lookersstandandy

I was fuming this morning.

If Trott hasn't been practising the short ball for the last 2 months he's an idiot.... if he has, his efforts have been pathetic. He's a walking wicket if he keeps this up.

I hope there were some stern words in the dressing room today.

I'm looking forward to Gillingham tomorrow, followed by Froch v Groves..... then a better performance in Brisbane!

Devils advocate, City didn't exactly have the money they do now when they went back up and re-established themselves as a premier league team.

This much is true, but Shinawatra and then the Oil Barons saved them from doing a Leeds or a Pompy, so they did it on credit that had to be paid off at some stage....!

One Sir Joe Royle also had a reasonable influence in that too!!!!

Cambridge and Stockport if you look the other way.

Grimsby?

Hereford?

Luton?

Macc?

Wrexham?

To be fair, Wigan's catchment is no bigger than our.... but the rest are....!

 

Neither Bradford or Barnsley.... we passed them in the Championship I think....! Stoke?

 

To my knowledge, arguably Swansea & Blackpool apart?.... the common theme amongst them however, is [at some stage] a relatively wealthy benefactor.... and a larger catchment of potential supporters.....

 

Fulham - Al Fayed

Norwich - Delia

Cardiff - The Malaysian who changed their home kit colour

Swansea - The only one without a rich owner?

Citeh - The oil barons

Southampton - The Italian banker

QPR - The Formula One supremo's followed by your airline man

Blackpool - Oyston

Reading - Madjeski followed by the Russian

Wigan - DW

Hull - The fella who's changing their name

Watford - Udinese

Stoke - Coates

Swindon, Bradford and Barnsley?

Neither Bradford or Barnsley.... we passed them in the Championship I think....! Stoke?

To my knowledge, arguably Swansea & Blackpool apart?.... the common theme amongst them however, is [at some stage] a relatively wealthy benefactor.... and a larger catchment of potential supporters.....

Fulham - Al Fayed

Norwich - Delia

Cardiff - The Malaysian who changed their home kit colour

Swansea - The only one without a ridio

Citeh - The oil barons

Southampton - The Italian banker

QPR - The Formula One supremo's followed by your airline man

Blackpool - Oyston

Reading - Madjeski followed by the Russian

Wigan - DW

Hull - The fella who's changing their name

Watford - Udinese

Stoke - Coates

...table is incorrect.... Preston should be further to the right along the x-axis....! #GCSE maths.

Sorry, I got carried away reminiscing there.... of those I've attended, in order....

1. Neil Redfearn's penalty 1990

2. Latics 4 Southampton 3, the great escape 1993

3. Pointon at Wembley 1994

4. Palmer's hat-trick at Maine Road 1987

5. Matt Smith vs Everton

- Ian Marshall's double at Ipswich to send us up.

- Ian Marshall's hat-trick at Wolves on the opening day of the same season.

- Singing 'We are Premier League' to Stoke in the FA Cup replay at the Victoria Ground on a cold dark midweek in 1994 after Darren Beckford had put us 1-0 up, which was in response to them singing 'Going down' for the full first half an hour.

- Latics 6 West Ham 0

- Andy Ritchie's first against Arsenal in 1989!

- Mike Cecere putting us in front in the 1987 play off S/F. Other than the aforementioned equaliser at Wembley in 1994, my 2nd worst moment happened not long after.

- 'Please Joe, Don't Go' on the scoreboard.

- For Christ's sake, having a scoreboard!!!!!!

- Nick Henry's goal at Villa Park in 1993.

- The final whistle and pitch invasion as we beat Southampton 4-3 a week later.

- Hell, we even beat Liverpool [including Barnes, Rush et al] 3-2 inbetween.

- Beating Liverpool 3-2 [again] last season.

- The first game at Boundary Park back on grass was Latics 3 Chelsea 0.

- Andy Ritchie's 94th minute equaliser at Southampton in 1990. OK, I wasn't at this game.... I had it on a portable wireless that was crackly and grainy.... but I can recall the hairs on my neck standing up....!!!

- Ian Marshall's header at Goodison in 1990. Rick Holden's cross was perfect. He could do with teaching a few of our lads now how to do it....!!!!

- Earl Barrett putting us 1-0 up at Maine Road in the 1990 FA Cup S/F

- Ian Marshall's equaliser at Maine Road in the 1990 FA Cup S/F.

- Roger Palmer's equaliser at Maine Road in the 1990 FA Cup S/F.

- Roger Palmer's hat-trick at Maine Road in 1987.

