26 minutes ago, passmosster said:

League 2 and National League teams are now well organised and fit which sort of neutralises the skill deficit. There's still some stand-out players who end up there. But we never seem to sign any.

It reaches a certain point - and I think the bottom of our league isn't far from it - where a team of grafters will beat players reputed to be more skilful. Must admit that I've been surprised with how poor Wimbledon/MK Dons/Southend were against us and I certainly don't remember the bottom sides being so poor the last time we were at this level.

Don't know about Clough, didn't do much at Rochdale, but might be worth a cheeky bid to get Connell back on loan from Celtic.

Connell will be so far off the pace it’s untrue. He’s playing against old men, part timers and basically at a really poor level. 

10 minutes ago, Escobarp said:

Connell will be so far off the pace it’s untrue. He’s playing against old men, part timers and basically at a really poor level. 

He’s playing at premier 5’s?

35 minutes ago, DomRepWanderer said:

Don't know about Clough, didn't do much at Rochdale, but might be worth a cheeky bid to get Connell back on loan from Celtic.

Not had a start or even a place on the bench at Celtic. Makes you wonder why the hell he opted to go.

16 minutes ago, MickyD said:

Not had a start or even a place on the bench at Celtic. Makes you wonder why the hell he opted to go.

£300 a week or £5000 a week 🤔

1 hour ago, jeep said:

£300 a week or £5000 a week 🤔

But besides that.

15 hours ago, Alf Hartigan said:

Is it though?

I don't get how you (or most others) think a drop in a league is a huge step down.

It's fluid, and as the youngsters come through there will be better talent emerging in lower leagues,they won't all be snapped up by top clubs, and many top players will emerge after being released by so called top clubs.

Brentford seem to be soaking up talent in London at the moment, they have historically been a lower league club but I reckon they will be a Premiership club in the next few years.

Anyway, my point is that there is loads of good players in the lower leagues  and we can't expect to 'walk' league 2 next year.

Brentford  were promoted to the top tier in 1935 (alongside Bolton). In their first season they were fifth and top London club. The next two seasons they were sixth, but behind both Arsenal and Charlton. JSL

17 hours ago, Casino said:

It's not worth arguing about but I think it cos I see it

We have a team almost exclusively made up of last day waifs and strays and we are a middling team in this league

League above, we wouldn't get a sniff

Not a sniff

 

 

Agreed.  There isnt an outfield player in our team that would get a start in any championship team, apart from Bridcutt and even that would be a bottom 10 team.  Whenever we are struggling in a game this season but defending well I shudder to think what a championship team would do to us because the Div 1 teams are impotent in comparison.

5 hours ago, Leyther_Matt said:

It reaches a certain point - and I think the bottom of our league isn't far from it - where a team of grafters will beat players reputed to be more skilful. Must admit that I've been surprised with how poor Wimbledon/MK Dons/Southend were against us and I certainly don't remember the bottom sides being so poor the last time we were at this level.

I agree a lot of the opposition have looked really poor against us this season.  But its difficult to compare with last time because we were managed by Parky.  So most teams looked better at football than us, including Chesterfield twice and anyone that had only 10 men.

2 hours ago, MickyD said:

But besides that.

Its almost like he wanted to join a club that would exist in 3 months time.  No backbone.

A lot of the opposition looked poor and were poor at this level when PP managed us, that's why we only lost 10 league games and got promoted.

6 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Its almost like he wanted to join a club that would exist in 3 months time.  No backbone.

Not someone you'd want beside you in the trenches

9 hours ago, MalcolmW said:

Brentford  were promoted to the top tier in 1935 (alongside Bolton). In their first season they were fifth and top London club. The next two seasons they were sixth, but behind both Arsenal and Charlton. JSL

Wasn’t talking about your teenage years Malcolm, was meaning more my lifetime. Late 60s onwards. Good post all the same 👍

Reading he's on his way out of Nottingham this winter, would you have him back?

 

Personally I'd love to see him back, but I can't see it happening

Taking finance out of the equation, I'd have him back every day of the week at this level.  He'd love to play this style of football against such poor opposition and he could take all our free kicks and corners for me.

I'd have him back in a shot. He's still only mid 20's. Playing games, getting confidence back and he'd be some player at this level and league 1 too

I see one of the Forest coaches sometimes when dog walking, I'll get the latest on him

If Doyle gets chances he’ll score, we need that bit of magic and creativity to create more chances, he could do it at this level with bells on but I’d imagine there’s more attractive suitors monitoring him. 

5 minutes ago, Rudy said:

If Doyle gets chances he’ll score, we need that bit of magic and creativity to create more chances, he could do it at this level with bells on but I’d imagine there’s more WEALTHY suitors monitoring him. 

Edited for accuracy

15 minutes ago, Rudy said:

If Doyle gets chances he’ll score, we need that bit of magic and creativity to create more chances, he could do it at this level with bells on but I’d imagine there’s more attractive suitors monitoring him. 

doubt it

since he left us he's had Forest, us again and Rochdale

anyway, if we were in for him, I reckon he'd be back regardless who else were

28 minutes ago, ZicoKelly said:

doubt it

since he left us he's had Forest, us again and Rochdale

anyway, if we were in for him, I reckon he'd be back regardless who else were

Me too. I don't think he'd have left at all if it were all down to him. I think he'd suit our system as well. Be surprised if we're not at least monitoring him.

3 minutes ago, kent_white said:

Me too. I don't think he'd have left at all if it were all down to him. I think he'd suit our system as well. Be surprised if we're not at least monitoring him.

Ok contrived situation here but I've a mate who's sister is good friends with clough's missus (or at least the one he was with when he left) and apparently ZC didn't want to leave but his hands were tied with the financial situation at the club meaning they couldn't refuse.

It's a shame his career didn't take off as it could have done. Were we still a championship team i'd not want him back but as we're in league 2 and doing a bit bobbins i'd take him back no worries. Whether Tobais and Ian will be as sentimental as us remains to be seen.

15 minutes ago, frank_spencer said:

Ok contrived situation here but I've a mate who's sister is good friends with clough's missus (or at least the one he was with when he left) and apparently ZC didn't want to leave but his hands were tied with the financial situation at the club meaning they couldn't refuse.

It's a shame his career didn't take off as it could have done. Were we still a championship team i'd not want him back but as we're in league 2 and doing a bit bobbins i'd take him back no worries. Whether Tobais and Ian will be as sentimental as us remains to be seen.

heard similar

that video on the final day v peterborough, when the players are celebrating on the pitch and it pans round to clough, he looks gutted he wasn't out there with them

Would be a massive change to have a proper footballer in the team, someone with a modicum of skill rather than just someone who can tie his boots properly and run around for a bit.

If he did come back someone would have to give Evatt a full instruction book on how to use him mind.