Feedthewolf

I think in this instance they mean a 'deep-lying playmaker' rather than a defensive midfielder; playing as the more creative of two deep midfielders.

I really like Cambridgeshire's idea of them finishing third, and then boIIocksing it up in the playoffs.

Really should have passed towards the end of the first half, if we'd have drawn then he would have been rightly castigated for his greediness when there were two players square. That aside, though, he was very impressive, and got stronger as the game went on. The XI that started tonight definitely looks our strongest, with the possible exception of Zimbo coming in for Hanley. I thought Hanley was very solid tonight, so the choice between him and Zimbo is a good one to have.

I'm a Ravenclaw, but I appreciate the sentiment 😄

Yeah, that's more likely. Karanka is Mourinho's protégé, they'll be as tight as a duck's butt even at 1-0 down.

You know what you're going to get with a Karanka team. Get that first goal early, though, and we should be able to dominate the match (as at Wembley in 2015). If we're not decisive with the chances we create, though, it could be another game like the Derby game (and Wigan/Middlesbrough at home in 2015).

Look, I'm tonight's Community Hero! 😮

I don't disagree that we could have spent a little bit more in summer 2019, but the level of spending that Leeds, Villa et al are capable of is totally unrelatable to the kind of money that we might have been able to stretch to. We allegedly bid £15m for Alexis Claude-Maurice, which would have been a club record fee by miles. But even if we'd bought him, would he have been the difference to keep us up? Could we possibly have legislated for every one of our centre backs being injured at the same time (remember Godfrey was playing through injury while Klose, Zimbo and Hanley were all out)? If there is a club that are in any way comparable it's Sheffield United, but for all their success last season, would you bet on them to survive this year? It's such a precarious business, and I'm glad we didn't take a big gamble, especially given what's happened in the world since. But as was said in another thread, we all want success for our club, we just differ as to what that looks like and how to achieve it. As long as we can respect each other's differences and remember we're all part of the same tribe, that's all good with me.

Nail on head. The more people in all positions on the dichotomy accept this fact and treat each other with a bit more respect, the better. We're all NCFC fans, and that should be something to bring us together in these horribly difficult times. Roll on tomorrow night and three more points!

It's been done to death. We didn't do that, because our owners aren't wealthy enough to take those financial risks. In the current climate, taking steps to keep the club afloat is the most important thing. What if we had gambled £50m on new players and gone down anyway? Where would that leave us now?

Have we given up on being Villa already?

I think that puts way too much pressure on Skipp, personally. I would like to see Pukki and Hugill start together; not as an out-and-out front two, but with one or the other playing in the hole. If that was an option, who do people think would make the better '10'? Pukki has bags of energy and will probably track back more, but he's also better at timing his runs to get in behind. I'd consider trying Hugill in the hole; I just don't rate Stiepermann in that position, and I wonder whether Hugill might be quite effective there. It'd be good to have a player with a striker's instincts who can play there, because Stiepi doesn't really offer much goal threat or assist potential. This might be especially effective if we don't play with our pacy wingers, as Hugill is more effective as our '9' when we have wingers who can cross to his head. So I'd try: Krul Aarons Hanley Gibson Quintilla Skipp Rupp Buendia Hugill Cantwell Pukki

