All Activity

You seem to be imagining that what you thought would happen when Pears came into the side did happen. It didn't.

I'm talking about immediately following the injury. The defence had found its way recently, doesn't seem a coincidence they suddenly started conceding again.

Makes it up as he goes along to suit the agenda at any given point. Completely winging it.

i don`t understand vals sudden clamour for academy players but then he ignores the centre forward ones,it`s all left field from val to me

Boxing day always turns up a few surprises, so I will stick my neck out and say he will bag a couple this afternoon I promise I have not put any funny mushrooms in my wellington 😉

This season we conceded more goals per game with Toth in goal than we have with Pears.

Structurally, we are playing two strikers. And yes, one is already not really a striker. To have decent youth strikers and not put any of them on the bench, when our formation uses two strikers, is fucking stupid.

No-one who can replace the one striker. An injury to Ohashi and we're in Tony Mowbray "Bradley Johnson as a false 9" type territory.

I think you can rationally judge a number of our signings as adequate/passing grades, while still damning our overall window/direction of travel. Most of the new signings seem to be decent guys, graft hard, have at least some good qualities, etc., and you can also qualify some signings according to their low cost, but wider context still shows major failings, particularly at CB (only somewhat mitigated by some decent performances by Pratt!) Running through my own grades (I definitely lean toward 'on the one hand, on the other hand' caution, to a fault! And also less confident in my own assessment abilities than some posters, ha): Alebiosu - A: I was saddened/annoyed to see Brittain go, but pretty much exemplifies a trading 'model' working perfectly. The problem is we probably needed a least a couple more like this one. Morishita - B+: A couple subpar showings, needing time to adjust to the Championship (a common theme for why you can give some signings an individual pass, while lamenting the wider window), but I think he's a joy to watch and one of few capable of a killer pass. Gudjohnsen - B: All around play needs work, but hard to get too down about a good poacher. Should continue to improve too. TGH - B: I pigeon-holed him as a typical carthorse MF, which is fine, but has shown some decent talent too. Nothing exceptional, but has been a saving grace at MF given our other attempts to replace Travis (see below). The B grade is for the player alone, but I'd give it a C as a transfer, as it's a bit weird that we had to loan him in to simply make up MF numbers. Miller - B-: I struggle to assess Miller. Sometimes looks like an absolute donkey, but brings some needed passion, physicality, and at least tries to be forward-looking in his passes. Long throws a plus too. I think he's a decent pickup in isolation, particularly at his price/age. But it was unfair to him that he was suddenly held up as the reason we could dispatch Hyam last second, which was obviously BS. McLoughlin - C: Probably would've given him a B earlier in the year as he seemed like the only stable part of a disrupted backline, but has had some really shaky appearances of late. Decent CB depth, and maybe an ok replacement for Batth in terms of having an old head back there, and but not a replacement for Hyam. Baradji - C-???: Really hard to grade this one. Some promising cameos and could be a revelation if/when fit for starts, but that wider health context, along with Tavares below, are part of a significant failure trying to replace Travis in MF. Hell, I wouldn't be that surprised if we're looking at this one as an A signing in a year's time, but the wider failing is we didn't have time for that this year. Henriksson - D I wouldn't blink at someone giving him an F grade, but I truly think he simply hasn't been able to find a rythmn yet, plus some unfortunate injuries. Apparently not that cheap either at £1.5m, but I'm at least hopeful he'll emerge ok eventually (but, again, we needed most of these signings to hit the ground running...) De Neve - F: He does have an exciting burst of pace, and maybe still an ok late sub if we're behind (but not if we're ahead!), as you can see him tearing up a slower footed RB, but poor end product limits what he can actually make of that, and simply terrible defensively. Must've been a cheap punt, so not disastrous (and thankful that Hedges has looked revitalised), but simply not good enough. Tavares - F: Might be capable of a decent ball here and there... but otherwise, has simply looked crap and apparently not that cheap. Seemed to be touted as our starting MF and immediately fell down the pecking order. Perhaps the most consequential failure of the window, only mitigated by TGH stepping up ok. So, I may be giving too many passing grades above, yet I'd probably assess our transfer window as an F at midfield (TGH maybe brings this up to a D, but that's a stretch!), D in defence (Miller/McLoughling are ok and Alebiosu a star, but selling Hyam as we did was criminal), and maybe a B+ in attack.

Don't want Tyjon injured before a January sale.

I expected to see Toth on the bench today too. Hope the rumour that he is still struggling after the surgery isn't true.

Odds on a Henriksson yellow card in the first 20 minutes?

carrying the lucazade and packed lunches???

Apparently Tyjon has travelled with the squad and was seen getting off the bus by Elliott Jackson. Which makes the omission of a striker even more strange. Tyjon may not be an out and out number 9 but he'd be far more capable of playing in a front two than anyone else on our bench. 9 subs, and nobody that can replace the two strikers.

Basic logic, as posters have outlined, that it makes zero sense that Sheff W would shut off sales just to our section for that time period whilst still selling their own, tells us the truth. It's things like this that make people accuse you of shilling for the club.

Powell has been playing as a winger in the past few months, winning PL2 player of the month playing further forwards “I started the season as a left-back and I’ve been converted into a player playing further forward on the pitch. I’m probably not used to scoring as many goals or getting around those areas as much, but I think I’ve adapted really well and made it my new position. Hopefully I can keep thriving there and hopefully keep scoring. He would also be the best fit as Hedges deputy at wing back, and why are we picking 2 wingers (Doherty & Dlamini) on the bench when we don't play with any?

Ive not surprised by Powell's omission given Pickering on bench. Joseph is a fair point. Gueye no surprised he left out. Need the striker signing in the first week.

So why you asking the question then?

Just a very weak squad. In for a long afternoon.

iv`e no idea what is henriksons best position,i don`t think he knows either,this could either backfire or be a revalation in the fact we finally found out where he fits in

I find the continued omission of Powell and Joseph from the bench to be a strange choice, both have been more impressive than Dlamini & Doherty this season Edit - Doherty looks better than Dlamini & Mularkey-Matthews though

Well given no-one knows the truth. We dont know

Seems strange that we don't have a single striker on the bench. Henriksson for 90 minutes isn't filling me with confidence, and any injury to him or Ohashi will have to mean a change of formation or playing someone very unsuited to playing as a striker. None of the options even have the attributes.

it`s pretty clear val or the idiots in charge of the club want pickering gone😒 gueye can go for me,this season he`s looked unfit,overweight and disinterested.i just hope he can find someone who`ll take him incidentally,thats a shockingly poor bench we are fielding today

Very harsh on Harry but I don’t think anyone could argue that Hedges deserves his place at LWB, been really good this season. I imagine that he has gone for Pratt rather than Harry for the height. How long before we start seeing Joseph on the bench, probably would offer more than Gueye.