coalman

Totally agree. He may not have arrived as the finished article but he's not far from it and he's not getting there unless we give him minutes on the pitch to improve. Yesterday's bench had 3 wingers, 2 attack minded midfielders and 1 attacker on it. There was no way all of those were going to come on and we didn't have cover for a key position of the tactical ability to shore up the midfield once they realised they could overrun it. I'm not counting moving Jack Stephens into midfield as a viable option. I guess part of the problem is we have so many loanees in attacking midfield positions - Fraser, Brooks, Rothwell - that he's hell bent on juggling minutes for. This is also particularly harsh on Edozie who has done nothing wrong yet finds himself behind the three of them. To top that off he also seems to want to juggle in Sulemana who has shown nothing this season. As well as lacking defensive options in midfield and leaving us open to conceding goals it's also getting in the way of developing upcoming talents like Dibling and Amo-Ameyaw. We didn't have a single player on the bench from the youth teams yesterday - which we were doing so well during our unbeaten run. Neither of them have let us down when they've come on and they really deserve a pathway into the first team.

Stop trying to make me your forum wife. It's not going to happen

Your wife sounds wise beyond measure

There's a difference between someone being stupid and someone doing stupid things. No one is inherently stupid or clever. It's entirely possible for Russ to do both clever things and stupid things. The post you're replying to said that continuing with something that wasn't working was stupid - which is doing a stupid thing. Have to say you're making a rod for your own back on this forum by continuing to escalate this way whenever someone disagrees with something Russell Martin decides to do.

I thought they pressed intelligently too. They didn't go after the player with the ball - they chased after the obvious pass from that player.

What a ride. And mostly not in a good way after we went 2-0 up until right at the end. Please please please - Play Bednarek and THB in central defence - Have a DM on the bench - Play Fraser/Edozie over Brooks - Never play Jack Stephens in a holding midfield role ever again Have to say Manning added something when he came on. Aribo and Downes should be the first two names in midfield. Stu is having a rough patch. Che is lethal from a yard.

We've made the playoffs for sure now.

Goal. Never in doubt. Downes you hero

He's just rotating in his midfielders

2-2 low to Baz's left

Great block by Bedders

Fraser offside. Great finish though

Mara is more aerodynamically efficient at least. Stephens gets his midfield libero role.

Let's get Rothwell on to give them the run of midfield.

It's not like their right winger is their most threatening player or anything.

Manning on to tighten up in defence.

Bring out the banjo

Then we break and Adams slices it well wide

THB clears off the line. Free headers all round

Asprilla

Canem cacas ad duo nil

The Benny Hill music at halftime seems oddly appropriate to the way we finished that half.

Brooks off. Fraser or Edozie on the left. Armstrong to the right

Great control to bring that down

Complacent walking football has taken over