Downing was excellent when at LB earlier in the season. Its not ideal because hes best in midfield but he reads the game far better than Bell and gives us a further element of control on the ball from there. I like the look of the team mentioned by @Prelude I suspect Bennett will be stuck in there and exploited however.

The season wont start in August.

Sadly yeah.

He needs to focus on finishing this season before thinking about next season!

I dont know, presumably the TV company. Piping in music in the ground removes any choice either way and is a poor idea. Leave that sort of things to the broadcasters to give supporters the option rather than an obligation. As you say you can then give both a try and pick what suits you.

What I am saying though, is as suggested on BT on their Bundesliga coverage, is because it is unusual without fans, allow the option for the supporter to choose if they prefer the sound effects or not. I dont personally, you clearly do. Rather than piping them into the actual stadium and making them obligatory, make them as a tv choice and you can select if you want them or not. The card board cut outs were just rubbing salt into the wounds of the press release released by the club the day before outlining a guilt trip into not offering refunds. The concept alone isnt a bad one.

But its a fake and fabricated atmosphere that to me doesnt sound right especially when I can quite clearly see that there is no one there! I am not saying that anyone can come up with a solution, so lose the "clubs cant do anything right, stop complaining etc" usual lines, its impossible to fully replicate the atmosphere that fans would bring. I think the approach suggested by BT works in that it allows viewers a choice. I have seen that it seems to have split opinion so that makes sense, you can have the crowd noise or you can remove it, entirely at the viewers discretion. I suspect actually piping in the noise within Ewood Park (and other stadiums) rather than as a TV sound effect removes that choice and makes it obligatory which I disagree with. I would also suspect that it sounds a little silly to the players.

Initially these noises were brought in on TV as very much a choice, trialled on the Bundesliga coverage and it said that it was only an option that you can choose from when English football returned. I prefer it without and I suspect am not on my own on that. When I can clearly see no fans I think the noises are an unnecessary gimmick. I saw the highlights from that intra squad friendly and the cheering after the goals was well over the top. For me I dont want it to try and compensate in terms of noise for the lack of crowds with fake noises, when I know and can see there are no fans and just accept it and make do without.

Hopefully the sound effects wont be "pumped into" the stadium and just be an additional option on ifollow that I can deselect.

I suppose the new season start date is a fine balance. I agree that they shouldnt need as long in terms of recovery but I suppose the primary purpose is to prepare for the following season. But I guess a primary consideration should be the situation regarding the pandemic because maybe it would be better to delay the season by a month and try and have as little BCD as possible. But youve also got to consider not starting too far on because it will already be starting late. Difficult one. I suspect that none of next season will be in front of full stadiums, maybe part will be in front of partially full stadiums.

Hes a free agent, very injury prone and had to go into League 1 to get game time but as you say I suspect he is far more realistic.

People have speculated, suggested and questioned rather than stated and it is a fair question. Theres an acceptance that these games are of course friendly but ita fair to question that even factoring in the players professionalism, how it may be difficult to play at exactly the same intensity considering the situation, the size of the break and the lack of supporters.

Just reading the minutes, thanks for the link. I dont think that we need Samuel and Smallwood either way and playing alternatives would make more sense looking forward as neither is important but seems that there is no financial saving from cutting them loose. Must say that regarding the options for season ticket holders, the quotes from Waggott are disorganised mess. The owners are supplementing the furloughed staffs wages, fair play. But then when it comes to refunds, cash flow problems brought straight up and Venkys not mentioned. Its just a communication nightmare, hes seemingly not been challenged too much but is well aware of all of the ways people are missing out potentially. Asking them to contact the club is not really a firm option, most other clubs communicated clearly the options aside from the ifollow option and if best case scenario an additional option is offered, it could have saved a lot of strain on the relationship with supporters had it been communicated initially. Interesting that play off games arent included either in the STH "package" should it come to that. I suppose his personal opinion isnt of that much value overall but interesting to see him suggest than supporters in stadiums "might happen optimistically in October, realistically in January and pessimistically not until the 2021/22 season." Suppose he is covering all bases, if worst case scenario comes to fruition, the football league will be in smithereens. Optimistically would be basically next season onwards.

