Tombwfc

First half Evatt's Bolton, second half Schuey's Bolton. Having missed all these chances we'll now concede and score a winner in the last minute.

Game for game I think this has been one of the best World Cups I can remember so far.

I think in that instance Mbappe is running at pace and so even fractional contact would be enough to bring someone down. It looked clearly a pen in real time and those get given 99/100. The slow motion re-refereeing in this instance came from the ref decided that Mbappe initiated the contact with a defender behind him, while running through on goal at 20mph. But I'm against VAR so I'm happy enough for the ref to stick with his on field decision, even if it was wrong. Worryingly I have found myself thinking I don't mind the VAR on corners though.

Nombe would've been our top scorer this season and last season playing in sides worse than ours. In 22/23 he'd have been second behind Dion (15 goals vs 17) but our next best scorer had 5 so he'd still have been useful. We'll never know but given we failed by two games then one game, it's certainly plausible we'd have gone up already if we'd signed him instead of Vic.

Tricky to have the moral high ground when you break a police officer's back with a sledgehammer.

Morocco vs Brazil on Saturday should be a great game.

I agree, I've already seen 'rumours' of people linking us to the likes of Fossey, Dapo etc. like the only players who exist are the ones who've come into our orbit. Sidibeh is another one who wouldn't be getting mentioned if he hadn't scored 1.5 times against us at Wembley. But equally, only absolute headcases watch a significant number of full football matches that a) don't involve us and b) aren't in the Premier League/Champions League. Given we can't afford players in the latter, it's inevitable that the same names do the rounds. I reckon I could name fewer than 25 Championship players (minus those who've recently been relegated).

Rob Holding was a roaring success compared to most players big clubs have signed from lower league teams. He at least played 100+ games for Arsenal. Liverpool paid over £4m for Calvin Ramsay and all he's had since is a couple of failed loans in L1. Andy Kellett going on loan to United is still probably the weirdest one.

The last time Ben Davies was anything more than a bit part player for a Championship side, we were in our Ken Anderson-Lawrence Bassini era. Simons and Burstow were in school. It's a football lifetime ago. He wasn't a leading Championship centre back then, so the chances of him being that now are incredibly slim. I agree we're not going to be spending millions buying top quality in every position. So I think people - mostly on Twitter - writing him off as a shit signing are being harsh. He'll have a role to play and might do it well. But equally there's no point making out we've signed a proven commodity based on games he played when Theresa May was Prime Minister.

It's always difficult to judge a player you've watched play every week vs the mystery box of a new signing, but even considering that I'd probably go with Burstow. He's still 22 and can improve. When Sidibeh was that age he was playing for Cheadle Heath. I'd pick Tolaj over both if we're talking L1 strikers capable of making the step up.

Ben Davies has made 32 Championship appearances since the 20/21 season. Six years on from his time at Preston, it'd be a surprise if he turns into one of the leading centre backs in the division. Or if he ever was. Incidentally Burstow has made 51 Championship apps in the last three seasons and Xavier Simons 33. I wouldn't consider any of them being here for their second-tier experience and all have a lot to prove they belong at this level. But I agree with you, the players who'll actually define our season (replacements for Kenny and ACD if not those players themselves) will come later in the window.

Rob Edwards was in a video announcing Wolves signing Raul Jimenez yesterday. Then finds out on Twitter some Portuguese bloke is having his job. Been a hell of a few months for all involved since he ditched Boro when they were top of the league.

He hasn't been an every week starter in the Championship since pre-COVID. Doesn't mean he'll be shit, but no point pretending he's a proven second tier performer. He's another who I'd imagine we'd have signed regardless of the result at Wembley.

It will be amazing once it gets going, but a total lack of jeopardy in the group stages is a killer. 72 games to get rid of the shittest 16 teams.

While I understand what you're saying about Conway, the three players you mentioned (Vela, Clough, Hunt) played 400 odd games for us between them. They then left and drifted down the leagues to the point they were barely at League Two standard at 30. They did get opportunities for us they wouldn't have if they weren't home grown players.