Shameful and absolutely disgraceful “joke”. You know - if Venkys could just come out and tell us the truth of what went on... If they apologised for the mistakes and held their hands up... And most importantly if they pointed the finger... then it wouldn’t be beyond me to find some level of forgiveness. If we’re making distasteful comments about helicopters - then it’s the Walker Trust, Kentaro, Anderson, Kean, Agnew, Shaw, Shebby, Ethu and his agent, Murphy and his agent, Best and his agent, Orr and his agent etc etc that ultimately shoved Venkys onto our broken chopper and ran away laughing (and rich) when it went down. The more time goes on I can see that they were airlifted in from nowhere just to pilot a death trap. Taken advantage of through their pure naivety, and with no small measure of absolute stupidity. But all the bones have been picked by the vultures and here we are. If anything the Leicester story shows us that life is short. It’s distasteful to us all that they are bankrolling us right now, but unfortunately, they are. So see you at the play-off final, Balaji. You fat prick.

It’s about the balance of personalities and the pure fighting spirit. I’m not sure Duffy, Hanley, King or Marshall etc would fit in with this group and have the right mindset, no matter how good they are - and it only takes one or two to spoil it. The team bond is making us more than the sum of our parts and is what makes it so satisfying to watch. Bennett for example - there’s probably technically better options in the squad for all of the positions he plays - but I’d fit him in anywhere we can just for his heart alone. That Reed fist pump after an interception was my highlight of the season so far. Good times. Love this team.

I miss Caddis too, mate.

You didn’t watch the game but the people that did are wrong. Fair dos. I think he’s a player tbh. It’s been 8 weeks.

Nice that we can have off days from Graham and Dack, no Raya or Chico and still look comfortable against a top-half in-form side. Think we are going to have to get used to grinding teams down at home again - the cat’s out of the bag that we’re a good side. Many times last season we’d have a flat performance against a parked bus but we always found a way to win... I think we still have the ability and belief to do that. On the penalty... it’s technically a foul. There’s contact, kind of sweeps the leg, but it did take some buying. An intelligent modern striker hits the deck there every time and it was very well won. It’s the kind of penalty that I decry as disgusting and everything wrong with the modern game when it goes against us, but seeing as though it was Big Ben it was a stonewaller and I’m delighted. Beautifully closed out at the end by B.B. and Dack. I’m only looking up.

Apologies if already posted. Mowbray will have his work cut out in this tactical battle of wits. This is what we’re up against, will be tough.

I’m pretty sure Dack moved into a house in a Manc suburb this summer. I streetview stalked him from the court reports.

So many variables. Did he have no money in the bank before he signed? He's been in Forest's first team for two years remember. If it's 10% of even 3-4 mill up front it's still enough to lay down if he had never saved a penny. At a relatively standard 10k a week for four years he's guaranteed earnings of over 2 million. Far more security over that time than most jobs, and his entire life and career ahead of him. Mortgage providers would give him whatever he wanted. It's really not too far out of the way. Get a nice house for that round there. Sensible decision with the money and area and he gets to live in a smart pad. I'd be astounded if he's our top earner, or even near it. or, if you prefer... we a throwing megabucks at a crap player! We broke our wage structure!!! He's minted and he's showing off!

It's not his first job either. Brereton has been a highly rated young Championship professional footballer for around two years, and has now most likely signed a decent four year contract, with a signing on fee. Even on moderate Champ wages - I'd be more worried if he couldn't afford to get a mortgage on a 600k house at his age. Nice that he hasn't just gone straight to Cheshire/Manchester too, head screwed on. Anyone know how much Arma and Dack's houses that they just bought are worth? Or does it not matter?

Giorgio Chiellini & Daniel Day-Lewis

Give him a knighthood, the keys to the town and his own lucky bucket. 5th.

IMO, at the moment Mowbray is the biggest asset that we have. A nice improved contract for 2 or 3 years is well deserved and overdue.

I think your theoretical 3-5-2 is ok (although Armstrong is in with a shout up top for me), but you’re right in the fact that our 4-2-3-1 has been highly effective. It plays to the main strengths of Graham as the lone striker (probably the best in the league at being a focal point), to Armstrong’s ability as a nippy wide forward who can cut inside or get behind, and to Dack’s effectiveness in a free role/as a second striker. Dack excels with the two destroyers behind him. Evans and Smallwood aren’t better at much more than digging in, harassing and at letting Dack forget about defending too much. It also gets Bennett in the team. For me he isn’t experienced enough in the CM position, certainly not at this level, and Wednesday night shows that he really isn’t a right back either. Nyambe is a better wing back in the 5, but Bennett simply has to be involved somehow from the start. Basically, we play the best formation to suit our best players. Plan B has turned out to be getting two up top and five in midfield which can get a little negative against decent teams that can move the ball. We just lack the class and composure in the two pivot roles to deal with pressure - it’s the main weakness in our preferred formation too. I like Reed in DM - he’s a fighter and a bit more positive on the ball. I'm looking forward to seeing if Davenport is in Mowbray’s plans too. He sounds exactly the player and pedigree needed to get his foot on it and pop it around from deep. When/if he gets fit it will still take time to come to fruition though and we couldn’t half do with someone in that Tugay role right now. There’s an infinity of ways to skin a cat, of course. But we’ve only lost two games against decent teams by playing a 4-2-3-1. Let’s play OUR game and OUR formation at The Breezeblock. Lads. It’s Bolton. We have everything we need to win comfortably. Raya Travis Lenihan Mulgrew Bell Reed Evans/Smallwood Bennett Dack Armstrong Graham 3-1 Rovers (Lenihan gives away a pen)

Carvalhal is well dodgy, a bit of a charlatan and a poor manager. Came from nowhere with suspicious agent involvement, spent loads on an unbalanced and ageing squad that was unfit and poorly drilled - relying mainly on Forestieri's magic to carry them. It fell apart big time - leaving them on the precipice of financial disaster. Wendies couldn't wait to get shot. Hope he gets it.

Oh I agree, but what we want and what we might get aren't always the same thing!

I've quite a few friends who'll be looking for the bragging rights here. Just my luck if this is the one that breaks the streak. They're a very good side - a draw wouldn't be too bad at all.

Pretty confident about this one, I think we can beat them soundly. But IF our year long unbeaten run comes to an end anytime soon - let’s please not forget it. Proud of this team and I KNOW that they won’t leave anything out on the pitch tomorrow. Ultimately, after everything we’ve all been through - that will be good enough for me.

I know - no surprise it’s all gone to shit, really.

During the nineties, Alex Ferguson went to an ancient Haitian shamanic witch-doctor, cursing the deepest darkest souls of our respective clubs in order to ensure that they would always score after 90, and that we would always, always concede. Another theory - we are playing better teams and we shit ourselves.

And one of their best players... we let him leave on a free.

Well there's 40 million in Lerma and Ibe... I can see it tbh

Conway maybe suited to playing inside a bit these days. I can’t see anything but 3-5-2 Very attacking, young, LOVE IT. Nothing ventured... could be a few goals in this.

Looks like 3 at back... I think??? In Tony We Trust

I just think he’s a bit of a cocky get, personally. He was having a go at his own fans, the fixtures, whatever last season as his lucky hoof ball stopped working. Think he’s called out the players at Ipswich already. Can imagine going from McCarthy to him as a senior pro would be quite galling tbh

I won’t start a witch hunt, but it was in the transfer window meltdown. Ill save it for when Hurst gets the boot