1 hour ago, arbitro said:

He retained a 10% ownership in Salford when he took the Oldham job. I think there was also something about each club not being able to do transfer business with each other.

As you rightly say it doesn't matter now but I was surprised the EFL allowed him to have any interest in another club particularly one on the verge of promotion.

If he was called Joe Bloggs instead of Paul Scholes , he probably wouldn't ..

35 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

These are the worst team we played so far this season. Interesting to see how they perform now under Bruce. 

I think Wigan have that dubious honour , now ...

But you are right they were very poor...

Like Birmingham another poor team , who scored 2 in two minutes , unbelievable !

1 hour ago, Husky said:

I wonder why Bristol City always seem to bottle the last part of the season.

We could still finish above them yet.

Cos they are not good enough , just like   Preston Hull and Rovers  , had good run will go on a similar bad one anytime...

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark !!

2 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Feck that. We need a win and I'll be happy no mather where we get it from. Being dragged into a relegation fight would be an absolute nightmare 

Very true , the sooner we acquire the 2 or 3 points that we need , the better !!

1 hour ago, tomphil said:

If there was ever a good time for a flooded pitch and it to be called off I think this is it !

Groundsmen do your stuff, turn the sprinklers on.

It is not unknown !

Just now, arbitro said:

I also think there will be a really small crowd. Wigan will only bring a few and I think there will be lots of our season ticket holders not bothering.

I think Wigan will be a much tougher proposition that Preston in many respects. I saw them play at Derby last week and they are a big, physical team who play on the edge. It's simple for me. The players and Mowbray need to get it right in terms of tactics and application. A tough one to call but for me it has draw written all over it and maybe a 0-0 at that.

I agree , Wigan are a physical team ...Remember them clattering Rodwell in 1st minute at their place  ?? ...If that had happenend in Prem , he would have been red carded..

Just now, JHRover said:

We can't recall the loanees. We're awful in the air regardless.

Is that an actual fact ?

1 hour ago, Norbert Rassragr said:

Birmingham and Arsenal should have all their points deducted. A draconian approach is needed now, as next time a knife may be involved.  

Birmingham will be getting points deducted very soon...

I think , I would be playing Travis and Reed in midfield instead of Evans and Smallwood...

Not sure on this but didnt Smallwood play centre half last season in a couple of games ??

42 minutes ago, West Yorks Rover said:

Well that's pretty nasty, I reckon he'll get a lifetime ban and a short spell in prison, maybe 28 days.

Not quite as bad as the incident at Ewood 40 + years ago, when a fan ran on and punched the QPR keeper flat to the ground,

I think he was their reserve keeper and he was playing out of his skin on the night, Rovers were well on top, but could get

nothing past him.

I don't remember the incident being picked up much by the national media as no tv cameras at the ground in those days.

Don't remember that one , I remember a dart throwing incident against Chesterfield one night early seventies ...

Villa winning bloody marvellous !!

Just now, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

If they end up getting promoted with whomever they bring in, it will have been a great decision.

Very true , Sam Sam the Allardyce man ???

2 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Disgraceful scene at Birmingham where a home supporter has run onto the pitch and swung a punch at Jack Grealish. And almost as bad lots of Birmingham fans were cheering.

Very true , 12 point deduction and other penalties coming Brums way ...Come on Villa !!

Just now, tomphil said:

Frustrating, deserved a point so it's hard to criticize too much other than the usual glaring obvious issues.

You look at the team pre game and think shit looks like 3 at the back we'll be all over the shop and we are slower than a walking football side, you think shit Williams is playing that weakens us even further.   A few mins in we've had a go been all over at the back when they've boke, Williams is at fault again and we are one nil down, piss poor defending by a weak defence and dozy defender.

So the most frustrating thing is it is all so so predictable !

Thankfully they showed a bit of stubbornness yesterday but a good performance and not conceding that goal then that Preston team was beatable although they showed how to defend and sit back comfortably on a l1-0 lead.  I await the day we can do that under this manager and coaching set up !

Exactly ,most teams can defend , Bristol City average team can defend , Preston average can defend , Sheffield Utd average team can defend  nothing special about these teams ..

Leeds and Norwich a bit more about them , should go up automatically.....

My tip for play offs Notts Forest a master stroke appointing O Neil..

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

It'll be a funny old season if we stay up with a lot less points than we were relegated with the last time we were in this division !

I never thought of that scenario !  

The thing that gets me with Mowbray , he has not sorted the defence out since he arrived ..Last season we gave away silly goals and this it has been a joke from day one...

It is big rough no nonsense centre halves we need ...Not Guardiola style no contact centre halves !!!

It will be interesting to see what time the Bolton game kicks off in April ??

I didn't see any trouble today or hear of any , when Bolton come to town there will be ...

Just now, tugayislegend said:

Absolute rubbish! Sorry, bowyer had Rhodes, gestede, king, Cairney, dann, Hanley + more.

We can't compete with Boro/stoke/forest/ their wage budgets will be MORE than DOUBLE ours! It is so hard to bring in any talented established players because they will already be on more than 20k a week!! This is key when it comes to recruitment. 

Villa lost 1 million pound a week last season, look it up, as did wolves last year!!

Our goal for this season is to stay up. Looks like we will do that. If TM doesn't bring in any defenders in summer then call for his head! 

What wigan and Rotherham would give to be in our position! We have to be content with mid table, and build SLOWLY over the next 3 years, yes 2-3 years at least.

 

 

I agree with most of your post but I would like to know , what happened in January ???

Only Chapman signed and not kicked a ball yet , Downing leaving ( not a brill player ) but an option ...

Whose idea was it to sign nobody ?? Mowbray or someone higher up the chain ..

I am beginning to think if Chapman plays before next season , he will cost us a fee  , if not he is on a free !!

27 minutes ago, scotchrover said:

It wasn’t just the time wasting though. From recollection:

- Nuttall taking the ball fairly off a PNE defender and being through, before the ref blew up

-The goal that was disallowed after a fair challenge 

-Armstrong clearly being obstructed down the wing during the last 10 minutes- how the linesman didn’t see that right in front of him  

That was just a handful too in the second half. What ever happened at half time with ref has changed the course of the game. He blew for nothing in the first half. 

To show I’m being completely unbiased, the PNE player’s red was over the top too. 

I think the Red Card was for a foul with multiple time wasting convictions taken into account !

19 minutes ago, schoey said:

Having to go over to Wakefield for an annual work meeting and miss the game...got on the train from Blackburn about half an hour ago and 2 nearly full carriages of drunk Preston fans stumbled out.

Good to see them enjoying their big day out ?

The walk to Ewood in the wind and  rain will sober em up !!!

1 hour ago, blueboy3333 said:

Have you seen our defence recently? We aren't playing Man City, PNE are playing a pub team. 

I agree about our defence but this is the Championship , owt can happen !

It is March 7th , the season is drawing to a close (neither up nor down , whatever some people think )...

Yes , we are on a bad run but on Saturday we are playing Preston North End , who have amassed 4 points more than ourselves ..

After reading most comments on here anyone would think , we were playing Man City , get a grip !!!!

54 minutes ago, HowieFive0 said:

Raya definitely took a backwards step since the Rodriguez injury.

Possibly

4 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

Stick Dack up top with Armstrong in a 2, replace Mulgrew with Lenihan, have Chapman, Reed, Rodwell and Rothwell in a 442 and I'd be happy with that. 

We need to do something radical otherwise we'll be humiliated. Oh and what happened to the high tempo?!

They  are not Man City  !!!

4 points in front of us and Finney does not play anymore , for god's sake !!!