Cunningham is good going forward and also technically good, has a good cross on him too. Bell is just as bad going forward as he is at defending, I dont think hes ever assisted a goal in god knows how many Championship games, on the rare occasions when he gets near the opposition box without turning back, he spoons his cross well over the bar. Of course, Cunningham can also defend very well which has to be the main priority from a full back. He would be ideal because it would mean that both full backs can defend because if we leave it down to our 2 centre backs, we will concede regardless of how good a signing Ayala proves to be.

I agree that an immediate refund isnt a necessary option. However, I dont get how you could argue that carrying the money over shouldnt be mandatory, and indeed to be fair, it is something that Rovers are doing. Preston are presumably concentrating on the long game in terms of keeping fans happy by offering all options. You cant offer no alternative of a refund, but a deferred one keeps the cash flow intact and partially guarantees season ticket holders next season too. Rovers approach has had many areas of criticism, communication, advertising policy, timing of release and definitely price, but the actual structure of the season tickets are at least something that Waggott got right.

Everything is relative. There is plenty of positivity too, some maybe over the top but understandable, but it isnt 100% doom as some portray, but we shouldnt just be content and not harbour expectations and judgements just on the basis that we arent a Bolton or as much of an instable mess as we have been in the past 10 years. If you are grateful for that then surely the results are immaterial as long as everything remains calm. Its good that we are at least desperate to push on.

I thought you only cared about transfers?

Fair enough, the accounts very much indicate that it is his salary.

Just interested enough to deny it in an attempt to defend him and the club until the inevitable tangent that comes when you receive more information (that apparently you already know) that essentially proves otherwise.

@chaddyrovers the accounts show that there are 4 directors, Waggott, Cheston, Gandhi Babu and Coar. The previous accounts show the same 4 directors but Waggott was only employed by the club for 6 of the 12 months here. The highest paid director was paid £319,329 in the latest accounts, and the highest director remuneration was £144,448 in the previous year, so just under half. Baring in mind that Waggott is the CEO and the highest director payment doubled and the only change in the 4 directors was Waggott being here for 12 months rather than 6, it is safe to say that Waggott is definitely the person who received the £319,329.

Yeah the price was an absolute crazy decision on two different levels. People focus on the morality of it, how its treating fans etc but to be honest, I can understand a CEO with no emotional ties to the club treating supporters as customers, the problem is his current strategy or indeed any of his strategies lack any business sense, and he isnt learning. As you say, there is reduced demand, and I think he underappreciates that there is some elasticity in the price when he tries to cash in on the hardcore. As I said yesterday, even without factoring in the long term ramifications of losing fans, you put the price up from £350 to £400 and one fan refusing out of principle would need 7 other people to buy a season ticket to compensate and get that missing income back. Its about perception too. If they had say put the prices down £50 rather than up £50, undoubtedly people would have been more willing to help out, when even in the worst case scenario, which seems to be playing out, all that would have technically happened is that the deposit of deferred income would be smaller on next years season ticket. At the very minimum, it had to be a price freeze. There is a balance between maximising quantity by keeping prices low, and getting the most from each individual season ticket by charging high prices, there is somewhere in the middle where you get the optimum balance and Waggott always tries to achieve the latter and messes it up. I maintained throughout when people defending the club for waiting (the lack of communication amidst was salt in the wounds) to see what the service was that they could offer made no sense because they would never know. That was proved correct when they released season tickets thinking that fans could come back, a week later and it seems like the majority of the seasons is behind closed doors. You mention Bolton, but they have far outsold us, partially because they have loads more time for people to buy season tickets. We had to bring them out sooner. That risk of the uncertainty of the service would have always existed.

I would say that offering immediate refunds is going above and beyond to be fair, brilliant by Preston to their fans but not an expectation I would even have as a fan, I actually think that our package is correct, it eliminates the risk of getting nothing from the season ticket money, as fans know that with the risk they take, even if all season is behind closed doors, the ifollow links make up part of the remuneration and the refund element is deferred, which helps the clubs cash flow and also sort of guarantees season tickets for next year aswell. The problems are the continued lack of communication, the late release (the fact that the club wanted to wait to "see what they were selling" was always a load of bollocks due to the fluidity of the pandemic, a week after release and everything spins on its head again, there was always a chance of that) and of course most importantly the totally unnecessary and ill timed price rise wrapped in guilt tripping.

Ultimately we will see who he brings in, I suppose that is the only thing that really matters. If Bell is left back for most of the season then we are in trouble.

