deep blue

The British press has long held the reputation for building up a person/club only to knock it down at the first opportunity. It creates juicy headlines which supposedly increase sales. Our fabulous Prem win followed by our fairly swift demise fits the bill perfectly.

Think that was the game where Danny Drinkwater, on loan from Man U, ran the game for Barnsley, so Pearson signed him (along with James and De Laet) the next summer.

Looking at the footage for that free kick, McCarthy set himself 100% for the cross and gave himself no chance when he was slow to pick up the shot. Given how slow he is to get down for shots anyway, he should have made allowance for the possibility of a shot, been more alert to it and reacted to it sooner. That was very naive positioning and judgement for a professional goalie.

Re LibDems ascending beyond 3rd place - no, the support and local party resource vary too wildly from location to location at the moment. But our campaigning in Stockport has demonstrated that where LibDems have enough "feet on the ground" and enthusiasm then people on doorsteps, and in subsequent voting patterns, react very favourably to LibDem values and personnel. As for Ed Davey, he generally talks very good sense, and has a non-confrontational approach, which I believe is long overdue in British poliyics and whi h Burnham, thankfully, appears to echo. I think he would make a good minister - Home Secretary is a good shout.

Speaking as a LibDem activist I find it galling that the 3rd largest party in Parliament by far rarely get a mention by the Beeb whereas every opportunity is made to push Reform into the headlights. As for Labour corralling floating voters recently, our current local campaigning continues to bring more and more floaters into our fold and away from Reform and Labour. All is not lost!

It's a fine point, but when people say that Brabrooke's considerably older than Page and should be more advanced in his physical development at this stage, you need to also factor in the time he was out with his injury at a crucial period of his development.

Similar sympathy has been shown towards our last few managers that they'd been deceived when they were hired. I just find it hard to believe that within the football league fraternity our situation via-à-vis the ineptness of our owner and board, and the poor state within the club, aren't recognised and well known.

There wouldn't be any groans for the players to contend with if they showed desire and commitment and determination from the kick-off ... as the well paid weaklings should do!

You genuinely think Top "means well' ?

My wish would be for anyone who is prepared to develop a genuine attachmemt to the club and supporters, and who has sufficiemt nous to employ people with real football acumen to direct the management & development of the club.

Mahrez and Kante were not the original targets, but had the scouts not been at the match or didn't have the acumen to identify class when they saw it then we wouldn't have switched our interest to those players, Signing players on the recommendation of agencies, which is the route we appear to have adopted over the last few years, is no replacement for proper scouting.

I think Stol started well when he first came into the team (I was particularly impressed that, in comparison to Kasper, he was confident in coming out and claiming crosses) but like many of our players he seems to have lost confidence and that assertive quality. Who can say whether he's been affected by the shite defence he's had in front of him from day one, or the insistence on him pissing about passing around the box (which doesn't come naturally to him), the coaching he receives, or whatever. I still think there's a chance he'll regain his spark if Russell continues to play him and show confidence in him, and it will be helped if the defense can be solidified over the next few weeks. At the end of the day, unless we get a new keeper in he's the best option we have currently and, given his compatative youth and the woefullness of our other options, he has the best chance of improving.

What does "wants to play a more defensive style" actually mean? I can't envisage a more defensive style of football than that currently played by Martin, in the sense that most of his passing style seems to be around our own penalty box and he seems to loathe the ball being passed forwards.

Brilliant team selection; really innovative and exciting; therefore ... no chance of it being anywhere near Martin's pick.

The squad he has at his disposal is still good enough to do a damn sight better. But he doesn't pick the stronger and more committed players, his defensive organisation is crap, his style of play is nonsensical, his game management is poor etc etc. So yes, as bad a hand he's been dealt, any half-decent professional manager should have performed a damn sight better.

When you say "from a friend" can you give us any idea of the validity of that source?

But it does send you to sleep 🙂

Surely we can afford Challinor or Fuchs.

The Queen Mary 2 is good too. 🙂 And it goes forwards most of the time.

Already been done 🥲

Thanks. Not exactly very enlightening analysis. I guess he didn't have any suggestions why, after he'd prepared the team during the previous week's training and prepped them pre-match mentally, they still went out and committed hari-kari? Hardly an endorsement for his team preparation and match tactics.

If you don't mind, I'm interested to know what were the things he said that seemed to you to be the roght things?

That's a really good point. I remember some seasons back a manager (it might have been Pearson) being barred by the FA from operating from the bench for a couple of games and having to view it from up in the stands. He made the comment that the view of the game from that bit higher up was quite enlightening; gave him a different and more profitable angle on proceedings.

100% 👍

I equally remember that goal as if it were yesterday and maintain that that was the moment that truly kickstarted our great escape (even though technically the run had started by us winning the previous game v W Ham).