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If they don't do as well as expected in the mid terms then he will lose even more GOP old timers. The MAGA idiots will cry foul of course and of we will go again. He can't lose really. He will claim an honest election if they win and fraud if they lose.

It's the Dean Smith PG Tips award. For services to the great English brew.

Watched a programme last night about American divisions, especially why people would even wish to vote Trump again. One point made was that if you repeat something many times (well, ok, hundreds of times) and it then gets replayed on the news for the umpteenth time, then people believe it. Because, the message, not having gone away must somehow be real. So the "stolen" election was one such message of course. It reverberates still. Whether the actual truth or independent validation exists it doesn't matter. We've had the same ("he got the big calls right", "350m for the NHS", "he got Brexit done", "we want to protect our borders, our sovereignty" and there are countless other examples. The Tory Party and presumably GOP are good at this sort of thing). There are lots of people who buy into it. Of course, the election wasn't stolen (and the Georgian bloke asked to find 11000 extra votes from Trump at least stood his ground). Johnson didn't get Brexit done at all, the NHS didn't get the funds, our borders are not well protected, Johnson got many big calls wrong. That's the unhappy world we live in. And I think it only gets worse from here. I see no promise on the horizon. People gang up against one another where before you had tolerance of another, of differences. I think the increasing push back by women and trans and many other 'minorities' is a threat too to lots of people. So you get polarisation in response. Brexit was the dislike of 'other' and played into a deep national psyche for many. I suggested to someone they join Twitter recently because of the ability to be informed by so many and to be entertained and educated. Reading Musk today has really made me think twice. He is suggesting folk vote Republican. It won't end well for him of course but this is 2022. What does one do? Becoming a hermit is ever attractive to me as I tend to be very influenced and sensitive to world events and the general social and political movements - to my eternal sin. It means turning one's back but I can't see how words or direct action in any way can be of use. These movements to the right (that's how I see it) are just going to happen.

Exactly this, all whilst pursuing an agenda that enriches himself and throws those who support him under a bus.

That is exactly what happened, although I would argue that the players signed were entirely aimed at a 4-3-3. The question is whether the move to 4-3-3 was Farke inspired, Webber dictated or a combination of the two. Given Farke's reported transfer requests and general dogmatic (and I don't mean that in a necessarily negative sense) adherence to a structure of play best suited to a 4-2-3-1 my personal opinion [which to be fair I can't support with any evidence bar the reversion at Brentford and my general experience of Farke,] is that this was a Webber dictat. PLM could have worked in the Stieperman role and it is no coincidence that when played there he looked more effective. I actually quite liked PLM as a player. But he was bought - again in my view - as a midfield runner that would be necessary to make 4-3-3 work alongside two vertical passers in Gilmour and Normann. It comes down to the fact that the wide players in Tzolis and Rashica were not good enough to fulfill their roles, and Gilmour and to a lesser extent Normann to fulfil theirs, both offensively and defensively. Combined with the fact that all of the above actively diminished Pukki's threat - our weapon in Parma-speak - led to the season that we experienced. The sale of Emi led to the change of style led to the recruitment - albeit the first two points could be described as chicken and egg depending on your personal view of the drivers and motivation behind it. The failure of the recruitment, allied to the fixture list, led to the horrible start which led to Farke's dismissal. It might well not have been different had we stayed true to our principles but it my opinion we would have been in a lot better position now had we done so. Caveat: I'm on record as saying that whilst I don't agree with the 4-3-3 move I do understand (and I think few others given the benefit of hindsight actually do) where it came from. On paper it does make a kind of sense although even if it had worked I think we lost something intangible in pursuing it (which Parma has articulated previously and more succinctly than I can in his comments about wingers in the modern game amongst other things.) Even from my account above you can see how if Rashica and Normann and Gilmour and to a lesser degree Tzolis and Sargent as a striker had paid off, it could have been both effective and possibly not coincidentally an affirmation of Webber's transfer brilliance. I wouldn't have done it, but that was the gamble Webber made and lost and for which in my opinion we are paying the price.

Oh, it was carnage. There was tutting, fists being shook, raised voices and once there was a bin knocked over. Dark days my friend. Ones we don't want to return to.

Ian Henderson becomes Rochdale’s all time greatest scorer

He might have given Sunak a deal on a new fireplace for Number 10? 🤷‍♂️🤣 Apples

Us.

