Andy

I've said this for a long time, the national team needs to be accessible to the whole country. It's pointless being stuck away in a south-east corner, particularly for midweek evening games. Play games at Villa Park, Old Trafford, Elland Road, Hillsborough, places like this.

I'd suggest that's a very, very kind view of the Pears situation. It hasn't just been the many catastrophic individual errors like Sheffield at home (no professional GK should be conceding that), it's the general air of incompetence that he carries. His defence are constantly on edge and this regularly shows in their performances. Pears isn't close to being good enough as a Championship number 1 and I suspect he himself knows this, never mind the fans. Fingers crossed Toth is what we've been missing since we sold TK.

I was one who was quite openly critical of JE, based on our performances under him last season. But the way we've started the season, he's certainly gone up in my estimation. And long may it continue.

I wasn't able to get a ticket for today, so had to watch from home. Hopefully it was policed well and the nobheads kept apart from the proper fans who turned up. If you feel the need to punch another person in the head, because they support a different team to you, you shouldn't really be walking the streets unsupervised.

Tell you something, that was a lot better of a derby showing than anything under JDT. Good point.

Their goal was right down the middle, Pears dives away from it. He got away with a horrible clearance, straight to their lad and then the flap coming for a cross which their forward headed just wide, with an empty net to aim at. As I said, Pears will cost us this match. But we also need to start playing. Our tactics make us feel like we're playing a top-6 Premier League side. We're not and they're not. Bit of composure and quality and we can quite easily win this.

Really pleased with Beck, I like the tenacity. Weimann an instant legend, great strike. Otherwise not much else. Hedges is just wasteful, Dolan offers nothing and Pears continues to be massive liability - he will cost us this game and has been lucky to get away with 2 blunders in the first half. Offside decision for Dolan's goal was ludicrous, but we have to get on with it. Get the new lads on, Baker and Duberry. And ideally Toth.

Yeah - he isn't Ainsley Pears. That'll do for me.

Cantwell is a sensational bit of business, fair play. Imagine what JDT could have done with signings of this quality...

Baker will be an extra body for the midfield and will do a job with/instead of Tronstad and Travis. Happy enough with that. Hopefully a few more to follow...

Do people still use Android phones, in 2024? Also: 6 will always be a CB.

Remain dubious until it gets completed. Suspected it was his agent using us for a better move. But Cantwell would be a great signing. Fair fucks if it happens. That said, irrespective of what happens with him, if we don't sign a proper GK before the window closes, it's been a disaster of a transfer window and we'll struggle again this season.

Really? He made loads - I was sat by the dugouts and he was right in front of me for the first half. Neat and tidy in possession, incredible pace and beat his man a few times.

Very poor tonight, I thought JRC had probably his worst game for us. Duru looked good, especially in the first half. Seems like the subs had the opposite effect tonight - we looked shitter once the changed had been made.

RIP Sven. Would have been interesting to see how he'd have fared at Ewood, but it wasn't to be. A good man (if the most unlikely serial shagger of all time), by all accounts.

Travers would be about as good as it gets for us, in terms of GK recruitment. Hopefully there's something in it.

I do expect defeat this time around - we've been lucky that the likes of Derby and Oxford didn't punish us, with the opportunities they had. Even with issues at their end, they still have a good squad at this level. It'd take some big performances from the likes of Hyam, Trav and...even Pears. But, if JE gets them fired up for the game in the way at JDT seemingly never could, form and favourites often go out of the window. It's going to be interesting either way.

Thing is with grinding out wins when you're not playing well - you start building momentum and confidence. And both of those things take you a long way in competitive sport. Next weekend will be very interesting and a good measure of where we actually are.

Poor performance, but good result. I've always rated Siggy, think there's a proper player in there - so pleased to see him get the winner today. 7 points from the first 3 games and sitting 3rd in the league. We'd have all snapped your hand off at that.

A better team than Oxford scores 2-3 in that half. Really need a better performance in the 2nd. Hedges has had the worst half I think I've ever seen him play - really poor.

Surely the Scottish Sun will be on par with The Sun, in terms of it being a red top rag? Unless it's reported somewhere reputable, I'm not giving that link any credence. Either way, we have to sign a GK before the Dingles game. Pears in goal for that one isn't worth thinking about...

I was very tempted to do something along these lines, but worked on the rule of 'a cashed out bet always wins' - fallen foul of that one many times, too 😁 I ended up cashing for about £30 before FT, so at least I made a very small bit of profit.

Sheff Utd conceding late at home against 10-man QPR yesterday cost me £430 in potential winnings, the absolute useless Yorkshire bastards. Always one, every week.

A half-eaten Kit Kat has the same GK ability as Pears - he is absolutely horrific and has dropped at least one major clanger in every league game so far this season. Not to mention the shitshow that was last season. I can't stress enough how much we need an actual GK this window.

Happy with the first half, think we've played some tidy stuff in patches - great finish as well. Pears once again showing why he's not a first choice GK at this level, absolutely horrific basic mistake and should have cost us a goal (if not for Sondre's heroics). Think Gueye looks a lot sharper and tidier in this game, so much better than Sam Gallagher.