- Here's one for the purists.... Roger Palmer's second half hat-trick at Gay Meadow, having been 2-0 down in the late eighties? Exact year escapes me.

I love my football club.

 

Yeah but when they signed him they'd just rolled over for 9 months in the Premier League and banked £30 million for putting in very little effort so it was peanuts to them and worth the punt

For whatever reason since leaving Stockport it simply hasn't worked out for him. He hasn't settled and although he has still bagged a few at 28 he must surely realise he is in the last chance saloon. For me if he's not costing much it's a low risk for us. If it works out given we are local to his roots he'll want to stay, if he's completely lost it or not up to it then it's a no lose situation.

 

He has the physical presence to cause teams problems and if LJ is capable of bringing him back to anywhere near the level he was in 2008 then he will be an asset. A short-term deal wouldn't harm anyone - we get a Plan B, he gets a shop window....

My sentiments exactly, worth a punt.....!

If we sign him we will be relegated.

There's nothing like a good old over reaction.

Can we ban "worth a punt" ?

Why does it offend you so, Pete....?

10 in 30 for League 2 Southend last season. Fairly scratchy from various clubs higher up prior to that.

At 6'4" however, could play the target man role that neither Rooney, nor JCH look like they can play.

Still only 28. Worth a punt.

1 league goal this calendar year (Furman at Stevenage in Feb) from a recognised CM - unit Johnson sorts this issue we will toil. If strikers aren't getting in the box then at least one CM should be breaking from deep to arrive in there. It doesn't happen and hasn't since we sold Stephens....

Wow, is that right!?! That is some stat!

This highlights the fact that Wes and Korey are very similar. Sadly they are our best 2 midfielders, hence they start week in week out. If we accept they are similar and wish to play them both, then arguably 4-4-2 it cannot be..... this is why I offer up something like a 4-2-3-1. This would require all of Monty, Dayton and Philliskirk to be chipping in with regular enough goals. 10 each over the season maybe.

The alternative of course, is that we find an Attacking CM [Redfearn?] and drop one of Wes or Korey when playing 4-4-2. Can Mellor play that role? He's not a left back for me!

 

Lanzoni has to be in when fit.

I believe he's a Centre Half by trade, so he can and Kasunga can duke it out..... provide cover, or push Brown for RB, or dare I say it..... be Tarky's replacement when the inevitable sale comes.... hopefully not in Jan!

^{If its 4-4-2, if all fit, then;}

^Rachubka

^Brown

^Tarky

^Kasunga

^Grounds

^Dayton

^Wes

^Korey

^Monty

^Rooney

^MacDonald

^{If we want to be more adventurous, 4-2-3-1}

^Rachubka

^Brown

^Tarky

^Kasunga

^Grounds

^Wes

^Korey

^Monty

^Philliskirk

^Dayton

^{JCH – but he must be told to stay central and not go drifting off to the wings!}

Montano back in for me..... with Dayton switched to the right.....! He looked good at Stevenage in that position and again in the 2nd half on Saturday. I guess this means 2 from Adam, JCH and Philliskirk up top, with MacDonald to push them when he's back from injury.

What has happened to the flying winger that is Dayton, he was touted as a possible international by his previous manager yet he seems very ordinary to me.

 

I remember in the 1st game at Stevenage he tore their full back a new arsehole so much so that he was replaced for fear of him being sent off.

 

He was on fire that game and whenever he got the ball he looked to charge forward at every opportunity.........what has happened since is a total mystery to me!

He played on the RW in that game, with Monty on the left. We also had Baxter pulling strings in the middle....!

I fail to see how Montano can be accused of inconsistency when he's on the bench. Play the lad for crying out loud. Monty on the left, Dayton on the right, Rooney and Philliskirk up front on Saturday for me please.

4 goals in pre-season..... a worldy at Stevenage opening day..... followed by another at Rotherham. Can someone tell me what he's done wrong? He had a niggle or two I recall but he's had a clean bill of health for a few games now. He's got to be starting hasn't he....?.....or is there something else going on of which I am unaware....?

I'm assuming after the Brendon Rogers love-in the other day, that these two loanee's are gonna be from Anfield....?

 

That dream's so old it was in black and white.

I'd happily watch in black & white today if we string a set of wins together and shoot up this league....!!!!

Stop. Dreaming.

I dreamt once, that we reached the League Cup Final, strived to repeat this feat in the FA Cup.... twice! That we competed in this land's top division, for 3 seasons.... hell, we even beat Man United 1-0 at home while in it....!