ianofcleveleys

Wasn't aware of them being flush with cash though they did pay out around £3m total for two players pre-season. Suspect they'd be trying it on with bids around the £1m mark

I'd sooner answer this question on 1st Feb, when I know what our squad looks like for the rest of the season. Tough run of away games to come, as we are squad-wise 3rd or 4th, with some reinforcements could push for top 2. The 'stronger in 2nd half of season' thing I'm not so bought into, for me we faded through April last season and stumbled into the Barnsley games flat and jaded. The performances in those games showed it

He'd played at our level when he was same age as Luke Littler. If he keeps progressing as he is within our environment he'll be plenty good enough

I'd be confident (and I reckon Evatt would be) of Matheson filling in well enough in that scenario

Barnsley, April 1972, first full season of watching us (had started going part way through the previous season, although it was a grim one I'd got the bug). We lived in Rochdale at the time so not a bad trip over with my dad. We lost 0-1 but the Bovril and Wagon Wheel were good

That's awful to hear about, sad news, must have been a nightmare experience for them 😢

Absolutely, and while Evatt might have commented post match yesterday that it was all a bit flat (from everyone, not just the fans) he's commented a few times this season on how good the atmosphere has been and has lifted the players (Blackpool, Derby, Peterborough). Klopp had a nibble at Liverpool supporters about upping the volume the other week so by no means a thing exclusive to us. My stepdaughter is a City ST holder and I sometimes go along with her. They often have games like ours yesterday, where the negativity of the opponents and patient fatiguing / dismantling of them hardly makes for a rip roaring occasion. It's the nature of modern football, the ball doesn't get put into the 'POMO' (as it used to be called) as quickly or as often

You're right, I probably am! 🙄. Contract due for renewal shortly...

It's abysmal anywhere on Middlebrook, nipping in McD's or Costa and getting on their wi-fi helps with the social media stuff but sending a text is nigh on impossible. Hard to believe they haven't got round to whacking a mast up somewhere on the site, unless I've missed it. I'm on Tesco (so O2 in essence)

One of those typical Burton games, facing up to a 6-4-0 formation when we had the ball. We did things too slowly first half but still should have had at least two. Much better from the off second half, just a day in final third of dithering, picking wrong option, blazing efforts high and wide and, to be fair to them, having the on-target efforts bravely blocked or saved (their keeper very good). The number of fabulous balls across the 'corridor of uncertainty' that we didn't get a touch on was incredible. JDC got a bit of stick before Xmas for a couple of off days but was brilliant today. I'm in the pro-Vic camp, worked really hard again, but should have scored the one where he tried to round the keeper, didn't do it anywhere near quickly enough. Forrester showed what he's about, a really good defender with two good feet, balance and confidence on the ball. Jon Dadi showed his value when he came on, as Evatt clearly appreciated on the touchline We should have had half a dozen and still aren't ruthless enough near goal but the points are in the bag and the return over the four holiday games has been tremendous, however they've been gained.

I'm not so sure that it'll be as straightforward as looking to how we do against the other top 6 sides at the time, more about points we get against teams we find awkward to deal with, some of whom may be some way down the table. We've seen that this season with Wigan, Carlisle and Bristol R, there may be the odd other slip up against their like but equally a win or two against higher places sides whose set up might suit us

Would like / expect to see Forrester in for Jones but on left and Toal switching to right. Forrester looks ok either right or left where Toal definitely looks more comfortable for me on right than left, had a great spell on right of back three last season

Only seven in the mix, at halfway, for the six auto and play off places, can see it being two from the 5 quoted above for autos. Oxford and Stevenage will be happy to stay the course well enough to scrap it out for 6th. Jan window activity amongst that top 5 will be interesting

Without doubt, he showed some signs of getting a grip of it and becoming a complete player but hasn't kicked on as yet. Lincoln game was a more encouraging one, more of that more consistently needed

You would think that, regardless of whether he's currently a fixture in our side, there'd been whispers of interest from others who see him as just what they need. I hope he kicks on now, forces his way into the team and stays there regularly. I've always thought there was a really good player in him

Vic was getting regular pelters a few weeks back but I've always thought him to be doing all right. Not a natural at anything, obviously some areas he could be more polished in but gives honest hard graft every game, forages for the ball and holds it up fairly well, does a lot of the pressing Evatt wants, links up well enough with Charles even if neither of them have a reliable first touch.

