Stockport Ram

Totally agree. Foz in the left of a three also allows Cash to play in his best position. He should be in the team when fit, whether in a 3 or a 4 at the back. Changing a relatively settled, winning side is, as you say, not wise at this stage, so we just have to hope for the best.

I’m completely with you on this. Whether the consistency of 3/5 at the back would have been insisted on by Warne, or has somewhat been forced on him with the Nyambe/Foz absence remains to be seen. I personally think that he’d have played a three as much as possible because he’s decided Bradley has to play, and at the end of the day you live and die as a manager by your calls, so, so far, so good. Collins’ injury was a real stroke of fortune though. It necessitated a central striker addition who is (and has played) at a higher level consistently than Collins, and who could just make the difference between success and inevitable glorious play off failure. This is in no way an attempt to discredit Collins, who has given every ounce of effort and ability to the cause this season, with considerable success. All managers need an element of Lady Luck, and those three injuries might yet prove pivotal.

I apologise for butting into a conversation on a public forum. Differing opinions is what it’s all about. I trust we are both happy with our own. Up the Rams ! 👍

Bradley would have made a meal of it if he was fouled. He was simply out-jumped. It happens, but it was a mistake. The ball was fortunate to be in that spot, as Sibley had half blocked it - maybe he too could have done better but neither man is perfect. I call it as I see it, as do you, which I applaud, but only one of the human errors directly resulted in the goal and Bradley was the unfortunate man this time. The irony was that I was merely agreeing with you - we don’t expect them to be perfect all the time, but if we say that Gayle is different class at this level (ie:praise) then there’s nothing innately wrong in pointing out a mistake. I certainly don’t HATE Bradley for it, that’s daft. He’s rehabilitated himself well after a nightmare start, and PW deserves enormous credit for getting the timing of his reintroduction right. That’s what I call balance, I hope you agree.

Oooh, I like Reading gaol. My 32 year old Son is a dyslexic and wonderful Primary School teacher, but I doubt he is that Wilde....

No. We allow him to be human and make mistakes, but criticise when we see them, as well as praise him when he does well. IMHO, that was a mistake. Its called “balance”.

England played Poland off the park (not just at times) in that fateful week in 1973. (Ask your Dad). You don’t always get what you deserve - maybe we have that in common.

So get him off at half time You plonker! We have a perfectly good left sided back three player on the Bench, and Cash can go back central. I love the team spirit, but maybe “in spite of rather than because’ ?

How long have you got ?

I’d be more than happy for them both to be fielding an ineligible sub brought on in the 93rd minute and consequently docked 15 points each. 🤓

Couldn’t agree more.

Forgive me - I’d looked a few times and still thought it was Barks. I think I need to get to specsavers !!

Barkhuisen involved in all 3. I’m no statto but I’d venture to suggest that his goals/assists per minutes played would be almost as good (if not better) than NML. Someone will know and post it though..... Yet again, pure numbers don’t seem to tell the full story - he’ll get no Official assist for the third but it was a crucial dummy which made Waggy’s job simple.

We are one dimensional. It works at this level more often than not. Real quality from us this season is a fraction more common than rocking horse poo. It doesn’t mean I am any less happy than you are tonight though. We appear, at present, to indeed have the League One Guardiola. Although I’d have much preferred Jurgen to have scanned perfectly in iambic pentameter....

It was my 39th birthday.

Oh, so it was a Jamie Ward sort of goal. Even better.

If you ever get a BOGOF Offer on your medication my esteemed fellow fan, please count me in. 🤓

If NML gets injured we are finishing 7th. We can’t play percentages and finish 2nd.

You need more than integrity. You need ability.

It struck me last night just how short termist we are. Our attacking threat consisted of a footballing midfielder whom we’ve sold and a sticking plaster veteran striker, plus another at the tail end of his career - at least two of which definitely won’t be here next season. Plus of course NML who will do very well to replicate his best ever season. Some would say that’s smart short term planning, whereas I see it as another example of a lack of long term identity, reinforced by virtual non use of young academy players. Compare and contrast Liverpool’s win on Sunday. Their youngsters play with an identity and are clearly well coached and encouraged. I acknowledge that it’s at a completely different level but it still saddens me that we are a knee jerk club, at least on field. Our predictability should cost us - we can only hope that it doesn’t.

Oooh, bold !

I was in the Kop that evening and I couldn’t agree more. In particular Louie Sibley whose coming of age defensively began that night at left back. His natural footballing intelligence enabled him to cope in a big game. We need to trust him more. Away from the bright lights, it would be nice if our fans could learn as much as Louie did that evening.

Even those of you who dislike the Kings of Europe half as much as I detest Manure must admit that it was refreshing to see Klopp’s confidence in his youngsters - and boy was it not misplaced. Liverpool grew in stature for the first ten minutes of extra time, and their superb fans quickly realised it and took over. A great example of a team and their fans as one. Maybe we could learn a little from them.

I think Rooney was playing hide and seek with the little girl just in front of Vickers😂 I saw it as a real positive that they were prepared to watch with the fans. ...and no, Ange, I promise I didn’t pester them ! 😂😂

I thought Barnsley were bloody awful for the first half an hour - giving the ball away regularly and creating virtually nothing. We seemed to be playing NML and Sibley as a front two with Bird just behind them and it was working a treat. That was the time we really needed to turn on the gas and get a second, instead we just seemed to sit back and they gradually got a foothold. We are so predictable. This will be our downfall in the playoffs if we get there. They were the better side between minutes 30 and 90, and we created virtually nothing from open play. Had Barnsley played really well then I’d have been more able to deal with it, as I didn’t expect us to get anything today. The frustration is that we didn’t really make them play well to beat us.