sgncfc

Getting back on topic.....with 28 points from 11 games, the Binners need just 47 more from 35 games to qualify for the playoffs. That's 1.34 per game, or 12 wins, 11 draws and 12 defeats. So mid table form from here on in will get them to at least 6th. Their form would have to fall off a cliff for them not to make the playoffs. I think they are catchable for the top two but not by us, unfortunately. Leeds, Southampton and possibly Middlesbro have the best chance. I think Coventry then make up the top 6. I've always had us as mid table, even with the good start.

Salary caps aren't illegal, they're just contrary to common sense. The best people in any field get paid the most money. What we need to stop is undeserved reward, so that salaries are fair. But players will get what they can. Paying Ben Gibson over £40k per week is simply nonsensical, as is paying the SD of an average Championship club a basic of several hundred thousand pounds a year, but it isn't their fault that people are prepared to pay it. Let's be honest though - what else are you going to do with the money if not pay salaries? Pay dividends to shareholders? For as long as "contracts" form the basis of employment in professional sport it isn't fixable. Equally, results based remuneration is difficult when among 92 clubs there are effectively only ever going to be a maximum of 15 which achieve anything in any given season. The one thing I would do is cap the price of tickets - make clubs manage their own finances more efficiently.

It's fairly well evidenced that success in the Championship is not something that is down to the amount of money invested in the squad. I'm sorry if that doesn't sit right with some on here, but with the exception of the Wolves side promoted a few years ago almost none of the promoted sides of the last 10 years have spent big money. We did it twice ourselves without spending much. On the two or three occasions over the last 20 years when we've had the most expensive squad in the division we've been useless. The best current example of the hugely wealthy owners, no success result is Stoke City. Their owner is worth over £8bn. They spent a fortune in the summer. They're 20th. Success in the EFL depends on finding the right person or team of coaches/managers whatever you wish to call them. Ipswich have shown that. We showed it. Burnley. Luton. Fulham. The man/woman at the top has to fit. When Webber/Farke came in, it took over a season but something clicked. We made a huge, massive error in sacking Farke without also sacking Webber. If one went, they should both have gone. For me, with Webber on the way, his replacement needs to get rid of Wagner and bring in his own man/woman (and I'd be delighted with Emma Hayes as our manager, but we couldn't afford her).

Some very short memories on here. Andy Marshall became a decent enough keeper but in his first year was the sole reason we got relegated from the PL. Krul had some good games and was clearly a big dressing room presence but again cost us dearly with his various errors. Even the mighty Keelan made the occasional howler. Gunn really is the least of our problems.

I'm not really sure why Forshaw and Baath aren't in the starting 11. Very experienced at this level.

Leicester changed their starting line up precisely because their manager recognised we would prepare for the way they played against Southampton. Wagner got it half right in the first half, with the extra man in midfield and not pressing their keeper. But Leicester switched to feeding their flanks rather than coming through the middle - McAteer and Mavididi were their only two danger men in the first half, their midfield was nullified completely. Stacey and Giannoulis generally still coped well, even with a lack of cover, especially from Rowe, until that one error by Fassnacht which resulted from Stacey losing the ball higher up the pitch. The second half was a different tactical battle because we were behind. If we had held them to 0-0 at half time I doubt Wagner would have changed anything. Leicester could still have brought on their 5 PL quality subs though, and would have done to try to win the game, which they probably still would have done. I think they just have better players and more of them. I was reminded of a game against Wolves in their promotion season which was very similar - they seemed to have all the luck. It's funny how often better players and teams seem to have all the luck......

I wouldn't expect anyone to fully invest in a football club if they are not majority owners. I think this is very much an interim stage and assuming all goes according to plan over the next three years, I think it likely that Attanasio will then buy DS and MWY out. Of course it's possible that DS and MWJ will give some shares to the CT but even if they hold a large minority there isn't much they can do to block anything. They would get a voice at the table, but that's all. I still don't really understand though why Attanasio is being allowed to acquire his large minority so cheaply. He could end up owning an asset worth £150m for about a sixth of what it's actually worth and making some serious interest on his loans. I realise that DS always said she would take no profit - but why should that mean Attanasio gets such a bargain?

If we'd drawn on Saturday as we deserved to and drawn again tonight as we deserved to, we'd be one point worse off but we'd all be happy. I was pleased with the tactical change in the second half and I thought Idah and Placheta did well when they came on. One poor challenge for the penalty was really the only difference between the teams in the end.

