Not a Leap Year, who says so? Away to Reading , Sat, Feb 1st 3-0'clock.

[TANGODANCER]

Seems we're watching different games. We are being taught by last seasons minnows how to play bully-boy football but with a fair degree of skill in field play and use of space and the spare man. . Randall has a brain but those around him all too often get intercepted, tackled quickly and beaten for pace. Yes, we defend well, but we waste chances when they come and all too often again get scored against just like today, by ill-fortune.

If you don't agree, the we're definitely watching through different eyes. Que sera,sera.

[Prufrock]

Vic's touch is awful, even worse than Dion's so he looks bad on the eye. And he doesn't have Dion's lovable scruff vibe to go with it.

But Vic was good today. He's never going to be perfect but he worked hard, did the dirty work. Etete showed how hard it is.

[GhostoftheBok]

Fair enough. He wasn't being roundly booed, just targeted by individual shouts.

It's a big part of whether we go up this season (and possible next, if the new bloke likes him), as to whether Schumacher can get Vic the service to bag a few. His movement is there again recently, but he needs the early ball at times and we don't play it. At other times the ball needs drilling across to him and we tap crosses over.

You just need to look at the adjustments Forest have made for Chris Wood to see how important service is. Newcastle wanted Wood to adjust to them and he did nowt. Forest adjusted to Wood and he's banging goals in.

We've seen today that Collins will just be fine. He'll keep getting shots off and plenty will go in.

Vic will keep being Vic in terms of battling and running, but if we want double figures out of him over a season we've got to find him.

How his confidence is after the last few months I don't know.

I do think Tutu can be part of the solution there.

[The_Gun]

I don’t want to attribute our downfall solely to the lad, but the drop off when Etete came on was astonishing.

I’m sure there must be some kind of player in there, but it was an odd decision to throw him straight in.

[GhostoftheBok]

I don’t want to attribute our downfall solely to the lad, but the drop off when Etete came on was astonishing.

I’m sure there must be some kind of player in there, but it was an odd decision to throw him straight in.

You have to think that bringing Macca on up top for his pressing and (had he been on the bench instead of Etete) using Lolos at #10 would have been much, much better.

Etete very clearly isn't willing to press right now, because of his injuries. So Reading were given a free hand to build up at will.

[Worthy4England]

I don’t want to attribute our downfall solely to the lad, but the drop off when Etete came on was astonishing.

I’m sure there must be some kind of player in there, but it was an odd decision to throw him straight in.

You have to think that bringing Macca on up top for his pressing and (had he been on the bench instead of Etete) using Lolos at #10 would have been much, much better.

Etete very clearly isn't willing to press right now, because of his injuries. So Reading were given a free hand to build up at will.

He had 13 minutes. Sure he wasn't great. But fcuk me, we had to give Evatt 4 1/2 years. Just to consider if shit might have been possible..

[Prufrock]

He had nearly half an hour. And made a right Moxey of it.

I don't think anyone is writing him off completely as a player, but he was absolutely miles off it today. Needs some B games I think!

[Worthy4England]

He had nearly half an hour. And made a right Moxey of it.

I don't think anyone is writing him off completely as a player, but he was absolutely miles off it today. Needs some B games I think!

I'd be hard pushed to disagree, but he's been bought into a side, not really noted for target men, allegedly still hamstrung.etc. etc.

[GhostoftheBok]

He had 13 minutes. Sure he wasn't great. But fcuk me, we had to give Evatt 4 1/2 years. Just to consider if shit might have been possible..

Eh?

Kion didn't look ready for competitive football today. We had fitter options in the squad.

That doesn't mean he won't be a really good signing. I do think including him today, with the benefit of hindsight, looks like a mistake.

Mistakes at this stage are absolutely normal. The manager has just shown up and has to rapidly figure out where everyone is.

[Worthy4England]

He had 13 minutes. Sure he wasn't great. But fcuk me, we had to give Evatt 4 1/2 years. Just to consider if shit might have been possible..

Eh?

Kion didn't look ready for competitive football today. We had fitter options in the squad.

That doesn't mean he won't be a really good signing. I do think including him today, with the benefit of hindsight, looks like a mistake.

Mistakes at this stage are absolutely normal. The manager has just shown up and has to rapidly figure out where everyone is.

Right, so poor start target man should probably be given a little space, no?

[GhostoftheBok]

Right, so poor start target man should probably be given a little space, no?

Right, so you read one post and made assumptions, no?

[Worthy4England]

Right, so poor start target man should probably be given a little space, no?

Right, so you read one post and made assumptions, no?

I responded to the post I saw, yup. We have something maybe called a director of football, i think it's not helpful, ok?

[Jugs]

He had nearly half an hour. And made a right Moxey of it.

I don't think anyone is writing him off completely as a player, but he was absolutely miles off it today. Needs some B games I think!

