 | Forum Reply | Esquerdinha at 22:29 28 Feb 2026
Started the win at Bristol City but you’re right. The record with him on the pitch must be dire. Not a left-back and wing-back isn’t something you can just give a go and be fine having never played there before. Not his fault he’s learning on the job but he seems miles out of his depth. Would rather give him a go in Saito’s place if he plays at all, which he shouldn’t. |
 | Forum Reply | So ..... team for Saturday ? at 13:32 27 Feb 2026
Fit to start I’d have thought. Fit to finish perhaps not but at Charlton and Hull he looked gone then finished strongly. |
 | Forum Reply | So ..... team for Saturday ? at 09:29 27 Feb 2026
They’ve got a hell of a team on paper and if they don’t complete the late charge into the playoffs will have massively underachieved. God knows what we go with. Surely not Esquerdinha in a 4-4-2 behind Saito. Perhaps JCS at left-back but hard to chuck even him in basically cold and you’d think giving Esq half an hour on Tuesday is with a view to playing him. Of the poor options available assuming no Smyth/Chair I’d go: Mbengue Dunne Edwards JCS Vale Morgan Hayden Varane Esquerdinha Kone |
 | Forum Reply | Walsh at 11:34 25 Feb 2026
Doesn’t look it. Some sites have him at 1.83m and others 1.91m. Odd. |
 | Forum Reply | Occasionally an unpleasant surprise... at 11:33 25 Feb 2026
When the fifth went in with 20 mins plus added time to go I’d have been setting the handicap at over/under 7.5. Someone was probably there who stuck it out but it seemed there was ten there for them if they wanted it. |
 | Forum Reply | Rest of the Championship thread 25/26 at 10:59 25 Feb 2026
Tasty relegation battle with Leicester and now presumably WBA picking up a bit. We’ve just got to lose seven in a row to be part of its exciting conclusion now. |
 | Forum Reply | Occasionally an unpleasant surprise... at 10:46 25 Feb 2026
Was at both and the midweek 5-0 at Forest. From memory the Southend one wasn’t a fair reflection of the game we had a good chunk of with some late goals. At Forest it was such a laughable time and team it was expected (if you can’t borrow money, Borrowdale). Maybe it’s recency bias but I’d argue last night was worse than either. Ditto the 0-6 home midweek to Newcastle. |
 | Forum Reply | Steve Cook at 10:09 25 Feb 2026
I actually would play Edwards in midfield. Give Dunne a game out perhaps too and play JCS and Cook assuming they’re available or JCS and Dunne if not. Hamer and O’Hare will have an absolute field day if we go with a 4-4-2 with Hayden and Morgan. Stodge it up a bit. Compete in midfield. Have someone who can move a bit on the wing even if it has to be Bennie/Esquerdinha. |
 | Forum Reply | I've not started a match thread before, but I thought f*ck it, why not? v Saints at 09:42 25 Feb 2026
Similarly if last night had been a meek 2-0 the feeling would be different and result largely written off due to injuries/the opponent’s perceived strength/depth. It’s the performance though. Serious football teams don’t turn that second half in regardless of the players available and a serious manager doesn’t pick a basically flat 4-4-2. The body language and mentality were just crap. |
 | Forum Reply | Walsh at 09:27 25 Feb 2026
Wiki has Dunne at 6’0. Is Nourry inflating player heights to increase transfer value? |
 | Forum Reply | What was said? at 08:37 25 Feb 2026
Surprised anyone was still there. Saw a young-ish guy (i.e. not one of the CP vaping yoof brigade) have half a dozen stewards pile into him as we were leaving at 5-0. |
 | Forum Reply | I've not started a match thread before, but I thought f*ck it, why not? v Saints at 00:27 25 Feb 2026
Feared the worst in the pub when the team news came in. The dreaded three-gamer and no changes… 4-4-2 was never going to be the one tonight. Appalling management IMO. That’s a Varane-Hayden-Madsen kind of game. Maybe even Esquerdinha on the left sort as some sort of cover and you earn the right to play. He’s yet to do a lot to suggest he’s got much about him as a Championship manager but once they’re out there you need some leadership and in that XI I’m begging Hayden to stand up. 30 going on 40 and incapable of covering any let alone all of the gaping holes the formation and overall lack of fitness created. Saito. Away from home again. Just play Kolli there mate. Play Esq. Play Andy Sinton. 1700 people in that away end could have done what he did tonight. Like having a sheet of tracing paper on the left wing. Feel a bit for Kolli, Walsh and a few of the other younger ones. None were any good but it’s a game you’re relying on big performances from senior players. The blokes. Kone my MOTM by some distance and he was a 6 at best. |
 | Forum Reply | Walsh at 00:17 25 Feb 2026
Granted he had a dismal game tonight and I’m not sure he’s ever going to be the goalkeeper the club hopes he’ll become but he’s nowhere near top of my list of players I’m pissed off about from that. More of a concern how he bounces back on Saturday as that may have set him back after making some good progress since he came back. Give me Walsh over big money and/or senior players in Hayden and Saito. |
 | Forum Reply | Tomorrow's referee at 20:52 23 Feb 2026
Don’t think so given he’s seen it. Hopefully the bloke scores the winner against Derby tomorrow. |
 | Forum Reply | Most irritating and mutable commentaror at 13:42 23 Feb 2026
Think it would exist regardless. I despise what Sky have done to the sport but it can’t be in their interests for the match to be stopped twice for an indefinite period of time because a flag is no longer suitable on its own for a linesman. Peter Alliss. He was a commentator. Did a brilliant balance of explaining things for novices without being condescending about it and giving real insight and a few laughs to people more versed in the game. Michael Holding, Sid Waddell. The likes we won’t hear again and in ten years it’ll be KSI and Cole Palmer telling us 35-year-old Saka has really frubed a 6-7 before zonking it to Mars |
 | Forum Reply | Most irritating and mutable commentaror at 12:18 23 Feb 2026
I’m pro-McCoist. Anti-Matterface. Very anti-Hinchcliffe. Did enjoy Neville slaughtering that nonsense delaying the game (twice for a total of about 15 minutes) yesterday because the linesman’s mic wasn’t working. |
 | Forum Reply | IGOR TUDOR at 12:08 23 Feb 2026
Or they’ll beheading for The Championship |
 | Forum Reply | Millwall away, both tiers at 12:06 23 Feb 2026
We got the lower for the Boxing Day game. Went there when they played Watford this season who don’t give away teams a big allocation and they had it. I’m not so sure it’ll be a huge game for us anyway but nice to dream. Also Pompey had it at the weekend. [Post edited 23 Feb 12:07]
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 | Forum Reply | IGOR TUDOR at 10:16 23 Feb 2026
I know they aren’t for everyone but of the ‘big’ clubs I like Spurs, relatively speaking. To pick that team full of stodge and be played through so easily with the crowd up and a new manager was dreadful. Like Redknapp going full coagulant with a team of defenders and ‘DMs’ and still having a ten yard gap for the opposition’s one striker in the middle of the goal. It really could happen. |
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