I disagree, these matches are all about the performances and making sure that we go into the play-offs in the best possible form. I would like to see a return to the XI that started the majority of the matches during the unbeaten run and continue with it as much as possible (there will be rotation of course), continuity is key imo. The pressure to try and catch up is now off so I hope the players can be uninhibited and play with a flourish and hopefully not play with any fear now. We've got something huge to look forward to and a possible trip to Wembley!
Exactly. We also need to have one eye on next season. It's a great opportunity to try some of the youngsters out in actual competitive games instead of just preseason friendlies. Start Dibling against Blackburn; would he really be much worse than Smallbone?
I'm happy the tea lady didn't miss. She's been a wonderfull influence throughout the club and will bring cheer in the dark days to come.
Did she tell you that she’s on a mission to reduce the price of the tea bags they buy and make two cups from one tea bag, if we don’t go up??
Weird isn’t it? Two of the most important positions on the pitch & we don’t “have” a replacement for either DM or CF.
Charles not hitting any form is a huge hit to our season. If he had, I think the lack of a good 9 might have been less significant
Not surprised that he hasn’t hit the form that I think he’s capable of. I’m beginning to think that similar to most managers RM, under pressure, is having some issues with some members of the squad now. I hope not but the gloss is wearing off now and this coming match will inform us, one way or another, more about the squad and its attitude to the end of the season. Just because that, short of a major and absolute catastrophe, we’re in the playoffs there is no way a coasting attitude will prepare us for the real business end of the season.
We have a perfectly capable DM replacement, with whom when he plays we don’t concede goals. But Russ doesn’t like him…
Surely a coach is meant to develop all of his team to get the best from them and not just to play those he likes and gets on with. I am rapidly coming to the view that despite all the bullshit we hear about coaches many of them are as thick as ****. Why do so many of our players who are "misfits" go on and do so well playing elsewhere. To put it simply we do not help them develop their game but just give up on them. Charles is a classic example of this as is Mario Lemina.
And yet the club signed off on spending £25m on Shea Charles and Ross Stewart. One has barely been available and the other has been available but can't even get on the bench. Charles being the most expensive signing across the whole division is just woeful. What a waste of resources when the goal that was set for the manager was evidently immediate results.
I’ve got to assume that if Charles was looking up for it in training then RM would “like him” and play him But then I clearly “like” the manager that achieved our record unbeaten run more than a lot of you I’m not party to what’s going on behind the scenes so I can’t express an opinion on relationship issues or how much pressure RM may feel under when we’re 4th in the table
I don’t dislike RM as such but his tactics and judgment of late is not as it was during ‘that run’. The next game, for me at least, will give him and the team on the pitch the perfect way to calm the growing concern many have. We’re away from home so the negativity which some offer whilst watching at SMS will not be there and whatever the result I’ll be interested to see if the recent repeated mistakes of selection, tactics and attitude have been mostly dealt with in the style and manner of the result. I’ll be very pleased to have been proved wrong in being doubtful of the current setup.
