Interesting that Koumetio couldnt even make a 9 man bench on Saturday. We obviously played a back 3 and had no Wharton or Pickering, yet a full back in Chrisene was played there instead ans when he was needed at wing back, 3 right footed centre backs was the alternative. Hard to see him getting a game. He seemed to be a bit of a desperate signing as a last minute loan having struggled for a game at the bottom of Ligue 2.

Doesnt answer that question but stewards clearly under orders asked them to take the banners down and I think the people that brought them didnt last the game so I assume they were kicked out.

We've seen the same with Gallagher. Many have offered to pay to drive him to his next club and would give him away. He wasnt worth what we paid and he isnt a natural goalscorer but hes a decent striker at this level that would get in a few teams, yet many have lost all context on him.

They are both decent Championship players. Neither are top 6 quality and they have shown that in the last 2 seasons, and both have their flaws, but they are important for us. You are right in that the alternatives in their positions for us have been embarassing, so you could argue that it makes our record with Gallagher and Dolan less impressive, because people just put it down to the ineptitude of the alternatives. But both would be wanted by quite a few teams in the league I would suggest and neither would be easy to replace. If we was a genuine top 6 contender, then you would probably want them as squad players perhaps.

We need to try and ship him off in the summer. Absolutely woeful player. Leonard isnt ready but he should be above him.

Nixon is clearly trying to make stories from nowhere now he doesnt have transfer rumours to make up. No way was Waggott ever likely to get sacked, nor is he under Venkys. They wont be aware of the current atmosphere. He will just be hoping that swanning off to India whilst the heat is on, by the time he comes back home it will have died down. Hopefully not.

Tomasson wasnt doing anything wrong in sticking to the passing out from the back and sticking to his principles. Thats how we should be playing, apparently. Yet a few days later, the new totally different style suited us (not hoofball, although the third yesterday is as much hoofball as youll ever find) and the subs made much more sense. The king is dead, long live the king.

Eustace a week before his arrival which was following Tomasson left with the McGuire farce being cited as a reason. Supposedly vetoed the deal so he could spend money in the summer? Very wishful thinking.

Its all well and good saying he wont make the first 11, which itself is now debateable. He didnt with Wharton here and our midfielders needing to do a specific role in a possession dominating side, but without Wharton and in a more pragmatic side he might well make it anyway. But its a 46 game slog with 5 subs again. Is he in our main 16 players? Absolutely.

I remember he did pretty well, not sure how well, but totally different role.

He was very good in Mowbray's last season when we played a counter attacking style. No reliance on him to play on the half turn out from the back, he can put himself about winning the ball back and protecting the defence.

Even if you take Benson out of it, there is such a disparity between how people view Lowe and Johnson. Coaching players and the playing career of a coach doesn't have THAT much of a correlation.

We really do need to get him on a long term deal even though he isnt always on it. For a player at his age, he is an important member of the squad, otherwise he will need selling in the summer. I also would prefer Gallagher to stay, them 2 and Szmodics are the 3 attacking players we have that we know are up to the level. Telalovic is woeful, Leonard needs a loan, Markanday is crap, Moran is poor and will go back and Sigurdsson is unconvincing.

I do find it a bit strange how people are so sure of a gigantic difference in the credentials of Johnson compared to Lowe and Benson. It is strange how the latter 2 seemingly stay regardless but still, it does baffle how people are so certain.

I think he could fit into a more pragmatic, counter attacking Eustace side much more and I hope he is back next season.

Very important and comfortable win against piss poor opposition and even though Eustace will have had no training sessions with the team, a noticeable change in tact from Tomasson's naive tactics that were causing us self inflicted problems. Much more direct, playing on the break, cutting out the over emphasis on playing it out and putting in corners. Dolan did well to get 2 very well taken goals, Szmodics wasnt as his very best but another important goal and Gallagher is such an important player for, missed a great chance but superb flick on for the third and offers a threat. Telalovic on the other hand is absolutely nowhere near being up to it and needs shipping out. Hedges was a welcome return and put in a good shift on his return, Brittain showed his crossing ability albeit poor defensively for the penalty. McFadzean will have issues with pacy players but a rock at the back and Hyam also solid, Chrisene was fine too. Pears avoided a potential collapse with a crucial penalty save. Tronstad was also impressive.

He hasnt got a defensive bone in his body, even against Wrexham they kept getting down his side. He also from an attacking sense prefers to play more central (he has said this) and when out right by the touchline he can be very predictable. Moran is crap, I agree. Im just saying he isnt the worst player weve had in years.

