Agree, Gallagher has given nobody any reason to think he'll score regularly. Lad is not up to it at all. Put him up front at City and I doubt he'd even get into double figures. He just doesn't have that natural striker's instinct. Of the only two at the club that do, one is off on a free at the end of the season and the other is an attacking midfielder still recovering from two horror injuries. LOB would have been great, but unless he's able to bag 10-15 goals on top of running the midfield it would not have been enough.

Penny for JDT's thoughts. Anyone with a shred of pride in who they work with and who they work for would be making an exit plan right about now.

O'Brien alone wouldn't have been enough anyway, but yeah, what a fuck up. Much like when Derek Shaw "went rogue", though, I imagine the culprit will continue on free of consequence. Absolutely zero accountability at this club.

Managed a few assists in that time at least. Gallagher meanwhile... 🗿

Considering how long we've known we'll need striking reinforcements - a long time before this window opened - that's pretty sad to say the least.

I'm just confused really. We're told this week the aim this season isn't promotion. But we've signed two short-term loans, one of which has a £10m clause for if we go up. If the aim isn't promotion why even bother doing that? Why wouldn't you just focus on developing what we do have? And if the aim is promotion why come out and tell everyone it isn't? To take pressure off? We saw how that worked under Mowbray, these lads still fell apart when it mattered, so no need to bother with that nonsense. Yet, if the aim "secretly" is to try to get promoted, why would you sign Sorba and O'Brien and then not bother with a striker, lmao. Pointless. Just makes it seem like nobody has a clue what they're doing. I can only assume the plan was indeed to get a striker in but GB failed. In which case that's two loan wages likely being wasted on achieving a mid table finish, whilst giving our own players less time to gain experience. Hopefully I'm wrong on all of the above though.

O'Brien seems a bit pointless as a loan if we don't sign a decent striker? I mean, very good player for this level, but what's the point if Vale and Gallagher are up top. Feels like we might as well not have bothered and saved whatever money is being spent on wages. Still, Venky's can rest assured that potential £10m isn't going out.

As others have said, if playoffs aren't the ambition this season then what are they asking the fans to pay significant money to watch? A developmental team? They can do that for much less with the U23's and U18's. It really is disgusting sometimes how they take what's left of the fanbase for granted, treating the fans' hard-earned money like it's essentially worthless - all whilst the lot of them get paid far more than they ever have or ever will deserve.

The only other logical place to go with this would be to have Sami & Kevin defeat the Usos for the tag belts. It'd still be huge in its own right as the Usos have held those belts for a super long time now. You'd need Jey to turn on Sami at Elimination Chamber, cost him the match against Roman and basically transfer the Roman/Sami heat all onto the Usos. It can be done, but WWE really have to nail that story and basically make Sami beating the Usos as desireable as Sami beating Roman. Then pray that the smarky crowd at WM still accepts Cody as the man to defeat Roman. I think they probably will, as Cody is really well liked by the fans at the moment, but it's one of those situations where you have to tread carefully.

I can remember when JRC first broke into the team, he looked like he was going to become a big part of our future. Then repeated injuries meant he never got any kind of rhythm going, and when he came back at the start of this season he genuinely appeared to have regressed to the point where he could barely control a football anymore. He was absolutely that bad. Seems to have put in some real effort since then, though, and seems to be getting himself back up to speed again. Just have to hope these recurring injuries stop, as if anything is going to derail JRC's career it will be that.

I get the feeling WWE wasn't really expecting the groundswell of support that's built up for Sami over the past few months. He's gone from being a mildly entertaining heel to arguably the most over person in the entire promotion. The obvious choice here is to have Sami take the title from Roman at WrestleMania, but the plan is clearly for Cody to play that role. It's tricky as Cody has no storyline with Roman at this juncture, and it's going to be impossible to get close to Roman/Sami's level within a couple of months. There's a very real danger that the fans could turn on Cody at WM as he simply isn't the person they want to see dethrone Roman. The only way I can really think of getting out of the situation would be to have a three-way match between Roman/Sami/Cody where there are two falls - one for the Universal title and one for the WWE title. Once Roman loses his first title (to Cody) he becomes increasingly desperate not to lose the other one and goes to every conceivable length to retain, but somehow Sami is still able to pin him and take the other belt off Roman. Possibly with help from Jey. Idk, there's drawbacks to that too, but it's a tough one to call.