Norwich City season 2021-22 in Multiverse Number 3,735,984.23 Late May 2021. Reports in the EDP and The Athletic put Norwich City’s transfer budget at around £20m without any significant sales. What follows is that half that £20m is spent on Milot Rashica, with Farke enthusing: “He can play as a second striker as well as a winger so should provide some goals.” An £8m bid for Isaac Hayden to replace Olly Skipp is rejected by Newcastle, with manager Steve Bruce saying: “He’s a key player for us and it’s not like we going to get taken over by some oil-rich Gulf state anytime soon!” Farke calms fears that the key defensive central midfielder position will not be adequately filled by saying he is sure he can get another season out of Alex Tettey. “There is no substitute for experience.” With a bid for Celtic’s Ajer being rejected as too low Farke says he is confident he can get another season out of Zimmermann. “There is no substitute for experience.” He ****-poohs reports of a £4.5m bid for Bournemouth’s Ben Pearson, saying “Not our kind of player. He certainly wouldn’t win any Nobel Peace Prizes, for sure.” The remaining £10m is spent on Cristoph Tzolis. After patchy performances in pre-season he is loaned out to King’s Lynn. (In Multiverse Number 3,735,984.78 the £10m goes on Sargent, on the basis that he and Rashica know each other’s game from Werder Bremen.) July 4 2021. Aston Villa’s bid of £33m for Buendia is rejected, with Farke saying “No-one sells their best players after promotion to the Premier League. We have to keep him and Pukki together. Don’t forget they scored 41 league goals this last season.” July 16 2021. Buendia refuses to play against King’s Lynn in a pre-season friendly and is sent to train with the U-23s. August 7 2021. Buendia relents and plays against in the last friendly, against Newcastle United. August 14 2021. Norwich City lose 3-1 at home to Liverpool, with the consolation goal scored by Pukki from a pass by Buendia. Analysis shows Tettey and Zimmermann struggling to cope with the pace of the game. January 31 2022. Norwich City pay £6.5m for Bournemouth’s Ben Pearson. “He is just the kind of player we need,” says Farke. “The type who won’t win any Nobel Peace Prizes, for sure.” February 17 2022. Rashica scores his only league goal of the season, with a deflected shot in a 3-1 loss at Anfield. May 22 2022. Lunchtime. From his vantage point in his penthouse next to the ground Graham Paddon’s Beard notices a stretch limo draw up in the car park and seven men in suits get out and walk into the South Stand entrance. May 22 2022 Afternoon. As the fifth Spurs goal goes in Nutty Nigel gets up from his season in the South Stand and clambers over the surround on to the side of the pitch. This is a pre-arranged signal, and within minutes the only people left in the stand are the away fans and seven men in suits spaced out at intervals, looking bemusedly at one another. May 22 2022. Slightly later that afternoon. In the boardroom Smith and Jones are looking anxiously at their watches, with Michael Foulger pacing especially nervously. At the same time GPB sees the seven men walk hurriedly out of the back entrance of the South Stand and get into the stretch limo, which drives off at speed…

Everyone, especially RTB and Jools, should watch this.

Worrying about the opposition attendances. What next? They have more streetlights? Their roundabouts are prettier? The average length of an Ipswich male todger is 1mm longer and thicker than any male Norwich supporter?

