Pilko

Easiest thing to do is just write him off as permanently unavailable and enjoy a nice surprise during the 30% of games in a season when he's fit.

Well you kneuw there are no easy games in this league and Exeter are no exception. If ya don't put ya boots on and play, ya get punished. Look, whu've gorra batten down the hatches, roll wah sleeves up, dust wasels doon and go again. Whu've got another difficult game next weekend, at Charlton, it doesn't get any easier. I've managed over 1000 games and been in it twenty odd years or worreva. Wuh might have lost 4-0 today but I was really pleased with the way wuh went about wah work.

Carr and N'Zogbia as well if memory serves correct quite the roster.

I seem to remember he had a hand in the fourth goal? Probably not the worst cameo we've had

That's probably a topic or a thread in itself. Most bad/hilarious NUFC players out of position. Not necessarily the worst players but the ones who looked worst or significantly shitter than normal thanks to a manager playing them in a mad position. Santon in defensive midfield away at Chelsea springs to mind. Got scuttled 3-0 and I'm sure he was culpable for one of the goals but Pards said "his stats were very good". Lovenkrands on the left of a 4-4-2 was pretty honking in our relegation season. Colo in CM away to Villa didn't work at all despite the world and his wife clamouring for it for ages. Souness and Pards playing Shola wide was always a laugh. Souey liked him on the left and we all remember when Ba was sold and Shola played wide against a retirement-age Ian Harte in his place in the Reading Le Fondre game, instead of using pace against him like any sane person would. Huntington at left-back away at AZ still gives me the shivers, although Stephen Carr ducking out with a dubious injury at the eleventh hour facilitated that particular bungle. And finally, probably the winner... Alan Smith again. Shite as a forward, shite as a centre mid, but nuclear levels of bad being played in a no-mans land right midfield position under Allardyce collecting yellow cards for a living

Just been listening to Allardyce on Undr the Cosh. Did briefly talk about his time with us and described it as "the right club at the wrong time". According to him, Shepherd promised Sam a circa £35m budget but it went out of the window when Ashley came in, and he had to largely build his team by recycling the Parker and Dyer fees. Mentioned that Modric was spoken about with Shepherd and he was going for circa £12m before Ashley came in and he had to make do with cheaper players. He said Parker cited the atmosphere in the stadium and "the fans not liking him" as his reason for wanting to leave. Blamed the Portsmouth at home debacle as the point the fans turned and said "it was almost like they were waiting for something to go wrong". Also said the injuries to Owen and Viduka hurt him a lot as with those two up top we'd have been top half regardless because they'd score a load. Would recommend those who are easily enraged not to listen to it

Could have given Livramento a run out instead of Colwill again like.

"Tonight Matthew, I'm going to be..."

Training must be class for the lads who aren't involved for their countries, constantly firing the ball past Ruddy, Gillespie and the youth keepers for a few weeks

Barrow keeper sent off and no sub keeper on the bench, outfield player between the sticks klaxon

I would never have picked him as a manager either but he seems to have really built on the foundations Williamson built there, long may it continue. His old GK coach Andy Woodman doing a stellar job as Bromley after taking them up last year too, made a handy start in League 2.

I hope we give him his competitive debut soon just to get it out of the way. The more weeks he just sits on the bench unused will make it difficult for him IMO. Even if we don't think he's ready a 5 mins cameo would do the trick.

McClaren is undoubtedly a good coach, just not a manager or a leader as long as he's got a hole in his arse.

He's not my favourite Arsenal defender of all time, by the way. No, my favourite Arsenal defender of all time is Mr. Kolo Toure, so...

This is absolutely fucking hilarious

Whoever wrote this: https://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/news/2024/september/04/steve-bruce--career-to-date/ The bit about his time at Hull: In the Premier League he achieved a club record of 37 points for the Tigers as they beat the drop to stay in the league. (A "club record" of 37 points, beating the previous two attempts of 35 (stayed up skin of their teeth) and 30 where they were relegated ) Alongside his achievements in the league, he also managed the Tigers to an FA Cup Final where they would ultimately lose to Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in extra-time. (No mention of them going 2-0 up and blowing the lead here) With Arsenal already being in the Champions League due to their league position, Hull qualified for Europe for the first time in the Club’s history due to being runners-up in the FA Cup. Unfortunately for Bruce and Hull the following season saw them get relegated back down to the Championship, with European commitments not helping their league form. (Those pesky "European commitments" which consisted of four matches - scraping past a Slovakian side over two legs and then being dumped out by Lokeren over two legs. The date of the final European match? 28th August. By which point they had played precisely TWO games in the league )

I don't think Lascelles features for us again tbh, perhaps late season farewell cameo aside. If I was guessing, I'd say we look to retain both Burn and Schar but it will depend on what length contracts they agree to. You'd imagine we'll only want to give them a year, maybe with an option for a further year. There's a chance one or both of them won't go for that. What happens with those then probably has an effect on whether we try to retain Krafth or not as backup. Eddie won't want to churn 4 centre halves in one summer as it's a huge lack of continuity and probably too much rebuilding to do in one go. I think Lascelles definitely goes in the summer and then we retain two of Schar, Burn and Krafth (probably in that order of preference) depending on what length terms they're willing to agree to. When you consider Trippier is probably away too it's a hell of a lot of defenders we could lose in the summer and whatever your take on how effective the individuals are or will be in another year, it feels like a mega rebuild that we'll probably want to do over two summers rather than one.

Bruce will have to wait until 14 September to take charge of his new side for the first time, when they face Exeter at home. So he was announced straight after their EFL cup match tonight. What's the betting he was there in the chairman's suite - wine, three courses, padded seat to watch the game. Doubtless he'll do a little puff piece interview or two tomorrow and then fuck off to Portugal for a week. Agnew and the rest of the Steve brains trust will run training and then he'll waddle back in the day before the Exeter game (probably after getting back to the UK in time for the England T20 games against Australia) to pick the team and slap the lads on the back to get them all fired up. 1-2 defeat where the team look unfit, disorganised and lacking any shape or ideas which he can blame on the long gap between fixtures making them rusty.

Preston fans must be shitting themselves, he'll be pitched up there in 18 months. Can blame taking them down on the fans not buying into him because of his Tangerine roots.

Meanwhile, those who invested in the Blackpool rock factory in recent years are delighted with the news

Brucie's wife Alex Alex's wife Agnew Agnew's wife Clemence Clemence's wife Elmohamady Elmohamady's wife

Sean did well today I thought, was steady, covered the hard yards and used the ball well. Some good blocks and tackles. Seems as though he'll have a percentage of the fanbase on his case every game regardless of whether he's good, poor or indifferent like which is a shame. I do hope Tonali takes his place longer term but his reliability and availability will mean he'll still be an important squad member this year.

Got pushed off the ball far too easily a few times and looked to be having a shitter until he made the run and pass that won us the game. Really happy with him as a sub option especially when there's space in behind like that.

Why is it when there's a random thing that happens that stops or delays the game, it's never to our fucking benefit? We looked class til the lino tweaked his quad and it robbed us of our momentum. Same as when that ugly greasy little fuck chained himself to the post at Goodison, it absolutely killed us. You can bet your bollocks to a barn dance that if we're ever under massive pressure and last-gasp defending that there won't ever be a dog run onto the pitch or some geezer crash landing on a paraglider in the penalty area.

Couple of dicey passes but absolutely solid and low-key dependable again from a defensive point of view. Think he'll go down as one of our best value signings of recent years when he's all said and done here.