I still think that we can't be sure that Toth is the answer for a similar reason. We had 2 spells, the biggest one under Eustace but also one under Ismael where our defence was so strong that the goalkeeper at the time barely had anything to do.

Hos record was good when we had Hyam, Batth/Carter, Brittan and Pickering/Beck running like a well oiled machine.

I’d definitely take Ant-Man, maybe Hulk can be brought out of retirement as well

Going to the NIA to see Pulp tomorrow.

Nobody on the commentary was blaming our keeper for the second goal. When I played any ball played into or around the edge of the six yard box was the keepers ball. Our guy was rooted to the goal line. If he had have got a hand to the ball he would have been “ saving “ it over the line.

Dammit I was preparing for my second calendar appearance after I represented the forum as Mr Testicles that one time

I was thinking about this before I replied to the thread earlier and the two bits in bold are key to this ongoing debate. It’s the word ‘luck’ that is causing part of the issue, as in reality it’s getting softer ties that you probably wouldn’t expect at later stages of the tournament. I certainly think we got that in last years tournament. Whether it’s luck or not is debatable by pure definition of the word. The second point about the expanded tournament is also quite relevant. It may be that due to the increased number of “softer” teams in the competition, that “softer” draws become more of the norm. What Southgate clearly did do was avoid the Iceland’s and the group exits that plagued us under other managers. Games and groups we expected to progress through, we did.

I watched it as well. God it was boring. Safety first every single time. Nobody prepared to take a risk in order to win the game. I can understand defenders playing that way - but midfielders, wide men and strikers?

Pears is a liability

You put yourself into a position for an easier tie in the last 16 by winning the group, or at least to expect an easier tie. But beyond that you dont.

You’d have to pay me the £6-50.

Domestic competitions are much different. Each round is a lottery. In international football, you can form your own destiny with your qualifying and seeding. Naturally, it is an easier route the better you are seeded and if you win the group I think where me and you differ is where we draw the line on the concept of “luck”. Softer ties - yes. For me, not luck. We could have came second in our group and been drawn against the harder sides; we could have been second seed and been drawn against a top seed side within our group stage The expanded tournaments will bring about a lot of runs like we had. I think Switzerland and Holland was a tough run in really. The Slovakia game needs disregarding as a lot of fixtures were “winnable” - but I’d have played Germany and Turkey over Switzerland so it was kind of middle of the road. Would agree out of Holland, France or Spain I would have took Holland. But again we put ourselves there by winning our group. That’s the way the cookie crumbles in international football and every team plays by the same rules

I watched the U-21’s against Germany’s second string tonight. 70 minutes of more Zzzzzzzzz. . Then we gave it a go for 20-25 minutes. We play Spain on Saturday now. Play like we have done so far and we’ll get buried.

People don't half exaggerate how bad Pears is, I don't think he's ever fully recovered from Wigan away in the cup with some, granted that was particularly tragic. He's an average championship goalkeeper, the value for which is around 1m I'd say.

23 year old with most assist in Eresdivisie.No chance

We have just got to hope, the other possible clubs have not seen him play.

A million quid is nothing for a Championship keeper still in his 20's with his peak years ahead and with 100 plus Championship appearances who on the face of it only lost his place through injury and a gaffer change.

As I live in Clitheroe, me and my lad may well show support, rather than attend Ewood. Please just piss off you shysters!

So why is a player who has just got into the team of the season in the Dutch League and has European football to look forward to, being "offered" to us? Bollocks.

Another one to file in the bin. If he's worth £5m+, then I'm not sure why he's even being offered to us in the first place.

Pears value to a Premier league club, particularly one in Europe, is in filling a homegrown quota slot in the squad selection whilst being happy to pick up a better wage than a starting league one keeper (which he could probably be) to turn up and train and occasionally make the bench as a third or fourth choice keeper. There are relatively few half decent keepers willing to do it, so 'big' clubs will pay (a bit) of a premium for them. £1m + 15kpw for Pears to allow you to register a £60m+ foreign centre forward in your squad is peanuts to City or Chelsea or whoever. The fact that Pears is being linked with this kind of move makes me think that his agent has put the word out that he'd be interested. It's not an impossible move. Whether he is a £1m+ keeper under any other circumstances is an arguable but probably irrelevant point here.

It wasn't a month's wage though.

The ‘rest’ excuse doesn’t even make any sense. There’s a round of fixtures the weekend of the 20/21st, weekend of the 27th but also midweeks on the 30th. So what difference does it make if they play on the 27th instead of the 26th? Indeed you could make the argument that playing on the 26th would actually be better for rest periods between games. It’s obviously a TV scheduling decision hiding behind welfare.

Time for bed for you now I think. Keep off the blue Smarties, the food colouring they've used is obviously causing you some bother.