Groundhopping Owl

Only just finished watching this on DAZN after getting back from a German second tier game (a 4-3 classic between Erzebirge Aue and Nuremberg - highlights are well worth a watch, it was bloody madness). It simultaneously feels like we've nicked a point and left two behind - we were the better team for an hour, especially in the first half, but by the end we were falling apart and presenting them with gift-wrapped chances. There were solid performances pretty much throughout the whole team, Dawson being the exception in terms of solidity but I wouldn't go as far as saying he let us down. The ref f***ed him over for the goal, yes he looked poor under crosses but he redeemed himself with that save from Whyte at the end. The work rate from everyone was very pleasing and I thought the modified shape of the team showed some promise. There's both positives and negatives to take from that but a point away from home is rarely something to be disappointed with. Onwards and upwards.

I'm pretty sure after the game last year because the trams had been taken out of service the police had to walk them back to the station - either do that or put them on special buses. I agree it's a pain the arse that Sheffielders are being punished for the actions of those idiots, the inconvenience needs to be passed onto L**ds fans until they learn how to behave.

Part of a wider trend of ex-footballers (not quite in Westwood's case but the point stands) taking a role in the running of clubs - this is the first generation where there are a lot of ex-footballers with deep enough pockets to get involved. It could hopefully end up being good for the game, ex-footy pros are less likely to do widespread damage to clubs than the chancers that have taken over far too many FL clubs in recent decades.

I was on the tram they trashed last year. Having seen the way those morons behave, I don't blame Supertram.

That's sort of my point though - with these European signings being as cheap as they are, you can afford to take a punt on someone else and hope they prove to be an upgrade. Don't know, suspect he would go back to Holland (pretty sure he was captain at the Eredivisie side we signed him from), but assuming his contract is actually up at the end of the season then it doesn't really matter to us where he goes. If he's still under contract for another year then yes I suspect you're right, no one will match what he's earning here.

Agreed - Pelupessy is OK, but if you're aiming for promotion you have to be ruthless. We'd be better letting Pelupessy go and giving his wages and place in the squad to someone we reckon could be an upgrade, Börner has shown just how well you can do from cheap European signings.

That's a plan B in my eyes - I'd bloody love Hutch to do his badges in our youth system and end up as manager. The bloke's a legend.

It tends to wind me up when clubs benefit from players sitting out the international break, particularly having lived in Scotland for the last two years. That being said, yeah that's bloody great news

I definitely don't see us selling him. I read an interview with him in a German paper just around the time he signed and I got the impression he'd signed a fairly long contract and intended to see it out before then possibly returning to Germany. At any rate - what a bloody signing, I love him. The debate about him and Hector isn't really worth getting stuck on, though for what it's worth agree with those rating him slightly above Hector, much as Hector put in some heroic performances last season, we've yet to see Börner show anywhere near the moments of madness Hector occasionally did (think Rotherham away or Hull's third goal at the KCOM). By far and away the most important difference between Börner and Hector are their transfer fees. Börner is going to be one of those fantastic bargains, Hector likely would have done well for us too but better to leave somebody with money than sense to shell out for him - like Fulham for instance.

In which case yes I think that would be much more positive - recalling him after a solid run of games ready to plug him into the team straight after Christmas could end up working brilliantly.

Our chance of retaining Penney probably depends on whether there's any chance of a recall in January. If he stays there til the end of the season his head's likely to be turned by someone else, whether it be here or abroad.

Oh I do think Penney will improve in Germany - but I doubt we'll get to reap the benefits, his contract is up in the summer.

Playing it well in my view - he might well have given the players a rocket behind closed doors but it's too early for him to be hanging them out to dry in public.

Morgan Fox made his senior debut and looked a world-beater, we were bloody awful that night. That derby would have been fascinating as well.

A very solid start from him and the first ten games are invariably crucial for a manager, if you start off poorly it's hard to ever fully get the squad back on side. It's not the time to get carried away - but Monk doesn't strike me as the type to make that mistake, he's got plenty of experience of peaks and troughs in this division.