Buendia is a key figure in the the State of the Nation, though some of the key elements are lost If we are not careful. Good players move on. Weapons are always desirable. Anybody any good always wants to move to Real Madrid and earn more money. Everyone. Every day. All the time. In modern football, with eye-watering sums of money available in the Premier League, nobody - literally nobody - sells their key weapon at the point of promotion. It doesn’t happen. It’s suicide for a number of reasons. Momentum is utterly, fundamentally important in football. There is huge collateral damage in the morale and belief of all of the remaining players. I can assure you that this was the case post-Buendia sale. It is very difficult to attract weapons and really good players to Norwich. Football is funny though, it only takes Guardiola to say ‘I love watching Norwich’ and your chances might go up 25%. Players across all clubs are forever talking about which clubs ‘are on the up’. We really were. Then we sold Buendia. And then we really weren’t. The narrative spins on a dime and the ‘feelings vultures’ circle. ‘Brave, fluid, highly-technical… positional play adherents’…outside bet’…..becomes ‘not trying’….’they don’t deserve promotion’…’Norwich never give it a go’….’whipping boys’ I can tell you now that players do not ignore that noise. It is the water cooler currency of footballers, and it was ever thus. Statutory accounts are generally about 18 months out of date (versus Live-feed Management Accounts). This is quite handy here because we don’t now have to guess, we can read the book. We have taken out advanced monies of around £66m, which has allowed us to remain within our financial limits-covenants-overdraft-access to cash. This means that we needed somebody to advance us cash to cover what we wanted to spend - were obliged to pay. This means we needed cash to conduct our affairs and - as an extension - to fund our purchases of Rashica-Tzolis-Sargent. Aston Villa not only paid a good price for Buendia, they structured the payments so we received a good amount of cash early on. So even to buy what we did-will now do, took a large £66m loan and the sale of Buendia and the cash from the deal weighted up front. But we did it because a player threw a tantrum? 🤣🤣🤣 Like they all do, every day, and have done since time immemorial? They are 22 year old boys earning £50k per week (they get double upon promotion upon bonuses), they have had to bite and scratch every minute of every day since they were 7 to get here. They have girls throwing themselves at them at every night club and bus stop. And what? They are a bit of an **** sometimes?…🤣🤣 Oh no, Quick get rid! ….you’d have a squad of about 3 (and they’d all be crap)….🤗 Any star player loves limelight, attention, a bit of drama, some success, the headlines. A bit like you get every week in the Premier League really. One goal, one assist, a bit of attention and the world is full of Buendia-tinted rainbows. At the point of maximum excitement and positivity for all. It is the timing that is so exceptional, not the event per se. Some context. I have seen really serious fights so often in training so many times. And been involved in several. In nearly every single case it was almost completely forgotten by all the next day. There are players who hate each other. There are players who are not at all ‘team’. Buendia was not like that. Other Players love weapons too. It is professional football. It is about success. And more money. And a big move. But not at the point of promotion. Ever. Smith would have made it a back-me-or-sack-me-moment. It’s a no win for a head coach. You’ll be gone in 12 games if you’re not careful. It would take £66m reasons for a club to do something like that. Parma

We don't have a better starting eleven than Burnley or Watford so we certainly have no divine right to have risen above. It's been an incredibly competitive division which is why more credit should be given for away wins against the likes of Rotherham this season. They aren't walkovers

Is it a poor league, or a really competitive one? What constitutes a really good quality league? One where the table is tight, and anyone can beat anyone, exactly like we have this season?

Sheff Utd lost. Funny old game.

I don’t think the majority of Farkeophiles (I am one), are revisionists. Most of us knew and accepted that he didn’t win all games comfortably and by demolishing everyone in our path, he like Smith struggled against the other ‘top’ teams even when we got promoted. The thing that Farke has or was is not necessarily as tangible as the stats and the points, it’s the man and his ability to connect. A huge part of why I loved him as our manager was to do with his incredible football when we were in full flow and it all clicked, it was to do with the last minute winners and exciting games where we let in a bundle too, it was the bringing through of some fantastic talent and getting some players singing, it was ALL of these things but it was more. The feel of Carrow road, once his system started to yield results and then throughout his tenure - even for me until the very end - was one of relative togetherness. Of course in the prem there was a souring of relations from some, but his balance in the bank for many was still in the black. Brentford felt like a pivotal moment, I think many on here felt it and were like me desperate to see him have the next run of winnable games with a team that knew how to win again. We were robbed of it. The man wasn’t going get us to Europe, but he was incredibly special and the cold light of day and hindsight show that the special feeling he brought to the club has gone. I’ll still support us week in and out, but I’m allowed to always see Farke’s departure as a massive error that I want to regularly point out I had no part in and would reverse in a heartbeat. Just like Brexit 😉

He's definitely in his best position now: a few thousand miles away from the team.

Whilst true there's two things here; firstly he was being played out of position as a RM (and ridiculously still is some of the time), and secondly he was 21 when we signed him as a future prospect, along with Tzolis, neither were truly expected to make an immediate impact. Rashica was our marquee signing, and at 25 with Bundesliga top flight experience was, however, definitely expected to make an immediate impact to soften the loss of Emi. Yes the tactics probably didn't help him, but this season alone is enough to show he's very unlikely to make the grade here in England. Given his attributes you'd think he could do okay, perhaps in a better team he would, but his time here is definitely done. £4.5m and Milot off the wage bill sounds like sensible business if the offer comes in

It's in the accounts. Being in the Premier league is expensive. Probably. Supply & demand There is. They have access, they are at all of the press conferences. He knows when he isn't busy and he can take time off.

