FKANorwichExile

I really wanted to like the guy because I'd heard so many good things about him but let's be honest, he's had maybe two good games since joining us and in the rest he's been poor at best. He's huge, but he barely wins headers. He's muscled off the ball by any striker with physicality. He's got a bit of vision for a pass, but has made so many horrendous mistakes on the ball that you just can't trust him. If he, the marquee signing brought in to be a leader, has intentionally headbutted a guy during the most important run of games in the season, then he should never play for us again. A few players have built up a bit of good will and can be excused for emotional outbursts, but he's not one of them. It's beyond disgraceful.

I've been saying for a while that if I was a betting man, I'd have good money on us and Posh going up automatically and Lincoln to cause an upset in the playoffs. I wasn't expecting Lincoln to score 16 goals in 3 games, mind. Barnsley aren't clinical enough, Bolton have weaknesses at the back and injuries everywhere else and Portsmouth have an awful run in. It just feels like experience will be the key factor here, and whoever hits the playoffs in form gets the third spot.

Oh, and B4 would have been so proud of all the scarves and flanges today. Reckon he's had a word or two upstairs! How much do you reckon he'd want for Wilson after today?

My Fitbit gave me a warning about my heart rate hitting 130 during the last few minutes, which says it all! God it was an ugly match, but last season we lose that 2 or 3 nil and I'm absolutely buzzing that we managed to bulldoze our way over the line. What a player Sheehan looked for them, though. If we do get over the line, I'd love us to pick him up.

Also under-stating how many of our fans *still* want Warne gone... But who is a big earner in our squad? I remember reading somewhere that Bird and Knight were on Champ-level contracts, and obvs Bielik was. But now? Maybe Hourihane and probably Bradley are well paid. Maybe Gayle, but that was out of necessity. We're hardly Barry Bannan'ing our way through the league.

CBT has all the hallmarks of being a summer signing that we were given the option of bringing in a bit early. We knew he wouldn't come in and instantly be up to Warnes idea of match fit, but if you're given the option to have one of the leagues most dangerous players as an impact sub while you prepare him for next season, you take it. We've laid it into Warne and staff for not having the options to change games from the bench, and now we do. He hasn't done it yet, but he'll come good. Barks hitting form just as he gets fit doesn't help either. What's stood out to me is how he's got an eye for a pass that very few of our forwards have. There's been a couple of times that he's picked out NML in dangerous positions that caught me off guard and I genuinely believe next season him and Nate could be scary together.

Usual EA, the link doesn't work.

So, for my sins, I've gotten quite into EAFC Ultimate Team (formerly known as FIFA) and one of the mechanics they introduced this year to con us cash cows out of even more money was the occasional ability to "evolve" a player to add stats or traits. Essentially, you can make bang average players (of which our beloved club is crammed full) half decent. So yeah, this is what I've come up with so far. https://www.ea.com/ea-sports-fc/ultimate-team/web-app/?showoffId=kMfcAVpFgmOx:FFA24XSX I've allowed myself a few ex players to make it less painful to use, so in come Ashley Cole, Rooney and Tomori to bring up the average rating a bit. Ward is the only player who is actually able to run, and Waghorn has become a (very slow) monster who doesn't miss and scores free kicks for fun. Anyone else had a go?

Totally agree. It's like it has finally clicked and the players understand what's expected of them (whether that's a negative on the coaching or the players I'll leave up to the reader). Admittedly, it does help when our opposition very kindly decide not to attack us for 80 minutes. Hopefully Bolton get that memo too.

Adams is the real deal, Gayle is pure class and the 3-4-3 formation finally seems to be making sense (especially to Sibs who looks like a new player). The ref was having a great game until he suddenly wasn't, but it's about time we got some decisions going our way. Just 8 more cup finals to go, but we're hitting our stride at just the right time. I reckon we'll do it.

