Exiled in Toronto Mk2

A rare match I saw in the flesh was vs Norwich when Dacky came back from his first injury as sub, Sargent was unplayable, at least by our lot.

Did he not score MOTDs goal of the season at Sheffield, beating about six players and rounding the goalie?

The Furphy comparison is a good one I think. As well as moving on some stiffs, he sold what I thought were pretty much our three best players in Hunter, Wilson and Rogers (swapped for Barry Dumptruck Endean), dropped the Don into the ressies, promoted two youth players we’d pretty much never heard of in Bradford and McDonald, and promptly saw us hovering just above the bottom 4 until the aforesaid Fergie Frightener single-handedly turned things around. We just need to sign the next Tony Field, whose track record till that point would have seen him condemned as utterly useless had we had a messageboard then.

Two things I’ve liked about VI has been his reactions to Brittain’s and Travis’s self-serving toy-throwing. Like JDT, he comes across as someone you can’t fuck around with. Both of them intense, fit as fleas, played for clubs Trav can’t even dream of. His managerial career also reminds me of Souness, ie extremely checkered before landing here. I’m hoping it’s another case of right man, right time. As you say, let’s find out. And if the place is so toxic, why was 20-year Bucko sobbing his heart out? I can’t imagine the new signings are giving any thought to how Trav felt: they’d never heard of him, he’s won nowt, move on old man, I’m having your shirt.

I, for one, am not particularly sorry to see Travis go, nor indeed almost the entire “leadership” group of players, none of whom struck me as leaders. 9 goals in 250 games is chronic for a central midfielder who allegedly has box-to-box tendencies - Super Atko got 34 in an almost identical number of games and at a higher level - and I tired of his pound shop Savage antics years ago. The fact is that all these senior players effing off were part of one or more of our annual collapses, used to falling short. A bit like a couple of other posters, I’m intrigued to see a new style under a manager who is growing on me by the day.

I wonder if Leonard having always had Adam Wharton playing him perfect through balls did him some favours coming up the ranks? Buckley I got the impression is thick as pig shit and fell under the influence of Dacky/Bezza, who both could piss around but still do the business on the pitch.

On the basis of today, not only aren’t we missing any of the Old Guard shipped out, we are looking better in several areas: much better keeper, overall better back 4, more forward drive in midfield, Cantwell playing like Bercovic, more physical, more height. If only we had a prolific striker.

This is the Cantwell I thought we were signing, oozes quality. Terrific free kick routine then made a difficult finish look simple.

VI not pulling his punches, didn’t even mention the ref, all our fault he said.

A last ten minutes to forget for Tavares: left a leg dangling for the pen, tired corner, let the cross come in, but he must’ve been out on his feet. We can’t keep going with swapping between Ohashi and Papi, they demand completely different styles of play. If I were VI, I’d go 5 at the back with Miller on the right of the three CBs - a team who create so few chances can’t not have his throw (I’d also narrow the pitch a yard on either side), and have both Papi/Yuki as the front two.

Build with Baath and Weimann? They’ll be lucky to still be playing this time next year.

Eustace is being somewhat unimaginative with his signings IMO. I’m struggling to see Travis (who couldn’t get in an Ipswich team just up from Div I) and two pensioners being the heartbeat of a promotion side

Getting it over the bar from where he was was the amazing part.

Gordon Banks save from Pele there - unbelievable! Buckley playing to not get bought by anyone. Cantwell playing 25 yards further back than did Tyjon

I enjoyed the last 30 mins more than many seem to have. Keeper - will take some cojones to come back from that start Montgomery - schoolkid, completely at fault for their first. Miller - put him in the team; much better at playing/passing out than Hyam and that throw should get us 10 goals Wharton - I’d also put in the team. Pickering - Pickering Tavares - reminds me of Wharton Jnr; great awareness, always looking round; shows for the ball and knows what he wants to do; does it in one or two touches. Tronstadt - maybe he’s the one who has asked to leave Hendriksson - schoolkid I didn’t notice once Tyjon - mixed but the good bits were where it counted, set up both Pape’s chances De Neve - schoolkid who scores. Pape - Pape

Don had a couple of years maybe before Jack started making a difference. He funded Archibald and Ardilles didn’t he? Propped up the Riverside, put a big ad on the Blackburn End roof. Don did a good job, but he definitely had a helping hand. The Mackay years were exciting, the Saxton years steady-ish, which got him the push in the end. As I recall the years between Kendall and Mackay, the predominant feeling was a bit like now: going nowhere, no dosh, anyone any good gets sold before their prime.

Bit of revisionism methinks. Under Saxton, before Jack started paying for stuff, we finished 10th, 11th, 6th, 5th 19th and 12th, not much different to our last few years.

Not too despondent. Lost because our CHs were completely AWOL for the long throw. But it was clear to me there’s still a lot of rebuilding needed, particularly in centre mid - with no forward threat all in the middle, no direct running at CHs, teams can double up on our wingers. One of Travis/Tronstad has to be replaced as starters. My other main worry was Yuki: no hold up play as the forward and no nothing as the #10. Plus, with Miller’s humongous throw you have to have Papi on the pitch. I can see Miller being the third CB, then 5-2 ahead of him.

I’m liking this fella’s passing resemblance to a young Vinnie Jones

I agree about the team, but I thought it a hammer blow to the club - a pointer to there being only a future of Coddingtons and Conlons, rather than any more Newtons. Brittain will be forgotten this time next year.

Keith Newton

Speaking as a veteran Crohn’s expert (45 years and counting), the good news is that biologic drugs have revolutionized its management, with years or even decades of remission being far more common than in the past. The bad news is that its course is completely unpredictable and he could be in for major surgery next month - but then so could Wharton, Carter and Leonard. The one thing I’d say is he won’t be a malingerer in the treatment room for slight knocks - you soon learn that remission is a gift to be made the most of.

When Mercer is posting about himself and other folk arguing with the Chadbot, you know there’s no news. Have to say VI is growing on me, seems to know what he wants and it’s clearly not what we had. Seems like forever that we’ve had no pace, not enough height, not enough physicality, two defensive centre-mids because our defence was crap, and keeper even worse. About time to try something different. Brittain had a good season but JDT had him on the bench for JRC. As to losing Weimann’s and Dolan’s goals, we’ve said this every season since Dacky/Graham broke up. Someone will step up.

Kean, Agnew, Shaw, Senior, Chesterton, Singh - did any of them leaving really change the trajectory of the club? And if the family read Glenn’s WhatsApp messages, why does it matter which empty suit is in charge here?

Piss poor marking