Yes - I just don't know see how Sunak can claim any integrity yet still have Williamson in the cabinet unless of course Williamson's values are indeed those of Sunak !!!!

Fair comment that talented Tory MPs are as rare as hen's teeth nowadays but although it seems a long time ago now it was Johnson who was responsible for kicking out most of the talent they had left, only a bit over 3 years ago - one of his many extremely stupid mistakes which has certainly already proved disastrous for the Tories and will doubtless continue to weaken them going forward. But I think your point on integrity is the key one - we've had five Tory PMs in twelve years, each one of whom put the interests of a divided Tory Party first, second and third with the national interest nowhere to be seen. It is even more extraordinary that they've been the worst five PMs in our history and have got progressively worse!! (Early days for Sunak I know and commonsense says he can't be worse than Truss and will break that sequence but commonsense seems to be in almost as short a supply as integrity within the Tory party). Of the five Cameron is the only one who appointed a Cabinet based ability (as he saw it anyway), Johnson and Truss appointed Cabinets of their mates/cronies purely to ensure personal loyalty to themselves whilst May and Sunak have assembled equally dusfunctional Cabinets in an obvious but futile attempt to unify their bitterly divided backbenchers. Twelve years is a long time to be governed by a party much more concerned with fighting internal battles than ever trying to do the right thing for the country and the damage it has caused is now clear for all to see - even so it seems we still have another 2 years of this sh*tshow before there is any chance of a change.

Wait, is that meant to be a lettuce next to her left hand?? Top-drawer p-iss-taking if it is!

Depends on wages, bonuses etc. If we don’t have to compensate him for any difference in what we were paying him compared to what he gets at Galatasary or any promotion bonus if we do go up this season (as happened with Naismith), then it’s probably best to cut our losses. I can’t see him coming back if we do go up and being very different to last season.

Yes, both sides of the 'pond'. I know there's the saying 'may you live in interesting times' but I rather wouldn't. Authoritarian regimes are springing everywhere aren't they. KG shared a great video on the Trump thread and sadly Maher is right. Soon it will be that we are back to the times of calling out witches. Back to some kind of middle age where truth will be decided by whatever some strong loud mouthed local personality says. I know I joke but there is a serious point.

6:25 shows the Rotherham player screaming in the refs face, hard to see it from that angle but you can see him grab him, and then when his arms go tense twice he was yelling directly in his face. Must admit does look more like a pen from where Rotherham fans sat:

I wonder how many people complaining about the change of wording to "player of the match" would criticise others as being "snowflakes"?

The grifters keep on grifting.

Excellent post again @Barham Blitz. One point I would reiterate - and I remember an excellent thread from @PurpleCanary which linked to counter-intuitive data and analysis - is that football is a very low scoring game. The old boys - as I opened this thread with - used to say simply ‘both boxes’. It means that ultimately keeping them out and scoring a goal can camouflage a hundred other sins, or negate a vast amount of beautifully-constructed work. I remember a further thread - again it might have been @PurpleCanary - that dissected a good study on the rather disproportionate role of luck. Though how certain patterns of play tend to give rise to more ‘lucky’ events. Multiple FIFA studies show the huge power of set pieces. This is all certainly linked to weapons. The presence of a player that can do something repeatedly, that an opposition coach is forced to change his preferred shape and pattern of play to counter. It often includes set pieces, penalties, taking free kicks, getting free kicks, a constant ability to go past a man, to make repeated slide rule passes between centre back and full back. All things that are hard for an opposition coach to defend against and prevent, without issuing considerable instructions and detailed counter-measures. Thus detracting from one’s own ideal blueprint. Thus making the opposition stronger and more the ‘protagonist’. Thus increasing the odds of ‘luck’ falling in your favour. Just being ‘good’ does not nearly move the strategic dial so much. Don’t forget, in a low scoring game, just one thing makes the fundamental binary difference between ‘fantastic’ and ‘terrible’. Between ‘we’re brilliant, I’m buying a shirt’ and ‘clueless, I’m tearing up my season ticket’. All on the result. If you think I’m being extreme, listen to Canary Call. Players (instinctively) know all of that. They feel dial movers. They need them. The difference makers. Selling them is normal. Selling them at the point when we are all super excited, full of positivity, have just achieved our dream and brimming with the apotheosis that is football momentum, is self harm dressed as innovation. Parma post script: @chicken @Monty13 ultimately we sold Buendia (when we did) because Delia has no football money (sadly). Not because Buendia threw a tantrum.

