Exiled in Toronto

As I remember from my schooldays at SMC, we sneaked out for a dab teacake, with not a current in sight. But it had a domed top, otherwise it would’ve been a dab barmcake

Not really. It was a much better ball into the space and a much better shot than it was a cross: scuffed behind Armstrong and should’ve been cleared.

Enjoyable to watch after a dire first five minutes where Nyambe failed to stop two dangerous crosses coming in, missed two headers and passed straight to two opponents; Douglas then taking the dire armband for the rest of the half. Cracking goal made by a great Rothwell pass and a great first time finish.

Some players just seems to hit it off everywhere. Who can ever forget his perfect cross that MGP volleyed in.

Seems clear to me that Mowbray was told a while ago it’s playoffs or bust. So he gambled on two young centre backs hoping for two more of Elliott’s standard, and then he gambled on bringing Travis and Dack back as soon as the bandages were off. The gambled have failed, he has bombs going off all around him and he’s now shell shocked: no cards left to play, can’t think straight. A broken man.

Dack and Travis aren’t passengers, they are both liabilities. We can’t keep showing up with 6 men, 3 boys and 2 unfit.

From here on in I’d play Travis and Davenport centre mid, Elliott, Dack and Brereton (who can hold the ball up long enough for Dack to trundle upfield) with the greedy bugger up front, and whoever is fit at the back.

The team went downhill after Arbitro and CLB left. I, sadly, was only good enough for the Second XI. The trick will be getting a hearing with some or several underlings at the base of their pyramid of trust, and then getting them to push the idea upwards. Which, of course, they would each have to see it be in their interests to do so, which means it’ll have to be something very different to what’s gone before. All the Venkys Out!, Kean Out!, Mowbray Out!, Apologise!, Admit your mistakes! Give us the club for free! never stood the slightest chance of getting a hearing, let alone a response

Key in my mind is recognizing from the start who you are trying to reach and figuring out not what to say but how to reach them. Owners and CEOs of a huge multinational company based in an extremely hierarchical society thousands of miles away are incredibly hard to get a hearing with. They don’t answer the phone or reply to email, they have countless minions to stop random people getting in front of them. Every consulting firm and banker in India would be banging their door down if they were actually accessible. So I think it needs a lot of homework: figuring out the management structure, how

For ten years now it’s been impossible to evaluate initiatives objectively because there’s always been shady fuckers lurking around. Maybe there is an argument to go the Brentford model, especially as Travis, Dolan and JR-C joined us in their late teens and were all good enough to be on the fringes of the team. Maybe having what is essentially a reserve team playing friendlies against a range of different teams is better than u-23s being mollicoddled and having to be sent out for years on loan to toughen up. Maybe someone has added up the costs of taking lads on from the age of six, and,

If he’s not, he ought to be. Every other CEO is.

Anyone suggesting sponsors are paid by the club seems fundamentally misunderstand how sponsorship works. Businesses listen a lot more to sponsors than to random customers because there is more money at stake.

Every single thing Gallagher did was rubbish, he’s a complete donkey. His first four involvements were passing to an opponent when under no pressure, swinging and missing a clear shot, cushioned header to no-one anywhere near, and passing straight out of play. Get him off. Also noteworthy Nyambe’s crap header led directly to the goal.

For a big ugly bruiser of a centre half, he’s remarkably thin-skinned. Maybe it’s the combination of another season in mid-table coupled with his “boss” taking early retirement that has him rattled. He desperately needs a new narrative for a new boss who he won’t get to pick, hence resetting the journey clock. Expect a new theme tune to tune out to: “We’ve only just begun” by the Carpenters.

Hard to judge anyone from that shambles but I remain convinced that Gallagher is a donkey: no hold up play, can’t beat his man, headers flicked onto no-one.