Griffin's Penultimate Stand - Division 2 2018-19

[longeared]

Steve Bruce confirmed as new SWFC manager.

Albeit not until 1st February due to a "prior personal commitment". Maybe he's got a holiday booked.

Good appointment, he at least knows the division and has some understanding of the values of the club. The big question is how much control he has, particularly in the field of recruitment. There's a picture floating round of him meeting the chairman in central Sheffield and also visible is a bloke called Amadeu Paixao, who is an advisor. There's lots of stories floating round about Paixao's undue influence on the chairman and how most of our appointments have connections to him and / or Doyen Sports - put it this way, Paixao appears to be using us more to promote his interests rather than that of the club. Hopefully Bruce can also sell players, this is something the chairman doesn't like doing, although word is that as part of FFP breaches we've been told by the Football League that we cannot refuse reasonable market offers for any player.

Still it does all feel as if the rest of the season will be a bit of a free hit for him, we're going to have to play very well to make the play offs and we've got a big gap over the relegation places. Another cup run would be nice to keep things going.

[George]

Albeit not until 1st February due to a "prior personal commitment". Maybe he's got a holiday booked.

Apparently he decided to have a extended Christmas and New Year break with his family following the deaths of both his parents over the previous 12 months. Which is fair enough.

[Sam]

On new year's day we went to my girlfriend's dad's place for lunch, and got talking/reminiscing about our trip to Spain and England a few months ago. He has a question for you, cantagalo, because he's been following Brentford's results ever since he returned to Buenos Aires: what the bloody hell has happened to them? They started off like a train, and were still playing decent stuff even in unlucky defeat when we saw them with you in late October. They appear to have won about one game since then. Can they salvage the season?

[ad hoc]

Dean Smith went to Villa

[Fearful Symmetry]

Some transfer rumblings, looking like we're offloading Will Keane to Ipswich while taking Ashley Fletcher from Boro. For the Tractor Boys among us, you'll be getting a useful player in Keane, who battled back from a horrendous injury, but don't expect him to get the 10-15 goals that you're in desperate need of (5 goals in 67 Championship appearances).

[Ray de Galles]

Out of interest longeared, how do we know Steve Bruce “has some understanding of the values of” Wednesday? Genuine question.

[Kevin S]

Good to see that Leeds are trying to charm their way into the nation's hearts as they aim for promotion.

"Derby say 'spy' outside training ground was Leeds United employee"

[Kevin S]

Oh yes, and Harvey Barnes has been recalled by Leicester. Bit of a blow for WBA.

And my reaction to Ipswich's latest acquisition - James Collins - was "OIHSP"?

[Snake Plissken]

[URL]https://twitter.com/JamieSkelton/status/1083798283863183360[/URL]

[Hot Orange]

And my reaction to Ipswich's latest acquisition - James Collins - was "OIHSP"?

To which the answer would be "Well, he hasn't been, no."

It feels like a final throw of the dice for Town against Rotherham tomorrow. Lose and we'll be 13 points behind them, a similar amount from safety, and the five short-term signings who've arrived since the last league game might as well be sent back.

[cantagalo]

On new year's day we went to my girlfriend's dad's place for lunch, and got talking/reminiscing about our trip to Spain and England a few months ago. He has a question for you, cantagalo, because he's been following Brentford's results ever since he returned to Buenos Aires: what the bloody hell has happened to them? They started off like a train, and were still playing decent stuff even in unlucky defeat when we saw them with you in late October. They appear to have won about one game since then. Can they salvage the season?

Sorry Sam, just seen this.

The match we saw was Frank’’s first game in charge. Since then we’’ve had just two league wins and seem to be marooned in 18th place. Earlier in the thread, you may have seen me calling for Frank’’s dismissal, not so much for the results but for the sharp decline in every other metric that matters. The way we were conceding so many goals shattered confidence and having to score 3 or 4 to win a match is beyond the ability of even Neal Maupay.

However, for the Bolton game just before Xmas, Frank switched to a back three, including the excellent Julian Jeanvier who was previously injured. This seems to have done the trick and we’ve been undefeated, conceding just 2 goals in 5 matches (rather than 2 in 5 minutes which was becoming a regular occurrence). The confidence is returning and only yet another goalkeeping error by Dan Bentley prevented us beating Norwich.

So I think the corner has been turned and that a mid-table finish can be salvaged. Perhaps a cup run as well? Of course we still have to survive the transfer window relatively unscathed and I’’m hoping the £20m+ price tag the club have put on Neal Maupay will scare off the vultures.

I’’m just about to set off for the Stoke game and I’’m much more optimistic than I would have been a month ago.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

So, genuine question, did these spying antics break any rules?

[elguapo4]

So, genuine question, did these spying antics break any rules?

