Athelwulf

Fair points. It's true that we were only outplayed by Leeds. But Villa and West Brom have better all-round players than Leeds, players who can conjure something from relatively little. Leeds need to pin you in your own half for half an hour to score a goal. It's just that there are obvious deficiencies in our current team, most obviously a lack of pace. Not to mention a lack of physicality in the middle. These are things which Brucie will surely address in the summer, given the funds.

And it wasn't even a proper moustache. It was a half-hearted, poor man's effort. Never before, in the history of football, has one man's facial hair reflected so accurately his abilities as a manager.

Exactly. People forget that prior to Bruce's arrival we'd shipped more goals than anybody else in the league. And in any case, would we really want to lose to Leeds over two legs? This team isn't good enough to win the play-offs, so it's better not to qualify for them. We don't want another hangover next season either.

The damage was done under Jostle. The fact that we've even had a shot at the play-offs only underlines how well we've done in the new year. At X-mas we were worried about the long drop.

If you finish in the play-offs, you've got to win them. Otherwise you get a hangover, and every time you lose a play-off it just heaps more pressure on you the next time you're in them. It's like United and Derby, with all the play-off defeats they've had over the years. Are we good enough to win the play-offs? No, if we're honest, not based on what we've seen. Bruce has done very well with not his players, but we're short and we know we are. He knows we are. Norwich, Leeds and United aren't great when you look at their players, but they're all good teams, good units. Bruce needs time to build a team. Then we start.

True, although we lack pace and that's why some teams take liberties. The snag is, how many of our better players will still be here next term? Chansiri did it his way and lavished cash on the wrong managers.

You know, prior to this season I was becoming a bit despondent with our chances of getting out, but when you consider how Norwich, Leeds and the Blades have done then it proves that there is hope for us. It's ultimately about management, and I've had to revise my opinions about the manager's relative importance to the team's fortunes. One thing's for sure, if we were to make the top 6 next time with Brucie in charge I'd be a sight more confident than when Carlito was here.

If that happens, it will be a grim scenario for them. All that expectation and then nothing at the end of it. And the strong possibility of losing their manager. Without Pep, they'd be mid-table at best, and then add a hangover into the equation too. We know all about that. If I'm honest, I'm not too sorry that we've avoided the play-offs. Qualifying for them means nothing. You've got to win them. And this Owls side isn't good enough to do that, unfoirtunately.

Disappointing, but we all know we're not good enough. And do we want to lose another play-off? It would be worse than missing out on them. All we need is another hangover, and at least Bruce will start next season with a clean slate. With the start we had talk of the top six was bobbage. Jesu, we were shipping 2 and 3 goals every game. It's the financial constraints of next season which worry me. It's ironic, we lavished brass on managers who've no pedigree of promotion, and the first time we get one he's got nowt to spend.

This explains the prices. But I'm shocked at Leeds, bearing in mind the fan base and merchandising.

And re-establishing the Hourihane/Winnall partnership which Bruce stopped us doing when at Veela.

You'd probably sell to Wolves. As a PL side they'd be able to pay more. The only advantage in selling to Veela is if it helped them thwart United and Leeds' promotion bids.

Yes, we were brown and smelly today but it can hardly be gauged as a yardstick for how things will be when Brucellosis finally grasps the reins.

We daren't even play our players in league games, let alone the cup.

Basically, if Chansiri wants promotion this season then he's going to have to gamble and bring in 3-4 PL standard players. We're talking Snodgrass standard, players who win us games when we've played bob. That's what Villa did here and especially at the Lane. You're looking at probably £4-5 million in wages between now and the end of the season. Promotion is still doable, but we'd need several players the rest of the league can't cope with.