Considering that it allowed him to play every game in a Premier League season, to suggest that it was unwise would be wrong. Similar to Szmodics, was probably a last chance to do it.

Seems a strange conclusion within the aftermath of an away victory to come to the conclusion that our best side makes 4 changes to that and adopts a totally different formation that we have never played before.

We definitely didnt deserve to beat West Brom, they had the main 2 chances, and there are other games we won when we on the balance of play "shouldn't" have done according to the same logic. You have totally fabricated the idea that people expect a goalkeeper to make no mistakes. The issue with Pears last season was the QUANTITY of mistakes made. It was far too high, I think it worked out into double figures directly leading to a goal and be didnt even play all of the games. This season he has been afforded much better protection but he certainly hasnt been the same level of calamity that he has been in the past, so far anyway, he has shown notable improvment. Johansson wins his team more points than he costs, hence why he is regarded as one of the best in the league. Doesnt mean that he never makes mistakes. I am not comfortable with the narrative that the nasty fans are scapegoating individuals. Those 2 players either are or have been consistently our weaker performers. Thats why they naturally receive an above average amount of criticism. Pears to be fair has not been the liability that we saw making so many mistakes last season. And I think that has been acknowledged by most, although especially as a keeper he has to work to get peoples full trust in him. Hedges is an attacking player whose main asset is trying his best. He consistently fails to be productive in the final third. He again today wasnt, the main time he got into the final third he made the wrong decision and played a poor ball well in advance of anyone. You look around him, Weimann scored twice and Cantwell slipped in Travis to set up the first. He again was less effective.

Great win today to get off the mark away from home after very poor away form so far. We did very well to get to 2 nil then a mixture of tiredness and a moment of stupidity let them back into it, although that goal felt like it was coming anyway. Lose today and our start to the season becomes very underwhelming with the relegation battle coming into view. The first 2 goals were brilliantly worked, especially the first. Travis was outstanding and him and Tronstad are a very nice pairing. Pears made a few saves you would expext him to make, a few good claims, acted like a dick (not a complaint as its in our favour) with timewasting and whilst unfortunate with the penalty, he does have a tendency to palm shots back into danger. He did it against Sheffield United and has done it many times before. But he had a solid game today. The defence in the main again was solid and the team is well organised. Batth made one terrible pass and Brittain is awful at one on one defending and stopping crosses, but we deal with balls into the box well. Pickering is an excellent second choice left back and Hyam has done well this season and not got the credit he deserves. The attack still feels like the issue. Cantwell didnt have a particularly good game but the side looks to have much more of a balance to it with our best player central and getting on the ball so he has to stay there. Weimann doesnt have the legs anymore to play regularly but you dont lose a goalscoring instinct. Hedges again was very poor and needs dropping and ultimately moving on. Ohashi wasnt as ineffective as usual but he isnt the most gifted in any sense, technically things often bobble away and physically he lacks pace and strength and he doesnt really look like scoring at the moment. Still a better option than the clown who came on. Hopefully ACD will be fit to start the next game to give us more pace.

You are sticking to your stance on Johansson arent you? One of the best keepers in the league.

Yep, no idea where he has got that from, unless hes getting confused with Tomasson. Track record of Rothwell's dad on a train telling everyone that all of our out of contract players were about to follow Mowbray, and the Buckley £10m stuff isnt great.

Some of them are pushing it to be squad player worthy. And also there is such an imbalance to them. No competent striker, no one with any pace.

I think our fans were split on him before. Some could see a blatant lack of technical ability, finishing ability and the intelligence and movement to find goalscoring positions. And some felt that his main issue was needing chances creating for him in a way that supposedly suits him. So for the latter, to see him have a ball put on his head that didnt even require any clever movement from him, and for him to miss that chance how he did caused a rethink.

A third Saturday 12.30 in a row is an absolute joke. Sky really thinking of the fans as they always do.

He is not sharp enough for this standard. He gets caught offside so often and he regularly takes one touch too many and loses the ball.

Id rather leave Hedges at home.

