BigFish

Apart from the dig at Kenny, this is pretty much my point.

If you look at Rice's heat map he is doing more of his work in the oppositions half e.g. the point he is he is not playing as what fans think of as a CDM, more an 8. I agree with @Petriix's point that what we need is physical, better defensively, McLean upgrade who will play with McLean. That is not a classic CDM, but a player who plays where Sara does, but does the dirty side as well. But no way is Sara a 10, not now, not never.

We get results because strangely we are one of the better teams in the division. Not as good as the three who came down or it seems one other unmentionable team but still better than most. Mystery why Sainz doesn't start more, maybe due to a lack of defensive dilgence. The CBs couldn't pass the salt and we have tactical problems OOP but we are what we are. Average.

Not really sure this is even in English but I will guess what it means...... Mowbray left Sunderland apparently over player recruitment. The SD had a model where they buy young with a view to resale value. Mowbray wanted players ready to play in the Chumps. They are a selling club at this level, not sure why anyone would view them as a "good move" and us as a "carcrash". Pretty much identical from where I am looking

This is received wisdom amongst a section of the fanbase. The game has moved on and this simplistic view really doesn't reflect how it is played anymore. Read Ben Mee's match analysis to learn about what is going on. We have tactical issues when OOP but that is nor necessarily manpower related.

In the sense of unity, anyone disgree with this one?

Fair point, I may have exaggerated for dramatic effect. But it looks like 3 from 4, and those odds would be very different without Everton's 10 point deduction.

You must have been gutted we won

For fans football is an emotional business, they often say/write stuff that would be totally unacceptable or called out in most other circumstances. Inside the game football is a professional business that the fans usually know very little about. The local media tend to pander to the fans in a way that validates many spurious fan opinions. It is little wonder that the owners occasionally bite back, particularly when they put themselves forward in a way that most owners would avoid like the plague. Also little wonder that others in their world may express support.

Burnley got 101 points last year, spent £90 million strengthening and pretty much look nailed on for relegation.

Certainly eases the pressure, but in reality it is just a reversion to the mean. We (that is Wagner and the players) were never as bad as some on here made out, was much comical hyperbole about it and a number were really hoping a car crash would prove them right. That said we look like what we are, significantly better than the bottom four, significantly poorer than the top four and with no clear vision (yet, maybe) of a plan to make it better. We are a Championship team, could finish anywhere between 5th and 20th.

A moment of clarity on this thread, Bubbles.

No

Pretty much self serving tosh. Idah has 6 now despite not really getting the minutes. People forget he is only 22 as well. Yes he has limitations which is why he plays for us but there is a 20 goal a season Champs striker there. What is the market value of that?

Better, but still not good enough.