bluebruce

Has TM been talking about him recently? I've not seen anything. Or do you just mean the comments from the summer? Things could have changed since then, especially with the continued injuries. I wanted us all over Chapman in the summer but I'm growing unsure. If there are recent comments, where can I find them?

Souey is looking great for his age.

Hmm? So he needs to work for 18 months, not 1 month, to earn what you get in 12 months? You earn about 27k a week then? Tidy.

Fair point. Although that was under the clown Coyle.

Wait, are you suggesting that it's easier to be a winger in the Premiership (and Champions League) than the Championship??

Well I know they're the same age. Surely we need a bit more than that to make a meaningful comparison? If we pretend Davenport cost 7 million, I'd still be thinking we will see what he has when he recovers. I wouldn't (and don't) hold the manager responsible for the injury problems. But in Breteton we have a player who is always available but can only get a cameo in the wrong position despite showing promise. Even when all the others in his position are out. Even when we are on a very poor run. That concerns me more as it suggests the manager doesn't rate him in his natural position.

Davenport hasn't been available. He has just been injured. A 7 million pound player not being deemed good enough to start or get much game time in his favoured position even when no other specialists there are fit, for a few months is, to me, more worrying than a 7 million pound player (though Dav only cost 500k) being injured for a few months who may (or may not) be completely over that going forward. It seems a strange comparison to make in the first place, since the fees and circumstances are entirely different. Personally, I'm worried that Brereton has been available 100% of the time, shown glimmers, and for some reason is reduced to 5 minute cameos at home in a second half where we were mostly ahead by 2 goals.

Was paraphrasing Blueboy. We may end up wishing we bought a statue instead if he doesn't start getting some proper game time. How did he do today in the precious 5 minutes or so he was given? I was at work.

I mean we appear to have been very careful to avoid signing players who might well be great on the pitch, but who would be paid so much it would either distort everyone else's pay by getting them to insist on more, or piss them all off and create disunity. It sounds like even Dack's new contract didn't put him onto all that much in the grand scheme of things at this level (possibly a factor in why it didn't get us any more time onto his contract). It was said we weren't willing to offer McGinn the wages he wanted even though his fee was perfectly achievable. Just seems like a very conscious effort to control the structure. Especially compared to our previous runaway wage bills. Point is, we ain't about to break the bank wages wise for Cashley if it took that.

Sure am. For example - he was unveiled on the pitch at half time on a Saturday in early December?

He started against Bournemouth in the cup. But otherwise, completely agree.

We're one of the ones that definitely don't pay mega wages, though. With good reason after prior debacles. We have a very carefully maintained wage structure.

I'm going to predict something. Whatever team Mowbray puts out on Saturday will get slammed on here by quite a few before kick off. Literally regardless of what he puts out (who, where, formation). Simply because there are now a hell of a lot of different lineups and formations being suggested. Nobody agrees on the best 11 or the best approach. Logically, it follows that most people will think whatever team we line up will be the wrong one in at least one spot.

I don't think our use of Palmer would encourage Chelsea or the kid... Cole is famously greedy. Don't remember the 'Cashley' saga? Regardless of what he has accumulated, he is going wherever will pay him the most. That won't be us. If he got player of the season for Galaxy but has just been released...why? Asking for too much money maybe? If so, probably land up in China or the middle east.

Sounds a bit out of our league? Worth a pop anyway though just in case, if he's as good as you say.

Could you not just be patient?

Wasn't Anderson in some kind of bother? Possibly I'm thinking of SEM/Kentaro in general (what ever happened with that in the end?) but I thought I'd seen Anderson named explicitly in something at some stage.

Will Travis have good positional sense in a position he has never played? On a side that's his wrong foot? It doesn't matter whether you're right that he should be played there this game (I don't think you are for what it's worth), Mowbray isn't going to do it. This game is crucial now, he just said back to basics, he doesn't seem to rate Travis as highly as most of us do...I'd bet a significant amount of money that he won't line up at left back for this match.

Fucking hell. I've only just looked at December's fixtures and I wish I hadn't. Need to beat Wednesday or we could be looking at a relegation fight by January. Playing 4 of the top 5, mostly away...the easiest game after Sheff Weds is Brum at home, and they're three spots above us! We really have cocked up by only taking 1 point from these last 3 games which were all winnable.

We don't really count you as foreign, you know

Think they will be licking their lips if our young centre mid who sometimes plays right back, but barely plays at all lately, lines up at left back too. I'm not sure where all this appealing for Travis at LB came from, other than Bell and Williams both playing poorly lately, but I wouldn't get your hopes up for it happening against Sheff W. One of Bell or Williams will be playing. I'd go with Bell. If you look at those last 7 goals shipped, Williams has been gash for an alarming amount of them. Especially after saying 'back to basics', Mowbray isn't about to play a LB who has never played there.

Blackburn Rovers it is then.

How the hell have we managed to go from the best Championship team in Lancashire to the worst, in just 4 days?

Williams also completely lost his man for the first, who duly obliged with the goal. The only reason it's not more obvious is because of the camera angle. He had a shocker.

The fourth goal was the worst of the lot, a total clusterfuck. I think the players had lost heart and focus by then. Mulgrew didn't take up the number 9 who set it up - that was fine, as his movement was fine at first as he had to watch for the goalscorer's run too. But then if you watch it back, once the cross goes in, he does a strange run (more of a jog really, total lack of urgency) to the byline, This was why he wasn't at the post in time for when the shot came in. Lenihan also moves correctly initially, but is caught ball-watching the crosser for too long instead of the goalscorer. When he does clock the goalscorer has peeled off him too far, he runs backwards which slows him down and gives him too much space. Reed is similarly guilty of ball-watching and sauntering a bit, which is unlike him. Williams just ambles along throughout the whole thing, woefully far from affecting any of it and with a shameful disinterest in doing so. The shot isn't a clean one or powerful at all, and Raya should be able to stop it if he was at his usual high standards. Basically, not one of the five involved did the right thing. I think we do have to account for the fact the game was pretty much out of sight though.