The point was that those are the sort of options we are looking at it when we need to change things. It wasnt a criticism of fans suggesting those players, it just shows how weak our squad is. We needed a more mobile centre back instead of McFadzean, especially with Batth coming in. As for what I would do, I would only consider a back 3 if Beck is fit and put Pickering to left centre back.

I can see how understandably desperate people have become when you see the players that are being suggested as we scrape the barrel. McFadzean hasnt played a league minute and is approaching the age of 38. Sigurdsson is now injured but hes been suggested despite being shit throughout his time here. Buckley keeps getting suggested, that cant be on his own performances. Leonard is mentioned, he wasnt up to it last year and missed a sitter last night.

How do you look back at your comments about Gueye and Ohashi after a friendly v Stockport? They seemed to be the second coming but are both well off it.

Another bad night at the office and the fact that we have 2 goals and 4 points in 7 games is embarassing. I can not see who is going to score the goals to avoid us slipping into a relegation fight. It all comes down to the owners and their unwillingness to spend but Gestede has really found a couple of duds with the peanuts available. Ohashi, constantly offside or seeing the ball bounce away from him. And Gueye, wow, what a joke. Hedges again shite, summed himself up taking too long when clean through. Cantwell looks like he is frustrated because no one is on his wavelength, even better in a central role.

What a thoroughly depressing team. 1-0 Stoke.

I wasnt dismissing your expectations. I was saying that seeing as you would take anywhere in the top half, I am guessing you dont have faith in a play off push.

Neither were anywhere near good enough so it would say a lot if they did. Garrett cant even get a game in League 1.

A couple of things you never address: - Is creating chances solely on the rest of the team, does none of the onus fall on the actual striker finding himself in goalscoring positions through his movement and anticipation? Look how bad we were last season and how many Szmodics got, that was not because he had great creative players, he knew which runs to make and where the ball would go. Gueye is often static, he wont get chances like that - Why is it such a struggle to create chances when we have attacking players who you want to dish out new deals to, ie Dolan and Hedges? Surely if they are so good, they would be a strikers dream. I dont think confidence is the main issue for Gueye. I sadly dont think he appears to be very good. Very poor technically and lacks the intelligence and awareness to sniff out goals. I dont think he did, no. His cross came off a defender.

Yeah im not having this idea where the idiotic red card at Burnley saw his confidence fell off a cliff. Before then, he had only started 2 league games. Against Derby, he dragged one reasonable chance wide and then missed an absolute sitter. Against Norwich he did lay on a nice pass for Hedges to score but never looked like scoring himself, then he was dropped v Oxford. When he came on he did technically get an assist (was essentially just a very good individual turn and goal by Sigurdsson) and also shanked a shot of his own almost out of the stadium. He may be low on confidence, but thats not his main issue. He is technically so poor and clearly not someone who has the instinct to sniff out chances nor the technique to take them. He can bring the ball down usually on his chest but its of no use if he cant play a subsequent 5 yard pass. Lets hope he proves many of us wrong.

I dont think that happily taking a league position up to 4 places below our current placing suggests high confidence in the team. We can be difficult to break down. Going forward we are easy to play against due to a lack of quality.

Gestede can clear off and take his terrible main summer signing with him.

Khadra also had pace though which at least gave us a different dimension.

Travis should look to score more goals but there is naturally more onus on players in the final third to contribute more. I dont get why Baker has never been used in his correct position. He does have a track record of scoring from range yet Eustace seems to prefer Buckley who tends to be a waste of a sub.

Indeed. I get that money is always tight and recruitment as a result is made difficult, so maybe people would argue its better the devil you know. But the whole attack needs a makeover. The likes of Hedges and Dolan havent needed to contribute regularly when we had the goalscorers I mentioned, now we dont we need far more from them than they are capable of contributing. With Dolan, if we saw signs of improvement considering his age then it would be an easy decision to make. If anything, he appears to have regressed. I wonder if it was his decision or the clubs decision for him to bulk up and lose any explosiveness and pace he once had? Maybe it would be better for Dolan too to have a fresh start.