A Bristol City player has tested positive.

I am not convinced/sure how that would work because surely the contract would just be extended so ultimately they will then be paid into August. Either way though, even if there is no financial saving, neither are of much use so let them go and find a new club as they probably wont make the bench anyway.

I dont think either will be needed in the run in to be honest. We already have at least 4 strikers so may aswell let Samuel and Smallwood go now and hopefully save some much needed pennies.

https://www.hullcitytigers.com/club-update-player-contracts/ Hull have lost some of their first team players ahead of the last 9 games. Lichaj, Irvine, Kingsley and Maddison all unable to agree extensions and Barnsley taking Wilks back as soon as is legally possible. I find it strange that Smallwood and Samuel are playing in the friendlies and presumably staying when youd like to think they will be off at the end of the season. Presume everyones staying but wonder if they will publically announce it.

You can tell that they are not playing at close to normal intensity, some very half arsed play which is the norm in a friendly but I wonder if they will be able to raise their game still in front of no fans but in "competitive" league games.

Cunningham played 7 x 90 minutes for us, we beat Boro, Hull, Reading and Milwall, drew with Forest and lost to West Brom and Luton. So 13 points from 7 games, at 1.86 points per game. Bell has started 19 times, in which we won 6, drew 7 and lost 6. So picking up points at 1.39 points per game In addition to this, Cunningham played about 15 minutes at QPR and went off injured, Bell came on and played the majority of that game and we lost 4-2. I have not included that in either, nor have I included Bell coming on at HT in the loss at Huddersfield, in which it was 1 all at HT.

I am a season ticket holder and get to some away games and watch the majority of others live in full, but to be honest the Sheffield Wednesday game I only saw the highlights of. A reason for my post was to perhaps prompt examples in games or bits of games that I have missed to warrant people being so defensive and being hyperbolic in the case of Buckley. Or indeed remind me of times when he did something in a game I did see. The main point that I was trying to get across is being so defensive and refusing to accept that players have had minimal involvement in games so far, or going way over the top on them being "fantastic" and totally flabbergasted as to how anyone doesnt rate them is totally needless and not a constructive attitude to take. And equally, to tell someone who has acknowledged the mitigating circumstances/difficulties and not written the player off, indeed going out of their way to say as such, to "give them a chance" is not a useful or relevant comeback. In regards to Rankin Costello, as I said I didnt see the full game but saw his assist which was perfectly timed and there was also another pass just before in the highlights where it looked like he was trying to play in Gallagher but didnt get the direction quite right and it went behind his legs but ended up going through to Armstrong. It has been touched on that it was against a 10 man team waiting for the FT whistle, but still it takes the ability to make a pass like he did and I have credited him accordingly.

After a couple of games in the Bundesliga things like celebrations seemed to return to normal. Probably a realisation that there was no point not doing when theyd for example spent time grappling at a corner.

I think everyone acknowledged the mistake, and ultimately we can never expect a player not to make mistakes. But he also was a key factor in a defensive improvement and also offered far more in terms of technical ability compared to Bell in an attacking sense.

Think it gives it away when the CEO has to beg the fans not to consider claiming a refund of 60 quid to help to save the club!

Does he impress you more going forward or defensively? For me he is so slow of mind and reluctant to run forward and I dont think hes ever assisted for us, correct me if im wrong. And defensively he lets as many crosses come in as any Rovers full back I can remember.

Its not about giving him a chance ? its the typical go to line of someone who for some reason is unwilling to accept any constructive critical judgement or skepticism. I made it quite clear that I hadnt written him off (same with Rankin Costello) and I know that he has been played out of position and its hard to break through at his age and cement a place but that doesnt warrant the description of his dribbling being "fantastic" him looking "technically fantastic" and of course "how people dont rate him is beyond me." In which first team games bar Charlton which ive praised him for can you highlight performances to warrant such hyperbolic praise? At the moment I would suggest that Buckley has had one impressive game and Rankin Costello one impressive pass. I acknowledge they are both young, the former has suffered from being played out of position and they have not had much game time at all between them and I certainly havent written them off as your petulant response suggests but what else have you seen from Buckley to warrant such praise?