FinnishOwl

I believe Urhoghide is injured, some knee problem. I think he would have been in the squad otherwise with Lees out. We have an issue with our midfield not scoring enough. With that formation, Wickham is getting very lonely but we cannot play two in the middle either because we get overrun. In that sense, 3-5-2 is the best option we have but we don't seem to have the proper shaped pegs in the holes in that one either. 😬

That's the funny stupid thing regarding rules. He's back but cannot play.

This is one important point. The manager you hire as Steve Bruce is not just Steve Bruce but three people. There's a huge advantage there as the three persons work as a unit. Monk has Bullen, who's been around here forever and not much else.

I agree. The level of our current squad doesn't warrant beautiful plays resulting in goals ready for highlight reels. We should concentrate on shutting the shop and after that scraping that odd goal here and there.

8. Any other important things I should be aware of? "We are a happy family."

That structure sums things up perfectly. Sad.

I've also often wondered about those businessmen. Sometimes they resemble celebrities who suddenly think they can launch a successful restaurant franchise "just because" and fail miserably. I believe that a successful businessman is humble and knows where he/she is coming from. They are smart and humble enough to admit that they don't know everything and they don't need to. That's why they must have their trusted right hand people who can run the businesses for them. We had Katrien, who I considered to be a very intelligent person, but who probably was seriously restricted in her work by DC. She could have been the catalyst to do things -- the game and the playground itself is a very different one compared to what it was in the 90s or so. You need to have those smart, dynamic people running the show and allow those working with the actual football matters to work without external disruption. I've written earlier that relegation would be a turning point for us, after that it would be the time to do some serious thinking..provided that we survived.

The culture at any workplace starts from the top. It's hard to determine if a new manager would change anything - maybe enough to steer us clear now but in the long run, it could only act as a small bandage to a serious hemorrhage bleeding from the top branch. No decent manager would want to touch us right now already because of all the issues outside the actual football pitch, and I'm not even sure if any are available. My prediction is that we see a long term plan with a long term manager after DC, before that, it is going to be this madness we've witnessed for the last season or two.

This is one of those that we cannot afford to lose. I expect that the chances will be converted into goals but hard to predict who will be the striker duo. I'd play Wickham - Rhodes and throw Nuhiu in at 55-60 minutes if things are not looking good.

While I cannot see George Hirst signing for us, possibly ever, I agree that this is the way we have to take. Maybe some positivity in the fact that we could be quite attracting to young talent. There are no multi-million pound players ahead to defeat so the route to the first team is shorter if they just have what it takes. I don't believe we nurture them any more than others, so the saying good enough, old enough applies also here.

Loves a good SM. Perfect for a Wednesdayite.

5pm every day until the official announcement or Neil's bowels or liver give in.

I call and raise "George Hirst". We would never have had this thread if we had sold him for megabucks.

Sounds like the perfect place to find us a new CEO and CFO.

Yes, give him time. He cannot develop if he is not with the first team and doesn't get those minutes. Today he hopefully learnt a lesson, and you get those only by playing against better players than you are. I agree that a season-long loan would do him good, but while he's here, use him.