Dolan at wing back with JRC further forward would be bizarre. Dolan isnt a wing back under any circumstances. Moran is poor albeit in a season weve had players like Wahlstedt and Telalovic, not the worst player weve had in years.

You make it sound as though the club decided to get rid of Tomasson. The theory that Waggott has got more power might be the case, more likely because Broughton is fed up with Tomasson going or that his task is being made more and more difficult bordering on impossible rather than again a choice by the club as the owners dont sack/sideline due to incompetence as we know so it wont be based on more admin failings. Eustace wasnt even at Coventry when Waggott was so that seems a lazy link. And lets face it, the choice to not reinvest the Wharton money will be solely down to Venkys, especially admist their court hearing being delayed. Either way, the club is fucked and Eustace is walking into a shit show and wont appease the fan base even if he is a reasonable appointment.

I suppose we might never know. But Broughton discussed that when Tomasson was to leave, the next head coach would be brought in to implement the same style, I suppose he does have history of bring through academy players but the style is very different or at least was at Birmingham. Doesnt scream direct replacement.

You are right that whoever has the job is going to be up against it with these dreadful owners. That being said, amidst the restrictions, his stubbornness to playing expansive football was leaving a limited group unnecessarily exposed. Our defence may not be great but it isnt the worst in the league. A more pragmatic manager like Eustace may suit working under such restrictions. It wasnt worded well, but my point was that it wasnt the club who decided to make a change. We arent a normally run club and it was Tomasson himself who made the decision that he couldnt continue. I think although Tomasson agreed to go for free in the summer, maybe he wasnt willing to agree to buy out his contract if like as he seems about to do, another job comes up within the final 2 years of his contract. Changing managers and keeping the same owners (and to a lesser extent, board) does feel like moving the deckchairs on the titanic.

Tomasson leaves as a bit of a martyr and its hard not to like him considering how hes not been shy in speaking out amidst the owners really strangling him and it feels like his departure is a bit of a fuck you to them and their associated cronies. Im not too sure how his managerial career will pan out from here or if he is a really talented manager or not. I feel like peoples opinions of him are perhaps biased because of what I mentioned in the first paragraph but there have been signs even allowing for the limitations the squad of weaknesses in his management. The defensive and set piece records are unacceptable (worst in the league) and he has been too stubborn in his style which has been counterproductive. That being said, last season he did very well to match the points tally of the season prior and narrowly miss out of the play offs. He like Mowbray before found a small and young squad struggling to maintain the pace of promising starts to get over the line. Our progress in the cups has also been a huge positive under him. I am genuinely unsure whether at a more normal club (or it seems country, unsure if that will suit him without that time on the training ground) he will flourish or if his weaknesses will continue, as he clearly has the capability to improve players. Rankin Costello, Szmodics and Adam Wharton came on leaps and bounds under him.He seems to have clashed with big personalities at times (notably Travis and Dack) so I wonder if that is a potential red flag. Interestingly, if you split his time here into half seasons, his most successful was the first half of his first season when he had yet to properly get his style across and we were very pragmatic but also incredibly clinical and efficient. As time went on we started to dominate teams but that caused results to slide. The "project" has obviously changed since and im unsure if it was partly down to the instructions of Broughton etc to play a certain way but he hasnt got the best from what he has this season which admittedly isnt much. I feel like putting the general mess to one side for a minute, Tomasson is not the right man for the job even if it took him to decide that after the final straw of the McGuire farce. Hopefully Eustace can solidify us but its hard to think anything other than warmth towards Tomasson as a person.

I think he certainly exceeds my low expectations of who would come next and in fact I would suggest his more pragmatic and defensive side at Birmingham perhaps suggests that he is more suited for the fight we are in. Ignoring other stuff for a second, Tomasson had become very stubborn with his style and it was leaving us realy exposed with a woeful league worst defensive and set piece record. Eustace has a limited track record but showed promise at Birmingham. I do wonder if he knows what he has let himself into. The toxic atmosphere I suspect will remain for the immediate future perhaps ready to erupt unless we go on a sudden run of wins. The issues are above him with all roads going to India.

I disagree. He has made out in the past that Tomasson would be replaced by someone similar in style. Eustace isnt that, he is much more pragmatic and probably a better fit for a struggle.

They ordered curry after a successful window? Even with McGuire on loan it was a shit window. @glen9mullan was any detail shed about the Wharton money and if thats as we all expect just vanished?