Haven't updated this for a while, here you go. Godfrey and Gilmour gone, Klose out on loan, a couple of birthdays. We definitely look a defender light when you look at the squad in its entirety. Only eight defenders still at the club, and that includes Byram (long-term injured), and Dennis and Mumba (untested). Omobamidele could step up in a pinch, but we're still short at the back for my money. GOALKEEPERS (5, 1 on loan) HF 1 Tim Krul (born 3.4.88, age 32): signed until 2022 (contract signed in June 2019) F 33 Michael McGovern (born 12.7.84, age 36): signed until 2021 (contract signed in April 2019) H 38 inj Aston Oxborough (born 9.5.98, age 22): signed until 2022 with club option to 2023 (contract signed in March 2020) Y Archie Mair (born 10.2.2001, age 19): signed until ???? and on loan with King's Lynn for 2020-21 season (contract signed in June 2019) H Daniel Barden (born 2.1.01, age 19): signed until 2022 with club option to 2023 (contract signed in March 2020) DEFENDERS (15, 7 on loan) H 31 Sam McCallum (born 2.9.00, age 20): signed until 2024 and on loan with Coventry City for 2020-21 season (contract signed in January 2020) HY 2 Max Aarons (born 4.1.00, age 20): signed until 2024 (contract signed in July 2019) H 3 inj Sam Byram (born 16.9.93, age 27): signed until 2023 (contract signed in July 2019) 6 inj Christoph Zimmermann (born 12.1.93, age 27): signed until 2023 with club option to 2024 (contract signed in July 2019) 15 Timm Klose (born 9.5.88, age 32): signed until 2022 and on loan with FC Basel for 2020-21 season (contract signed in May 2019) Philip Heise (born 20.6.91, age 29): signed until 2022 and on loan with Karlsruher SC for 2020-21 season (contract signed in January 2019) HF 5 Grant Hanley (born 20.11.91, age 28): signed until 2023 (contract signed in November 2018) H 43 Akin Famewo (born 9.11.98, age 21): signed until 2023 and on loan with Charlton Athletic for 2020-21 season (contract signed in November 2019) Y Rocky Bushiri (born 30.11.99, age 20): signed until 2023 and on loan with KV Mechelen for 2020-21 season (contract signed in July 2019) H 26 Bali Mumba (born 8.10.01, age 19): signed until 2024 (contract signed in May 2020) H Jordan Thomas (born 2.1.01, age 19): signed until 2021 with club option to 2022 and on loan with Leyton Orient for 2020-21 season (unknown when contract signed) 16 Xavier Quintilla (born 23.8.96, age 24): signed on loan until 2021 (contract signed in August 2020) H Matthew Dennis (born 15.4.02, age 18): signed until 2022 (contract signed in July 2020) H Caleb Richards (born 8.9.98, age 22): signed until 2021 with club option to 2022 and on loan with Kidderminster Harriers for 2020-21 season (contract signed in February 2019) H 34 Ben Gibson (born 15.1.93, age 27): signed on loan until 2021 (contract signed in September 2020) MIDFIELDERS (19, 5 on loan) 27 Alex Tettey (born 4.4.86, age 34): signed until 2021 (contract signed in February 2020) 7 Lukas Rupp (born 8.1.91, age 29): signed until 2022 (contract signed in January 2020) 8 Mario Vrancic (born 23.5.89, age 31): signed until 2021 (contract signed in July 2019) Tom Trybull (born 9.3.93, age 27): signed until 2022 with club option to 2023 and on loan with Blackburn Rovers for 2020-21 season (contract signed in July 2019) 17 Emi Buendia (born 25.12.96, age 23): signed until 2024 (contract signed in July 2019) HY 14 Todd Cantwell (born 27.2.98, age 22): signed until 2022 (contract signed in July 2019) F 23 Kenny McLean (born 8.1.92, age 28): signed until 2023 (contract signed in September 2020) 25 inj Onel Hernandez (born 1.2.93, age 27): signed until 2023 (contract signed in June 2019) 18 Marco Stiepermann (born 9.2.91, age 29): signed until 2022 (contract signed in May 2019) H Louis Thompson (born 19.12.94, age 25): signed until 2022 with club option to 2023 and on loan with MK Dons for 2020-21 season (contract signed in October 2018) Moritz Leitner (born 8.12.92, age 27): signed until 2022 (contract signed in June 2018) 28 Melvin Sitti (born 14.2.00, age 20): signed until 2024 and on loan with Waasland-Beveren for 2020-21 season (contract signed in January 2020) F 21 Danel Sinani (born 5.4.97, age 23): signed until 2023 and on loan with Waasland-Beveren for 2020-21 season (contract signed in July 2020) Y 19 Jacob Lungi Sørensen (born 3.3.98, age 22): signed until 2023 (contract signed in July 2020) 11 Przemysław Płacheta (born 23.3.98, age 22): signed until 2024 (contract signed in July 2020) H 24 Josh Martin (born 9.9.01, age 19): signed until 2023 (contract signed in May 2020) H Daniel Adshead (born 2.9.01, age 19): signed until ???? and on loan at SC Telstar for 2020-21 season (contract signed in June 2019) H 10 inj Kieran Dowell (born 10.10.97, age 23): signed until 2023 (contract signed in July 2020) HY 20 Oliver Skipp (born 16.9.00, age 20): signed on loan until 2021 (contract signed in August 2020) FORWARDS (6, 2 on loan) HF 35 Adam Idah (born 11.2.01, age 19): signed until 2023 (contract signed in July 2019) F 22 Teemu Pukki (born 29.3.90, age 30): signed until 2022 with club option to 2023 (contract signed in July 2019) F Josip Drmic (born 8.8.92, age 28): signed until 2022 (contract signed in June 2019) H Carlton Morris (born 16.12.95, age 24): signed until 2021 and on loan with MK Dons for 2020-21 season (contract signed in May 2019) Sebastian Soto (born 28.7.00, age 20): signed until 2023 but currently awaiting work permit and on loan with SC Telstar for 2020-21 season (contract signed in July 2020) H 9 Jordan Hugill (born 4.6.92, age 28): signed until 2023 (contract signed in August 2020) Finally, here are all the squad members listed by year of contract expiry, with (+1) indicating we have the option of an extra year: 2021 McGovern, Vrancic, Morris, Tettey, Quintilla (loan), Skipp (loan), Thomas (+1), Richards (+1), Gibson (loan) (9 players, 2 with an extra year) 2022 Krul, Klose, Heise, Trybull (+1), Cantwell, Stiepermann, Thompson (+1), Leitner, Pukki (+1), Drmic, Rupp, Oxborough (+1), Barden (+1), Dennis (14 players, 5 with an extra year) 2023 Byram, Zimmermann (+1), Hanley, Hernandez, Idah, Sinani, Sørensen, Famewo, Martin, Bushiri, Soto, Dowell, Hugill, McLean (14 players, 1 with an extra year) 2024 Aarons, Buendia, McCallum, Sitti, Płacheta, Mumba (6 players) ???? Mair, Adshead (2 players, both signed in June 2019 and publicised as 'long-term')