Yeah I would have huge reservations about Dack being too deep in terms of offering his goal threat. I dont have particular reservations about his work rate and I think he suits the press and has the technical ability but the closer he is to goal, the better. I can see the potential benefit of playing Dack central and Armstrong left. Armstrong wouldnt be wide as he was in a 4-2-3-1, he would be much closer to goal and because of the third midfielder, he wouldnt have much defensive responsibility. Also Dack (who is a better poacher than Armstrong) would naturally move and would seldom go in behind which would constantly leave space for Armstrong to run in instead from that left side which he does anyway. Armstrong would I think enjoy the added quality Dack brings too, and vice versa. That being said, it potentially has both players slightly compromised especially as Dack as a false 9 didnt work last time.

The main reason why Dack's goal input wasnt missed in terms of points was that Armstrong started scoring goals at a similar rate, but I dont think that there is a reason why both cant score regularly together. Also of course, we picked up more points during that time with our defence looking stronger with Adarabioyo next to Lenihan too. They have never really played together centrally and ultimately Dack has never played within a team that is trying to play football. I have seen suggestions that he wont be as effective without Graham but Dack is technically very good, he can press and obviously he can finish, if anything playing more on the ground might suit him. Obviously if there is no scope to move away from the 4-3-3, then there might be an element of compromise in terms of the positions of our main 2 attackers, but I think Dack's importance and quality is on par with Armstrong and its easy to forget how good he is. Ultimately it makes sense to do all we can to get them 2 working in the same team because compared to all of our other attackers, Brereton, Gallagher, Chapman, Rankin Costello, Dolan, Rothwell etc, those 2 are in a league of their own, they are not only far more productive than them but they are more productive than the majority of attackers in the league. I think 4-2-3-1 will probably be best just because you have to play to suit your best players. But if we kept the 4-3-3, the options are Dack wide which for me should be instantly discarded. Armstrong from the left and Dack as a false 9, sceptical about that, I think Armstrong could potentially still be very effective and wouldnt have much defensive responsibility in that system. Or you could try Dack where Rothwell played last time, Dack is obviously far more productive than Rothwell although the main fear would be that he would be too deep. I think its a bit of a myth that we are playing better without him, the results dont suggest we are but we have to move heaven and earth to build the team to get both Armstrong and Dack together.

He will do well to find a player less capable than Bell.

As ever, he is seemingly "hoping" on the transfer front without being actually told. Im sure he will get full clarity after the window is over.

He had an open net v Doncaster, put it wide. He had a speculative shot v Newcastle that was saved. He had a brilliant chance that he failed to control properly at the end v Newcastle. And he ran through v Wycombe but tamely hit a shot at the keeper. But he doesnt get himself into goalscoring positions enough, it was infuriating watching him v Newcastle not running into the box when we had the ball in attacking positions.

Last season, it felt like it was simply a case of just getting the fixtures done as a short term fix as you say to get the season done. Agree with that. Even if he has got financial targets to meet, thats my issue, not even on a moral view, from a business perspective, he keeps getting it wrong. I know this is oversimplifying it but say that one person refuses to buy out of principle of a price rise from £350 to £400, or even because that rise puts it out of their reach. To make up for that £350 that could have been gained had the prices been kept constant, Waggott would need to sell 7 season tickets at the elevated price just to cover that one missed sale. That doesnt even factor in the fact that either due to getting out of the habit or feeling aggrieved, that in FUTURE seasons that they wont return, thus there are short and long term financial implications to Waggott's incompetence. At the moment, the club are quite reliant on goodwill from supporters who many like yourself will have suffered financially via furlough and/or redundancy to give up a larger proportion of their income to put towards a club, run by disinterested billionaire owners, and that goodwill will evaporate both by increasing prices and by using a guilt trip focused marketing campaign. Also, whilst no one could even come close to defending the club regarding the lack of communication, many defended how long it took them to start selling the season tickets on the principle that they "didnt know what they were selling." One of my main counter arguments has been proven, that no matter when they felt that they did have enough clarity to put them on sale, they would never know due to the fragility of the situation what they were selling because there was always a large chance that even if fans were given the go ahead, that was quite likely to be reversed at any moment. The club did the right thing in terms of splitting the value between links and deferred refunds. Ultimately, had season tickets been put on sale a month or 2 earlier, like at other clubs, at the same price, they would likely have made many more sales. The main argument was that they would have to shell out for refunds, that was never the case and they dont now, simply if anything they have just been paid deposits for NEXT season 12 months early to aid the cash flow and essentially guarantee future season ticket holders, as well as selling an ifollow season ticket and getting £230 from everyone there. To an extent but they are problems also evident in pubs and restaurants, in a much closer space. Entrances and staircases can be managed via staggered entry times, the toilets can have a one way queueing system, and the bars dont even need to open, or failing that, they could get rid of the alcohol in the stands ban. There would be a risk, like with anything, but it could be managed and it could be reduced. The government have clearly appreciated the economic disaster that a total closure of pubs and restaurants will close, hence their clumsy attempt at compromise between risk reduction in terms of the virus and trying to help economically to keep these places open. But they dont also appreciate the financial disaster that not allowing supporters in will cause to football, clubs will go bust, massive job losses, not just players, and of course there is the mental health concerns caused by taking away a huge part of peoples lives, and also the community aspect of a football club to its city or town. At least hunting is still allowed in large groups. Because its not all about self interest.

