slystallone

Good point that. Bertrand was up there with the most blatantly :censored:-scared young footballer i've ever seen on his debut for us; which was his outright league debut IIRC. Sitting in the Lookers paddock, you could actually see him shacking; and it was a warm day. He was bricking it; and his performance showed it. But, Bertrand is also up there with the quickest & most impressive development of a player i've ever seen. After that incredibly shakey and nervous start, he just got better, and better and better - upto the point where, away a Leeds in his last game, he was arguably our best player. The fact he's now a Champions League winner after starting that final, has plenty of 1st team games for Chelsea and is now massively pulling up trees at Southampton, is of huge credit to him.

Me either. It still amazes me that so many who post on here do though, and so passionately too. Each to their own mind, but - as JSS says, i'd be nice if it wasn't brought into so many threads...

As for David Mellor, well, i thought it was obvious why he was signed? Cheap and offered cover for several positions. But as back-up only in all of those positions. He's had chances, and plenty of them too; and yet he's still only considered back-up. You'd have to ask why. Plenty of people bring up his mentality; and - i can't help but summise along those lines too. I mean, none of us are party to exactly what goes on behind closed doors, but - the 'i can't run boss' incident was a pretty damming example towards his mental capabilties of being a competitive regular professional footballer. Fitness wise too; he looks to have a real issue with his size; and he balloonsin size easily and also has struggled to last 90mins straight through. Read people saying if he leaves this will come back to haunt the club. If that happens, so be it. It's hardly a reason for him to kept on though is it? I think he needs to be playing, for someone, at some level, right now at this stage of his career if he still wants to be a footballer. And, he's clearly not going to get that with us. We've (thankfully) moved on and progressed this season,and finally look to have a team that is better than we've had for a good while. Unfortunately, on pure ability and attitude, Mellor would be a step back again. He blended right in and didnt shine at a side struggling at the wrong end of the vanarama conference, i think that right there tells you all you need to know right there. I'm one poster who will be amazed if, when he leaves, it "comes back to haunt us"...

Where's this LJ manovering Winchester out of the side come from? I've heard a whisper that LJ wants him gone in January, which is of similar ilk too. Where's it coming from eh? Surely if LJ didn't fancy him as a player; Dayton or Tidser would have been playing since the season started. They haven't though, he's been playing Winchester. Strange...

Indeed. As per using flippin' Subbuteo Tables with JCH, Poleon needs to be in around LJ and his management team day in, day out, learing, developing and trying to improve on exactly the flaws LJ has pointed out he has. I'd say the last thing he needs is a loan to someone else where a different voice and opinion on his game may well do more harm than good. He needs to here with us, BUT - right now, he needs to not be starting games for us either.

How well does he come across in that? Top man, and fair play to him on the Tranmere thing; plenty in his position would have taken the 2 year salary and not even played.

Croft, Kilkenny, Mark Hughes and Alex Bruce, Ryan Bertrand, whilst young lads, all did well on their loans. But, yeah, Beckett probably...

Singe beat me to it on the Defoe loan, I'd say that has been one of the most successful ones of recent years. For us? Taylor and Tierney went out to Barrow FC on loan and both came back to go onto play for the 1st team here too aswell as the Trotman and Dale Stephens examples. But, no - we haven't had loads of success stories from outgoing loans...

Yep, decent point. Kelly picked up his 4th booking on Saturday, and i think James Wilson is also on 4 too. Elekobi / Lockwood might be coming in if Wilson picks up another, and Daniel Johnson coming in if Kelly gets another...

When did Poleon play against us? yeah, LJ was interested in this lad before he ended up going to Chesterfield, but his Dad put him off; with an unfavourable report from his loan stint with Yeovil...

Right, another go on this. My Big George related pledges of bookings due to manhandling have been curtailed by him actually not playing like that (!) and being injured. So, new ones hot off the press: £5 per assist Daniel Johnson makes until Jan 5th £5 per goal Daniel Johnson scores until Jan 5th either League, FA Cup or JPT games for the above....

Something is. As I say, I cant see the Brown and Bove loans having freed up enough to offset this? And i thought it's been said we were bang on our limit for wages under FFP? Onto the signing: pleased with it on the face of it. As has been posted previously; when everyone is available, we have the strongest bench we've had for years; and that will now be strengthened again with either this lad or the player he replaces (Philly or Winchester most likely) Good times with this squad at the moment...

