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#376552 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
Not a sentence I thought I'd be saying in August when he was apparently signed as back-up.
#376339 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
Its been a weird season really - seems to be the trend that we have won games where we play badly (unless its against Fulham or Sheffield Wednesday) then fail to win games we dominate. Yesterday is irritating, but its still in our own hands - 2 more wins is all it really needs, although in truth Huddersfield dropping any points from hereon out should be enough.
I do wonder if Lascelles does better when paired with Clark. It may well be he got made captain for being a vocal critic of the more apathetic squad members last year and a half-decent run in the team at the end of last season, but he is very inconsistent. A £20million defender he is not... not sure where that rumour came from anyway.
IMO a Mitrovic-Gayle pairing up top would serve better in this tier than one of the two on their own with Diame or Perez in support - particularly if its Diame, who has not been as good as I thought he would be. Perez gets it in the neck a lot but he's been better of late.
#376296 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
#375885 2016/17 Barclays Premier League Thread
Number 1
#375884 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
That's the case for Brighton if they beat Wolves and Huddersfield lose. For us, I think it would have been the case if we'd drawn yesterday, let alone won, that promotion would be secured on Friday through those mechanics. But I think if we beat both Leeds and Ipswich and Huddersfield lose one of those Easter games, that's promotion booked.
#375842 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
#375596 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
For some reason I thought he was PL accredited. Apparently not since 2010. But either way, its bad enough the PGMOL released a statement of apology for fucking up, which is probably the first time a ref has done that in years - I recall a ref doing that when Alan Shearer was denied a certain penalty at Old Trafford in 2004, but few come to mind in English football since. Maybe someone can provide it...
Still, least Ritchie got a goal and the Mags got 3 points closer to the top flight. Lord knows what the fuck would've happened if Stroud had inadvertently gifted Burton a point.
#375556 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
I can only judge from Twitter but it sounds like some absurd interpretation of the rules. And 3 minutes added time given the referee took 6 to disallow the goal is the shitty cherry on top.
#375457 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
Says a lot for how shit Gillingham's defence is to have scored twice as many goals and be below Oldham on goal difference.
#375312 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
As for Ben Turner, its not hard to imagine an elongated appeal process also meaning he can play for the Brewers at Newcastle on Wednesday. I recall when the Magpies were deliberating on appealing Jonjo Shelvey's 5 game ban for racist comments earlier in the season, it meant he would've played for the 2 games after his suspension was due to, and actually did, start. Worth noting the 5th game the ban would be if it kicks in before Burton's game at Newcastle is a match with Leeds.
Meanwhile, Rotherham are down... must underline that Neil Warnock knows the 2nd tier very well if he kept that rag-tag mob up last season then without him they sunk big time.
Yeah the plan, if Wise and Llambias actually had one & weren't just fucking about, does sound slightly demented.
Did we have an official DoF between making Wise go away in 2009 and the interlude where JFK had the gig in 2013/14?
#374134 2016/17 Barclays Premier League Thread
Number 1
Not been watching for long but I gather Man City had a similar moment in the first half.
#374016 2016/17 Barclays Premier League Thread
Number 1
Its an unusual one but as McClean was not obstructing anyone, interfering with the ball, and was behind Ospina and Bellerin, I'm not sure he's interfering with play. If Arsenal should be annoyed with anyone its probably Bellerin for clattering into Ospina. And that wasn't even the defensive strategy for WBA's third goal that saw Dawson being marked by 2 of his own teammates.
#373983 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
Oh I see. I wasn't aware of the illness running through the squad. But I can certainly imagine it not helping that half the team is either out or feeling physically weaker than normal even before Hogg.
Hogg has been diagnosed with a fractured neck. Its good to know he's been cleared to leave hospital, but that's a shocking injury and one that, as he's a key Huddersfield player, I can imagine will not help.
