Olaf Penge

23 hours ago, Anag Ram said:

Was a terrific player two years ago but his injuries make him such a risk. If he:

a) had a good pre-season

b) lost some weight 

and

c) dropped his wage demands (unlikely)

then we should swoop.

However, there are a lot of obstacles in the way.

 

Just raised this suggestion on another thread! Yes, there are few obstacles, not least wage demands/expectations. They may be great expectations and if we gave into them we would face hard times......

Agreeing to the points made above that a better balance of squad would have helped ( a conventional and experienced right back and a forward replacement for Osula, for instance), but we were definitely short of players by the last 10-15 games. I think we needed three or four more as Chester was almost always injured, Stearman not featuring and a number of the loanees not really performing well enough to displace the ideal starting lineup. I am sure that squad depth will be addressed. For right back, Sam Byram may be worth consideration, if not completely crocked. And for the no. 10 and also if he can prove fitness, Bradley Dack. Always been impressed by both when I've seen them play.

Managed ( for once) to access the dcfc site and renew season ticket and car park ticket without site crashing or any North Korean chatbot incursion. They have either improved the platform or I'll be watching Locomotive Pyongyang next season. Long live our dear leader....

Definitely renewing, really enjoyed most of the season, only missed one home league game (and we lost that v Port Vale).

6 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

I had forgotten that Lee Bower is their manager, and just thought the the side had still got the spirit of Rowett running through them. Horrible. But they do play like all the other Bowyer teams, who all play just like he did. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible. And dirtier than Don Revie's Leeds United. Shame the ref blanked Mengi's handball, as we would have given them the result they deserve.

I hadn't. Lee Bowyer as a player always seemed to save himself for games against us, notably his last minute winner at Leeds finishing their comeback in 1997, winning 4-3. I was there with Leeds fans, and had to have therapy afterwards. Horrible aggressive little twerp. As were the Leeds fans I was with.

Birmingham were dirty for sure, needed ref to give cards out First half. He didn't and so they got away with it.

Really difficult playing against a physical "anti-football " kind of team who were sent out to nullify the crowd, waste time, take the sting out of it all, get a foot in and leave several feet in (sees off Joswiak). Two moments stand out, Plange unable to make his good positioning pay off in first few minutes, Taylor making his mark a minute or so later. Then, it was always attrition. Boot the ball long, take out the man if he gets beyond you and grow a beard taking any throw in, free kick goal kick, horrible tactics. Not surprised by the sucker punch second, but astounded the similar chance went begging from same type of move. But then Derby had the possession, Thompson, Bird and Knight got stuck in, Byrne and Festy got beyond them without having surgical tackles removing ligaments. Plange's strike was first rate, there's always going to be a last chance, won't there? And it's Bielik with an overhead in the second minute after the five were up. Absolutely deserved in the context of their timewasting and cynicism. And its a Bowyer side. Isn't karma wonderful?

From near Leek, 32 miles.

Saw them at Queen Street in 1978 supported by the Slits. Buzzcocks were great, not sure that Ari Up and the girls were anything but cacophony that night though!