ponsaelius

His senior figure for the U21s in Angus Gunn has been out on loan at Norwich this season. Played every game for them. It's a serious problem that we struggled to get him out on loan somewhere decent to be honest. Is there a problem with his stature?

He's been playing every week. Only back on the bench Saturday now Joe Lewis is back. It's obviously daft that we loaned him out to cover an injured player who would soon return though.

By 22 Pickford had played 121 games spread fairly equally across Conference, League Two, League One and Championship. Woodman is only a year behind and he's played 35 in League Two and SPL. It's really poor on the club's behalf and risks killing his development years. Another full season next year on the bench anywhere would be disastrous.

Both are equally useless. He needs to be out playing every week.

Shaqiri isn't a nasty piece of work if he's in a team that's competently organised. I watch most of his games for the NT and in a proper functioning system his game goes from 'selfish' to 'direct'. In fact the set-up Petkovic plays is very similar to Rafa's, except they ask a lot more going forward from the full-backs due to the lack of natural width elsewhere. Shaqiri plays wide right and comes inside to cross and shoot, very similar to the way Ritchie does for us. I could absolutely see him performing that role for us. If we're wanting him to come in and play as a pure #10, I'd be less enamored as he's never really excelled there.

I don't that Rafa gives a single shit about names, as long as the keeper does what he wants which I'd imagine Dubravka is doing exceptionally. I'm tempted to agree. Just wondered, I would certainly be looking to spend any money elsewhere and have him number one with Woodman add backup. He's a good age as well Dubravka. Woodman needs to be playing. You're just killing the lad if he sits on the bench for us.

The problem is going from top of League One to bottom of the Championship might be a fairly incremental and reasonable step up for a young player to make on the face of it, but in reality it's quite difficult due to the circumstances. Particularly for a diminutive striker. You're going from a team who's going to dominate most games and make loads of chances to a side that's going to be packing the defence and probably shunt you onto the wing.

Derby result was possibly just their Crystal Palace (a) from last season.

Crowd looks better today. Boosted by the South Shields postponement

Burton having some hope crushed is probably good. Need Birmingham to beat them next week.

I went to Gillingham away midweek in the League Cup second round under Pardew It literally couldn't be further away from the North East.

It's not a false position at all like. Loads of the players that have been the spine of the team this season are genuinely League One level.

Just burst out laughing.

I'm sure their budget is second lowest in the league after Burton.

Current 3rd placed teams and PPG. NPL North Scarborough 2.14 NPL South Bedworth 1.83 Isthmian North Potters Bar 1.9 Isthmian South Greenwich Borough 2.05 Southern East Beaconsfield Borough 2.08 Southern West Bristol Manor Farm 1.77 At the moment Scarborough still just ahead.

It is yes. However there is 1 extra automatic place which goes to the best 3rd placed team at Step 4 (so out of all 6 leagues), based on points per game. Last time I checked there was a good chance it would be from this divison, so long as all 3 kept doing so well.

Yeah that's true enough. However considering how well Darlington and Spennymoor did straight off the bat I'd fancy them to do well.

Yeah it's pretty feasible/likely that they'll play us with nothing to play for and a week before an FA Cup final.

Both massive guileless lumps. I was stunned Southampton paid £19 million for Carrillo. I think it will go down as one of the worst PL signings of all time. We were mugged signing Riviere from them but that was only ~£6 million.

Quite the opposite.

Definitely deserves to be in the conversation It's clearly Lascelles by a country mile, tbh. That said I'm stunned at Diame's turnaround.

Yeah, don't think we'll be buying a left back in summer. If Rafa stays, we have a solid next season, probably buy a left back the season after. I am pretty confident we'll be buying a left back. If we don't it will be sign of a window in which Rafa is being yet further frustrated and sold short. Rafa wanted one all summer, even with Dummett around, and with Haidara and Gamez leaving there is absolutely no excuse this time.

Gayle played well IMO. His movement, work rate and general play on and off the ball was excellent. But it's a major problem that he can't finish at this level.

They've been second for a little while, admittedly due to having games in hand. There's a fairly good chance all 3 could go up automatically without the need for play-offs.

He was probably very marginally offside twice in the goal. Luckily VAR didn't try to fuck it up.