than that. If he does go out on loan (after we sign someone else) it has to be League One for regular football. Anywhere else would be a waste of time. Unless the Championship club are buying of course, in which case you'd have to consider fair offers.

I'm not sure we'd even notice that tbh.

What won't? The flexi ticket? It's literally happening.