#373899 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
In more conventional sporting matters, I'm aware it opens a door for us to re-establish the gap we were beginning to throw away when we go to Birmingham later. Hopefully we're up for taking it.
#373647 2016/17 Barclays Premier League Thread
Number 1
Maybe Karanka is one of those managers better suited to the Championship.
#373646 2016/17 FA Cup
Number 1
You can probably ask that question every weekend he doesn't get a yellow to be fair.
#373505 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
Whatever happened to Achraaf Lazaar anyway?
#373414 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
At this point, we kinda know we're set up with a defensive focus for the majority of games, when certain games are more ideal for that (Huddersfield away) than others (Reading away was dull and Fulham was a disaster). I'm aware we lack forward assertion, and certainly its a curious one Daryl Murphy commented he felt the team let Fulham have too much of the ball. Still, we have a few winnable fixtures in a row now. So all's not lost just yet, and with any luck the players will get a suitable kick up the arse as a reward for this disaster.
With the fans, it is what it is. But again, its perspective - Pardew had his good days and bad days, as is everyone before and after. I like Benitez, but we're far too aware this team is not immune to shit games and rarely seem to know how to respond to conceding the opening goal. But at this point with everything so finely balanced in a division that is a lot stronger than it was in 2009-10, is it really worth turning every individual error into an "Oh fuck we're not going up we were shit all along!" moment?
Meanwhile, sacking season seems to have kicked in, with Norwich then followed by Derby sacking McClaren (again) and Wigan sacking Warren Joyce... of those two, I'm not sure either were that good an appointment in the first place. Also surely someone has to get Derby up sometime before the Candy Crush money stops?
#373106 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
#373077 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
Maybe for him its best to try the 2nd tier after how bad Palace's league form was in 2016, but it'll most probably go the same way - promotion form in half of next season, relegation form in the rest.
#373050 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
While they've been crap for most of the time since that game at St. James' Park in September, they seem to have waited too long and then picked a bizarre moment to pull the trigger.
#372910 2016/17 Barclays Premier League Thread
Number 1
#372788 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
10 games to go, and I'm willing to guess another 5 wins should see us there. So let's bring it on home.
#372579 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
Even accounting for the misconception of hands on the ball, I don't think Ward fully had the ball under control. He seems to try to control what is probably a slippery ball by bringing it into his chest but ends up dragging it against Murphy's standing foot, which leads to the ball pinging off it and away, and it looks like a challenge Murphy is entitled to make. Saying that, as few players challenge the keeper in such a fashion that Murphy did anymore, I was surprised in real time that it wasn't flagged, and I can accept its one I'd be annoyed by. Hefele on the line could've done better, mind.
Its not exactly news the refereeing standard is shit tbf. I thought it was bad in the Prem - and clearly the shenanigans at Man U and Swansea hasn't helped - but fuck me there's been some doozies in the Championship (and lower) this season.
#372572 Transfer Rumours 2016/17
Number 1
Can't help but think he'll be playing elsewhere next season tbh.
#372391 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
In thinking about it, the issue with our penalty was less the foul by Wells - which I took a few views to spot - and more the possible handball by Shelvey in the build-up. But whatever. Either way the fact we haven't had a penalty since the reverse fixture against the Terriers (I think) means we were due luck like that.
So... 11 clear of 3rd and thanks to Forest mauling Brighton, 5 of 2nd. Path's opened up a bit now.
#372380 The Lower League Thread
Number 1
Clearly Lady Luck still hasn't used up the full quota yet. Which for us is a rarity.
It does look like Ritchie trips himself up, although we've had 5/6 more concrete penalties turned down at various points this season. Second does look fair - Ward doesn't get 2 hands firmly on it.
#372356 2016/17 Barclays Premier League Thread
Number 1
#372335 2016/17 Barclays Premier League Thread
Number 1
#372315 2016/17 Barclays Premier League Thread
Number 1
My presumption is that because the ref spent an age chatting with Zlatan, he's probably not going to be banned in retrospect.