Johnnyrotten

Dong, for no reason, reminded me of when we signed another foreign winger we'd never heard of for this level. Wellington Silva (Brazilian). Blowing hot and cold on the left wing, that's all I can remember.

A quarter of this season's Prem (Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton, Fulham, Hull) had average crowds of 4k or less over a period in the 80s or 90s

I was thinking that v Everton, we've gone from hoping Dalby can step up to the championship and be in and around the forward line along with everyone else, to flogging him even more than last season, when he was at least interchangeable with Burstow. He'll be nackered even before the season starts and physically he's not one of those players that you'd want playing 100 minutes twice a week like some (fitter) players can get away with. Its one thing over relying on a top player eg ACD or Sheehan last season, to over relying on a player where the jury is very much out as to whether he's good enough for this level.

I'm similar, in its first couple of years I refused to engage in it because of the made up teams that aren't even clubs/teams, just literally a load of blokes thrown together for a month or 2. Then I was getting bored last summer and I enjoy going to cricket a few times a year and thought I was cutting my nose off to spite my face if I pretended it wasn't happening. So a family group including 2 grandkids that had hardly seen cricket on TV never mind live went to a Manchester match, god knows who it was against. The site of shots heading to the boundary was good, the kids were engaged, but its just missing something - like anyone caring. The atmosphere isn't brilliant at most T20 games, but at the 100 its confined to cheering boundaries and wickets. No hint of a song at any game I've seen live or on TV, no rivalry like Lancs v Yorks or the southern equivalents. Nobody really supports anyone. Why couldn't they just do something with the T20, where the clubs already exist and folk are invested in "Lancashire" or "Yorkshire" (even if they don't attend much). Going to T20 doesn't really feel like proper cricket because of the short format (the one day cups used to be the thing to get behind) but the 100 takes it to the next level of crash bang wallop, wave your flags, what/who are we cheering for? PS we had tickets for Sunday and when it was pissing it down at lunchtime we took the decision not to go and sit in the (uncovered) temporary stand as the forecast said 90% chance of rain every hour till 7pm. It was wrong, we we wrong, and we missed out! Lesson learned, take the weather apps with a pinch of salt. We are probably going to this Friday's game against someone, just eking out the last of the summer sport before football takes over.

Tom Ince dropping down 2 divisions to sign for Tranmere is a surprising one, even if he's past his best. I'd have thought he could have got a L1 club like Wigan or Blackpool and it would have looked like a decent signing, but maybe Tranmere are chucking a bit of money around.

And Forss too. We all hoped he was an upgrade at no.10, and he looked it against Wigan and taking into account his Boro stats. But he wasn't, and that false hope also contributed to McAtee not being considered a starter, the better player had been replaced by an inferior one (IMO). McAtee also had 1 or 2 injuries, like everyone, but I can't recall how long for or when. His stats (if we are taking notice of them) from the year before seemed to be largely ignored, when he started 31 and scored 11, 1 less than top scorer Collins (who started 36) who we sold for a big fee. Then he was replaced, which is fine, but it wasn't like he'd had a bad season, and he still hasn't. He isn't what we'd want at championship level, but that's where we're at currently, probably in every department.

I didn't say they were, I was just putting the "36 appearances" in some context. He didn't start many games because he either wasn't one of our better strikers/no.10's (Burstow, Dalby, Kenny and RR were variously in his way for justifiable reasons, plus Forss for a while and even Dempsey), on top of injuries and suspension, so he didn't get a run of games. Three of the 6 have left, so he's only behind Dalby and RR now, rightly or wrongly. We can't afford to just keep letting players go knowing how hard it is to replace them, he won't be the only player who struggled for L1 starts that will be in our championship squad (Gale, Conway, Toal, Simons aren't going anywhere either).

Correct. Too much emphasis on stats. A great pass resulting in Dalby missing from 5 yards (it happened twice last season) isn't an assist. Gale's fluffed cross or shot that ended up with Simons scoring at Bradford is an assist. Whoever passed to Cissoko from 5 yards when he scored the worldy v Huddersfield got an assist. Relying on stats is something to use when not watching the games, rather than noticing how some players make good runs, retain possession, win tackles or headers (Dalby) and set up the assist and not just the goal. FWIW McAtee started 7 games last season and got sent off in the 1st half of one of them.

