LCFCJohn

Let's be honest any club who took this alternative view would be Everton levels of batsh1t crazy. I wasn’t suggesting it as a route or condoning it normally. It was more the point that he’s likely worth more point in favour for us than a deduction to highlight his importance to us. You can lose any player to injury or simply loss of form at any point and then you're left with a points deduction and the same problem. True, and I appreciate you are talking here in the context of a points deduction but in terms of the injury point, the same can be said for selling KDH and replacing him with someone who could just get injured on their debut! As I say, I was and am not advocating we should do anything to risk breaking rules and incurring deductions. I don’t like how people throw shit from 20 years back at us (well Forest and Cov fans anyway). I would rather we try and keep our noses clean and live within our means (as much as you can in football). Basically, there’s no point selling him if it’s just to make room to buy as he’s so key. If we are so up shit creek we would risk a deduction if we don’t sell him, the club is an utter mess and may as well give up and go home!

Hard to measure. If hypothetically, we were to breach and got say a 10 point penalty, I guess it’s whether KDH’s goal contributions, overall contributions and the disruption of not properly replacing him maybe worth more than 10 points in what we could lose on the field? Just an alternative view I guess!

Ok, to spell it out to the sell him and take the money, it’s fine people. We were already light in central midfield all season and it was an area we needed someone this month. We now have Ndidi out for more than just AFCON so that is needed even more. Casadei then goes so we need two in that position to just break even. If KDH went, as well as losing double figures for goals and assists, we would need three, yes three, coming in in midfield. It is the 27th January and we’ll be lucky if we get one. If this happens, we will absolutely not be ‘fine’. We haven’t already done enough to go up, we have 3 teams on our tails. If this move gets sanctioned it will 100% derail us and we will be in this league next season and that is not negative or hyperbole. Hopefully for this reason, this is just talk and the club won’t be stupid enough to do it but until the window ends, I won’t be sure given we are such a clown club these days!

I’m not sure I know what the limit is to be fair but I make a point of never having a drink if I’m driving so I guess I don’t need to . I’d certainly make sure I knew if it was inclined to. I think there’s a figure like an hour for a drink to pass through your system but I don’t know if this is to the point of safe to drive. You also have to take into account your own body I suppose. Someone bigger will probably pass it through quicker but again, maybe that’s wrong! But yeah, the point is, if in doubt, definitely don’t do it!

I agree with this. A car, in the wrong hands, is a weapon that can kill, the same as a gun or knife. If someone was recklessly firing off a gun but was fortunate enough that nobody was hit, it doesn’t make it ok. Same with drunk/drug or other reckless driving (excessive speeding etc).

Obviously we want to be at the top level and successful so this isn’t a comment to suggest otherwise. But it’d be interesting to just know what they would do if we have another spell such as 2004-08 (roughly), what their reaction would be.

Disagree. The Ipswich fan I quoted had already moaned immediately before about how much our squad cost compare to theirs which is the effect of playing at a higher level. They then specifically said ‘more experienced at this level’. Sorry, if you haven’t played in the Championship at all, you have the same level of experience in this league regardless of whether your career to date has been in League 1 or the Premier League. I’d say League 1 is probably a more similar league experience wise!

I’m not sure where you are getting the bolded bit from! We haven’t been in the Championship for 10 years (longer ago than you), the only player we have who played in it with us last time is Vardy and of our starting 11 last night, off the top of my head, probably only 4 have played in this league before this season (KDH, Choudhury, Cannon and Mavididi).

Rest rest rest. I thought if we had a good month we could focus on a cup run but with those behind us in form and us looking gassed, we need less games not more so happy for us to go out (as long as it’s a weak team) and use the energy on the league.

Disappointing but at least Ipswich haven’t gained ground. Those laughing off any notion of others catching us need to give their heads a shake… It was just so predictable. Once it got to the 70 minute mark and we hadn’t manage to convert our chances before, you may as well have just fast forwarded to 85+ to get to their inevitable goal. It’ll keep happening as long as we just sit back and don’t try to kill games off.

