bluebruce

It'll mean we get a better deal for him. It strengthens our hand enough that we may even end up keeping him longer as a result if nobody meets the higher asking price. I don't see losing him as an imminent threat though, as he isn't that 'spectacular', eye-catching type of player. With him being a mid, that matters. We might be in trouble if he starts bending in a few 25-yarders though.

If he does improve (not all young players do even though we always expect they will) he can go on to be a hell of a player. The LT article today reminded me, he is still only 21. Johnson will be a great one for him to learn alongside.

I have. Recently, at that. And repeatedly.

Has any player every played absolutely every position professionally? I think he was shoved up front for us once wasn't he, so he'd just be centre half and goalie away from the full set!

I hope Downing can pass on a bit of his footballing knowhow to Arma. Lad has talent and I like him, but he makes numerous wrong decisions per game.

Thought he still flapped in the air a bit against Boro, including one which nearly cost us a goal. Tonight was easily his most convincing performance even without the vital penalty save. I feel a lot less worried by him now (for now).

Great result! End to end game but we deserved the win. I thought I never wanted to see Williams wear our shirt again at one point last season but he's showing what a disservice he's been done by being played at LB for so long. Tosin is going to have to wait for his chance now. Several fine performances. Good team showing. We still look a bit prone to being pulled apart when teams counter us but I wouldn't say any of the defensive unit played poorly. I think we just have some work to do on shape. But in fairness Hull have some very good attacking players. So much more solid for having Cunningham at LB. Can't afford him to get injured for long at any point this season. Commentators a bit annoying. From saying Hull dominated the first half (nonsense) that Arma was fouling the keeper (nonsense, he was in his way but neither pushing nor pulling him) and that they thought Hull should have had a pen out of Cunningham (arguable, seen them given but would've been harsh). End to end, entertaining game that could've ended something like 4-3.

Seen plenty of evidence for it today personally. No idea where you're coming from there. Only been a few hoofs.

Ffs get Dack off. It's obviously one that risks getting worse if he plays on it now and he won't be 100% for the rest of the match.

No idea where the commentators get off saying they feel like Hull have dominated. The other way around if anything and the stats back that up. 56% possession for us, 1 more shot from us (same on target) and we've hit the woodwork 3 times. Better pass accuracy, more passes, less fouls, 4 corners to 1...fuck off Sky!

What an entertaining half! Think we've been the better side overall, but either side could be winning from the basis of chances alone.

Surely it's Gally on his own and Arma wide? Think that way around seems better suited personally.

Easily. I'll go one further and say we would probably have got automatic promotion.

Lyons is the other CM. I only caught the last 35. JRC looked very tidy in particular. Mols and Vale look handfuls. Yeh the goalie is Fisher. Good stop at the end like you say, but he came out for two crosses he had no chance of claiming and was lucky neither ended badly for him.

Great goal there. Chapman put a free kick into an odd area, and my immediate instinct was it was shit, but Grayson had peeled off and struck it sweetly into the corner. Clever free kick, definite training ground move.

I had no idea what to expect from this game until I read this. A defeat it is then.

It would be interesting to know who the other candidates were. Only way to know if it was the right choice really (and even then, proper info on a youth coach can be hard to come by). In theory, Mowbray shouldn't have been making this decision. The LT article makes it clear that he, Tony Carrs and Stuart Jones were all involved to some degree though. I'd have thought the ultimate decision would have been made by Jones and Waggott, but who knows at this place. TM certainly seems to have plenty of power here, for better or worse. Good luck Billy. Hope you're the man for the job and bring another great crop through. According to Wiki he is 50 but doesn't look anywhere near it on the LT pic.

That's part of the back?

TM says Butterworth has a back injury, as part of growing pains...the lad is 20 next month. I'm no biologist but I thought most people were done growing well before then?

Yeh I know that's the plan with them for this season. Just questioning whether for Butterworth it's the right plan. Same may apply to JRC too as he is yet to feature this season. Less competition in a sense for him though as he can play RB too. Still got Bennett, Nyambe and probably Tosin ahead of him there though. Don't feel we should keep this lads from any decent loan deals that arise on the basis that we may have an injury crisis and then be able to give them a handful of sub appearances.

Aye, Buckley is being introduced from the bench with some regularity. I'm not convinced yet that he's ready, but maybe this game time will bring him along. I suppose we can always review in January whether he needs to go out, and by then he should have enough Championship games for his stock to attract League One teams who intend to start him.

Anyone else think Butterworth should really be going out on loan? He is being described as being on the fringes of the first team, but realistically there are too many bodies in front of him at the moment for him to get more than a token cameo or two throughout the season. Unless I'm mistaken he can play... Up front - competition being Graham, Gally, Armstrong, Brereton, even Samuel is likely to be given a chance by Tony there first when he is back. The Dack role - against Dack, Rothwell, Buckley, Downing apparently, and I'm sure most of the strikers would be given a shot there ahead of him if it came to it. The wide attacking roles - against Armstrong, Downing, Brereton, Gallagher, Samuel (lol), Buckley, Rothwell, Chapman. I'm probably forgetting a player or two as we have so damned many in those areas. Can't see what will be achieved by keeping him around when he won't get a look in and we don't need the bodies for depth.

18th certainly feels a lot better than 24th. Reading still to play, could potentially push us back to 19th.

He did play there for us for a few games last time he was here I recall. The main thing is he's such a big lad he seems a really odd fit there. But he looked faster today, and made better decisions. Ultimately I'm not sure he can play there long-term, as he's yet to show he has a real cross on him. Then again, TM doesn't seem to give a hairy shit about these wide attackers being able to put good crosses in.

Big question for that Hull game...I assume Tosin will be fit again, so who starts in central defence?