We still went down to Div 3 with those three, and Sir Roger in goal

Maybe someone in the meeting might mention that every time Diaz and Gallagher got the ball they were completely shit with it.

Each to their own. Personally I find watching two oil states’ playthings less compelling than Subbuteo. The only thing the ladies were lacking - skill - is the only thing City and Newcastle have.

Worth recalling that it was the following season before he had pulled together a decent team, but still not good enough to go up. There is a similar feel to the fresh air of Furphy and JDT replacing the washed up Quigley and Mowbray.

I suppose if absolute standard of play is one’s only yardstick then one would never watch a kids game or one’s local pub or Darwen or…yet some do and really enjoy it. Personally, I can get invested in games at any level if they are evenly matched and all trying their best. Some of my most enjoyable moments were when I coached my next door neighbour’s women’s team: most were novices but two or three could play, one better than I ever was. While moments of skill were few and far between, the effort, enthusiasm, team spirit and improvement over time were what I enjoyed. There’s far more to footy than skill.

Given he keeps talking about a project, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was to look as follows: Window 1 (now) - try and plug gaps Window 2 (Xmas) - start to offload the ones JDT doesn’t like, sell Ben if mid table or worse, start to buy to his preferred way of playing. Window 3 - clear out the unwanted, start to buy quality, promote a couple of U-23s. Window 4 - improve positions that disappoint. And that’s best case IMO.

Edun and Gallagher coming in doesn’t get the pulse racing. Buckley lucky to still be starting imo, needs a good one today.

I’d start Pickering at centre back because I think we are much less fluid when Ayala has to play left. He has a good right foot but not a left one.

Pickering isn’t up to it but that goal line clearance was amazing - no idea how he got that one up over the bar.

You could sub any five except Ayala. That was appalling.

Pretty much how I saw him. I thought his assists were so low because of the same awareness problem at the other end: he just seemed not good at seeing where players were or going to be at either end. One reason Travis looks better might be because he doesn’t have to keep dropping diagonally back behind Nyambe to receive the inevitable pass the buck pass, which he seemed to 10–15 times a game.

Well, it’s pretty clear from the manager’s comments that Dacky is no different to the other ten turning out for the stiffs tomorrow - quite a turnaround from Mowbray telling him he was the best player in the Championship. Crucial for him he not only stars but stays on till the end, which I somehow doubt will happen.

You mean like Jack Walker…?

Quiet yesterday, some good first time passes in the opening stages. Second half he lost the ball twice while travelling with it which I don’t think will have pleased the Boss one bit. He’ll have to cut those out with the Liverpool lad breathing down his neck.

Actually quite like that bloke, very open and direct. He said we have two of the best counter-attacking forwards in the league, surely he can’t mean Gallagher…!

I like it too. Dack has to convince JDT in training that he can contribute to the team rather than the team contribute to him.

That’s because they didn’t understand the plan, which became increasingly apparent as the game wore on.

My goodness, this is a well-drilled team. That was a win from all the sweat on the training ground: there was a nullify Swansea plan, everyone knew exactly what to do all the time, and for the most part did it brilliantly. Great goals, great defending highlights but we’d have won anyway imo. Pickering can’t last in this team. Until Edun came on he had given the ball back to Wharton 9 times, given it away three times and had just two forward passes find their man. Gallagher is a passenger rather than a liability. Hedges and Travis the standout men so far.

Agreed. Let them piss about playing in front of our entire team as much as they like. I’m really liking Hedges’ awareness, he sees what’s going on around him, you can’t coach that.

You mean those runs that 9/10 ended with him surrounded by defenders and losing the ball? Buckley’s forward passing is a lot quicker and goes to a teammate more often. He got through the defence about three times all season.

You mean just like the 370 pages of there’s no money and we aren’t buying anyone? 🤣 Read the signs Gav, something is afoot. JDT didn’t make it in the AC Milan dressing room without having a ruthless streak. So what was this injury Dacky had? We heard about Carter’s hamstring so it’s not like they keep them all secret. Whether it’s Dack or anyone else, JDT doesn’t strike me as someone willing to change or adapt his plan for one player.

I didn’t interpret his constant references to team first as being about team spirit. I thought it was more the needs of the team will always come first: no egos, no strops. Maybe he learned that from being under Ancelotti, who turned dressing rooms full of egos into team first.

I just hope that we have a manager who has a clear plan on how to play, imposes it ruthlessly, sticks to it irrespective of any disgruntlement from players he will never have heard of until two months ago, and brings in players who fit the plan better than what we already have. It’s not one player who will get us up, it’s a manager who knows what he is doing.

I’d suggest that ‘athleticism’ and ‘physical metrics’ being front and centre in the quote tell us all we need to know about Dacky’s future under JDT.

I think the Dack situation is more nuanced than “an agenda” aka opinions. I was struck by a comment the manager made early on when he said “you can’t be scared”. At the time I wondered if he was referring to Dack. It would not be a huge shock if Dack, after two terrible injuries, has been nervous to go full out in pre-season, in fact I think it more than likely, and the manager for sure would have seen that. Add in the manager’s obsession with team and it seems not unlikely to me that he has no plans to change the team ethos he is introducing one iota to accommodate Dack’s extremely prolonged return. Dacky, let us recall, was telling Mowbray he was ready in March. He came on against Bristol City and stank the place out, as he did virtually every other time he came on. I cannot imagine this manager letting that happen - the other ten have to try even harder because Dacky is a bit nervous about his knees? Not on this guy’s watch. And that’s before even thinking about does Dacky fit the new system. His best attribute was as a poacher who arrived unseen into the danger area. I can still see a big role for that given Sam arrives late and seen by all and sundry. But I don’t think that’s enough for the boss. I suspect Dack will not be given first team minutes for the sole purpose of “getting fit” It didn’t work last season, he was no better at the end than against BC. He has to show the prolonged intensity in training first then win a place that enhances the boss’s system. Bottom line: IMO the days of Dacky being the main man are over.