Mattyblue

We had a 15 year old on the bench, the bloke is doing a fantastic job.

Football crowds are booming in this country from the Premier League to non league at a level not seen since the 1950s.... with an obvious exception..

Eustace plays his cards right and he'll be the new Gary Rowett with a place on the Championship job merry go round.

You said this about his last presser after he’d literally just mentioned him:

Nature of the beast. Some crops have some real talent in them, some not so much. And that used to be fine, just the way it is, not a sure thing that top talent will come through each and every season. But here our whole set up relies on it. Seems a very risky way to keep competitive in a league like this, but we are where we are.

‘Playing well’ = not throwing it in his net every week. You want the best possible results your resources allow? Play your best players.

They were obviously playing within themselves, they looked as if they could step it up whenever they fancied. That’s what having players on the bench on 50k a week can do for you.

Only for the Chadster.

The second one. All players are pretty much foisted on him in this set up, alas this one was more desperate than the rest.

Of course it reflects badly. But if he’s not up to it, he’s not up to it, JDT has no issue in chucking players as we’ve seen throughout his time here, the fact he isn’t doing with this lad speaks volumes.

They were 17 and 18 and still got in the first team in parts of the pitch in which we had options. JDT thought they had it, even at those tender ages. This lad is 24, plays in a position where we are obviously struggling he can’t get on the pitch. It’s pretty clear why JDT won’t play him, he doesn’t think he’s up to it.

Don’t get the comparison? Wharton played plenty last season at only 18 as the manager obviously thought he was up to it. Phillips was even younger at 17, still had a few starts, but unfortunately for him he was behind a load of decent to very good Championship centre halves. We have nothing up front and this lad at 24 still doesn’t get a kick.

He’s been playing in the German fourth division for a fourth division team (Munchengladbach reserves). He obviously doesn’t think he’s a better option as even in these desperate times for strikers, he still doesn’t get a kick.

No idea about the PL, hardly watch it. But there’s a hell of a lot of sides with agricultural at best keepers and defenders in the EFL (and even below that) attempting it.

All clubs are at it with this passing round the back thing, another Pep fad scrambling the minds of the rest of the game. It isn’t some JDT-ball as pretty much any other manager would be doing the same.

If the manager thinks a desperation signing from the German fourth division he was handed on deadline day isn’t up to it then he won’t play him, and that’s fair enough.

‘Needs more weeks’ JDT said about Gallagher on Friday, doesn’t sound like he’s ready to play.

These players aren’t getting promoted regardless. At least with JDT he has them well coached with a set way of playing and ergo has them winning plenty of matches. A more ‘prosaic’ manager ain’t doing any better with this bunch - no pace, no size, no experience, no strength, no cash, no hope.

What ‘hype’? I’m only interested in facts. He’s had us consistently at the top end of the league with one hand tied behind his back throughout his tenure - that bench is embarrassing for this level of football.

Only club in one of the country’s biggest cities and a massive catchment area across the country’s biggest county. They bloody well should be filling a 36k stadium (something they rarely did before Bielsa by the way) and selling out away games. Media spin, nothing more. As a comparison look at what the Sheffield clubs pull in between them, and they’ve been largely crap for decades, where’s their ‘super fans’ ‘super loyal’ narrative parroted across football every week?

As much as we need the PL, you do forget about all these big time Charlies giving it the big ‘un. Big city clubs have lots of fans, well done you 👏

Was kind of my point! We’ve seen parachutes for years, obviously, but this season’s lot have ridiculous squads in comparison the the rest of the paupers in the division.

Pace, your Leeds/Leicesters have it, we don’t. Subs that can change games, your Leeds/Leicesters have them, we don’t.

Pitch has held up quite well so far. This game and another on Tuesday as we head into the Christmas period might well see it end up in its yearly winter shit heap.

It’ll be because some ‘analyst’ will have a stat that says ‘54% of crosses end up in lost possession, whereas 99% of five yard backwards passes keep it recycled’ Fun the modern game, ain’t it.