I feel the need to express just how amazing that final segment at the Royal Rumble was. Not even exaggerating when I say it may be the best segment WWE have ever produced, in any era. I never thought I'd say that about something from the modern product, but I was blown away by how well they executed Sami Zayn's excommunication from the Bloodline. The initial beatdown of Owens was brutal enough, with Sami clearly becoming more and more conflicted as it went on. Sami has been a heel for some time, but he's never been a truly vicious heel. Sneaky and willing to cheat, but never truly violent. When Roman goes to use the chair Sami isn't able to stand by anymore and gets between Owens, cuffed helplessly on the ropes, and Reigns - telling Roman that enough is enough, and there's no need to go any further. Roman then hands Sami the chair and his final test has arrived - to truly integrate himself into the Bloodline, he has to shed his integrity and fully submit to the tribal chief. Sami protests, but Roman says he's come too far now and there's no turning back. He tells Sami that Owens is an anchor holding him down, and that Roman is one who really loves him and has given him everything. Reigns wants to break Sami's spirit and resistance in the same way he did with Jey. Sami can't bring himself to do it, as Roman screams at him that he was nothing before the Bloodline, doing "Jackass shit" and that without the Bloodline he'll go back to irrelevance. Reigns plays the gaslighting manipulator to perfection, a nasty, evil bully who toys with the emotions of those beneath him. There's a brief moment where Sami is behind Roman with the chair, and it appears like he might hit him with it. The crowd are audibly anticipating this, but Roman turns around and Sami looks away, lowering the chair and saying he can't do it (he could be talking about Roman or Owens here). Roman mockingly yells at Sami for crying, shoving him in the face until Sami very briefly goes nose-to-nose with Roman, then after a couple of seconds averts his gaze as he realises how close to the precipice he is. Sami appears to have been bullied into compliance, nodding his acceptance of what he has to do. Roman turns his back to Sami and there's a clear callback to The Shield breakup. Reigns knows there's a possibility Sami will strike him, but this is the ultimate test as to whether Sami will pledge his total allegiance or, in Roman's mind, prove himself to be a traitor. The pop when Sami strikes Roman with the chair is unbelievable, so loud it distorts the sound on the feed. There hasn't been a pop like that in WWE for years. Roman collapses to his knees, his face contorted in pain - some physical, but partially emotional as well, as to him this is another betrayal from somebody he feels owes him everything. Sami stares down at Reigns with a combination of defiance and fear, knowing that he's just gone past the point of no return, and that he's going to suffer some serious consequences. At this point he could have started attacking the rest of the Bloodline, but it's Roman he has the problem with, not the others. He does consider himself a part of the family, and he doesn't want to attack them. Nor does he have it in him to go further with his attack on Roman. Heyman stands on the apron in shock, with Jimmy wearing a stunned expression as well. Zayn throws down the chair and turns to Jey - the one person who stood up for him when nobody else would - and apologises. Jey's body is rigid with fear and shock, as he screams at Sami in disbelief, looking like he's on the verge of tears. Jimmy, enraged, superkicks Sami and knocks him down. Roman is shown with his hands over his face, trembling with anger and vulnerability. Jimmy mounts Sami and hammers him across the head repeatedly. Solo shoves Jimmy off and for a moment there's a possibility that Solo will come to Sami's aid, but instead he drops Sami with the Samoan Spike. Reigns, overcome with rage, yells for them to "kill him". Jimmy and Solo comply as Roman screams furiously in Sami's face. Heyman, previously very animated, flinches uncomfortably on the apron as he watches. Jey meanwhile shrinks into the corner, frozen in position, perfectly encapsulating how a person who has been abused themselves would feel upon watching the same thing happening to somebody they consider family. The crowd begins to chant for Jey, and Roman glances over at him with a confused expression, wondering why Jey is refusing to join in. Jimmy asks his brother what he's doing, yelling at him that Sami isn't his brother, the Bloodline are. As Roman slowly stalks over towards Jey, he drops his head and then rolls out of the ring, causing the crowd to collectively gasp. Jey gives Roman a look of unfiltered hatred and resentment as he leaves the ring, and then breaks down in tears as he walks away - the crowd cheer loudly in approval. Roman's face is now twitching with anger, and he becomes incandescent with absolute rage as he sees that his family, the Bloodline he's built, is falling apart - all thanks to Sami. Roman picks the chair back up, snarling "you broke my family" at Sami before repeatedly smashing him with the chair. Even Heyman struggles to look as Roman destroys Sami with a chair, looking terrified as Roman pounds Sami across the face with his forearms and tears Sami's Honorary Uce shirt from his body. There's a moment of reflection on Roman's face as it dawns on him that he has completely lost control of everything. He stares out at the crowd in shock as a "fuck you Roman" chant rings out. Jimmy tosses what remains of Sami's shirt on top of him as the Bloodline leaves the ring to a chorus of boos. Just a masterfully produced segment with every person involved doing an incredible job. Wrestling at its finest.

