Hands on

Miller did show glimpses of how good he could be but it was Dan the man who turned the game on its head.

I was reminded last night, in the absence of a demonstrative Andy, how passive an approach Bunn has adopted on the touch line. You could be forgiven at times last night for thinking he had been replaced by a wax copy but then he might slowly remove a hand from his pocket or less frequently turn and move to the other end of the technical area. The high light of his movement was when he pointed first with one arm and then with the other after we got the third. Plus mark however for noticing in his insouciant way that the hopeless Maouche needed replacing at half time or did the other players threaten another strike at the break if he wasn't replaced.

Well you never know what you are missing until it goes missing. Midfield first half Maouche and Missile. Missile was pulled right for some reason and Maouche put on the worst display I have seen from any of our players this year. One good corner is all he managed. Looked like a lightweight frightened to tackle and afraid of the moving ball. Their second goal started with him failing, after being told by Clarke, to mark up. Absolutely hopeless. Taken off by Bunn at half time along with Lang and replaced by Gardner (and Benteke). What a difference. A game of two halves. First Maouche two down. Second Gardner three up. I suspect Miller would not be able to handle playing every game but if he is he is way in front of COG. Lang had chances and failed but at least he was there. Benteke had another great performance - he is quick and his goal not an easy strike. If both are fit they should start our next game but it will be GOG on his own again. Baxter is a far better player than Maouche and should start before he does again. I suspect the whispers about team selection favour Maouche so would not be surprised to see him allowed to fail again.

Draw not such a bad idea. We could find ourselves on Sky the following week.

I hope he doesn't play the 'first names on the team sheet' as the others have performed better in this competition.

Does this mean that Bunn allowed AL's brother to influence the team selection?

The team seems to play with greater freedom in these matches so they are much more enjoyable than the league 2 fixtures. I'll be there.

It continues to fascinate me that anyone can think Bunn should go because of his impact on the team but not accept that Abdallah as owner can have a bad influence on the team by the way our club is run. Naive!

So you think what he does should have no impact?

Can I suggest that the players and the manager are all looking over their shoulders as they have no idea what madness Abdallah will visit upon them next. No way they can concentrate on the game

Everybody wanted a statement from AL. He has returned and stated. I believe the £200k but clearly it is not enough. We didn't want Andy Rhodes to leave. Probably terminated for no other reason than it was cheap to do so. We don't want to hear about non payment of anything. My guess is that due to poor due diligence AL has bought a club he can't afford or in other words does not have cash available to fund day to day running costs and the hidden costs that the endless due diligence failed to identify. He might be an idiot, he might be a charlatan or he might just be dishonest. I suspect he has bitten off more than he can chew and paid for poor advice/work when he bought the shares. Lets hope he can get us out of this mess himself or by passing it to someone who can.

It is a sobering fact that we have the 11th highest home attendance in league 2. Last season we had the 18th highest in league 1. Generally there is a correlation between attendance and final position, or at least there was in league 1 where we finished close to it year on year. Given the correlation we should finish top half but outside the top 7 but last year the team imploded and we went down. Signs are that things could go the same way this year but lets hope they don't and we do finish 11th.

Sunday would have been great but Monday night - give us a break!

Well I was wondering why Gardner was so quiet and if we would ever score against a team that defended well but offered no threat. I was wondering what tactical change Bunn might make after a team which offered no threat went down to ten men. I was wondering why Baxter gets into so many good positions but can't take advantage of them. At last he made changes and put Lang in the middle with Benteke and Miller wide - wow three up front against a team that offered no threat and as if by magic we scored two. Will he learn anything? I guess not.

All he has to do is follow the Royle example of scoring more goals than they do. It is so simple. I would prefer to have a go and lose rather than this dreary do nothing and win draw or lose because I'm sure we would win more. What really pisses me off is how bad the standard is in league 2 and our lads are making it even worse.

