Didn't get the chance to watch the game live - just watched it back. Random thoughts: Loved the free kick routine on 3/4 mins Buckley was incredibly fortunate not to get booked for a near red card offence on 11/12 mins - was booked for another silly foul 2nd half, 99 times out of a 100 he'd have been off, needs to be a lot more careful. Travis is absolutely crucial to this side, the main man. We were very lucky in the last 10 mins after Travis went off. From being 2-0 up with 10 mins to go, we could have lost it had Riis not touched a ball that was already going in and had the ref awarded what looked a fairly stonewall penalty against Gueye. Thought our penalty was a definite one as well. Chris Sutton came out with some really intelligent comments at HT about Gueye not attacking the right areas enough. The Club could do worse than pay for him to have some one on one sessions with Gueye. We desperately needed those 3 points, but we'll probably play a lot better and lose before the end of the season.

Trav comes back......all is well with the world. Trav goes off for the last 10 mins ......the roof caves in.

Hedges must have some compromising pictures of almost all the senior management team or something.

We've only played 2 games without Tronstad haven't we? 5 points from 6 games with Tronstad but no Travis by my reckoning if you include the Oxford game when he got injured. 5 from 5 without.

Good point.

Come off it - Brittain,Hyam and Szmodics cost £5-6 m. Gueye Ohashi and Cantwell cost £2m if that. The comparison is between them and Wahlsted/O'Riordan/Ennis/Telalovic/Hirst etc etc

5 points from 24 in Travis's absence. Hopefully his return can tip the balance.

I disagree. I thought the recruitment in summer (Park) was far far better.

Interesting. I'd take the opposite view to Exiled - wasted effort without someone up front who can put the ball in the back of the net. Neither of these two are prolific.

I agree that the modern trend is to go with some sort of DOF structure due to a perception that one man can't do it all etc but I'd argue that just because it's the way it usually tends to be done these days doesn't necessarily make it better. Who would you rather be picking players, Kenny Dalglish or his DOF at Liverpool at the time Damien Comoli? Alex Ferguson or whoever was behind the scenes at Manchester United? Eustace or Waggott/Gestede/Owen? It's a no brainer for me, not even up for debate whether it happens to be the modern way or not.

Too sharp for your own good as always Mr Wilsden!

It's hardly rocket science to suggest that you keep your better players well secured contract wise - anyone on here could tell you that. His recommendations included a suggestion we hold back one third of any available funds. Absolutely barking. You spend what you've got and trust that you've invested it wisely.

What has Eustace done in your eyes since he's been at the Club to suggest otherwise? And can you explain why you would rather Have Gestede, Waggott and Owen picking players than Eustace?

We paid decent money for those 3 so in respect of the first two I wouldn't say they've pulled up any trees relatively speaking. In particular I wouldn't say Hyam's been excellent value, I'd say he's been good in parts but pretty poor in the main. I would also have said the same about Brittain prior to this season but at least he is now showing signs of the player we thought we were signing at the time. The only thing in Broughton's favour is he brought in Szmodics. That gives him about the same strike rate as Owen Coyle who brought in Charlie Mulgrew. Doubt anyone would be clamouring for him to be made DOF though. If it's true Sigurdsson is on the sort of 17-18k p.w. wages that have been alleged, he has to go down as a disastrous acquisition as well.

Whoops sorry.!

Yeah thank the lord for signings like Wahlsted, Hirst, Ennis, Telalovic, O'Riordan, Fleck, O Riordan and the deadline day debacles for O Brien, the lad from Rochdale and Mcguire. Where would we have been without them?

Yep. Good to see someone so dedicated to their craft.

Lol. Yeah I'm sure that was EXACTLY how the conversation between them went and not: "What an absolute fucking shit show gaffer. I'm off at the earliest opportunity." "Can't say I blame you Trav. Me too, me too."

You're getting very shirty with people in your responses Chaddy. It's not their fault it-s been such an abysmal window that similarly looks set to end in underwhelming fashion. Nor that your faith in the owners and management to bring in the quality we needed was so badly misplaced. Earlier in the window you were defending the bringing in of "Championship experience" because you claimed it was what the manager wanted. Now it seems we can't even manage that.

Think he meant the other guy.

No. Been tenuously linked with a few though.

Can anyone explain why we should be going for the guy from Hibs? Doesn't seem to have anything much going for him at all.

Taking the cheapest available option eh?

They only want 1.2 m E for him! Is the budget that bad?

Plus they could just leave Hilton out. No doubt the excuses would go down well with those that don't know any better though.