bluebruce

He was crap on Saturday. He's done well so far today. Abysmal from Samuel there.

William's has had Samuel in his pocket. Left back who was in our academy...would have him starting for us today.

Holtby playing well. Just crossed my mind, will our Walton even prove to be the best goalkeeper on the pitch whose name is Walton today?

We look crap without Lenihan and Travis, and Bennett at LB. Holes appearing everywhere.

Travis' missus gone into labour. Never understood this one personally in high level football, but then again I have no kids. I know it's a momentous moment but if we did miss out on the playoffs by a point we lost today from Mulgrew dropping a bollock, if I were Lenihan I'd then be questioning if I had really done the right thing for my family. But maybe I'm odd.

Why are there four strikers on the bench? Why is Bennett at left back again? Oh dear, Mulgrew is playing. Not optimistic if I'm honest. If Bennett must play, swap him and Downing around.

3 promotions from League Two trumps being a regular, and even regular goalscorer, in the Championship? What are you smoking today Sparks? You normally talk a lot more sense than that. Let's go see who has a bunch of promotions from Conference North and sign them up eh? Come on you can do better than that. Pretty sure Wharton would give his right arm to be in the position that Armstrong, Travis and Nyambe are in. Not to mention they all had a promotion from League One. And to be clear, I wouldn't mind giving Wharton a shot as a 3rd or 4th choice CB next season if he's deemed up to it. CBs do mature later as has been said. I'm actually amazed he hasn't ended up loaned to a League One side yet.

Others seem to have interpreted this as 'not tall enough'. But this isn't the case, and it isn't new information either. TM has repeatedly talked about him not being broad enough in the chest etc, in public. He wants him to get stronger, basically. The problem for me with Wharton is he hasn't really been tested at the level below ours. This is why I was annoyed to see him go on loan to League Two again. We are asking him to jump two tiers to be in our squad. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it makes it that much of a harder decision to make.

You're listing things we need, and I agree we need them. In general. Those are the areas we are weak. But what I'm saying is we are only 4 points off the playoffs. Assuming a similar next season, all we would really need to improve to bridge the gap is the positions I mentioned. If we improved well in all the areas you mentioned before, with up to 10 players of the standard we would all want, we'd be more like challenging for auto promotion or even the title. The margins in this league aren't that big.

If we had a good, consistent goalie this season, we would currently be sitting in a playoff spot. So I don't buy that. We need a good goalie as above, a centre half at least as good as Tosin, solid backup for them, and a good left back. If we got that and didn't lose key players then logically we should be able to mount an effective playoff push. Injuries permitting. We could certainly use a few more players for comfort and in case of injuries and suspensions, but it isn't as drastic as you say. If it was as drastic as you say, we would probably be in a relegation fight now. A manager who can pick the right players in the right positions would be a huge boost too...

Dack would be the one, not Nyambe. I really don't want to lose Dack but we don't know how well he will recover, can get the most for him (though possibly not until he has shown he still has it) and have shown we can cope without him. He's also a fair bit older. We will get our trousers pulled down for Nyambe just like we did for Raya, O'Connell and Cairney. What I see as his real value is a lot less than the deal we will get, unless we are lucky enough for Prem sides to bid, and maybe even then. What we need to do is get him on a proper deal, like we were too stupid to do last time. His current deal may have a 1 year extension in our favour though, we are big on those these days.

Yes it was a dire decision, and I'm not saying it just with hindsight. I made posts on here to that effect at the time.

No, that's a shit fee, and yet probably the type we would end up with.

So he had it longer ago than Bennett, and yet Bennett has subsequently put in two full 90 minute appearances whilst Arma has only come off the bench twice?

Guess they haven't realised how much of a soft touch TM is. If he deals with reporters the way he deals with players, you could totally embarrass him and be first pick for asking questions next week.

No, you'll notice I never mentioned Bennett. I'm saying we have other players who can play there more effectively than Bennett or Mulgrew. Even amongst the ones who are actually fit at the moment, I'd have Downing or even try Lewis Thompson before either Mulgrew or Bennett played LB.

Agree that Holtby did fine, but Rothwell control the middle of the pitch? He wasn't even controlling himself. Needs to learn when to make his runs and when he's just running into a brick wall. Then he could be a hell of a player.

Jesus, not his fault but what are the man's bones made of?

Because he is dog slow and has no positional sense. Bennett needs to not be at left back, but we have plenty of better options there than Mulgrew.

Bennett having to just turn back and play it off to someone behind or inside when he is far up the pitch, because, shock, he isn't left footed.

Bennett was alright last week. Woeful this week. Gally was clumsy last week but at least was a nuisance. Ineffective and still clumsy this week. Travis the only player having a great game.

Results can always go any way, at all times. I wasn't saying it can't be won, I'm saying it's not in the 'really should be winning' category, which the term winnable implies. All games are technically winnable. The form guide was messed with by the break, for sure. And if Wigan had lost their last outing I wouldn't be putting much store in their previous form. But they won with a clean sheet again, and I suspect this restores their state of mind to being in that run of form. Wigan were also unlucky in a lot of games when their form was poorer. It's unlikely to be a walk in the park today.

All games are winnable but this one is a lot tougher than the table is telling us. Have you not seen their form? 4 wins and a draw in the last 5, with 5 straight clean sheets! 21 points from the last 30. I'd say that, and our poor record at the DW, and the way last time we beat Bristol then played Wigan saw our form collapse, the way we could get into the playoffs for the first time today...does make this a very important game, but certainly not easy. Minor derby element too.

No, no he is an utter liability there. Feels like some people have forgotten because of his better performances at CB, but he really is an utter liability at LB. He was responsible for so many goals playing there last season it was ludicrous. I dreaded seeing him on the team sheet more than anyone else back then. At least Mulgrew scored a lot of goals.

It shows his class. I don't believe the club should spend actual money for him to show his class. I don't buy the morale angle when it comes to peripheral man Sam Hart, who has mostly been loaned out in his time here. TM's brief is to look after the team, sure, but Waggott should be putting the brakes on pointless deals as his brief is to look after the club itself. We all know why he won't.