Ian

Surely it depends massively on what price could be negotiated? Anybody know what he's available for?

Could this be the season we see a record point-scoring third place haul? 😁

Easy to point fingers at McCallum, but I thought the difference in covering between Sainz and Rowe was quite stark today.

On a serious note, Wagner has had a lot of exceptional circumstances to deal with which has led to me giving him the benefit of the doubt so far, particularly when it is clear he still has the dressing room. That said, when Sarge is back (and Hanley fully match fit) there really are no excuses left for Wagner. If we haven't progressed significantly by the end of the season I can certainly see Knapper pulling the trigger.

"Nothing will change in regards to players showing dissent until players are sent off for this kind of thing..." Disappointing when this happens to your own player, but I am sure lots of people would be saying what a great decision it was had the shoe been on the other foot.

Well yeah, but apart from all the times substitutions have won us points, or kept us from conceding, they've done nothing.

Both decisions were justified yellows. The referee didn't break any rules or make any wrong decisions, both were made in accordance with the laws of the game. If you want to obfuscate and say it was harsh, or players don't always get booked, or this player did the same thing and avoided punishment, then I am sure you are correct, but that's completely besides the point. The fact is that Sainz is supposed to be a professional footballer and simply let his team-mates down today by acting as he did, particularly after receiving a yellow card just a few minutes before. Hopefully this is a lesson he will learn quickly, as there's no question he has great abilities and is one of our best attackers.

Yes, perhaps I just progressed passed Primary School levels of comprehension?

So nobody has said it was poor refereeing/harsh/the wrong decision/not a yellow card offence then?

Wonder if all these people making excuses for Sainz would also be making excuses for Kenny or Idah had they done the same thing? 🤔

Definitely should have been more yellows in that game, but Sainz can't complain at either. Very stupid to do that gesture when you have just been booked, and hopefully he has apologised to his teammates. Difficult to say he cost us a point today, but I would have fancied us to at least score if we had 11 on the pitch. PS. Thought Kenny was good at both CB and CM throughout today.

The laughable "but Leeds' squad is worth 10 times ours" have already come out. I suspect it could be a glorious festive period for us.

Whereas every other CM we have has been faultless defensively and absolutely not responsible for any poor midfield play. I've seen Sara gift the ball to the opposition in ridiculous areas numerous times this season, far more than KM, but I note you haven't shared any criticism of him. There is quite literally no point in trying to reason with "supporters" like yourselves who have already made their decision on KM, and strive to clutch any straws which they think proves their opinions rather than except the growing body of evidence that Kenny is actually a pretty decent player at this level. Let's see how the rest of the season plays out and revisit this conversation in July.

WTF has DD got to do with whether Kenny is a decent CM, despite playing there at Prem, Championship and international level? Really quite demented. Anybody who has watched any games in the last couple of seasons would see that Kenny is very often sitting between two CBs who are pushed wide, and also one of the few midfielders who actually does track midfielders back and screen the defence. We have previously been utterly porous in midfield this season, but I just cannot comprehend those who think this is due to KM, and furthermore that his exceptional performances at CB are evidence he is culpable defensively. Clearly you're so entrenched in your views you won't ever consider you could have misjudged him, so suggest we leave it there.

🍺🍺🍺

I just genuinely don't understand the point you're trying to make. I've seen nobody suggest Kenny is absolutely essential to our midfield, but plenty who have pointed out that he has always done a consistent job there, and that he has been unfairly maligned as responsible for our poor defensive performance this season. The argument that because he has now dropped back to CB in a totally alien position demonstrates he's a poor defensive midfielder is really very bizarre. Honestly what sort of logic dictates that because a poor defensive midfielder has been moved into a far more critical defensive position and done magnificently well, is proof he is **** defensively? Clearly Kenny haters are willing to jump through as many hoops of congnitive dissonance as it takes so they don't have to admit they may be clueless.

Trademark Pinkun honesty.

Not sure someone with such a myopic opinion should be accusing anybody else of finding it difficult to think about things. I really like the balance of KM at CB and Nunez as a deep lying CM, but IMO this really isn't evidence Kenny is a poor midfielder, but in fact evidence he is an excellent and adaptable footballer at this level who can bring things to the squad other players can't. It's really sad that you and others can't just hold your hands up and admit you are wrong about KM as a player, and instead double and triple down on this demonstrable ****.

I don't think anyone can dispute Webber got it absolutely, and possibly miraculously, spot on during his first couple of seasons with us. At the same time, I think him taking personal credit for our improvement in facilities (which IMO any vaguely competent business leader would have put in place), despite our shockingly poor recruitment and delivery at Prem level is a bit hard to digest. I am glad he's gone because we now have someone wholly committed to the role again. Is it really a coincidence that things have improved so much since Knapper has entered the building?

Are you truly arguing that a team which are shipping goals left right and center would try to accommodate a midfielder at CB just "because" he's left footed, despite the fact you say he is a very poor player? Perhaps an alternative hypothesis is that Kenny is actually a very adaptable and intelligent footballer who all recent NCFC managers seem to rate? It speaks volumes that rather than give the guy credit that our fortunes and results have massively improved despite him being in an alien role, you are trying to use this as justification that he's a poor midfielder, which just so happens to coincide with the fact that you have always slated him? Your ad-hominens are genuinely laughable, and speak volumes to the fact you actually can't substantiate anything you say. "i KnOw FoOtBaLL I'Ve BeEn WaTcHiNg It FoR DeCaDeS"

Honestly you need to get a grip. I am really quite embarrassed for you, and can only assume you've had a few too many beers that you might regret in the morning. Wagner rates McLean enough to shift him into CB rather than bench or totally drop him. Every manager we have had since Kenny has been at the club has looked to play him where possible. Just to clarify, your argument seems to be that because Kenny is such a poor midfielder who is over the hill, Wagner has looked to drop him into CB simply because he's left footed? Honestly why do you believe this to be the case? Is it simply because it fits your preconceived notions of KM as a footballer?

Comprehension is something I excel at, but clearly a skill that you lack greatly. What is the logic behind your argument? If Kenny is declining as a player so much, why would Wagner play him at such a critical position when we have a Championship Player of the Season on the bench? If his engine has gone as you suggest, why is he so capable at driving out of CB and affecting play? Why would Wagner push him into midfield rather than substituting him for Gibson today? You are Stupid Barry and I claim my five pounds!

Be honest Dan, you had a good old boo today and are now desperately trying to backtrack. IMO the reaction had nothing to do with "Wagner's approach" (whatever that means given our current form), but has absolutely everything to do with the absolute manchildren that make up a proportion of our entitled support. Previously slated Idah but now need a new target to hate given that Adam has begun to show why he is so valued at the club.

Oh that has totally changed my opinion. You're absolutely right, managers frequently take liability players like the KMc you have described and look to push them into a different role to keep them in the starting 11, as oppose to just benching them. Genuine players who convert into a different position are highly valued, otherwise why bother? We can carry on this "discussion" all day, but it's absolutely clear to me that you are grasping at every contrived opportunity to manifest you own opinion rather than assessing objective reality.

Just wondered if you read and actually believe what you write or if there is some sort of weird cognitive dissonance going on? If KM was "done" as a footballer in his preferred position, and made such apparently terrible errors in the midfield, do you truly believe Wagner would push him into CB rather than onto the bench or out of the squad? Maybe you might consider yourself an alternative scenario where he is one of the most trusted and adaptable members of the squad that he can go on to achieve pretty unexpected success in an alien role. One thing I have always found strange about our fanbase is what lengths some people will go to justify their own opinion rather than hold their hands up and admit they may have called it wrong.