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Reply		So ..... team for Saturday ?
at 09:29 27 Feb 2026

They’ve got a hell of a team on paper and if they don’t complete the late charge into the playoffs will have massively underachieved.

God knows what we go with. Surely not Esquerdinha in a 4-4-2 behind Saito. Perhaps JCS at left-back but hard to chuck even him in basically cold and you’d think giving Esq half an hour on Tuesday is with a view to playing him.

Of the poor options available assuming no Smyth/Chair I’d go:

Mbengue Dunne Edwards JCS
Vale Morgan Hayden Varane Esquerdinha
Kone
Forum
Reply		I've not started a match thread before, but I thought f*ck it, why not? v Saints
at 09:23 27 Feb 2026

Thought that was more him accepting the game was done. Doubt being part of that car crash for half an hour will make Adamson a much better player but it avoided Vale getting injured or Kone getting more injured. Varane for Kone was very much a ‘I’m fked if this ends up 7-0’ sub.
Forum
Reply		Walsh
at 11:34 25 Feb 2026

Doesn’t look it. Some sites have him at 1.83m and others 1.91m. Odd.
Forum
Reply		Occasionally an unpleasant surprise...
at 11:33 25 Feb 2026

When the fifth went in with 20 mins plus added time to go I’d have been setting the handicap at over/under 7.5. Someone was probably there who stuck it out but it seemed there was ten there for them if they wanted it.
Forum
Reply		Rest of the Championship thread 25/26
at 10:59 25 Feb 2026

Tasty relegation battle with Leicester and now presumably WBA picking up a bit. We’ve just got to lose seven in a row to be part of its exciting conclusion now.
Forum
Reply		Occasionally an unpleasant surprise...
at 10:46 25 Feb 2026

Was at both and the midweek 5-0 at Forest. From memory the Southend one wasn’t a fair reflection of the game we had a good chunk of with some late goals. At Forest it was such a laughable time and team it was expected (if you can’t borrow money, Borrowdale). Maybe it’s recency bias but I’d argue last night was worse than either. Ditto the 0-6 home midweek to Newcastle.
Forum
Reply		Steve Cook
at 10:09 25 Feb 2026

I actually would play Edwards in midfield. Give Dunne a game out perhaps too and play JCS and Cook assuming they’re available or JCS and Dunne if not. Hamer and O’Hare will have an absolute field day if we go with a 4-4-2 with Hayden and Morgan. Stodge it up a bit. Compete in midfield. Have someone who can move a bit on the wing even if it has to be Bennie/Esquerdinha.
Forum
Reply		I've not started a match thread before, but I thought f*ck it, why not? v Saints
at 09:42 25 Feb 2026

Similarly if last night had been a meek 2-0 the feeling would be different and result largely written off due to injuries/the opponent’s perceived strength/depth.

It’s the performance though. Serious football teams don’t turn that second half in regardless of the players available and a serious manager doesn’t pick a basically flat 4-4-2. The body language and mentality were just crap.
Forum
Reply		Walsh
at 09:27 25 Feb 2026

Wiki has Dunne at 6’0. Is Nourry inflating player heights to increase transfer value?
Forum
Reply		What was said?
at 08:37 25 Feb 2026

Surprised anyone was still there.

Saw a young-ish guy (i.e. not one of the CP vaping yoof brigade) have half a dozen stewards pile into him as we were leaving at 5-0.
Forum
Reply		I've not started a match thread before, but I thought f*ck it, why not? v Saints
at 00:27 25 Feb 2026

Feared the worst in the pub when the team news came in. The dreaded three-gamer and no changes…

4-4-2 was never going to be the one tonight. Appalling management IMO. That’s a Varane-Hayden-Madsen kind of game. Maybe even Esquerdinha on the left sort as some sort of cover and you earn the right to play.

He’s yet to do a lot to suggest he’s got much about him as a Championship manager but once they’re out there you need some leadership and in that XI I’m begging Hayden to stand up. 30 going on 40 and incapable of covering any let alone all of the gaping holes the formation and overall lack of fitness created.

Saito. Away from home again. Just play Kolli there mate. Play Esq. Play Andy Sinton. 1700 people in that away end could have done what he did tonight. Like having a sheet of tracing paper on the left wing.

Feel a bit for Kolli, Walsh and a few of the other younger ones. None were any good but it’s a game you’re relying on big performances from senior players. The blokes. Kone my MOTM by some distance and he was a 6 at best.
Forum
Reply		Walsh
at 00:17 25 Feb 2026

Granted he had a dismal game tonight and I’m not sure he’s ever going to be the goalkeeper the club hopes he’ll become but he’s nowhere near top of my list of players I’m pissed off about from that. More of a concern how he bounces back on Saturday as that may have set him back after making some good progress since he came back.

Give me Walsh over big money and/or senior players in Hayden and Saito.
Forum
Reply		Tomorrow's referee
at 20:52 23 Feb 2026

Don’t think so given he’s seen it. Hopefully the bloke scores the winner against Derby tomorrow.
Forum
Reply		Most irritating and mutable commentaror
at 13:42 23 Feb 2026

Think it would exist regardless. I despise what Sky have done to the sport but it can’t be in their interests for the match to be stopped twice for an indefinite period of time because a flag is no longer suitable on its own for a linesman.

Peter Alliss. He was a commentator. Did a brilliant balance of explaining things for novices without being condescending about it and giving real insight and a few laughs to people more versed in the game. Michael Holding, Sid Waddell. The likes we won’t hear again and in ten years it’ll be KSI and Cole Palmer telling us 35-year-old Saka has really frubed a 6-7 before zonking it to Mars
Forum
Reply		Most irritating and mutable commentaror
at 12:18 23 Feb 2026

I’m pro-McCoist. Anti-Matterface. Very anti-Hinchcliffe.

Did enjoy Neville slaughtering that nonsense delaying the game (twice for a total of about 15 minutes) yesterday because the linesman’s mic wasn’t working.
Forum
Reply		IGOR TUDOR
at 12:08 23 Feb 2026

Or they’ll beheading for The Championship
Forum
Reply		Millwall away, both tiers
at 12:06 23 Feb 2026

We got the lower for the Boxing Day game. Went there when they played Watford this season who don’t give away teams a big allocation and they had it. I’m not so sure it’ll be a huge game for us anyway but nice to dream.

Also Pompey had it at the weekend.
[Post edited 23 Feb 12:07]
Forum
Reply		IGOR TUDOR
at 10:16 23 Feb 2026

I know they aren’t for everyone but of the ‘big’ clubs I like Spurs, relatively speaking. To pick that team full of stodge and be played through so easily with the crowd up and a new manager was dreadful. Like Redknapp going full coagulant with a team of defenders and ‘DMs’ and still having a ten yard gap for the opposition’s one striker in the middle of the goal. It really could happen.
Forum
Reply		Mauled by the Rangers
at 09:01 23 Feb 2026

That bit early on with “THIS is the MKM Stadium etc.” might be the worst thing I see this week and I’m going to Southampton tomorrow.
Forum
Reply		Rest of the Championship thread 25/26
at 13:12 22 Feb 2026

2-1. Interesting.
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