• 3P 3points 23 Oct 2018 · 11:52pm

  Well another disappointing evening. Two changes to the starting line up, presumably giving both McCleary and Baldock a rest after returning from injury but Bod looked way off the pace and Meite is a better centre forward than left winger. Birmingham set up to allow us the ball. No high press, just sit in and watch us pass it around the back. I thought we’d stopped playing that style of football. I cannot remember one occasion where Jaakkola kicked the ball long. First half we did OK. Meite had a good chance and Lee Camp made Kelly’s effort look better than it was. 0-0 about fair but we probably just shaded it. Second half concede…

• ZI Zip 24 Oct 2018 · 12:38am

  How many players do we have who can play to a reasonable level for ninety minutes?

• SN Snowball 24 Oct 2018 · 12:57am

  How many players do we have who can play to a reasonable level for ninety minutes? I doubt it's fitness. It's either a mental thing, or Clement saying "Don't go for a goal/another goal from 45-60 minutes, just keep it tight." We promptly stop being dangerous, the back passes increase, concedes, and...

• TF Top Flight 24 Oct 2018 · 1:47am

  I was there and I can't say I have been impressed with our performance. They worked hard to get a result against Millwall but I don't think there was enough desire on show tonight. They were going through the motions. They work hard for 45 minutes and predictably don't turn up for the second half. That's all I can be bothered to write at this time of the morning.

• AN Anonymous 24 Oct 2018 · 5:23am

  How many players do we have who can play to a reasonable level for ninety minutes? I doubt it's fitness. It's either a mental thing, or Clement saying "Don't go for a goal/another goal from 45-60 minutes, just keep it tight." We promptly stop being dangerous, the back passes increase, concedes, and... Im telling you, and I told Ian the other day but in his usual holier than thou way he dismissed it, Clement is utter shite at half-time team talks which anybody who knows anything about football will know they are key for focus and motivation. The dissent is real. CLEMENT OUT!!!! RESTORE ACCOUNTABILITY

• SA sandman 24 Oct 2018 · 7:35am

  What exactly should he say at half time? We have been in most games at half time, so all he must say is keep going and doing what you're doing. I doubt he's trying to reinvent the wheel. I can tell you what he doesn't say. He doesn't say, "Liam play a stupid over hit pass that puts the ball out if play for a corner". He doesn't say, "Sam let the ball go over your head so one of the best strikers in the division can head the ball in from a yard". These players keep making stupid, sloppy mistakes that cost us through their own laziness and lack of concentration. That's not to say the manager is blameless for the second half displays…

• BR Brum Royal 24 Oct 2018 · 8:31am

  I cannot remember one occasion where Jaakkola kicked the ball long. He did a few times tbf, generally in the direction of Bod. Agree with most of the rest of your post.

• ST stealthpapes 24 Oct 2018 · 8:41am

  Half time is clearly an issue - perhaps not in the managers' instructions, but in how the team use it to reset and recover. Take tonight, sure, an unforced error, but the defending was sloppy. The goalscorer was unmarked, and directed a loose ball past the keeper. Laziness, lack of concentration in most, if not all, of the players straight after half time is something a manager can do something about. Anyway, a 6/10 performance, with a soft goal conceded at a key time, and then a half-decent goal albeit one that started with us losing the ball on the left hand side of their box. Baldock looks good, Aluko wasn't shite but did…

Read all the discussion →