Does anyone know whether this will affect Cardiff and Swansea's games?

JFGI

That's some fantastic work on the NCFC match bet, brilliantly done! Real Madrid are my pick... they'll find a way to squeak a win yet. Although they could be about 4-0 down so far...!

I think he said today that Placheta wasn't fit enough to start. I think he'd probably have started if fit enough, for precisely that reason. Pukki had a lot of load on international duty too, so probably a good decision to rest him today.

Lakey right now:

Yep. And, conversely, get marooned in this division for a couple of years and all the good work to become self-sufficient could be undone, as we'll have to sell all the remaining talents just to stay afloat, rather than to reinvest. I would go as far as to say this could be one of the most important seasons in our entire history. Which makes it all the more odd to feel so disconnected to it all.

Totally agree with this. I'm certainly more 'happy clappy' than 'nappy crappy', but I can still see plenty of concerns as well as positives from today's performance. Delighted with three points, but plenty to discuss.

Beyond this season, certainly; but Tettey's on the bench and has tons of experience. In a division such as the Championship, having old hands like Hanley, Gibson, Tettey and Hugill will give us a bit extra. I'm sure Sorensen's time will come, though.

I think that the current financial situation brought about by coronavirus is way more severe than the incremental increases in TV broadcasting revenue. Plenty of clubs are likely to go out of existence, or at least into administration. Get up this season and we will give ourselves our best ever chance to mitigate the lack of wealth of our owners.

I certainly feel that to an extent, sure. But the prize on offer for success is arguably greater this season than it's ever been before. Just a shame it's playing out to empty stadia while we get charged fifteen quid to watch Sheffield United versus f*cking Fulham.

Given the ongoing coronavirus situation and our 'self-funding' model, I'd say this season is the absolute opposite of a write-off. Get back up and we can consolidate while many of our competitors outside the top flight are fighting just to stay solvent.

He had a brilliant game, agreed. I think the most concerning thing is that we've gone four entire games without being ahead, until the last minute today. If we can take chances early in the game, we can dictate the tempo and draw the opposition out, leaving space in behind to exploit. Concede first, and when the scores are level, we generally spend a lot of time playing in front of two deep banks who look to hit us on the counter.