I'd be hard pushed to disagree, but he's been bought into a side, not really noted for target men, allegedly still hamstrung.etc. etc.

question is ... why was he brought into the club in the first place? I don't see where or how he fits.

[Bertie Wooster]

He had nearly half an hour. And made a right Moxey of it.

I don't think anyone is writing him off completely as a player, but he was absolutely miles off it today. Needs some B games I think!

I'd be hard pushed to disagree, but he's been bought into a side, not really noted for target men, allegedly still hamstrung.etc. etc.

question is ... why was he brought into the club in the first place? I don't see where or how he fits.

This 100%, its a ridiculous signing taking up an important squad place - I could see the logic if he was out of contract in June, as we could have taken the next few months to take a look at him and get him fit & strong and then decide if we wanted to sign him, but with him signing a new contract at Cardiff its madness if its going to take a couple of months to get him match fit and then he goes back to Cardiff.

[The_Gun]

He had nearly half an hour. And made a right Moxey of it.

I don't think anyone is writing him off completely as a player, but he was absolutely miles off it today. Needs some B games I think!

I'd be hard pushed to disagree, but he's been bought into a side, not really noted for target men, allegedly still hamstrung.etc. etc.

question is ... why was he brought into the club in the first place? I don't see where or how he fits.

I seem to recall half our fan base crying out for a target man, so I’m going to say that there was a pretty obvious fit.

[BWFC_Insane]

He had nearly half an hour. And made a right Moxey of it.

I don't think anyone is writing him off completely as a player, but he was absolutely miles off it today. Needs some B games I think!

I'd be hard pushed to disagree, but he's been bought into a side, not really noted for target men, allegedly still hamstrung.etc. etc.

question is ... why was he brought into the club in the first place? I don't see where or how he fits.

I seem to recall half our fan base crying out for a target man, so I’m going to say that there was a pretty obvious fit.

Just being big doesn’t make you a target man. He’s a kid who hasn’t learned his game yet and even if he was fit I think what most fans want is the experienced gnarly sort who can press and hold it up and knows what they are doing or imo someone with a bit of bustle about them and real pace.

The issue for me is kids on loan probably in most cases won’t be adequate for that sort of role as it needs years of match experience to really do it well.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

imo someone with a bit of bustle about them and real pace

The problem is we now want someone with Dion's pressing and goals, Jerome's aerial strength, and pace to burn. That's Prime Drogba, which was the ill-advised joke Evatt made.

From what I could see - small data set - Etete has good ball control and awareness. But he showed no pressing prowess and not much aerial ability – his one connected attempt at a header from a cross was described by a bystander as "a good clearance".

[Bertie Wooster]

imo someone with a bit of bustle about them and real pace

The problem is we now want someone with Dion's pressing and goals, Jerome's aerial strength, and pace to burn. That's Prime Drogba, which was the ill-advised joke Evatt made.

From what I could see - small data set - Etete has good ball control and awareness. But he showed no pressing prowess and not much aerial ability – his one connected attempt at a header from a cross was described by a bystander as "a good clearance".

So can anyone tell me what the rationale was behind Markham signing Etete if he doesn't press & has little aerial ability for a very tall player - Evatt mentioned 'Prime Drogba' but that was reportedly regarding a James Collins type so why has Markham signed someone completely different.

If Evatt & Markham had agreed that we needed a prime Drogba type, then why sign someone who doesn't fit that profile just because he 6ft 6.

[BWFC_Insane]

imo someone with a bit of bustle about them and real pace

The problem is we now want someone with Dion's pressing and goals, Jerome's aerial strength, and pace to burn. That's Prime Drogba, which was the ill-advised joke Evatt made.

From what I could see - small data set - Etete has good ball control and awareness. But he showed no pressing prowess and not much aerial ability – his one connected attempt at a header from a cross was described by a bystander as "a good clearance".

Yes my view is that we sold Charles and ideally need a replacement so it’s not all on Collins. That looks challenging to say the least.

But I think that is a separate thing from a big lad of some sort. Basically we need a Vic replacement and a Collins replacement. If they are top two we need two others to do those roles.

[nicholaldo]

Who on earth decided Etete - a guy who literally doesn't score - would be a good signing? Who scouted him and who sanctioned it?

Don't even bother mate. Whoever it is, apparently they're above criticism because they're doing a really good job, as evidenced by all our brilliant players and how good we're doing.

Which you know is not what I was saying.....

In case it escaped you, the point I was making was one of balance. You were basically calling for people to be hung, drawn & quartered and dragged through Albert square. I was merely pointing out that for every questionable signing there is likely at least one big success.

Which is basically the world of transfer dealings in general, so no real need to call for peoples.heads just yet eh?

I think it's certainly reasonable to question our willingness to take a risk on players with a history of injuries.

That's a conscious decision and the gamble doesn't seem to have paid off thus far.