Dan

I was thinking this about Cartwright maybe. Soumare simply not capable of that goal the other week. Isn't in his repertoire.

Mad if we manage to sell him. You'd not put it past us to price him out of a move though that would suit all parties. For the minutes he's likely to now actually get for us I'd be fine with someone like Page taking them. It's moves like this that'll get us back on track. Soumare's just never been good enough. Really ineffective footballer.

I'd kind of agree and think our individual quality is still probably higher than basically anybody in the division and that is going to carry us to some wins. But that has been the majority of our points so far, I'd be far more confident if the performances were matching. It's not to say we can't get better though. I think in a way if we were doing what we're doing now, getting the results unconvincingly, in April during the run in it would probably get a bit more respect. People calling it negative but I can't help what I'm seeing, it reminds me a little bit of Preston being up there in 2023/24 when every metric pointed to a bit of a freak run of form and sure enough that's what it was, while on the flip side us and Ipswich clearly looked the part. The difference with us to Preston I suppose is we have good enough players to probably sustain this longer, but I do think we're dropping down the table unless the performances pick up.

We're proficient at neither creating or stopping chances. I'd say we've been relatively solid at home and given little away, largely shutting out Birmingham and Coventry, which is pretty impressive. But in away games we are giving away two goals worth of chances basically every game against on the whole pretty average opposition. We're doing well to be 3rd. Nobody will convince me otherwise. If we stay here, or climb further, it will almost certainly be because the level of performance has risen.

It's absolutely ridiculous. I actually really like the nations league and I think it's played a part in the upturn of lots of lesser nations - I'd say virtually all of the minnows have improved a bit. But this is complete insanity, they really didn't think this through. Linking the nations league to the qualifiers should be stopped.

This is true of many of these types of songs. Forest's as well - it's begrudgingly very good at home. Away it's really nothing to write about.

Yeah it's been hurting me for years this one.

Well they're literally not true so what is the point of them? You might as well make a number up.

Actually like the Jersey Budd version and think playing it when we do has made it work - it's better at home now than away. It isn't great away, just sung far too quickly.

In which case just do away with attendance figures full stop.

Yeah and it shouldn't be allowed.

It shouldn't be allowed - haven't been at the games so can't really vouch for Leicester's empties or not but clubs like West Ham take the piss posting a 60k every game when it's just blatantly nowhere near.

I thought there'd be more of a drop off this season. As said elsewhere - expand.

Crikey

The club is completely screwed until the ownership changes. Pick the bones out of everything, this is the final box on the flow chart. No matter how you dress it up.

He should be but this is the thing with Soumare - the idea of him is so far detached from the reality.

Hard to imagine we'd be this bad for it under say Danny Rohl. One thing I'll say for Fiorentina though is they were dire, well behind us in preseason scheduling and they've made their worst start in about 50 years in the league too so I'm not sure it was a great barometer. That being said we definitely haven't taken the same approach, it's dropped back into pretty laboured stuff.

Both of these takes are a bit silly if true. I've seen maybe the odd hyperbolic reactionary "we'll go down again" but never thought anyone 'really' thought this was likely. Equally poor judgement if people think this squad is anywhere close to the 2023/24 levels which quite honestly could've broken the record if not for that late drop off. This side is missing basically five of the best players of that side.

Mission creep is a thing and so many miss it. They never introduce these things radically (with the exception of the ridiculous super league a few years ago, which got totally buried as a result) but they will just gradually feed these things in and normalise them so that there's less pushback. Gradual managed decline. Serie A and La Liga are a disgrace for this. As far as I'm concerned the seasons have an asterisk by them. Barcelona win the league but basically played 20 games at home and 18 away. I don't think the Spaniards will be as up in arms as they should be but will be interested to see how the Italians react.

I'm convinced if it had a less nerdy name it'd be accepted by the vast majority.

We've got to improve. We will pay for this over a whole season.

It reeks of Norwich. Manning's made a shocking start and I think they would look to his ultimately successful Southampton season in the Championship as good enough justification. Used to play for them as well.

Pretty sure over this unbeaten run they got fewer points than we did. It's hard to bash him in that year as he ultimately got promoted but he was abject, terrible in the Premier League and his stint at Rangers is up there with as bad a tenure as I've seen at any club anywhere. We've hit a point where Rangers not beating Falkirk and Dundee is of no surprise. The Brugge games too they're far better than this.

What I will say is bar the centre back situation (which is ridiculous) he's at least starting to put some of the right players in. Was worried that Ayew and Soumare were simply being rested v Wrexham due to the schedule but pleasantly surprised that neither started at Swansea. The centre back situation is a red flag though. Been done to death but Nelson not even being in the squad is so poor.

He's so bad. Unconvinced by Cifuentes so far but thank god we dodged this one. For now.