Day

Just now, ilkleyram said:

This isn’t a bit of the forum that I’ve visited very often, not least because we’ve been doing really well on the pitch, so I’ve only just read this. Firstly, I’ll join the widespread praise you’ve both got @David and secondly, how’s it going (if you want to share)? 

Thanks and yeah we’re getting there with social services and fostering, edging closer to completion.

The Mrs has her personal assessment next, just done mine where they build your autobiography. Couple more after together.

3 more Solihull parental course sessions and we’re off to panel.

All pointing towards being approved as foster parents as the backup plan, with the SGO order being plan A.

The boys are great, settled right in and now pushing the boundaries to see what they can get away with 😂

Been a real into the deep end with a 2 and 3 year old with no parental experience. We’re doing alright though, they are happy, healthy and heading in the right direction.

Manager of the month trophy.

He’s seen fans trying to take Collins goals away from him and I’m guessing his thinking is, you can’t take this away from me.

3️⃣🎒➕🤬🤐🟰1️⃣😁🐏

9 hours ago, Boycie said:

Dave n Collins sitting up a tree, k.i.s.s.i.n.g.

I wish 

21 minutes ago, Jubbs said:

Look at his comments about Haye when he pulled out of their fight in 2013. 
Why is Fury sparring so hard 2 weeks before the fight? Is this clip new? Why is it filmed on a potato? 
Not convinced. 

I wouldn't be fearing Fury after his awful showing against Francis either.

Not seen the clip, just the photo of the gash

Mbappe missed a penalty tonight. The Mbappe. But let’s remove Collins penalties hey….

27 minutes ago, Jubbs said:

Fury pulled out of the Usyk fight after a nasty cut. What a shock. Never had the intention of fighting Usyk and it's the second time he's pulled out. 

Awful bloke. 

Tbf it’s wide open cut right above the eye. Not sure if you’ve seen pictures but to heal in 2 weeks would be tough going. 

5 hours ago, ramit said:

Excellent news, that should stop all moaning for a couple of days

If we get a couple of hours I would be impressed.

21 minutes ago, Animal is a Ram said:

I never did understand the 'penalties are just stat padding' argument.

Players miss easier chances than penalties regularly. The number of one-on-ones I've seen in football where a player hits the keeper's legs, fluffing a free header...

But when they score the tap-ins from a couple of yards out, in an empty net, you going to ignore those too? Barkhuizen's got a couple of those this season.

Exactly.

If penalties were easy, forget saved, no player would ever miss the target. Yet…. 

We’ve simply reached the depths where to maintain the criticism of Collins, goals will be removed until only goals from 30 yards out in the top bin which proves how useless he is.

2 hours ago, Ambitious said:

Returns on loan, but didn’t want to sign a new deal. I hope the lad plays a blinder for the rest of the season otherwise he’ll be getting dogs abuse from fans. 

We should’ve just taken whatever more we could’ve got and let him go. 

Reached this post and yeah, that’s the thought here. No need to read on.

Lads out of contract, wants out and we get a fee, great.

That loan though, could turn nasty as he’s been getting some pelters already.

Bird and Knight was the midfield 2 I wanted to see, if I’m honest though, Knight felt a bigger loss. That’s not to say it’s always a bit sad to see an academy player leave.

We’ll move on though.

5 minutes ago, Nuwtfly said:

Fair enough - by that metric he is certainly more than "ok"

But I think I can assume that the majority on this forum would swap him for a Cole/Bishop/May/Ladapo/JCH if given the option. 

I like him a lot. Love his run rate. Love his effort. He bullies defenders which is great to see. I just don't think we should hang our hat on him.

We know Warne is not happy with his forward options as he’s looking to sign one before the end of the day on loan.

Given Waghorn will have left in the summer as well, I think we’re nailed on to be signing a new striker in the summer regardless of division.

Division will simply dictate the level of striker we can get, with no restrictions in place. Warne has also openly talked about improving the team as well so I just don’t see the need to worry about next season just yet.

51 minutes ago, Raich Carter said:

Like McG who got 20+ for us the season before. And if we stay in League One and put another bog standard forward up front next season, he'll get 20+ in a season too. Which is kinda my point - Collins and McG have both had their best seasons ever* in this team. The common denominator is the team. Ergo, it's the team, not the player.

They're ok players - made to look better by having decent supply albeit in a team that's not quite gelled.

Based on what I've seen of Collins, he's ok at this level but let's not carried away over one good finish as he's missed loads - that's all I'm saying. But it's fine - you lot crack on making out Collins to be Didier Drogba. I'll stay over here in my reality corner.