This one is down to Wagner. Wrong team playing against a Leicester side with 5 changes who are playing completely differently to expected. Out thought by Maresca, I'm afraid. Rowe, Gibbs and Fassnacht all awful so far. Gibson almost as bad. We have nothing to aim for up front; no control or tempo. Let's see what Wagner has in mind to get back in it. Personally, I'd put Idah on.

That almost happened in League One last year, and it isn't impossible by any means. Having said that the Champs is a much more even league and it's still likely that anyone with 2 points per game is promoted automatically. I agree that remains the target over the season - I don't much care where we are in the league table in October.

Andy O was the surprise, not Jonny Rowe. He came from almost nowhere and we've cashed in while we can in my opinion - he wasn't first choice and was unlikely to be as we now know we need some steel in his position and he is very much not it. Quite weak in the air, not that quick with his feet and no tackler. He is very good positionally, excellent at anticipation and closing down space and is in style a Premier League CB rather than a Champs one. That's why he's gone. And also interesting that Ireland choose Duffy over him against teams like France and Holland.

An awful lot of coaches, managers and even analysts rate him. An awful lot of supporters don't. His numbers are always good it seems, yet we can't see that transferred to actual progress on the pitch. So far this season, in both domestic and international games, he has become more noticeable and is scoring goals. But we still highlight the errors; we see him do good work and then fail to capitalise on it. It isn't a lack of talent holding him back, so is it just confidence? Or support, maybe? If he got the murmurs from the crowd when he gets the ball like Rowe does, maybe he'd be doing better? There is a player there. We just might see it if he gets a dozen starts.

Yes, the gamble failed. But Webber knew he had to try to do something differently to the first time, so he tried. At the time everyone thought Gilmour, Rashica, Sargent etc would give us a proper shot. But to pay for that shot, and the chance to bounce back, we had to borrow, and the way he structured the debt was clever and well timed. Most on here don't seem to realise that of the £100m guaranteed on promotion, about 70% of it is already committed on salaries and wages. It cost Forest £250m and an awful lot of luck, to stay up by a point or two. Burnley have already spent £90m and haven't yet got a point. Both must have borrowed - it will be interesting to see their accounts in June.

Well, if we'd borrowed £100m at 2% a couple of years ago on a 15 year term (which was available) we'd be looking good now earning 6% on it. That's good debt. I don't know what terms we got on the supposed £66m but again I suspect the money we have now banked is going a long way to paying the interest.

He hasn't even had a scan yet. Wagner is basing his initial "assessment" on immediate swelling but it isn't necessarily ligament damage just because there is swelling. There is no way of telling that it will be "months" at this stage - you can't feel or see ligament damage - that's why I suspect a bit of mis-information is going on.

I am a natural cynic, and I find the vagueness of Wagner's information a little too convenient in terms of the imminent closure of the transfer window. I'm willing to wager he will make a remarkably speedy recovery after the international break.

I suspect drink has been taken.

Eh? they've been playing together so far so will need another forward. Idah is already mentioned as linked to them.

I really think the FA should work harder at persuading ex-pro's or even younger lads who fall out of the game to become referees, on some kind of fast track process. But. as we agree, they need to get paid more.

I think Wagner likes Placheta as an option on the left side and think he'll stay. Wouldn't be surprised to see Idah move on - Swansea need a replacement for Pirloe and £5m would probably get him. Another striker would arrive then - but probably from Europe rather than PL.

I don't really understand why we're bothered. He was never a committed Norwich player, just picked up his wages. Decent enough, never outstanding, in a team which was clearly outclassed. Also surly and moody. He'll probably be an OK Championship player but if 1p5wich are paying a big proportion of his supposed wages there is much better value out there.

I can only go on my own experience and that of my contemporaries. At least a dozen referees at various lower level leagues (from equivalent Div 5 right down to Intermediate levels) gave up when they hit their mid 30s because the money wasn't enough to compete with their time demands when marriage/children/houses came along. None of them gave up because of abuse - I think that reduces once you get away from Junior or pub league football. The ones who kept going tended to be the ones who either had independent means or no such family demands. Ex-players retiring in their 30s could easily retrain in a very short time to be referees. They won't do it for £70k a year.

No. If they got paid £1m a year there would be thousands of them. The abuse doesn't help but it's the money.

The problem is there aren't enough qualified referees to replace them with. Partially due to the abuse they get, along with a comparatively paltry match fee. If the FA started paying referees properly they just might get more people taking it up.

Point taken - but it was pretty much unanimous that he was a failure as an £8m purchase. Not so much now.