DavidMailsTightPerm

Bill Eckesley - 5'6" Another good player of diminutive stature (and I do think it is more difficult for a defender to be smaller)

I thought he possibly had his best match for us.

Dolan looks like he has pace - but in reality isn't that quick. It is some form of weird opical illusion - possibly down to his diminutive stature.🤣

Another typical Championship match that, despite the 3-0 scoreline could have gone either way. They hit the bar at 0-0, could have had penalties prior to two of our goals. Equally we missed chances - its all about fine margins. We desperately need a decent striker to make those fine margins more in our favour.

IMO Buckley has the ability to be a poor man's Adam Wharton (I mean this as a complement). I am not certain what is missing - but if he put in the effort Travis does he would be a good player at this level.

Good chance of being on TV as well

I remember Colin Randell making the same journey from Plymouth.

All this reminds me of the Howard Kendall days. Though you have to give Pears some credit for 4 clean sheets - but he is still making a hash of simple saves and catches - only difference at the moment is that the ball isn't falling direct to a forward (though he has a worrying habit of palming into the danger area). To be fair to him, he has also pulled off some great saves. Gueye scoring last night could be even more important than the three points - a bit like Duncan Ferguson - given the right service he could be unstoppable.

Interesting to watch yet another refereeing masterpiece on the same day Haaland deliberately (with some force) throws the ball at the back of an opponents head - retrospective red card ?? (we all know the answer) and yet previously Buckley got straight red for throwing the ball with far less force. The inconsistency is unreal.

As we saw earlier in the week - that can disrupt a team - fingers 🤞

Yup - two footed studs up challenge by Burnley in first few minutes - not even a free kick. And yet he books Travis ???

Can't see Burnley keeping this effort up for 90 mins -

Today is a true litmus test against a team that should (even with Parker as manager) be a cert for top six and challenging top 2. We are possibly playing them at a good time - as they re-adjust their squad - but this will be a far bigger challenge than our first 3 matches. Let's hope Blackpool was a flash in the pan rather than a more realistic reflection of our team (though that team will obviously change as our new players come into the team)

Alongside Pears clangers - this is the most worrying part for me. We are one injury away from having to play kids in a key position.

Not certain what has happened to JRC - for me the most worrying is his apparent lack of intensity. When at his best he would bust a gut to get back or forward. At the moment he seems to have lost that intensity to his game (even without his poor pass completion rate).

I totally agree - you could see in the first half we were the superior team - but the lack of effort (until we went 2-1 down) was inexcusable.

If nothing else it will hopefully show our owners that we need more players. Another Cup win would have just continued to paper over the cracks.

I agree - but not certain on connection to JRC

Given his injury history - why the hell is JRC playing with an injury at the start of a long season ?

And we should have no financial fair play issues. We all know how it will end though.😤

Dreams of driving down the canal in the speed boat they seemed to strangely have as the star prize 🤣

Don't think unleaded was saying that Waggott would decide - but the recruitment team should (though I would argue that should be a collaborative approach with the manager). Having said that Waggott always has an influence due to the financial implications of any transfer.

I think offering SS an improved contract, not selling Rothwell, allowing Breretons contract to run down somewhat contradicts this. Having said that - we are a club of contradictions 😉

Though it comes under the "not a normal club heading" - they may be waiting to see the outcome of today's trial. At the end of the day some, if not all of the SS money may be swallowed up by running costs.