And this is why we are all still here and not supporting Man City, Liverpool or anyone else. Club politics and the rest aside, a lovely post and an apt reminder.

You see, now in some ways that intrigues me. Especially the bit I put in bold. Isn't that exactly what did happen? We started the system with a new formation, a 4-3-3, and largely stuck to that until game 11, when people reflect we switched back to the 4-2-3-1 and won our first game of the season. Reportedly, the decision to sack Farke was made prior to that victory, so was based on the back of 10games with a return of just two points. Many people have reflected since then that the players we signed, didn't look like they were bought for a 4-3-3. Take Lees-Melou, for example. His most eye-catching displays had come from him playing in more advanced areas, or getting into more advanced areas. His career positions reflect that: I said when he signed that he looked like a sort of Vrancic meets Stiepermann. I think it is fair to say that he certainly played better when given license to get further forward. After all, 27 goal involvements from 119 starts as a CM is good going, 11 involvements in 36 as an AM is also very good. You could be forgiven if you thought he may have been brought in to play as the middle of the attacking 3 in a 4-2-3-1, and he certainly added height, as Stiepermann had, and experience - which we were lacking to some degree. When you start looking at it like that at least some of those signings look far more suited to the previous formation we played. Do I blame that on Farke alone? No. I think they both chose a different approach to the premier league after being unable to land the preferred targets that summer. As Webber predicted, it caused problems. Too many. The problem you have when ten games in to a season of 38, with just two points on the board, you can't change the players, so if you want to change something, it has to be the manager. That summer was messed up for a lot of reasons. As said before, I would suggest that it started with not getting it quite right the summer before either.

The real weapon was the Emi / Teemu combo. It seems neither have hit the same heights since. It was a weapon that fell into place rather than planned. I don't think either was bought with the other in mind. But that's often the way in football. That's why the future is of hopes and dreams as much as plans and the past. A big part of the state of the nation is Colney and the Academy and making sure that pathways are made to the first team. That was the first priority of this board even though originally funded by fans. I wouldn't have stumped up to pay players wages even if those players were Emi and Teemu. But Norwich fans have always supported the academy ever since the events of the mid- nineties. Let's not forget that Ray's Funds was originally Rays Funds for FONCY and we took pride whenever one of our own made the first team. For me playing a small part of the FONCY story was a bit of a dream come true. When premier league riches brought the prospect of Cat One Academy our contributions would make little difference so now we take even more pride in our wonderful DS and pan-disability football teams. However that connection we feel with the club and the youngsters of that time will always be there. Now as well as our own youngsters we buy in young players from other clubs and try to make them better. But that' won't work if there's no pathway to the first team. I remember a post on here from 2018 stating that having sold Maddison and Murphy there was just Lewis left with any value. Within a couple of months Aarons, Godfrey and Cantwell had found their paths. Mistakes are always made when buying players but we mustn't compound those mistakes by having them here blocking the pathways for our youngsters. Calls to sign a journeyman fourth choice centreback would certainly have stopped Tomkinson's games this season. Keeping Rashica and Plachetta would have blocked Rowe and Springett. Of course you have to have a manager who's prepared to use those pathways and it seems Smith is carrying on where Farke left off in that regard. So although I haven't really taken to Smith I do recognise and appreciate that continuation. As for Sarge he is still very young for the type of player he is. He played 50 Bundesliga games before he was 21. He's still young and still one who can improve further and become that weapon for us. I've always liked him and made no secret of that. So as well as Sarge (and we still have Pukki) other reasons to be cheerful include Gunn, Aarons, Omobamidele, Tompkinson. McCallum, Gibbs, Cantwell, Idah, Rowe and Springett. Also Saxon Early and Bali Mumba appear to be having good loans and if that's not enough a young Welsh centre forward called Roberts signed a pro contract last month.

Had a freebie at Bramall Lane tonight. Boy, Rotherham were up for it tonight whilst the Blades were definitely Blunt tonight. I was always confident we had the beating of Rotherham Saturday, tonight I could see they would not lose tonight although Stroud tried to help United out (at least he got that penalty decision right, same again from Rovrum, seems to be a trait they have). The Millers were very organised and sharp in the press, whilst the Blunts had too many players having an off night and once Fleck went off injured had no real steel in midfield. The promotion race is well and truly back on.