Barkhuizen may be the most frustrating player in the team. He can't finish to save his life then will bang in a twenty yarder, can't pass the guy next to him then sweeps a perfect ball cross field. He should have about 15 goals from the positions he finds himself in. Drives me up the wall. Anyway, good win and good to see Ward finally show what he's capable of. Hope Ebou is ok, he's vital.

I'm confused about why the consensus seems to be that we should have gone 4-3-3 earlier because I feel like playing a 3/5 kept us in the game when they were pressing. Their front two and the supporting midfielder would have overrun a back 4 because, let's be honest, you'd be wanting the fullbacks to bomb on too, so it'd be 2v3 on the break. You can't go away to a form team and play that aggressively. My problem with the formation was the frantic switching at the end where the players looked lost as to what they were supposed to be doing. Overall, two poor teams today. I think we win that with a fit squad, but it is what it is.

I wasn't confident about this one before I saw the ref news, now I'm bricking it. I'de be delighted with a point from this.

He's won me over so much that I'm genuinely sad for him that he'll likely not play for us again. Don't get me wrong, he's frustrating as hell in his inconsistency in front of goal and I'm not sure he's won a flick on all season, but his fitness and work rate is the solid base we've been able to build the performances on. Collos graft, NMLs magic and the brick wall of Cash and Nelson have been the spine of everything good we've done this year. So thank you, James Collins. PS I'm sorry for calling you so many rude names, I am an idiot.

I'm refusing to let my hopes get up. We've had better, more technical loan players but for my money he's the most important single loan signing since... Maybe Osman?

If he's still got the legs to charge about and chase down, we should be on to a winner. Assuming it's a deal until the end of the season, any longer than that and we risk being stuck with another aging, expensive striker. But needs must, and we've got to gamble with Collins out and being 2nd.

That's an enormous result. The tactical shift to bring on Smith won us that, so props to Warne. That was the loudest I'd heard PP for some time! Top fans.

I'm probably alone in thinking promotion would actually suit Warneball. We're on for our best away form season ever, and part of that is that teams are forced into attacking us on their home patch. We have a strong core to the defence and can counter quickly. Where we struggle is breaking down teams doing exactly what we want to do; sitting deep and breaking quickly. Promotion would mean we were not the heavy favourites for every game and teams would be expecting to take points off us, so would attack more freely and play into our underdog gameplan. Is it fun to watch? Heck no, it's dour and boring. But it's effective. 30% possession away at Exeter sounds abysmal untill you read their fans saying we played them off the park and showed a real quality difference.

Regardless of opinions, stats or feelings surely we can all agree that he is the best manager called Paul Warne who is currently at the club 🤷‍♂️

My ex-wife would love him, be absolutely loves doing the ugly things!

I know you should never get too attatched to loan players, but if (when?) we go up, we HAVE to sign him. What an impact he's had.

I work on the basis that if I'm confused about all the positional changes from in front of my TV, the players must be absolutely baffled. Warne has won games with his subs recently, but he cost us two points today. Nobody seemed to know who they were marking or where they should be and it descended into primary school kick and chase at times. Adams is fantastic though. Once he's fully match fit, he'll eat this league up. Perfect mix of nasty, ratty b****** and actual footballing brain (exactly what I thought Fornah would be).

I think he's a victim of just how good Cash and Nelson have been this year. They're probably two of the top 5 CB's in the league playing in a team who've only conceded 28 all season. He had a shocking start but he's not been anywhere near as bad as some fans seem to make out, which I think is probably more a reaction to not liking us playing a back 5.

Think we have to stick with it and name as close to the same team as we can. We need to get some confidence into Ward and Bradley and they had their best games for the club against Charlton. Adams should be a nailed-on inclusion too. Only change for me should be CBT for NML if he doesn't recover in time.

If NML is gonna miss games as well, I'd be ok with asking what Dean Sturridge and Deon Burton are up to, let alone Gayle. We're desperate, but people seem to think we can pick and choose! Get over yourselves!