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Match Centre: 


 Odds: 
WHU: 8/5
Draw: 5/2
Arsenal: 19/10

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It will have been 16 days since we saw what football at the top end of things could look like by Arsenal, who made us look second class citizens in footballing terms.

This game is unusual this season, in so far as the bookies have us down as favourites to win.  Monday nigth, under the lights....but how empty will the bowl be.  With a boycott planned, kids for a quid, general sale tickets up for cheap, and Nuno's first home game, the atmosphere and attendance is anyone's guess.

Injuries wise, our Big Fucking German is big fucking injured again...reducing the options up front to the two Callum's.  Nuno chose to save ~86k in wages last time out, preferring the pace and mobility of Marshall over Wilson, and it will be interesting to see if he does the same thing here, or goes for a 'makeshift' centreforward.  And of course Soucek is back.

Other than that, there are no fresh concerns reported going into the weekend.

Predicted Starting Lineup: Subs: Hermansen, KWP, Igor, Potts, Guilherme, Marshall, Rodriguez, Wilson, Scarles

Predicted Score: 1-0 (Soucek)

COYI  

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 11:46 I wouldn't have hooked him no. Paqueta, Irving, Scarles, Walker-Peters for Wilson, Potts, Wan-Bissaka and Diouf would have been my choices at Half Time. But then I wouldn't have gone with that moronic line-up to begin with either.

 

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 11:43

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 11:37

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 11:31

Unless he was injured, it was bizarre taking Fernandes off. Bizarreness in a sea of bizarre decisions.

I would have kept him on but I did think he was poor 1st half. 1 time in a very promising position in their final third he gifts the ball to them leading to a dangerous attack by Brentford. Things like that might have crossed Nunos mind.

 

He was, but was he much poorer than anyone else really? I also would have definitely kept him on, on the face of it. He did have a couple of 'moments', for sure, but so did Paqueta and he wasn't hooked. It's worrying to hook your 40 million midfielder before you hook other players unless there was an eye on Friday or an injury concern. I also think he was playing too advanced as well. Think it would be more sensible to have him in one of the positions occupied by Soucek and Irving. I don't really understand why Irving, with all respect to him, was starting the game TBH. It was the old trap of not trusting any of your strikers and then forcing loads of other players out of position because of it. 

What fascinates me is that Wilson is now becoming a better player in some people's eyes purely through not playing. 

 

Paqueta was absolutely awful last night. Sorry I don't agree with this notion that a player who's looking to make key defence splitting passes is going to give the ball away.   My dad always said the sign of a good player is one who rarely gives the ball away.  It may be that they are steady players but they don't constantly put the team in trouble by giving the ball back to the opposition. 

The anger I still have for letting Fornals leave still burns deep inside me.

zico wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 11:33 When you look at that Conference Final team a mere two years or so ago it shows how much having Rice papered over the cracks, and it's really saying something when a defence that night of Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd and Emerson is probably a better bet than the back four we have now!  Winces!!   

 

All Defenders now doing very well for their new Clubs away from our Circus. Coufal with a clean sheet and assist in his last appearance for Hoffenheim Away.

 

I wouldn't have hooked him no. Paqueta, Irving, Scarles, Walker-Peters for Wilson, Potts, Wan-Bissaka and Diouf would have been my choices at Half Time. But then I wouldn't have gone with that moronic line-up to begin with either.

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 11:37

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 11:31

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 11:17 If you think about the formation and substitutions, Nuno hung Soucek out to dry although gallantly did well under the circumstances. At Half Time I noticed Nuno take off 1 Midfielder Fernandes for Mavropanos leaving him with only Irving alone in the middle start of the 2nd half. He then compounds it further by leaving him all alone in the middle when Subbing Irving off for Marshall!

The poor geezer's having to marshall the entire midfield alone whilst suspiciously concussed after his nasty head injury he endured early in the 1st half. And yet Soucek still put in a monster shift in effort and heart considering how the game panned out. If only we had more built like Soucek, we wouldn't be anywhere near down the bottom. Far too many gutless fannies getting away with it by comparison like Paqueta. 

