tactically_naive

You just don't do it, even if they do deserve it. It's a great way of alienting yourself with the home crowd! Shez should be worried.

I wholeheartedly agree. I think he was pretty ineffectual for most of the time with the odd glimpse of his former capabilities. A poor man's Wellens in my view.

I'm not sure that we will. TTA will start spending their hard-earned on the ground redevelopment in the summer so it would not surprise me if transfer funds remain limited. I'd be surprised to see wholesale changes in the squad in the summer, rather worrying considering our mediocre season to date.

I think Smalley is pretty average but will hopefully improve with more experience. I don't recall him genuinely beating his man and putting in a decent cross very often but maybe it's when I nip to the little boy's room?? I think he'll be learning a lot at the moment and may come out of it a decent player, but I don't see anything outstanding in him at the moment. Opinions are like rseholes though.......

Two penalties, no chances.

Agreed. I thought he had an excellent game yesterday but still needs to learn when to release the ball and the most opportune time. It'll come with experience, hopefully.

Why not? Are our OWTB mods slacking?

Allott by a mile. Hazell has been very good but Allott has been better, more consistent, and works his nuts off week in, week out. Well done Mark. If you don't get the PoS award then it'll be the biggest injustice since OJ.

Allott for me too. He's making a habit of putting in a full shift every week and I never thought I'd be saying that. I'm happy to be utterly wrong about him and would give Mark the Player of the Season trophy now.

Allott was my MOM. Again.

The leader of the "happy clappers" mebbe?

Championship here we come.

Our season is in it's death-throes. I think we would struggle to give tickets away at the moment!

Lordy, we were gash.

I think the keeper made it very easy for Wolfy.

Apart from myself then.

I don't know how anyone can judge this question when we don't know exactly what he's earning.

Barrett or Jobbo is a tough call in my book. Barrett was just about unbeatable at one stage.

It's not about sentiment, it's about sense. Sack Shez, pay him a wedge to feck off, and do what exactly? Not exactly a glamour club who's gonna attract a significantly better alternative, are we? We have had a steady stream of underwhelming managers in recent years (Dowie aside) and I don't honestly think we would be better off with Shez sacked and yet another gob:censored:e journeyman manager in the driving seat. Some will trot out the old chestnut about promoting from within and insist that Duxbury/Wright/Phillis gets a go at being manager, but we've just done that with Shez, haven't we? It's time to be realistic.

Let's be frank, the 1st half last night was garbage and the 2nd half, although an improvement, was still mediocre at best. BUT We're missing key players due to injury who would have made a difference. We're playing a bunch of "not-ready" young players (Smalley, Allesandra to name 2) as a result. We're still lacking creativity in the squad, even if we didn't have any injuries. We've no Wellens replacement yet. We've got a manager who is learning his trade and, yes, he WILL FECK IT UP SOMETIMES!!!! I gave up on promotion weeks ago cos it was obvious we are not good enough and we are not capable of putting together a consistent run of performances to secure enough points. In my view, we are a worse team than last season primarily because we have no creativity and lack a consistent goalscorer. Some of it could be lain at Shez's door cos he signed some of them, but I'll refer you to my fourth point above. Will he get it right? Only time will tell, and if we're sat here a year from now and things haven't improved then maybe it will be time for Shez to go. Let's wait and see, shall we? Or shall we have a Ronnie Moore-style season ticket boycott and force him out in the summer?

Or bin Norton and install AVG. It's free, perfectly able, RAM-friendly and unintrusive.

I know I've banged on about this before, but we still haven't replaced Wellens and lack creativity in midfield. We struggle to break-down defences, especially at home when they park the coach in front of the goal, and desperately need someone in midfield who can make the killer pass for the likes of Hughes and Davies to run onto. That, plus the lack of decent crosses into the box (no Lids, Taylor's final balls are poor) means we're gonna struggle to seriously contend for promotion. Then again, I am a doom and gloomer and should be shot like a dog.

I'd love to think we can make it but I just can't see it. Our home form has definitely improved but I just can't see us going on a consistent run which will accrue enough points to get into the top 6. We still lack creativity and, even with Hughes back, I think we will continue to struggle to score consistently week in, week out. I'd love to be proven wrong and will be watching the boys all the way.

"His legs have gone". Ah, that old cliche. As long he continues to have a wand of a right peg, which he did last time I saw him play, then he will be a welcome addition to the squad in my book and I suspect will link with Hughes well. Look how prolific Porter was last season with Lidds in the side pinging 'em in from the right.

I will be delighted to see Lids back in contention. He's the best crosser of the ball in the squad and we could have done with his creativity in recent weeks as we've been lacking in that area. He's not gonna beat his man over and over again but the quality of his balls into the box outweighs this, in my view. I also think he brings more balance to the midfield, helping to spread the play from left to right and giving the central midfielders a bit more space & time.