In those wing back positions, Evatt would always argue that Williams and JDC are good at what he sees as priority in their positions, being good on the ball, getting forward, putting crosses in, popping up with a goal. He evidently doesn't place much store in the defensive aspects of the role, as neither of them are up to much and border on a liability against strong, physical wide men. We're winning a lot more than we're losing (though we've arguably lost a couple too many at this stage) so Evatt will largely feel vindicated, whatever we think.

That tactic is even more obvious now as keeper is the only one who doesn't have to go off for 30 secs after having the physio on. They were on about it on 5 Live yesterday

Assuming our regular back 3 are playing it could be a in-game option to stabilise us when we lose the plot as we did yesterday, where I'd have sacrificed Sheehan after an hour. Otherwise, assuming Evatt's never going to veer away from 3-5-2 it could be a solid base for Sheehan to be used further forward, where he can be every bit as effective as he is at the base. He is great there if sides don't press much and sit in, less so if they go with a front 3 and extra presser who bullies him.

I'd like to see Evatt think about Forrester as a DM, to give extra protection to the back three against some of the better sides or within games if we need to shore it up and wrestle control back. Not the most physically imposing but good tackler, largely calm and confident on ball, passing it or carrying it forward.

He certainly had a good left peg, took his goal very well. Lad on right wing didn't get into it all first half but was a real handful after the break, shredded Iredale a couple of times, was threatening to score his second till a superb tackle from Forrester

I was watching Evatt through that second half, was already getting frustrated before we gave them the first goal, seriously pissed off after the 2nd and right to the end. I can't believe he sent them out for 2nd half saying 'they've gone, just knock it about steadily and you'll be fine', says more about the naivety and lack of nouse still in the squad. It's never seemed to be something Evatt's seen as important but that second half might have made him think again about bringing a bit of midfield physicality, guile and experience in during Jan. Not suggesting him by any means but Pratley showed the difference those qualities can make in games. We panic and lose control of games too easily when opposing teams, even modest ones, really get about us as they did with him organising, knocking folk about, using the ball sensibly.

Until he has a change of mindset and priorities defending over attacking in his wing backs we'll keep getting what we have, nice passers and crossers that are easily taken on and dominated by opposing wide men. Neither Iredale or Williams inspire any confidence out of possession, JDC similar.

Agreed, was brought in to give us 'carries' as was CMG. As Mounts says, frustrating with CMG not getting going, he might be good but we're at Xmas and we don't know yet . Maghoma has shown some good signs, and we do need more who are prepared to shake up a defensive unit by breaking through their lines, end product just the nagging issue at minute.

Most concerning thing about today is the flaky mentality well and truly rearing its head again. We'd had a few encouraging signs of improvement on that score in games since Carlisle but the mass drop off after Monday was alarming. Santos most obvious example but there were plenty of others. Toal had a tough night on Monday with that big Pompey lad and was awful today, Jones back to struggling again, Iredale exposed defensively, Dacres-Cogley a mare, Thomason looked tired, Morley let people run beyond him far too often My worry after today was more teams (even moderate ones like Bristol) latching onto how Wigan and Portsmouth nullified us and preyed on our weaknesses. Bristol really weren't anything special but targeted areas in behind our wing backs, pulled Jones and Toal about, leaving Santos exposed to being outsmarted by a journeyman like Marquis. I could understand up to a point why he made the Charles sub, a text book coaching response based on wanting to keep it at 0-1 till last 10 mins then maybe go aggressive with last couple of changes to pinch a draw. Evatt couldn't legislate for the aberration that followed a minute later. What irked me more was the robotic inflexibility of how we went about trying to equalise in that last 10 mins. Going into injury time we were still playing around at the back trying to manoeuvre a team with a spare man around. They were making a faff of defending the few crosses we put in, at that stage we might as well have put Toal up front and bashed it forward in the hope of a mistake or moment of rashness. A big load of collective bollocks to be found if we're to end up anywhere other than prepping for play-offs again