The Fish

Makes sense to have people representing different parts of the fan base on the fan representative board, doesn't it? There should be fans that've been going for decades and fans that are new to the whole thing. Also, I'd take three of her over one Steve Wraith. None of it really matters, it's all lip service anyway. These owners, just like any other owner, will do what helps the 'brand', do what makes the monies.

All this could be resolved if we had a 3rd striker on our books. Surprised nobody has thought of this before.

I really like this new discovery of theirs. Context, I think they call it. I wish we had it back when they beat us, y'know before they swandived out of the footballing spotlight. Back then the only thing that mattered was the result, not the bigger picture. End of the day the only reasons we won were; PR gaffes, the flag display being underfunded because it's the Christmas period, the flag display group pocketing the money and then fucking off to Benidorm, and of course our owners paying off the refs and their players to gift the win to our more expensively assembled team of better players.

Aquaman is shite. Most of the DC films are bobbins, to be fair.

To get that return when he's no fully fit, and he's playing in a side that's not playing well (or fully fit themselves) is remarkable. I can't wait for us to have the likes of Barnes, Tonali, Willock and Wilson, back. Not just so he's not ploughing a lone furrow up front, but so he can't get a bit of a break as well. He's so fucking calm under pressure it's unnatural.

He should leave it to the pros.

Any news on his injury? If it was an injury.

I was nervous as fuck before the match. Shit away from home this season, loads of players still missing, most of the rest are walking wounded, poor run of form. Expected a hostile atmosphere, blood and thunder tackles, injuries to our lads, or Bruno/Joe getting too wound up and getting sent off. Instead they rolled out the black and white carpet, couldn't compete physically and didn't get a rise out of our lot with their fouls. Longstaff had a few chances to put it away early, but as the first half went on it just got more and more comfortable, as soon as the second went in I could really begin to actually enjoy it. Thoroughly professional performance against a pretty average Championship side, no serious injuries or suspensions, 3 goals, none conceded. The mess they've made of this, their biggest game for ages, is hilarious. The Black Cat Bar, their ticketing, their 'display', the derisible pruhtests that were sharp abandoned, fighting amongst themselves in the stands, apparently free drinks for us, our photo on the pitch. Lovely stuff all round. Not one of their players look ready for the Premier League, they didn't look close to us and most of our lot are running on fumes. If that's the team that the 'model' has produced it's time to bin the model and try something else. I thought they would at least make a game of it, but honestly we could have been playing (quick Google of middling Championship teams) Cardiff.

If only it did.

The fuck did I do to you? I don't come on here to have my wildly popular podcast besmirched by some cueball bonced bastard!

You didn't like. I had my own advent calendar, and he had his. Get your judgement on a bus to FuckOffVille

What if he comes up against players whose day job isn't ploughing the fields?

Who does that remind you of?

Not sure we could have predicted that we'd be down over 10 senior players for great swathes of the season. On paper signing a CL level CM, an attacking goal threat and two promising young players on the fringe of the team is good business. We lost the first to a lengthy ban, the second to a lengthy injury, neither of which could have been foreseen. One of the promising players has earned a starting position on the left, at least. The other can't seem to get any minutes at all, for whatever reason. Had Tonali been fit we could have better covered the loss of Pope by providing better protection for Dubravka. Had Barnes been fit we could have lessened the load of Wilson and Isak and so on. And the above doesn't include domestic or European cup competitions and the added pressures they bring.

Kind of, I'm suggesting we've needed a DM for fucking ages. A DM that would, with a full strength squad, allow us to play Bruno further forward without risking the defence being overrun. Right now, we're too easy to play through, and with Dubravka being incapable of playing that sweeper keeper role that Pope did, we are forced to abandon our high line. Our midfield and defence don't have the legs to provide that defensive protection that they did last season. So our keeper needs more protection, our defence needs more protection and the load on our midfield needs to be lessened. Phillips and Bruno as a solid 2 man platform to build from is right, for the here and now. Moving forward we could absolutely revert to a similar style with Phillips playing in the same position that Bruno was. I've not changed my mind at all on the longer term needs, I just recognise that, right now, we need to be more solid which is why I would go for the dreaded and derided double pivot.

I honestly haven't changed my opinion on what this squad needs for years; a true blue DM. What is it that you think I've said, then flip-flopped to? I'm genuinely confused.

He's shown the most ability to play the unexpected pass from our midfielders. You could even play two wingers and Wilson and Isak in the middle and go for an old school 4-4-2. But I wouldn't recommend it against anyone outside the bottom 3 or 4 clubs.

Yeah, definitely crossed wires here. Bruno is best further forward and a proper number 6 would free him up. But given our injuries, given how we're struggling recently, it makes sense to provide more protection to a lesser 'keeper like Dubravka. I'm not sure what semantic hill you're trying to die on, but I'm staying my hand.

Yeah, set up with either; Trippier Schar Botman Livramento Bruno Phillips Miley Almiron Wilson Gordon Trippier Schar Botman Burn Phillips Bruno Joelinton Almiron Isak Gordon Or some variation

And he can, but signing someone like Phillips would free him up if we wanted to. Bruno could play as half of the double pivot, or we could play Phillips as a single pivot with Bruno further forward as an 8.

Coaches' Voice | Kalvin Phillips: Premier League Player Watch (coachesvoice.com)

May be some miscommunication? Phillips would definitely free up Bruno.