indierich06

I'm probably on my own, but I find the performative, unnatural and manufactured atmosphere that's taken hold of football in recent years really grating. Forced 'limbs' (hate the phrase) - who is genuinely throwing themselves about like they're in a ****ing mosh pit when their team scores a goal unless you're winning the league or a cup final? Oh and don't forget to have someone film it as well, so it can be uploaded to social media and everyone can say what good little fans we are. Letting off pyro to celebrate a scrappy 1-0 away win in the arse end of nowhere - it all just seems a bit desperate to me and seems to be much more about keeping up appearances than anything else. Maybe I'm just being a grumpy old ****er and these people are genuinely trying to make a better atmosphere at games, but none of it works as it doesn't (and can't) address the root cause. Football atmosphere will remain stale or manufactured because a) young people and b) working class people are generally priced out of going to most games. The demographic is older/wealthier than it's ever been and that won't change any time soon - the older and the wealthier generally aren't going to generate that atmosphere. This article from Vice back in 2017 sums it up, if anything things have gotten worse since then - English 'atmosphere' at games is one of the biggest myths out there: https://www.vice.com/en/article/53xwp8/squeezed-fans-silent-stadiums-the-myth-of-premier-league-atmosphere That's the reason why home games are dead, and why away games have a good atmosphere - the people who naturally want to make that kind of atmosphere are in the minority, at home games you've got a mix of different fans, from fanatics, to fairweather fans, to tourists - at away games you've got the hardcore element. Almost every club up and down the country has the exact same issue. A few flags, or safe standing, or pyro or fake 'limbs' isn't going to change the fact that most game-attending fans don't want to/aren't naturally inclined to create that atmosphere.

Can the FORWARD merchants please stfu now.

I just don't think Brighton will match our valuation - would be very surprised if they pay £30m for him. Player seems unlikely to agitate for a move either, so I think the window probably ends with him at the club still.

ESPN+ 19

If you find out, let me know!

Alves and Braybrooke both not fit by the looks of things.

Would only sell for silly money, and even then only if we could guarantee 2-3 reinforcements through the door in time.

Thought Alves had gotten a few mins with them? And he's been training with the first team.

No chance of Braybrooke or Alves making an appearance I guess?

Don't get me wrong, I really like Kasey McAteer and it's nice to see young lads from the academy getting their chance, but is he really good enough to get a move to the PL? He's not even really first choice for us. I know he's had injury problems, but Mavididi and Fatawu keep him out of the side comfortably - and I know he's young and likely to improve, but Fatawu is younger!

If he can stay fit, this guy is an absolute Rolls Royce in the Championship. Likely plays a big role in our bid to stay up as well, if things keep going the way they are.

A side note, but surely something's got to change with FFP? The big boys still seem able to spend with impunity due to their big commercial revenue and ability to sell fringe players for big fees, and in the meantime all the other clubs are either struggling to balance the books or stretching themselves too thin and getting punished - i.e. Everton. Then because the big teams are spending silly money on average players, they're overinflating the market, making it harder for smaller clubs to do business on the cheap. No-one wants to see clubs spending beyond their means and getting into trouble, but it seems like the current system benefits some clubs and hamstrings others - so what's the point?

The old English premium. Would be great, but there's just better to be had elsewhere, and for less money.

Yeah keen to see some recommendations from people who have a specific service. You look on Reddit and Twitter and it's just bots shilling diff services - no confidence they're any good.

Southampton are in red hot form at the minute so if this strengthens us and stops them from improving their squad, all the better for us.

Wonder if it's an accounting thing? Offset it vs the fees we've received this season for Maddison & Barnes? **** knows tbh.

You really have to hand it to Ipswich as a newly promoted team. Obviously we're having a monster season so far, but the fact that they've kept pace and continue to keep pace - absolutely astonishing. I wonder if there's ever been a newly promoted team that's had a better start to life in a new league than them? Would be very happy if we both went up automatically at the expense of the likes of Leeds.

Is he going to be a bit more like a 10? Or are we just never going to get a player like that? Also, is he going to be another player that we lose for AFCON?

Yeah honestly, his stories are always either bullshit, or never come off.

I mean, we're among the top scorers in the league, with some of the best xg too. Hardly awful. If we were more clinical we'd be blowing teams away every week. As it is, we're still top of the league and comfortably ensconced in the auto promotion places.

We really need to get more clinical.

We're going to need to be more clinical, been so poor in the final third the last few games.

I mean, it's men against boys literally. Wouldn't read too much into any of this, most of the academy teams get pumped.

It's probably been mentioned already, but while this was a v impressive result for Leeds and a decent performance, they haven't got anything like the consistency we have. They'll win a game like this then go and lose at Stoke, or drop points against Sheff Weds. Absolutely wouldn't surprise me if they slip up at Plymouth or Rotherham - they seem to be able to get motivated for the big games, but come unstuck against smaller sides.

I wonder if, depending on our position in Jan, we start making some moves with the summer in mind? Risky, but could put us ahead of the curve slightly.