If theres no scope for minimal supporters in an outdoor stadium spread out, there certainly isnt for pubs, restaurants etc.

I actually though that his pass to Rothwell forced him far wider than he needed to which Rothwell did especially well to cross so well, but he also played a part in the second goal so fair play on that. He is really clumsy but is developing a good habit of stumbling past players in the meantime, he did it at Newcastle on the far side and 2 Newcastle players ended up colliding I think. I find myself in games really willing him on in particular, I was disappointed to see him come off on Saturday as I felt that him scoring would have been the icing on the cake. The worry is that when the moment comes, he often spurns it. But there is improvement since lockdown, but plenty more needed.

This season has only been 4 games, and still no goals as of yet. Mixed bag v Doncaster, good play for the second goal but missed an open net. Poor v Newcastle, few good things v Wycombe but again no goal threat, and ineffective at Bournemouth. Thanks for the analysis. With Brereton though, ultimately for all of the "progressive runs" and "touches in pen area" until he starts offering a goal threat or really stamping his authority on games, progression may be fair in terms of the very, very low benchmark but it still wont be enough. Its hard not to be desperate especially for him to really push on, and it is slightly better, but its nowhere near enough.

Fair enough regarding your season ticket, and totally understand and can empathise with the inferior product on offer in terms of watching streams, and of course wish you well getting a job as soon as possible. Not even necessarly on a moral level but as a economic decision, the idea of a price rise at this time is madness, the slight increase in the income from each individual season pass will be offset not only by the fans this season that will not buy as a result, but also people who may be driven away for good. Waggotts decisions have chipped away at all but the very hardcore, and now even they are being smashed away by his incompetence. I just cant stomach the constant guilt tripping and the consistent angle that the club and in particular Waggott are coming from. It doesnt feel right when the prices have gone up in spite of the pandemic, and the club has "interested" billionaire owners who "never refuse to pay a cheque" yet they are trying to make working class people feel that it is their responsibility to pay for a service at a higher price that has so much jeopardy around it, at an increased price. I am lucky that my employment has been unaffected, I do get value from the streams, I can afford the payment and I was willing to take the risk of not actually being able to attend. Colchesters reaction is brilliant, ours just make things worse. Who is that?

Yeah their squad looks really bloated although the likes of Freeman, McKenna, Arter, Christie and Taylor should be really shrewd additions. They seem to be suffering a hangover from last year though.

Its easy to forget that many around the end of 2019 were calling for him to be dropped and was considered one of Mowbrays favourites, he had contributed very few goals/assists in his first 18 months in this league for us.

I cant see realistically how unless we go up or unless Armstrong suddenly dips in his goal tally, that he will be here next season.

I never buy the shirts so it doesnt affect me directly but have the club even communicated with those who have pre-ordered them about what is going on? I can understand the desperate begging but equally it is hard to expect people know they are almost sure that they cant attend when they themselves are (moreso relative to their own needs, in terms of paying bills etc) struggling financially considering the price increase. I have bought one, last week when there was still hope of attending. To be honest, I would want the links anyway (some wont be interested in behind closed doors) and I am not in a difficult financial position, my job can be done from home on full pay, so deferring my season ticket payment until next year isnt a big issue personally, but it is for many. For example @chaddyrovers will you be getting or have you got a season ticket this season? Would understand either way considering your personal circumstances. If you havent, or equally if regular fans havent been able to, they shouldnt be guilt tripped really. I think the approach of the Colchester chairman is very good and hopefully effective and I hope he has the support of the rest of the chairmen/women in the football league. https://www.cu-fc.com/news/2020/september/robbies-letter-to-pm/

Im guessing you mean 4-3-3 as per your comment? If so, then yeah if its in a 4-3-3 because he certainly isnt a central striker. I think people are getting a little carried away making out as if he is being scapegoated or suggesting that it is anything but fair to point out his pitiful goal record. He has improved in his general play lately but he has received plenty of constructive criticism over his time here. I thought it was a missed opportunity to leave him on for 90 minutes v a dismal 10 man Wycombe side, if ever there was a chance to get a goal.