I agree neither will be first choice starters, but neither will Christie and 1 or 2 of Simons, Watson and EE. All 4 of those plus McAtee will be in most matchday squads and probably get minutes more often than not. Randall won't get one minute in the league, he has the same prospects here as Taylor and Warren. Re bolstering the defence, McAtee is a liability defensively agreed, but he is useful when we're ahead as shown at Bradford and Wembley, where he takes the pressure off the defence by maintaining attacks (and having a big hand in goals that killed off the opposition in both games). FWIW I felt sorry for Randall on Saturday, we used 20 outfield players and he was the only one that didn't get a minute. Not sure if it was intentional by SS to send a message but it can't have been a boost to his confidence.

I'll stick my neck out and predict that, rightly or wrongly, McAtee goes nowhere. Because 1. we won't get much of a fee with 1 year left so why would we sell? and 2. if he goes, that's another player we need to replace and there are already enough gaps up front. Would I like us to sign a bone fide championship-experienced no.10 that's better? Course I would. I just don't think we will, and even if we do where does that leave RR (currently a nailed on starter)? McAtee gets grouped with Randall as players we can ditch, but there's no comparison. Randall is a midfielder that can venture forward (like Dempsey) but nowhere near being a striker. McAtee is a striker that can also play as a 10, but never a midfielder. He'll be on the bench most weeks IMO, covering for RR and whatever striker we bring in, and he'll do a half decent job (and get criticised on here if we've lost).

I suppose the Everton that we played on Saturday was nearer to a bottom 8 Prem team than a top 8 one, with a few absences (and substitutions) that you'll be more familiar with than us.

Very pleased for them, I often think of him when I hear Steph Houghton on 5 Live and feel so sorry for them both. But that's great news. Coincidentally I was flicking through Sky Sports channels for 2 minutes yesterday and Bradford v Swansea League Cup Final about 12 years ago happened to be on, I watched a minute and when Darby got the ball, the commentator mentioned that he'd played for Liverpool in the champions league.

Tickets for Sheff Wed fans are £15. Much of the ground will be closed.

'With respect that's like saying all Bonham does is make good saves and all Forino does is defend well. I'm not expecting them to take corners or sprint down the wing.

As usual. He's looked good every time he's come on in the last year, makes things happen.

Its also valid to see the style of new signings. If we had a friendly in November it would be literally pointless. In July we find out how players like to play. Davies comfortable taking the ball and controlling it and making simple passes with either foot. Doesn't strike me as the type of defender that's going to attempt to slice someone in two like GJ, and he also doesn't attempt the worldy 35 yard crossfield ball we've become used to from GJ (or Santos). Dong got good close control and quite nippy, then again so did Gale today! I didn't know who half our players were by the end but they all looked comfortable on the ball and weren't asked many questions defensively, although Bonham did make 3 decent stops and if he'd been a new signing we'd be saying he looks a good 'un.

As well as we played, within the confines of a friendly, I don't think EFC had in them to score 3 against Chorley today. They were awful considering their status, the only time they looked half decent was that move at the end of the 1st half when they opened us up and a good save from Bonham.

Agree with all that apart from the comment on having a solid RB might do a dissservice to Christie. He often stepped in last season and looked solid enough. I think Stephenson looks good in a L1 type of way, very competitive and fearless, looks a little bit lacking in athleticisim for the championship and in comparison to Tutu for eg. And surely he's the lovechild of Michael Johansson and Lloyd Isgrove, very similar in appearance and physique.

I've watched a different game to that. Comfortable in possession all day, and yes its a friendly so no intense pressing to deal with. I didn't realise till I saw him play that Davies has 2 feet, that makes him stand out straight away above our other CBs, happy to take the ball on either foot and he immediately looks more composed than what we're used to from L1 defenders. Famewo strong and competitive but without Conway's quality on the ball, a defender through and through, not a wing back.

He might be but that's a strange comment based on today's game. If anyone ran the first half, he did. I don't remember strength coming into play once, he was easily the most comfortable in possession on the pitch.

Adults £13 or £20 if you want a Breda ticket thrown in. Don't know if being 21 makes any difference, presume not.

I thought that was just next week, I'm sure when I looked at the seat map a few days ago there was availability in ESL v EFC, but I could be mistaken.

I can't disagree, not sure what possessed me, but then I knew if I didn't go there I'd end up watching meaningless cricket or a friendly at a local non league ground, equally pointless but passes a summer Saturday afternoon in nice weather.

Anyone bothering? I've just been to T/O for a ticket. Only opening ESL and NSL. ESL sold out and only 2 blocks in the corner of NSL still had seats at lunchtime. Against Breda next week, only opening WSL because there's other events going on around East Stand.

Season tickets in 2009 in ESL and WSL were £369, and that was the early bird prices. More in upper tiers. We are basically paying the same prices we were 17 years ago and while that was in the Prem, there were 4 less games.