It will be sub 3k. I'll be there wondering why so many players are injured during training or warm up and then watching Gardner run for miles and miles. Wondering why we concede the midfield. Just wondering and a little chilly.......................

Bunn has fallen into the same trap as Wellens which is to try winning games by conceding fewer goals than the opposition rather than scoring more than them. No doubt you can expect any team to respond to a thrashing but that was another opportunity missed by negative play. Clarke looks like he is beginning to struggle with the physical demands of the game. He gave up on getting the ball and stupidly took the man out. Gardener can never be criticised for effort. I do wonder if the opposition are told to let him have the ball. First half he started with a really bad pass but then kept finding one of our players so although Edmundson was our best player, having increasingly to cover for Clarke, I said at half time Dan would get it. His passing was not so hot in the second half but at least he does try to shoot. Our wide men couldn't cross the ball in the first half because the man on the right was left footed and the man on the left right footed. Hunt managed a cross even though he has also to play on the wrong side. Nepo crossed for fun but it all seemed too late. To return to the questioner who asked a known season ticket holder if he was going to the game. The answer is I go with my son via the Rising Sun and then afterwards to the Fleece and I'm beginning to think I should start supporting the Lilywhites.

Rather strange! Everything has gone quiet. I've even been asked by another season ticket holder, who knows I have a season ticket, if I'm going to the game.

Sadly Bunn got that one completely wrong and then did nothing about it until we were 3 nil down. If my employer wasn't paying me on time he wouldn't get the best out of me and that also seems to be the case with our club. We are once again looking towards the wrong end of the division. No game next week so lower we will go. I thought a double relegation was on the cards but then we were 6th but now at 12th and falling I'm sad to say it is.

It is a cruel thought that Bunn has being playing the best we have got. No doubt COG will start unless injured (Byrne could have been useful in training here). Looks like a win to me so that John can boost his retirement fund, rest over Christmas and rescue someone come February.

It rather looks like Bunn is a score more than them rather than a concede fewer. Three goals two games running.................... I would rather see a 3 3 than a nil nil.

When they said he was MoM I just thought Abdallah picked him. I was there and he did not stand out. He doesn't just look lightweight he just is and although one or two things caught the eye a game changing performance? Nah! I wish him well but that first half against Forest when he couldn't tackle or keep the ball and the improvement in our play when he was substituted at half time sums him up.

It is fairly obvious that he is a good player who is injury prone and Bunn has got him on a deal that costs us nothing if he doesn't play enough games. So no chance taken and a good deal for a cash strapped club. Some of you are dick heads.

Lang will do as well as Nepo would have on the wing and with Clarke to solidify the defence should be a good game. O'Grady to start possibly with Surridge so although I would like to see Baxter from the get go I suspect he will be the first sub on. Looking forward to this one.

It's a bit more complicated than it should be so I think you have to play more than four from last Saturday to make sure four also play next Saturday. "7.3 Each EFL Club shall play its Full Available Strength in and during all Matches. Full Available Strength means the EFL Club must include at least four Qualifying Players in the ten outfield Players named in the starting eleven on the Team Sheet. 7.4 Qualifying Player means any Player who: 7.4.1 had started the immediately preceding First Team Fixture (as defined below); 7.4.2 subsequently starts the immediately following First Team Fixture; 7.4.3 is in the list of ten Players at the Club with the highest number of starting appearances in First Team Fixtures in the same Season; 7.4.4 has made forty or more starting appearances in First Team Fixtures or international equivalents (and not limited to the same Club or Season); or 7.4.5 is on standard loan from a Premier League Club or any EFL Club operating a Category One Academy. 7.5 First Team Fixture means the League Competition, Premier League, EFL Cup or FA Challenge Cup (but shall, in the context of Rules 7.4.3 and 7.4.4 only, also include this Competition). 7.6 Any EFL Club failing to meet the requirement to play Full Available Strength will be required to pay a fine of up to £5,000."