Just stumbled across this on ITV4. Pleased I did based on the female presenter 😉

Well, that's the point you play your center forward (Sarge) in the middle and replace him with a right footed wide man in Rashica. It's not rocket science, really. Pukki is done here and we should be progressing the team.

That's the funniest thing I've read on here in months (and there's been some stiff competition). He's proven to be not good enough for the Championship. There's no way he'll ever play in the Premier League again. The only time he looked ok was against League One Charlton. That's about his level.

it was a cup game

Might be their only promotion this season 😆

Generally it was worse in the ground in the 70's until they penned the away fans and the Barclay Boot Boys behind 10 foot fencing, with one complete section always empty (took a 1,000 off the attendance). Once they had it was mainly sharpened 2p pieces and the odd dart being thrown across the divide, but very few found their target. When they started lobbing them at the away goalkeeper (that Villa game), then they hung fishing nets or whatever at the front. Could see **** all of what was happening on the pitch by then. I do remember before the fencing off a strange incident with the crush barriers. They went across the sections containing both home and away supporters. I think it was against Arsenal. Both sets of fans managed to set their end of one such barrier free of the support and then started to swing it using the middle support in the no man's land where the coppers were trying to segregate the two sets, as a pivot. The site of coppers and fans having to run and duck for 5 minutes was something to behold.

Not comparable in my view- during that 10 game unbeaten run the fans were fully behind him, it was when results started to turn that fans did. Smith was getting pelters even in our 7 wins in a row streak.

I think it's purely a business decision to cash in whilst Liverpool are still able to compete for trophies, they have an ageing first team and a re-build will take time with no guarantee of success.

We've all agreed that anyone that can keep a straight face while claiming MBB is remotely funny needs to be removed from the forum

WTF.

It was noticeable that Hanley was claiming loudly for our penalty, having conceded a similar penalty himself recently, although their's wasn't quite as blatant it was close ! But he didn't actually manhandle the ref LOL

Surprised to see Saints going after Luton's manager and not our Premier League class manager.

Bullet dodged??? I'd have him over Smith every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

100% would take Ralf over Smith. Quality head coach. Natural leader. Good football. Lost his way a bit this season but that's what happens when a club consistently sells their best assets.

Bullet dodged?! I'd have him over Smith in a heartbeat.