Sheff Utd are like the new Norwich (before the latter decided to turn their stay in the Championship long term). Get promoted then crap themselves and try to beat Derby’s record. But, seem to have some decent players like Norwich did at one stage. McAtee and Hamer but also Ahmedhodzic and Archer is still highly rated and has scored a few given limited service this season. Surprisingly there are more there than Luton or Burnley given that they are performing worse than those two!

Regarding your last line, Southampton also started slower (or had a decent August and an awful September) so they could say the same. I think us and them have comfortably picked up more points than anyone else since September so I think second is a stretch to be fair.

To be fair their losing run (linked to your point) was a tough run, away at Sunderland who had had a good start, then and Ipswich who had had great starts and away at Middlesbrough who were just starting to pick up some form then after a bad start. But I also do think the timing of being just after the transfer window and them losing the likes of JWP and Tella played a bit part. I think ultimately it is a credit to our club (for once) that they got things done earlier as like I say, I think that is more the difference between us and Southampton than particularly on the field. Also, I think these stats of not played anyone in the top whatever are a bit misleading as is that based on the positions of the clubs they have played now or at the time they played them? For example, Coventry have been in the bottom half for much of the season but we caught them at their best last week. Whereas Southampton have been in the top 4 for most but we caught them at their worst in September.

I’m coming from a different angle that if you do drop points at the top, other teams will be on you quick. Whereas at the bottom, you could go for weeks without a win and others around you won’t do much. And I’m personally not doom mongering, just striking some balance. Many on here struggle with that. Of course we are in a favourable position. But those who say it is done and dusted and we don’t need to give Southampton a second thought are just as reactionary the other way to those who say we have blown promotion after 1 defeat!

It’s definitely doable but hopefully you don’t! I think people underestimate how quickly that sort of points gap ‘could’ get eaten up at the top end of the table when teams are on winning runs.

I don’t even think the key difference between us and Southampton is on the pitch. I think it comes down to the summer and us doing our business early. In August, we got 12 points to their 10 but with an easier fixture list. They had some key players leave late and had a bit of an overhaul whilst we were more settled. Immediately after the window closed they lost 4 on the trot which are their only defeats all season and are unbeaten since September!

Na, if they get too close to making the playoffs they’ll bin him off. It’s what they do!

Hence the second part of my comment with the balance applied! Basically my point being, those saying we have nothing to worry about are wrong. As are those saying it’s all doom and we will be overtaken by Southampton and Ipswich etc. As always, the reality is somewhere between! And when you say lose 4 in 19, it does sound too realistic no. But take 7 points, a defeat and a couple of draws and there it is. We just seem to have a lot saying ah just rock up and win 10 more games. A, it doesn’t work like that and B, it may need near on 100 points to go up this year based on the form of ourselves, Ipswich and now Southampton.

Of course. This is why my wording of whilst they are in this form. We just don’t need a situation where we have a sticky run now whilst they are on fire meaning they catch us. Yes, even in that event, the likelihood is that they would be due a few dropped points of their own whilst we’d likely be due a good run again. All hypothetical.

I agree with your second point about getting second and promotion secured first. As for the other point, points in the bag over games in hand!

If that was the OPs reasoning for suggesting us and Southampton shouldn’t be in this league, they are forgetting Leeds finished ahead of Southampton. More likely they meant both sides are just too good?

7 once this games finishes. The point being, with a 7 point gap, it’s one or two more bad results from us whilst they are still in this form of their own and it’s within a game or so of points and all to play for. That said, when we lost back to back in November, our lead of Leeds went from 14 points to 8 in those two game weeks and was then rebuilt so can go either way!

I’m commenting only on the games I have seen them play (aside from their defeat to us) which I have been impressed with the pace they attack at and the fact they don’t sit back on a lead. I’m sure that has come back on them at times but I’m just saying what I have seen from them. They have had a lot of draws but again, I can’t comment on whether those have been poor performances or if they have had worldly goal keeping performances or woodwork to the rescue against them.

Difference is Southampton look to kill games off rather than trying to sit on a 1-0 lead. They look very entertaining for it every time I have seen them in recent times.

Hopefully Swansea can keep Adam Armstrong quiet. He’s a cheat code as an attacking outlet (2nd for goals and 1st for assists) in the league in the same way KDH and Winks are in midfield.