Would be harsh on any of the 4 midfelders to drop out for this lad, but - and this is based purely on speculation alone - i would imagine it'll be Winchester to make way; as I just feel from LJ and his subs and the odd snippet, that whilst he's been happy enough with Carl so far, if he had another option: i'm sure he'd take it. Can see a continuation of the diamond shaping up like this: Kelly Daniel Johnson. Mike Jones Philliskirk

Surely this would have to be a 1 in, 1 out situation wouldnt it? Aren't we bang on our limit for wages? Can't see Connor Brown and Jordan Bove's wages on their loans freeing up enough for this??

LJ agrees with some of us. ''Lowest ranked team at home please" Let's see tonight eh?

Worked his nads off yesterday did Dagnall, for little return from his teammates though. Always been a player who i've wondered why he has never rocked up here, i rate him too...

We were talking about that at the game, and then in the pub afterwards. Lockwood was toss wank when he first came into side, and took an age to get going fully. Once he did though, the style and attitude being asked of the side suited him down to the ground; and credit where it's massively due; he was such a huge part of the 'defend for your lives, seige mentality' football that ground out the results we needed to survive. Now though, we / he have a bit of a problem. The style has changed and now isnt IMO suited at all to Lockwood. We pass comfortably between CB's across the backline (with wide positions taken as the poster above points out) and both CB's are being encouraged to bring the ball out from defence with dribbles up to & beyond our midfield. J Wilson, Elekobi, Kusunga and Dieng have all shown they are more than comfortable doing that, have the footballing ability to do that, and also have the pace to recover ( a la Kusunga yesterday) back should it not work and they lose the ball. On all those fronts, IMO Lockwood struggles. A man to organise a defend for lives all out assault? Yep. A no nonsense kick the ball / head the ball / kick the player CB? Yep? Suited to the way we now play? Hmmmm.....

Their manager actually applauded Jones' free-kick too...

As easy a tie as possible. All about being in the mix for Round 3, and the potential plumb tie. Warrington would be a minging game to pull out of the hat. At their ground, IMO we wouldnt have it easy at all, poor pitch, pumped up players and a spikey crowd; with a low amount of Latics fans allowed - and i'm not sure they'd go back-to-back TV appearances either. Warrington at home: they wouldnt bring that many IMO and, on a far better pitch; whilst we'd have a greater chance of out-footballing them; I'd worry about our players. It was good to watch on Friday night; but some of those tackles they put in were shocking. I'd worry one of our key players would get a bad one; and we can't afford that. Easy as possible, at home, and be in the mix up for Round 3...

Points to a loan extention IMO, you dont usually grant permisssion to play in cups unless you have no plans for them to feature amy time soon...

Ha! Really? After 2 goals and what, 3 or 4 appearances? #amf

A group of 4 or 5 near me were well & truly in the 'Kelly's :censored:e' camp - I thought most had now seen what he brings to the party; and how good he is at it? Obviously not. Same bunch were Poleon bashing too. Someone pulled them up on it; and they denied it - right after they'd slagged him off loudly within his earshot. Now - i'll admit i too thought he was more than a bit pish yesterday (again) - but getting on his back, loudly, at games isnt really going to help him along is it? We do some fans with very strange ideas of 'support' that's for sure...

Yeah, IMO we do. Forte and Ibhere as 1st choice pair, with Wilkinson and Turner as back up from the bench. Poleon should be nowhere near the side ATM. Far from writing him off so soon mind, but - at present, he shouldnt be featuring.

Conor Wilkinson? Lennon has had chance to have a look now, and decided he needs games away to continue his development? Pure guess that mind...

Controlled the 1st half well. Cracking set piece from Jonesy, lovely stuff. They upped their game after HT and we sat a little too deep at times. Our passing went amiss too; and we were holding on at times last 15-20mins. But, as others have said, we won without being fully convincing, and - it's the sort of game we have nailed on lost not too long ago. But for me, the most important thing is we've won right away at the 1st available time of asking after losing the unbeaten run at Bristol. Speaks volumes that for me; and hopefully we continue in tbe league next saturday too. Oh, thought we missed big Jabo Ibhere today, both Forte and Poleon were bang average to boardering on a bit pish today; we missed Jabo's hold up, strength and link play IMO. Mills was my MOM, followed by Philliskirk and Kelly. ...and the officials were toss wank, so inconsistent with their decisions. In the hat, hope we get a non-league at home