bluebruce

Yes, he qualifies as being a Japanese player 😉

Dunno about that. Hedges had a great game yesterday but he's a poor player overall. He could easily be allowed to leave because he's simply not good enough.

I struggle to see how Buckley has been treated awfully by the club. Hasn't been good enough, nor shown the right attitude, for years.

Nah you see the replay behind the goal and it's too high to get clean purchase on it.

That's the Hedges we know. (Not an easy header tbf, too high, just being glib)

Ok, the ref hasn't made any game changing decisions yet (although all these bookings not given may mean someone doesn't get sent who should), but so far this is the worst ref I've seen this season. Absolute bobbins.

At my count, Ohashi has been clattered 3 times I think, all probably bookable, and had one free kick, no bookings for the offenders.

That won't matter though if the ref doesn't decide to punish him.

Imagine, Ryan Hedges opening the scoring! That'll be that from him until at least the new year haha Nice one Ryan. Lovely goal that too, nicely worked from everyone.

Ridiculous again not giving anything for Cantwell there. I'm gonna call it now, whatever the score or victor, the referee is deciding this game with an incorrect decision.

Then someone farts on a Hull player and he gives a free kick, even though Hull were attacking in space, but ignores advantage. Fucking useless. Seriously are there any halfway competent refs in this league?

There were scumbags chanting Yaxley-Lennon's fake name at the last home game.

The rules make that nearly impossible in the Championship. Without fielding English players we would lose our ability to sign enough players who don't automatically qualify for permits, and it's much harder to find players who auto qualify for permits at this level, and certainly with our finances. It can be done (no English players) but you'd have to almost go out of your way to make it happen.

It was the worst kept secret that we were obliged to buy him. I never even mentioned the Baradji deal, so I certainly wasn't criticising it. Tbh I don't even know what the connection is, I've not seen the last few pages. I assume we are loaning him with a view to buy? I've been out at work all day, maybe I need to check the news.

Fair point Chaddy, you were absolutely right about it happening, good prediction. I also think it had and may continue to have a short term boost in that game and perhaps beyond, in terms of his performance. However, and perhaps time will prove this wrong, but I don't feel he has the right personality to be captain material in the longer term. I think it will make him step up, maybe for a few games, but he doesn't strike me as mature enough or selfless enough for it to pan out long term. He doesn't seem like he could pick a team up by the scruff of its neck and get it over the line, not even close tbh. But hopefully we at least see a bump in his own performances, hopefully one that lasts, and he can be a key player for us when on his game.

I think you've misremembered the last two seasons. Last season was a good one (minus our ritual January seppuku), but the season before we were a gnat's pube away from relegation. It's the season before that where we came close again.

That was a purchase dressed up as a loan. The purchase was guaranteed from the start. If I'm remembering rightly it was only a loan initially due to the loan window being open longer than the transfer window at that time. If I'm misremembering then it was probably just to push the accounting further down the line, but it was definitely not an option to purchase but an obligation. Can only imagine how much flak they'd have got if we saw him be worthless for half a season then spent 7 mill on him anyway without being forced to.

If you think the club are beyond spinning it that he covers both positions, it may be an unpleasant finish to the transfer window. This is our last ESC slot I think, unless I'm having a brain fart, and they've struggled to land a RW with a slot available (as they could have cancelled Mafoumbi at any time). Let's not forget De Neve has played a lot of his football as a LB and LWB but he's basically playing on the wing here.

Mad that they do indeed have just this one actual skill, and no others, and it has to be one that actively fucks us over and helps prolong the misery.

I've seen it said that Baradji also plays right wing. So I'll not be 100% surprised if we don't get a separate right winger. What Baradji definitely can't do is come straight into the team (assuming the reason he isn't playing for his club is that he has had the surgery as believed).

49, in all competitions, in 3 seasons. With 3 goals (2 in the league). 23 appearances and 0 goals in his last 2 seasons. He has a total of 89 career appearances and 6 goals, according to Wiki. At the age of 25. (Although the goals column is even dubious when I look closer, as the goals actually shown add up to 5 not 6, and 2 of those are for City U21s in the EFL Trophy)

I don't know if this was intentional rather than a typo, but it really fits.

Yes. Did they congratulate him turning down a new contract though or did they congratulate him on his move with its subsequent wage bump?

The only thing I think it is telling about is that Tom Bloxham is very bitter about not making it here and being released. If it came from someone like Sammie Szmodics, Dolan, Baath etc then it would be very telling as you say.

English qualified players is different to English players though right? So someone like Tavares would contribute to the minutes I think?