Osborne17

I think it's a good effort, just slightly too melancholic/wistful for me. Put some sleigh bells on it and it would make a cracking Christmas song (a la Coldplay - Christmas Lights)

Random question, but is the home match of the playoffs included in season tickets? Or will we have to buy a ticket for our usual seats (like in cup games)? (if we get there, of course!)

I guess Sky Sports would rather have an overlap on play-off first leg matches than having anything overlap into Man Utd v Arsenal at 4:30pm. The premier league is their premium product, after all.

You're replying to a post from July. This is an old thread that has been updated to reflect the 2024 railway closures. Thanks for the info @Canary73

Bizarre take on what happened. First yellow nailed on. Second he had no choice. Silly from Sainz. Just another weirdo post.

The most comical line in the statement is: "Fans would also be able to watch live matches for free on a new digital streaming platform." Sure, offer it for free for the first season or two... get them hooked, but it will soon go to PPV, which is where the money is.

As a ref at grassroots level, using sin bins is quite an effective tool to stop dissent. However there's one big problem with the process. In their infinite wisdom, The FA/FIFA/IFAB decided to really complicate the protocol by essentially "devaluing" a sin bin compared to other yellow cards (for fouls, handball etc). It's absurd. At grassroots it's entirely possible to (legitimately) show a player three yellow cards in one game. The process is so complicated that there's a "matrix/guide" to help us - with different outcomes for the different permutations; whether a player can return to the pitch, be substituted or is considered dismissed. Many of us now carry a credit-card sized version of this guide, to refer to during a game. If they can't get VAR right - or indeed, explain it to fans during a game - I dread to think how they will implement something like this at the professional level.

What "moves" do you suggest? There's no money unless we sell Rowe or Sara - two of our best performers this season. Unless it's loans you're talking about? And I'm not entirely sure how loans build a team and a new style.

I do wished we'd gotten behind the team more, yesterday, if I'm honest. I don't think anybody ever thinks it's the fans fault... EVER. But at certain times yesterday, I couldn't help but feel a tad uncomfortable stood in the away end. Booing our own subs coming on? How much confidence does that give Fisher or Gibbs as they enter the field? I get the booing was a message to the manager, but it hardly inspires our young players coming on, does it? Calling for the manager's head as soon as the score was 2-2?! The game wasn't lost at that point. As soon as that second Watford goal went in, the team heads dropped, the crowd heads dropped, the crowd turned, and there was an inescapable sense of doom about what was going to happen. A vortex of inevitability.

From the stands tonight (it's not shown / noticeable in the highlights on YouTube) I noticed just how aggressively angry Kenny got with Long after the second goal. It was a right old rollocking and, dare I say, seemed to be almost... too aggressive. I think someone on this forum has suggested that, through a player's father, they have become aware of an alleged split in the dressing room. Which begs the question, even if we were to get rid of Wagner, would that heal such a split. I was rather taken aback by Kenny's reaction if I'm honest. It's not for me to judge whether it was warranted or not, but it did nothing to get everyone's heads up after conceding two quick goals.

I totally agree with @canarybubbles and @PurpleCanary. It doesn't make any sense to get rid of Wagner this season, as long as we don't end up in a relegation battle. His tactics and his selection choices have been a bit bewildering and I don't agree he's the long term future of the club. But with a lack of funds and a new SD coming in, surely it makes sense to take our time and let Knapper lead a root and branch analysis/transformation of where we are going as a club.

I don't think it's the fact we can't tolerate the "banter", it's more galling (for me at least) that someone who evidently tried his hardest for us, wore the jersey, and took our wages, thinks so little of us now that he wouldn't think twice to make such a mocking post. Zero class, if you ask me, but hey, the youth of today and social media! Never bite the hand that once fed you.

Me making the point that the unhealthy and borderline offensive way some on here frame a discussion or an individual (simply in terms of their marriage/relationship) is not attempting to "shut up the argument", @Sufyellow. We can debate the merits of people's roles at the club on this thread without the air of a misogyny.

Absolutely agree with this statement. Comments suggesting she "leveraged Stuart’s position to work her way up" (a comment completely without any foundation or evidence, by the way) or even people on this thread referring to her simply as "Stuart's wife" or "his wife".... jeez. We can and should do better on this thread.

I absolutely agree with the majority of the above. The statement "a bad manager continues to impose a structure on players who are unable to produce their best" is absolutely true. But can anybody say what structure would be the best for Wagner to adopt with the current crop of players? How should we be playing differently tactically? I'd rather there be a holistic, long term plan whereby the players learn and adapt to what Wagner wants, rather than a short-term attitude of "it's not working, he needs to go". And who would we get to replace him? Surely they'd still have the same bunch of players to work with, with little funds seemingly available in the January window unless we sell our two best players (Sara/Rowe). It'd be making the same mistake we made in November 2021 when we got rid of Farke and brought in Deano. I'm not a happy clapper nor a massive fan of Wagner. I just can't see the sense in getting rid this season unless we are heading for relegation. Surely we need to wait for Knapper's arrival, and hope he creates a 2/3/4/5 year plan to get us moving forward again - either with or without Wagner according to his plan.