*Admittedly, Collins had a decent scoring record in League One in a good Luton side previously but my point is based on what I've seen of his general play.

It’s interesting because in the Warne out topics you will find others argue till they are blue in the face that McGoldrick and Collins have bailed Warne out.

Yet here we are in another corner of the internet where it’s not the individuals but the team that’s inflating “bog standard” players stats.

Could it not be, Warne is a decent manager at this level, Collins is a decent striker and we have a decent team hence why we find ourselves at the top end of the table fighting for promotion.

16 minutes ago, Nuwtfly said:

Is there an argument to say that Collins scoring that many goals says more about the standard of opposition than his ability? After all, it's actually about 13 goals in the league I believe? 

Looking at the list of top scorers in League One this season, there's names in there even above Collins who have been either deemed surplus by Championship clubs or who have failed to do it in the league above time and time again.

He's done well this season, don't get me wrong. He's had a lot of opportunities to. But you would surely be concerned if we went into next season (lets say in the Championship) with him as our main no.9?

I’m looking purely at League 1, will worry about the Championship once we’re there. 

Just now, SKRam said:

Depends who’s running them 😊

Unfortunately you don't really get a choice, pretty much dictated by the area of the country you are in. 

Last weekend we had a 3 carriage train into Doncaster with one working toilet for a capacity of around 80%, which included a stag party.

From Doncaster into Derby we had to stand by the doors the entire way. 

Stood there questioning my life decisions, paying more for that train than it would have cost me to jump on a RyanAir flight to Spain.

16 minutes ago, vonwright said:

We can't, but I think we can say with reasonable confidence our overall transfer strategy since summer has been poor. And that whether through a lack of planning or a lack of imagination, it's brought us to Lee Gregory. 

I'm personally happy with a bigger percentage of the transfers made this season. The way they got CBT over the line as well and structured was a decent move. I know he hasn't hit the ground running yet he was a play in big demand on here. 

Always said trains are rubbish.

1 hour ago, vonwright said:

Think that's fair, but also feel there's a lot of space between 'unrealistic signing' and Lee Gregory. If he's really the best remaining option then we shouldn't have put ourselves in this position.

Possibly, however can any of us seriously sit here and claim to have any knowledge of exactly who is available within the loan budget we have?

I mean both Smith and Gregory, we are refusing to pay the majority of the wages. Wouldn’t exactly be on mega money so is the refusal based on said budget or some other reason?

We could sit and throw suggestions out there all day long, as I say, we have no idea on the availability.

6 minutes ago, David said:

Without selling Cashin or Bird, we have nothing in the pot for permanent signings. We know that.

We’re left with loan options only, where many of the better players available on loan will already be out at clubs.

Unless we’re able to structure a deal with a club like the CBT one where a contract is expiring, we’re left scraping the barrel.

That’s the situation.

Gregory would not be an exciting signing, he will not sell extra tickets, nor is he Warne’s first choice in this situation, we all know that as well with the approach for Smith.

What it would be a short term loan until the end of the season giving us cover for Collins. I suspect he would be behind Washington as well if he can get himself fit.

It’s the final transfer window before restrictions are lifted and we get to see what Clowes and Warne can bring to the club.

Until then, we have to just get on with it and show a little understanding that none of this is an ideal situation for club, manager or fans.

Just to add, I fully blame journalists for linking us with all these players with other clubs fighting promotion.

It’s raised unrealistic possibilities of who we can bring in.

Not helped us at all.

Without selling Cashin or Bird, we have nothing in the pot for permanent signings. We know that.

We’re left with loan options only, where many of the better players available on loan will already be out at clubs.

Unless we’re able to structure a deal with a club like the CBT one where a contract is expiring, we’re left scraping the barrel.

That’s the situation.

Gregory would not be an exciting signing, he will not sell extra tickets, nor is he Warne’s first choice in this situation, we all know that as well with the approach for Smith.

What it would be a short term loan until the end of the season giving us cover for Collins. I suspect he would be behind Washington as well if he can get himself fit.

It’s the final transfer window before restrictions are lifted and we get to see what Clowes and Warne can bring to the club.

Until then, we have to just get on with it and show a little understanding that none of this is an ideal situation for club, manager or fans.

Just now, David said:

I thought it came from Radio Derby or Leigh Curtis from DET?

3 minutes ago, Ghost of Clough said:

We concluded that was the case but it wasn't official. All we know is there are two pots of money and we used the loan pot to sign Blackett-Taylor. The permanent pot may be empty, or it may have been saved for a different signing.

I thought it came from Radio Derby or Leigh Curtis from DET?