IlsonDerby

I think based on the wage bill from last season and the incoming players in the summer (where I can’t see anything other than the wage bill increasing) it’s not a massive jump to assume it’s top 1 or 2. It might not be a known fact but to suggest it isn’t likely is at odds with common sense.

Why? He is a good player. Injuries meant he never got a clear run at it but I never saw anything to suggest he wasn’t up to it. He had one shakey moment in one of the earlier matches but since then every sub appearance he was solid. It was only the excellent form of Sibley keeping him out by the end. I certainly think the back 5 is the area we need to mess with least. The 6 in front need some real reinforcements.

I think so. I think as long as it’s recognised he isn’t an Adams type player. He’d be someone who’d be elevated by having Adams next to him because he takes a few more risks but I liked what he had to offer. Just felt like that one mistake that led to a goal was him done in terms of first 11.

I wonder why they are travelling to different countries? All clubs have wyscout or similar don’t they which allows you to watch any game and focus on any particular player? I wonder if it’s to actually speak to targets as a decision won’t be made based on 1 performance (unless we’ve gone backwards in terms of recruitment again)

I think when offered odds of 100/1 for a club who in very recent history have messed up against a poor side when only needing a point is higher than it should be hence skybet offering 66/1 at the same time. I also think betting can have a number of different functions including the following: 1) trying to beat the bookies when you notice the odds don’t seem right for something 2) hoping a silly bet comes in off a small stake (I won £1500 off a £1 bet 10 years ago). 3) going against what you want to happen if the odds are good to soften the blow. I’d have been so miserable had derby messed it up absolutely inconsolable for a while. I would however have had my play off tickets, next years season ticket and my summer holiday paid off for me. It wouldn’t have made me happy - I’d still rather have the experience we had on Saturday because money can’t buy those feelings but I certainly can’t think of a downside to putting the bet on unless you couldn’t afford to lose the £25 stake. In which case you’ve broken the biggest rule in gambling. Don’t bet what you can’t afford to lose.

They lost a huge amount didn’t they? They had good players from where they’d backed previous managers who’d failed. But yeah he’s an exceptional young talented manager with a future at the top. Just worth remembering that they’ll have lost another fortune this season before the premier league promotion money comes in. A risk that’s paid off for them.

I think that he’s effective at improving technically gifted players by giving them the physical attributes that match their technical gifts making them more productive. I don’t think he’d be any good at taking a rough diamond and turning them into something special.

I work with a Cardiff fan and I shared similar opinions about this whole ordeal. He didn’t try and defend what they were doing as he thinks it’s crass but he did point to the fact (according to him) that they’d booked him a seat on a commercial flight the next day to come over but an agent used by his French team got this tragic flight arranged which ultimately led to his passing. They also went down by 2 points so the idea that with a £15m striker for half the season they’d have got more than 2 points isn’t cloud cuckoo land. It’s really crass and it makes me uncomfortable but if this same situation had happened with nobody losing their life I think there’s maybe be a bit more sympathy.

Tonight’s match looks like a league 1 match. Last nights match didn’t. Whoever goes through from the first semi final wins comfortably at Wembley for me.

Loads of cash spent last year which meant they only needed to top up their squad this year … plus an excellent young coach.

Lee Buchanan you massive scab enjoy league 1

I’d like us to invite TJJ to spend pre season with us. If he can get through the rigours of a Paul Warne pre season then perhaps a low risk, high incentive contract offer for him? He’s certainly a talent. Head and shoulders above most of our squad in terms of technical ability. If we could get in 2 solid options for the striker positions I wouldn’t mind (in fact I would quite like) Collins being a squad option. State of him without a top on in vegas he’s got to be looking after himself so well. Blokes got more Abs than them other side of A52 have got fingers. He’ll work his nackers off and can clearly find the back of the net. Well worth a place in the 23.

I wanted Barnsley to go through. not because of any animosity towards Bolton but because Barnsley have been woeful for 2 months so I’d put us above them next season as it stands. 2 more teams to be better than 😂

The ‘Spine’ to carry us through to next season: Wildsmith, Nelson, Cash, Nyambe Ebou 🤞, NML, Collins. Think as long as we can keep this spine (even if Collins isn’t a regular starter) then we have the base that took us up this year and improvements on other players could be the difference.

Only game I’ve not watched either live or via a quick flight on Nord airways is Oxford away. What a match to bloody miss!!! I think those minutes watching them getting spanked by Crewe in the cup should count as double too 😂

They were honest last season - we had the highest wage bill in the division didn’t we at £17m. That is a budget to compete for autos in league 1. I suspect that we’ll have a wage bill of around £25m this year. The average being £31m but that’s distorted by the parachute payment clubs. It’d be a wage bill slightly over Preston’s which would seem about right considering our crowds are much bigger and our revenue streams are therefore bigger.

He was a top 10 player in the whole division according to whoscored. He showed what he can do at Charlton. Let’s get him up to them levels and enjoy him.

Not like our fans to write a player off without a fair chance 😂

That run of games under Clough when we had Bueno, Commons and Kuqi linking up before he s*** the bed and went defensive.

With Ipswich all but up I wonder if he goes in for Ladapo again? Wrong side of 30 isn’t he now but wouldn’t surprise me. I think we need to assume not every player we sign will be 22-28, as long as most are and we bring the average age of our squad down by about 2 years we’ll be fine.

Ebou adams a 8? What would a 9/10 look like to you?! 😂

CBT with a full Warne pre season under him could be very interesting. He’s got bags of ability - finished in the whoscored top 10 players in league one because of his output at Charlton.

What I noticed yesterday is that so many more people were already in their seats 10/15 minutes before kick off allowing us to build up the atmosphere organically. Usually it’s half empty until 2.55 and then everyone piles up as kick off is about to happen. I’d like to see that continue so we can keep building up that atmosphere. We’ll need it next season. We’re likely going to have a tough time up there. There’s no stand out poor sides and our manager himself has acknowledged our squad needs huge changes. They’re going to need us fans to drag them over the line.

I think had there been anything to play for in the last two minutes he wouldn’t have blown early - the crowd would have been told to move back and we’d have played it out. I was still shocked though when it was blown 2 minutes early 😂

Scab. Hopefully replaces us in league one this summer.