Unless he was injured, it was bizarre taking Fernandes off. Bizarreness in a sea of bizarre decisions.

I would have kept him on but I did think he was poor 1st half. 1 time in a very promising position in their final third he gifts the ball to them leading to a dangerous attack by Brentford. Things like that might have crossed Nunos mind.

 

zico wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 11:33 When you look at that Conference Final team a mere two years or so ago it shows how much having Rice papered over the cracks, and it's really saying something when a defence that night of Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd and Emerson is probably a better bet than the back four we have now!  Winces!!   

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 11:31

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 11:17 If you think about the formation and substitutions, Nuno hung Soucek out to dry although gallantly did well under the circumstances. At Half Time I noticed Nuno take off 1 Midfielder Fernandes for Mavropanos leaving him with only Irving alone in the middle start of the 2nd half. He then compounds it further by leaving him all alone in the middle when Subbing Irving off for Marshall!

The poor geezer's having to marshall the entire midfield alone whilst suspiciously concussed after his nasty head injury he endured early in the 1st half. And yet Soucek still put in a monster shift in effort and heart considering how the game panned out. If only we had more built like Soucek, we wouldn't be anywhere near down the bottom. Far too many gutless fannies getting away with it by comparison like Paqueta. 

Unless he was injured, it was bizarre taking Fernandes off. Bizarreness in a sea of bizarre decisions.

When you look at that Conference Final team a mere two years or so ago it shows how much having Rice papered over the cracks, and it's really saying something when a defence that night of Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd and Emerson is probably a better bet than the back four we have now!  Winces!!   

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 11:17 If you think about the formation and substitutions, Nuno hung Soucek out to dry although gallantly did well under the circumstances. At Half Time I noticed Nuno take off 1 Midfielder Fernandes for Mavropanos leaving him with only Irving alone in the middle start of the 2nd half. He then compounds it further by leaving him all alone in the middle when Subbing Irving off for Marshall!

The poor geezer's having to marshall the entire midfield alone whilst suspiciously concussed after his nasty head injury he endured early in the 1st half. And yet Soucek still put in a monster shift in effort and heart considering how the game panned out. If only we had more built like Soucek, we wouldn't be anywhere near down the bottom. Far too many gutless fannies getting away with it by comparison like Paqueta. 

Listened to the game on Talkshite, what a f**king mess we are in.
You can't make a silk purse from a sows ear.
WHU have been clinging on to Premiership status for a few seasons now. I've slowly lost interest. Losing is the norm.

If you think about the formation and substitutions, Nuno hung Soucek out to dry although gallantly did well under the circumstances. At Half Time I noticed Nuno take off 1 Midfielder Fernandes for Mavropanos leaving him with only Irving alone in the middle start of the 2nd half. He then compounds it further by leaving him all alone in the middle when Subbing Irving off for Marshall!

The poor geezer's having to marshall the entire midfield alone whilst suspiciously concussed after his nasty head injury he endured early in the 1st half. And yet Soucek still put in a monster shift in effort and heart considering how the game panned out. If only we had more built like Soucek, we wouldn't be anywhere near down the bottom. Far too many gutless fannies getting away with it by comparison like Paqueta. 

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 11:05 Soucek so useless that it was him that laid it on for Bowen assisting him to almost score with our only effort on target in the 1st half, chucked himself about all over our box heading danger away, even to the point of picking up yet another nasty injury for our cause. He gave everything for us, as per usual which is a damn sight more than most of their 'efforts' last night doing better in and around both boxes helping us to defend and attack than anyone else. Can think of a lot worse performances than him but he's the easy scapegoat.

Soucek so useless that it was him that laid it on for Bowen assisting him to almost score with our only effort on target in the 1st half, chucked himself about all over our box heading danger away, even to the point of picking up yet another nasty injury for our cause. He gave everything for us, as per usual which is a damn sight more than most of their 'efforts' last night doing better in and around both boxes helping us to defend and attack than anyone else. Can think of a lot worse performances than him but he's the easy scapegoat.

