Wigan away......

I’ve heard figures up to £9m being quoted for McGoldrick’s move to Leicester. Silly money that with hindsight we should have taken. However, I recall arguments around the time stating that keeping him was a signal of intent and that we were taking promotion seriously, not to mention that his goals were not so easily replaceable.

Regarding injuries, I take the point from Hampy that success can inspire players to be more fitness-focused, although I’m not sure Liverpool fans would agree with that this season!

I think the main reasons why we have typically suffered a lot of injuries over the past few years are two-fold. Firstly, the fact that only this season we have a functioning sports science system in place. Being so far behind that approach, which has been proven to reduce the number of injuries in football, is quite frankly embarrassing for a club at our level. Secondly, in the uncompetitive transfer and wage budget that we operate, signing players with a poor injury record (such as your Adeyemis, your Huws, your Collins etc) means the likelihood of recurrent injuries are going to increase. Unfortunately, several players in our squad have a historic, frequent injury record, and it should be no surprise when these players are often injured.

 

All good points Nuggets, begs the question whether we have even been conducting medicals.

 

1-0 win

 

4-1 defeat

 

I told you last week it's called B6 !!

 

Lambert won't be on the touchline for this match (or the Reading home fixture) as he's been handed a 2 game touchline ban.

Disappointing, but could add to the siege mentality in the squad and will be interesting to see how we perform without Lambert in the dugout, or the changing rooms during half time.. Which means his assistants will have to really earn their corn for a couple of weeks

 

They should enforce these by having a communication ban and having an official supervise the manager for three hours either in the stands or in a room somewhere in the ground and use a fine to pay for it.

If the players can't motivate themselves for these two games we've had it anyway so agree it's probably only going to help us.

 

Ah yes the good ole 20th Century misogyny.

 

Not for me I'm more of a Black Sabbath, Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin man myself, what a twat you are.

 

The Stones are over-rated, in my opinion. A massive 26 odd studio albums and only Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main Street, and arguably Some Girls and Aftermath are worth revisiting? Not as good as the Beatles, the Kinks, and The Who in that bracket.

No argument with Led Zeppelin though, an amazing band.

 

eh?

 

At the moment the manager can get messages to his staff, so it's a waste of time and not much of a deterrent. He should not be able to affect the game in any way from an hour before kick off until the final whistle.

 

Got to agree about The Beatles just amazing music even today, The Who just kick arse, as for The Stones I saw them last June and those old boys made the supporting band ( Liam Gallagher ) sound like a pub band, amazing performance.

 

Let’s hope 5-3-2 goes better than the last two times we’ve tried it. Seems baffling why we are ripping up the diamond formation, which has served us well over the past couple of games. Wigan do pose a threat down their flanks, so I guess the reversion to 5-3-2 helps nullify that, but I hope we show attacking intent because a draw will not be good enough.

 

I was asking for this but as you say the diamond has been working for us and we are playing Knudsen out of position so why try it now?

Whatever the result absolutely pointless to change it for one game if this is not how Lambert intends to play.

I wonder if it is going to be a flat back five rather than wing backs and he is just looking for a more defensive formation to pick up points away from home, in which case that’s not really what I was gunning for.

 

I think Knudsen actually makes a better centre back than a full back, based on performances over the past season and a half. His better games tend to coincide when he plays centre back. I guess the decision depends on whether you think Kenlock is a good player? Personally, I think Kenlock is over-rated by many, but has attributes well-suited, on paper, for a wing back role.

I’m presuming we will still look to attack, but that Lambert recognises with a diamond, your flanks are exposed and Wigan look particularly effective down the wings. Sensible tactical decision, arguably, but my concern, like yours Hampy, is that if we are just going to sit off them and be defensive, then we aren’t likely to get all three points, which is what we need here. I hope they will be traditional wing backs, but if we hand the initiative to Wigan and sit back, then they will be a flat five (like the first half vs Brentford and Millwall in Klug’s game) and that will spell trouble for us.

 

TWTD says Bish has been ill this week.

 

Come on Town, need to get points today. Preferably 6!!

 

Can someone tell me where Kenlock is playing?

 

Come on Ipswich!