I’ve thought about this @Taiwan Canary. No there are no weapons really. Though just to re-clarify you can have very good players that are not weapons, and conversely not very good players that are weapons. To explain by using extremes, I could probably argue that Kevin de Bruyne is not technically a weapon, he is ‘just’ brilliant (that is weaponish of course, I know I’m reaching, humour me), though Andy Carroll - who is now not the greatest footballer - still is a weapon. The weapon can do certain ‘special teams’ things that you cannot as an opposition coach ignore. You have to change your own preferred tactical blueprint for your own side, to take account of the the opposition’s weapon. Carroll gets thrown on in the 80th minute. They go high and long and hit early deep balls to him. He is not mobile, but he’ll win the headers. You definitely can’t sit deep and let crosses rain in. So you have to get one in front one behind, get your midfielders to be alert to second balls, try to get wide players alert - and quite possibly pressing a little higher - to stop full backs at source. Conversely what exactly are you going to do about Kevin de Bruyne? He’s just better than anything you’ve got (He is a weapon with his set pieces too, so you really can’t give free kicks away), you certainly have to go 3 in the middle if you don’t already and you have to keep a tight catenaccio 4 with very short spaces between them to prevent slide rule balls. Ok so he is a weapon, but you know what I mean now… 🤗 Anyhoo, we have nothing like either of them. Only Pukki. I won’t be disingenuous to @Petriix and - here’s some hope for you and @nutty nigel @Taiwan Canary - will acknowledge that when clumsy Sarge starts driving hard and cutting into spaces, looking to shoot, he can look hard to stop, though I’m afraid he is ‘a level’ player. With a fraction more time and space, and a fraction less diligent and counter-threatening opposition he can look quite a handful. Take those things away (higher level) and I am afraid he doesn’t and won’t. Sara and Nunez are interesting additions that represent gambles on a number of levels and have novelty value and some nice moments. We will see whether diligence and positional discipline come to both or either. I am not at all sure I have seen it yet. The good news: Love Nunez’ free kicks, that’s a weapon actually, as he genuinely strikes them all well and correctly. Sara’s corners also please me, they should be more weaponised, though I dislike our attacking of corners. I don’t yet see the quality of runs and movement I would expect. I am not knocking Alan Russell, who has good pedigree and valuable ideas, though Gibson and Hanley are simply not good enough at attacking headers (as opposed to defensive headers, two very different techniques). Kenny is the best at getting into good positions, though he is not as good at finishing as he might be either. Sarge is good in the air, though makes poor runs, gives free kicks away cheaply and is too ‘noisy’ about it all, often getting ‘tagged’ by referees (and thus treated sharper, to his and our own harm). It’s a wasted opportunity from one of our very limited weapon-like things (best phrase I could find). I imagine Alan Russell is a bit frustrated by it and Smith might well want to add someone who can profit from these deliveries better. It’s a huge source of cheap goals that we don’t get. Aarons can be weaponish when he is really on song. His advantage is his deep position - with often plenty of time and space - and his ability to cut both ways and accelerate past players. Wonderful in full flow. Hard to defend against sometimes, so opposition coaches have worked out not to. They actually overload his side, pump balls high and get him defending. Not a great compliment really. He’ll have to overcome that to move on (and not just be distant back up). His sliding last-ditch save was absolutely magnificent yesterday by the way, I thought it got a bit overlooked. Every bit as good as a goal I’d say. That’s what’s he can do. Cantwell I desperately want to do ….well?…better? It is there, striking cleanly off both sides, magnetising the ball at his best, though - sorry Todd - I do always think of Brian Clough when I watch him play, what he said about how he achieved his success with provincial players: ‘They come to me with false confidence, I strip that away and give them real confidence’ Onel flatters to deceive, Dowell doesn’t run hard enough and gets bypassed too easily, he also isn’t nasty enough. Psychologists studied the best players, trying to find out what really made them great. They found all the things you’d expect: drive, determination, will to win, an attitude of continual improvement…but that was just the averagely good ones…they found that the very best had all of that, though equally just hated losing, couldn’t bear it. It Pathologically troubled them. One doesn’t get any sense of that from Dowell. We have finally woken up - I think Smith totally knew it from the outset to be fair - to the fact that we need the role of CDM desperately. You need 2 good CDMs at least actually. To have none in the Premier was madness. The only way I could forgive it, is if we totally threw everything at getting Skipp and it fell through on us….though a Plan B was surely in a drawer somewhere too?…Quite how that drawer ended up marked ‘Gilmour’ is far beyond me. The Gunn-Krul axis is far too good - and surely too expensive - for this level. So that is a positive that must surely be fairly short-lived. The Hanley-Ono-Gibson triumvirate is super strong at this level. Though Gibson has been strangely below par, his passing can be quite sweet, with good range and accuracy. Perhaps Omo can start scoring a few more goals too, he has quite a decent presence and eye I think. Giannoulis-McCallum is of course good enough. McCallum has something about him too. I like him. Giannoulis can look dynamic and daft in the same minute. Bit frustrating for coaches that. Ramsey is a good player and it’s perfectly ok to have good loan players at 10 - or even 9 - if you don’t have them. Assist and scoring players don’t need to care much about the team, they can be selfish and just want to look good, get headlines and further their careers. It fits the space in the jigsaw anyway.. Pukki is brilliant. He is and always has been our weapon. The only issue - and anyone (any forward) that has dropped down the leagues from a good level knows this - is that you are reliant on everybody else. And they don’t and can’t think as fast as you. They make the right pass half a second too late. Lots of what you have doesn’t get used. It’s frustrating. It can make you snatch at what does come your way. Pukki is better than this, he has a world class temperament and a supreme level of movement. We’re just not good enough for him. And we are increasingly not completely set up to serve him either. Whisper it, but the way we are starting to play looks better suited (designed?) more for Sarge. That’s where the money went and we probably don’t have any more to spend. Strikers are bloody expensive. Personally I dread the day we don’t have Pukki anymore, though - as @chicken says - it is the model. Rinse and repeat. We have bet some of the farm on Sargent and we are - again - going to bank on him. If I was feeling a bit Norwich Private Eye, I would say this was fine. He will fit our requirements perfectly. Somewhere between 8th and 4th in the second tier. Parma

Nine final six wins is extraordinary. Well done @Cosmic Twin... Here are the latest totals..