St1pe

Same as Murphy mid-week. The system we play just isn't suited to that mould of striker. Hopefully Gayle is back soon!

I'm not sure where we'd be without him. His work rate is relentless.

Just back in. Yet another game we made hard for ourselves by not killing the game off when we had the chances. We completely out played them in the first in pretty much every department but didn't get the second when the chances fell. Yedlin had an absolutely incredible performance I already thought he was man of the match and I've just read it was him who cleared the ball off the line at the end. Fantastic. I don't think I've seen a full back put in a motm performance since Enrique. Two major issues I've noticed over the past two games though - It's the first time I've seen Hayden play aside from the tv this week - Is he usually as bad as this? I mean we're so weak in the middle of the pitch, we don't win second balls and we seem to get out fought quite comfortably. He seems decent making late runs into the box but aside from that I'm not seeing what he offers? I know he's still young and he'll get time because we don't exactly have an alternative. Also, Murphy was completely redundant mid-week and Mitrovic was equally passive today. If Rafa's system can't operate with that type of striker would it not be better to just play Gouffran or Perez up front until Gayle gets back? It has been like playing with 10 men at times, Derby could push so far up the pitch because there was no threat at all in behind. Massive 3 points though, the crowd was electric, I'm still hyper since I got back. Standard awful Championship referee comment +1. We're getting literally nothing from these.

Wednesday. He was however absolutely top class today.

Flags out in force in the stadium.

Looking forward to going today but at the same already a bit nervous. I don't think it's too much or a stretch to say it's the biggest game of the season so far. I think it'll shape the remainder of the season. If we win and win well we'll be unstoppable. Lose or draw and it could really derail us after all that's gone on. Mitrovic or Gouffran up front. Sammy on the wing. It's also an important match for Lascelles and Hayden after a very questionable mid-week showing.

For all this seems bad is this not just assumptions made into a story by these papers on the back of his post-match quotes? Yes he is obviously pissed off with January but assuming he's backed in the summer if we go up - and I'd like to think he would be - is it not a bit of a stretch to suggest he's likely to leave?

I rather uncomfortably noticed they were allowing him the ball in the same way teams used to mark everyone but Williamson.

Apologies if previously posted but I've just read the whole quotes on .com This stands out: There's been a hell of a lot of over reaction - myself included - after the result and the disappointment of the window but it certainly isn't all doomed. The atmosphere has to be positive and we can save the rafa meltdown for the end of the season if the club fail to back him.

In normal circumstances we'd have strolled to a win in that second half. When Gayle is back I think we'll go on another long run because he'd have buried most of those chances last night. We'll beat Derby on Saturday then it'll be panic over.

Wasn't particularly worried until I've read those Rafa quotes this morning. Oxford, that transfer window, the QPR game and now those Rafa quotes... ahh the Newcastle United I'm more familiar with.

That's pretty much how I saw it as well. He's one of the few that's willing to have to ball to feet in difficult positions too but we simply can't miss those chances and get promoted. I still think he'll come good if he can up his confidence. The remainder of this season could be make or break for him.

We usually play better against the better sides so I'd be surprised if we replicated the same sort of effort levels against Derby.

I know Mitrovic is public enemy number 1 on here lately but I'm really not seeing what Murphy offered today that Mitrovic couldn't have improved on. More evidently it demonstrated how desperate we are for Gayle to get back.

I'd start him v Derby. He commits players and it causes problems. I've never been a fan of his but on today's performance - especially at home - he's more threatening than we're currently putting out.

Definitely a poor game for him but he certainly wasn't as bad as some were making out. On the floor he was terrible tonight but he made a couple of important defensive headers. I don't think the communication was great today because there was a few times we held the ball too long while a qpr player was breathing down our necks.

Just back from the match.. Awful first half, comfortably the most pedestrian we've been this season and QPR more than deserved their goal. Second half we should have won it three times over. Sammy coming on and us playing with two actual wide players and a striker making runs made a hell of a difference. Perez's confidence is completely shot. He worked hard closing down but you just can't waste chances like that although from where I was the Gouffran chance looked equally as bad a miss. Hayden had a very odd performance. He was well off the pace and out fought in the middle yet made some nice plays in the final 3rd. Yedlin was shite. It's hard to be too disappointed because we should have strolled it but at the same time a point at home to QPR is a massive dent to our promotion hopes. We certainly didn't look like a team that's definitely going up in the early stages.

Sammy to score coming off the bench with a "who needs Townsend" message on his shirt. Scenes.

Getting dumped out of the cup by lower league opposition and having a wild goose chase transfer window resulting in nothing is an all too familiar feeling brought back. I still think we'll go up but Townsend could have made it a canter for us. I really am gutted we haven't signed him although I feel like I've got him on a much higher pedestal than his actual ability since this transfer saga.

Ugh this is equally as disappointing as when Andy Carroll definitely wasn't going to be sold on the final day.

I've been certain for days we'd sign him... It's not looking particularly likely now is it.

Chuba Akpom joins Brighton on loan. Looks a good deal for them.

I don't know whether to continue refreshing this place and twitter every 5 minutes or try and self-impose a ban until later so at least I'll know one way or the other. I'm currently getting nothing done at this rate.