Steve Earle

I’ve said before: deserves to be in the conversation about our best ever managers. Unfortunately he also should be in the conversation about our worst ever manager.

Club's website has it as a Ricardo goal

Full strength based on recoveries. I’d expect Doyle, Coady, Ricardo, Yunus and Cannon all to start.

Well I for one expect massive rotation for these two games. I don’t expect too many outfield players to start both, with the obvious exceptions of CBs and wingers where, in the latter case, we simply don’t have options (though Madivadua might come into the reckoning). Teams will be selected based on recoveries and ‘gas in the tank’. I hope ( but am not counting on) that Praet can start one of them. Cannon I expect to start on Friday to give Pat a breather and to help break him in (so to speak) before AFCON

Where the heck was Praet again? Anyone know? I’ve not seen the match but he’s infinitely better than Akgun…

Even so - and I think that’s true as a policy - he surely had to start today? Then take Friday off?

Also amazed we’ve rested JJ…

I highly recommend Nancy Wilson’s version of the theme song, FWIW

I won’t be able to see the Ipswich game which, apart from being our most important game since the last one (!), promises to be fascinating tactically. Ipswich typically set up like no other team in the Championship, in an asymmetrical 3-3-3-1. Three quarters of their back four, starting with the RB, play in orthodox positions. The LB however is pushed further forward as a LWB/LM alongside the two pivots. This in turn allows them to play an orthodox RW alongside two 10’s, one (usually Broadhead) playing notionally off the left a la Maddison. Hirst plays the target man role better than I could ever have imagined. Will Enzo adjust his tactics and if so how? It’s likely that Ipswich’s two tens and two pivots will pick up Ricardo, Winks, KDH & Wilf when OOP. Then they add either the RW or the LWB to secure an overload which we’ll have to be alive to and have a plan for. And Davis’s role as LWB might mean Ricardo daren’t invert as often. So might we see something similar to Rotherham, with JJ playing on the right to counter Davis & Ricardo inverting from the left? What else do we expect from Enzo? And Merry Christmas everyone!

That should be close. I’m hoping Praet can start ahead of Casadei but he has (a) to have trained well (b) to get a good night’s sleep and (c) to not injure himself on his cereal box in the morning if that’s to happen, so bit of a long shot. Would prefer to keep one of our wingers fresh for Boxing Day and start Yunus too, if he’s fit enough.

Christ no! Let’s not go back to the Stone Age. Hopefully our recruitment team have him and dozens of others on their radar.

Agree. Was it the position or fatigue that saw him fade once he'd moved to left wing? Superb until that moment. And I've not been a fan, putting it mildly.

The full range of opinions as always! I'm in neither camp on Daka - I haven't completely written him off nor did I greet the previous two performances like the Second Coming. But he was dreadful last night, and if you're one of those who thinks differently - which is fine - then that's just endowment bias in action.

Anyone heard what the matter is with Praet this time? Was he dunked in tea for too long?

There's no reason to wait until January to begin negotiations...

Pubs?

Belllingham klaxon incoming!

My guess is 3-4 changes. One fresh CB, Ricardo, Praet or Casadei starting, Albrighton maybe too.

Again, I'm sure you've read that somewhere, I'm not sure I have. But I'd agree and expected them to be our no. 8s this season. Obviously Praet's wet-biscuit-like muscular skeletal system undermines that a bit. Still though he'd make the bench at Wednesday & WBA when declared fit in the two pressers...

Not disputing your belief, but do we know that? Evidence?

Every time I see one of these I’m whisked back into the nightmare ends to 2019-20 & 2020-21, when statistically it was ‘almost impossible’ not to qualify for the Champions League. Alas, we know what happened. Twice.

No need to agree with me on the ‘best’ bit, but surely you can see PL quality there?

Winks? You remember him…our best player?

So, anybody up to talking tactics yet, in the tactics thread?

Only saw the second half but I agree. Was that our worst 45 of the season so far? I’m afraid Yunus is turning out to be this years Perez.