No.

[Hot Orange]

Rumours that Paul Lambert's sixth signing of the window could be Alan Judge, with suggestions that he is at Portman Road today to discuss a move.

I must say, and I'm sure cantagalo would agree, that Judge joining Ipswich would be a very unexpected transfer, given that Luke Hyam put him out of the game for 18 months with a shocker of a challenge in the Ipswich-Brentford game three years ago.

[Fearful Symmetry]

Whisper it quietly, but we are now witnessing a promotion push. Yikes!

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

It's unbelievable. 9 points from the first 14 league games, then 30 points from the following 13. I can't ever recall a more drastic change in form from any team, apart from possibly where Mourinho leaves a club. What happened?

[Etienne]

How's Matt Pennington doing at Ipswich, Kevin? Obviously not brilliantly given where you are.

[Fearful Symmetry]

It's unbelievable. 9 points from the first 14 league games, then 30 points from the following 13. I can't ever recall a more drastic change in form from any team, apart from possibly where Mourinho leaves a club. What happened?

It's baffling many of us, we genuinely didn't think Adkins had it in him, we knew that the squad contained a bit of quality, but many players underperformed at the start of the season. All of a sudden the previously much maligned Kevin Stewart and Markus Henriksen are bossing games in the middle of the park, Kamil Grosicki has decided to put some effort in and is showing that he's a class above most in this league, Jarrod Bowen is mega and the defence is tighter than a camel's arse in a sandstorm. We're apparently adding Matt Connolly on loan from Cardiff on Monday as well.

We're a point better off at this stage than we were in 2008. Gulp.

[Kevin S]

How's Matt Pennington doing at Ipswich, Kevin? Obviously not brilliantly given where you are.

Eek, feels a bit weird having Ipswich referred to as 'my' team... but that's a whole other story.

Anyway, Pennington has been very good, one of the bright spots of the team. Good reading of the game at centre back and today was a dependable right back. He plays like a pro rather than a kid.

He'll learn a lot from James Collins before the end of the season, too, who was actually excellent. Despite not having played for six months.

[Kevin S]

Ah, he's 24. That'll be why then. Game of two halves today, Ipswich hanging on grimly in the second half as they couldn't get the ball on the deck. Definitely a hole or two in midfield and they rarely picked up the second ball. But there are threats from wide areas now so some hope remains.

[cantagalo]

I’’m just about to set off for the Stoke game and I’’m much more optimistic than I would have been a month ago.

Brentford were utterly brilliant today. Defensively solid again but this time with all the early-season attacking, liquid football. There was a comedy own goal from Shawcross plus beautifully worked efforts from Benrahma and Henry.

A measure of their dominance was that Stoke managed just two shots (one of them Afobe’s excellent strike) and apparently, just one touch in the Brentford area. They were abysmal and Nathan Jones has a tough job on his hands.

Now who were those idiots calling for Thomas Frank’s dismissal?

[cantagalo]

Rumours that Paul Lambert's sixth signing of the window could be Alan Judge, with suggestions that he is at Portman Road today to discuss a move.

I must say, and I'm sure cantagalo would agree, that Judge joining Ipswich would be a very unexpected transfer, given that Luke Hyam put him out of the game for 18 months with a shocker of a challenge in the Ipswich-Brentford game three years ago.

Yes, it’s surprising to say the least. I suppose the fact that Hyam and McCarthy are no longer at the club might be a factor. He wasn’t on our bench today so the rumours could well be true.

I’m afraid that tackle cost Alan not just his Ireland career and a trip to France 2016 but also his career at Championship level. After nearly two years out, he’s just not the same player any more. He’s been used recently as a late substitute for either of our wingers but no longer has the pace to play there and he might be more effective in a central midfield role. I wish him all the best and really hope he can do a good job for you.

[Etienne]

Sorry, Kev. I don't read the football threads anymore , so couldn't remember which of the East Anglia giants was your team.

[David Agnew]

Kev loves us, really.

Can't offer too much on Pennington, myself, other than when Hurst played him at right back, it was an odd decision, given that he's a stopper, rather than useful going forward, yet no-one questioned this yesterday when Lambert tried him.

Amazing what three months, and a new manager can make. Not to mention that Jordan Spence has gone from a useful full-back, who looked like he could be converted into a decent centre-half, to someone now making the lists of worst Ipswich player ever.

The rumours mill reckons that we're paying £500k for Judge, which was baffling on many levels before reading Cantagalo's comment. Still, if you're going to pay well over the odds for someone with a few months left on their contract, it might as well be for someone that was fucked over by the worst challenge you've ever seen one of your players make.

[Disco Child Ballads]

So, the rumours are true Martin O'Neill has been appointed Forest boss. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46864924