Fauxstralian wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 10:57 Things we learnt:
Scarles isn’t a right back
When we were trying to sell Irving for £2m we were over pricing him 
Can see how the Czechs lost to Faroe Islands with Soucek in midfield 
Paqueta isn’t a centre forward , false or otherwise
Kilman & Todibo are the reincarnation of Malky Mackay & Andy Melville 
Its not just Potter that picks a ludicrous team
Our midfield would get bullied and outrun by our womens team

They just sat there totally emotionless watching. Sullivan in a horrible sparkly blazer that made him look like a bingo caller, feet up on the glass panel in front of him. Sums the bloke up really. One of the gormless sons next to him looking equally vacant as I assume his missus decided to boycott this one as well. (She's not stupid, clearly) 

Brady looked like she was attending a funeral. In many ways she was. 

Things we learnt:
Scarles isn’t a right back
When we were trying to sell Irving for £2m we were over pricing him 
Can see how the Czechs lost to Faroe Islands with Soucek in midfield 
Paqueta isn’t a centre forward , false or otherwise
Kilman & Todibo are the reincarnation of Malky Mackay & Andy Melville 
Its not just Potter that picks a ludicrous team
Our midfield would get bullied and outrun by our womens team

“Decent managers aren't jobless. Decent managers need to be scouted out, assessed that they have the same ethos and vision of the club and the way it plays, then you pay the compo and get them in. 

We get whoever is on the dole”

That.

and coupled with Sullivan’s ridiculous comment that the role of a football manager is overrated. 

The blokes ego is now seeing us go through more fucking managers, than we had appointed for around the first 80 years? (Literally I think).

Hope our esteemed owners enjoyed the sight of thousands of empty seats last night as they need to get used to it as next season the same will be on view for the visits of Oxford, Preston North End, Wrexham and Hull etc. Although they may get a full stadium for Millwall.

You don't start any game but especially at home without a striker. The manager had a shocker with initial team selection AND the subs, 3 defenders (still no striker) on at half time when a goal behind. I know its a bit like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic but there's no need to actually set fire to them and throw them overboard. It's his job to get the best TEAM on the pitch which usually means getting the best players fit and working together, you know a bit like managing a football team. Fucking awful being totally outplayed by Brentford and small mercies that they didn't run up a cricket score. 

I do feel that all of this is like moving deckchairs on the Titanic, though.

This just looks like a relegation squad right now.

Play your best players in their best positions and try to get some momentum/confidence.

Early days, and we’ll have to see how Mav’s injury goes. But I’d be half-tempted to have a look at Magassa as a CB for a couple of stiffs games.

He’s played there before (so it’s not an OIlie Scarles situation), but I’ve no idea how well. He can definitely play CM and CB, but to what level?

We are so pathetic at CB that it’s quickly becoming the biggest crisis in a team beset with major crises.

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 10:17

southbankbornnbred wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 10:14

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 10:08 Square pegs in round holes with no injures to use as an excuse for doing any of it.

Scarles at Right Back when he had either Wan-Bissaka and Walker-Peters available.

Walker-Peters at Left Back when he had either Diouf and Scarles available.

Paqueta up front when he had either Wilson and Marshall available. 

And for me he went with Irving when I personally would have chosen Potts ahead of him and Igor on the Bench instead of either Centre Back with the shocking form they're both in. 











 

Totally agree. Except that Igor is a clueless lump. I watch a lot of Italian football (family thing). And there is a very good reason why he got booted out of Florence.

We bought Brighton’s 5th choice CB out of panic.

Really, don’t expect much.

 

It says a lot more about how the other Centre Backs are playing. He comes with less damage so a change might freshen it up a bit and help kick them all in to gear with new competition. 

 

northbankboy68 wrote: ↑21 Oct 2025, 10:16 The only explanation I can think of is that he did it deliberately knowing it would throw the game to put pressure on the sparkly jacketed midget to do something in January.  That's how he ended up being sacked by Forest, for upsetting the owner.