Doesn't say much for the rest of our attackers, does it? Feels like we need to bin most of them and start again. Even BBD has been stuck on nine since bagging against Hudds on 5th November. Hasn't scored in seven matches now, although he at least has three assists to his name during that period. Then there's Sam Gallagher. A paltry three league goals to his name (although some sites say four, either way rubbish), hasn't scored in nine matches and no assists to show for during that time either. In fact, he only has one assist to his name so far this season. Think we can put to bed the myth that Gallagher as centre forward will be a relevation that bangs in twenty goals a season. The lad is poor, get him sold and accept whatever loss we incur from the ridiculous £5m we paid.

Think he's mixing up unsall and unleaded.

I mean, 3 draws and 6 defeats isn't a great start, but oof... right at the end of the transfer window, too, so giving the new manager an immediate handicap.

lmao, hadn't Toure only been there a couple of months? Brutal.

Yep, the unfortunate truth is that BBD is the only remotely decent striker we have at the club, and not only is he hugely off form at the moment but may also be gone by the end of the month. The rest are well below the required standard, so we had better hope this Undav fella, if we are signing him, can hit the ground running and stay injury free.

As others have said, two very poor teams and a draw was probably fair. Would have been happier if our first draw had broken our streak of losing when we go a goal down, rather than winning when we go a goal up, obviously.

Yowie wowie Bristol City are bad, fortunately for us. Scoring the first goal has always a good omen for us so far this season 🤞

Is Gallagher carrying a knock or something? I know he's poor but does JDT seriously believe Vale is a better option?

I like that the "young team" nonsense was challenged as well. A shame that nothing close to this level of questioning was ever given to Mowbray. One can only wonder why.

I mean, our record when going behind is so embarrassing that he'd either have to throw himself or the players under the bus if he was to give any kind of detailed response. So something vague is probably the only sensible option.

Amusingly Pep actually called them out for this in his press conference afterwards. Also had a pop at the team despite the comeback, so yeah, not a happy camper!

It was exactly the same under Mowbray though, so I don't think it can solely be put down to coaching. Probably need to recruit a few real winners, players who genuinely feel angry if they lose a contest, rather than just post 'we go again' on social media.

£8m for Diaz wouldn't really be a vindication of the model considering we'd be breaking even on him at best, and will have gained nothing beyond mid-table Championship finishes. £15m for Armstrong was a better example of where the so-called model actually worked, probably more through luck than conscious effort.