bluebruce

The chances are at least one or two will come through who aren't being highly anticipated too (and probably that one or more of the three you mentioned won't make it how we hope). Just the nature of the game I expect you'll agree, especially with young players who can improve or stagnate suddenly. I don't get to see much of the youth teams sadly, but what little I do see, and the plenty I hear on here, we seem to have a good overall crop, and a few players' names keep cropping up as having potential. Hopefully one or more of them surprises you. Garrett and Harlock (or was it Haddow?) don't seem to be too far off the first team picture as they've made matchday squads. I thought you really rated Burns?

Smacks of adhering to the rules.

Unstick your pipe. We don't live in Ancient Rome. Language evolves.

Still bored?

Hopefully we re-enter negotiations once he turns 18 and we are allowed to offer more than 3 years. How difficult those negotiations are to do depends on many things between now and then.

Every manager has poor runs. (To be clear, Mowbray-level death spirals are beyond sackable)

Today we had 61% possession, lost 2-0. Bristol 63%, lost. Stoke 71%, lost. Reading 65%, lost 3-0. Dominating possession, but it's the wrong kind and we can't play it well just like recent previous seasons. Sheff U is the only defeat where we had less possession (44%). We beat QPR with 49%, Swansea 3-0 with just 29%, WBA with 40%, Watford with 46% and Blackpool with 55%. We did have wins with high possession (74% and 68%) in the cup but against inferior lower league opposition. A very strong pattern that matches with previous seasons, in fact so far it exceeds them. I'd suggest we're still a stronger counter attack side than possession-based.

Good day for the kids, both picking up their first wins, just the first team dropped the ball. Hopefully kickstarts both their seasons.

Not sure you understood my post. My scenario was the one in which game time in both teams wasn't mutually exclusive.

Been there 2 or 3 years I believe, if he's still there. Fell out of love with the professional game a long time ago, think he has a mate at Stoneclough, so just plays there for fun. Did a very honest interview a while back if I recall.

5 goals (4 of those in the cups though, only one in the league). 4 assists. In 73 appearances. Not a great record, though not sure how much of that was off the bench. But we've had worse. I remember quite liking him as a squad player tbh, but maybe I'm just remembering patches of him being alright. Definitely worked hard, but I wouldn't put him in the Lowe category for lack of anything beyond that. Wasn't great, mind.

So would I. But I'll take 3 points at senior level over 3 points at U21 level every day. The real solution would be to have U21 games after senior games (when feasible) as I've said before. Then anyone who didn't get enough minutes on the Saturday can play for the U21s the next day, keeping them match sharp and improving the U21s chances.

I'd echo the 'strange signing' verdict for now. That was my view when we signed him, for the price we paid anyway, and though he started perfectly with a goal, and has missed a few games through concussion, I haven't seen much to change my impression. However, it's still very early days, and the people who decided to sign him will have seen more of him than the rest of us combined. Too early to render a real verdict, these are just early impressions. Players sometimes take time to settle and this time next year (or even next month) we could be saying what a good signing it was.

Can't see the point tbh, other than in the hope the U21s finally win a game from it. Plenty good enough to be getting time in our first team, and I should think he will be fresher than Morton as he didn't play Wednesday.

Hedges didn't make the recent 28 man squad. And it will be a 23 man squad I think? With the selection due I think it was mid to late October. He's got very little time to make a very large impact. It's very unlikely he makes it. Apologies if the details are off, going off memory.

Do you mean Hedges? Outside chance he makes it but I doubt it. Vale would have to absolutely set on fire starting now to make that squad.

I'd be surprised. If I were Ryan Nyambe, I wouldn't go anywhere near Tony Mowbray ever again.

Sunderland are not a massive club.

Oh I remember that from phase one of The Journey.

The U21s are really struggling this season. They did last season too initially, hopefully they turn it around the same way or we might not be in the top league next season. I know a lot of U21 players are involved with the first team and that won't be helping, but this side still had at least 4 players with first team experience (Hilton's being elsewhere). Brentford didn't even have an academy until this season, and it's a category four. Their U21s (well, B team) don't play in a league as far as I can see. I don't know if this means they're a fairly experienced bunch with some on the cusp of Brentford's first team tbf, or if they're mostly just kids who only play matches Brentford manage to arrange.

The noises from Cov suggest Hyam didn't push for a move at all, and that the club almost foisted it on him. Meanwhile, Lenihan was very much wanted here but decided he wanted to be elsewhere. Funny how differently their form and fortune has been, you'd expect it the other way round based on whether they got what they wanted (I worried Hyam might not be motivated here but it doesn't seem to be the case).

So, YOU ate all the pies?

Aside from Bristol, we have won every game (including cup games) where one of the Wharton brothers started, and Adam was brought off on the 69th in that game (at 2-0 down tbf). Conversely, we have lost every game where neither of them started, except for West Brom. Looking forward to both of them starting, the only time that's happened so far was the 4-0 win against Hartlepool, our heaviest win so far (yes I know, only Hartlepool).

If it's as you say (missed most of the match) and continues in that vein then it's a massive plus. An over reliance on Brittain staying fit was starting to look like a real problem for this season. I did secretly hope Carter might be up to it after his Pompey stint. If he's a reliable right back at this level it's a huge bonus.

As a grown man, I think he can make his own decisions about when to wee.