Into the Lion's Den D2 2017-18

[cantagalo]

Harry doing what he does best - spending other people's money. Wonder if he still thinks Brentford's recruitment methods are rubbish.

I'm not exactly happy about this but I console myself that we got our new players in early this year and that,in order to succeed, our business model needs the Redknapps and Bruces of this world.

[Mr Beast]

Bruce is not the sort of manager I wanted and he certainly has no track record of serving up the sort of football I want to see. If it gets results I can be pragmatic but we're not playing any football, we're not hard to beat and there's no pattern even after a year in charge. I thought he'd have addressed at least the latter two.

I thought he'd be decisive in identifying players to play in a preferred formation and he's anything but. If you're going to succeed you need to win a lot of games and he is far too cautious. And since Villa are such a soft touch away from home and getting softer we won't pick up the 1-0 wins that get him so excited.

It is too hard to actually coach the players he has so getting new one's in is his mantra. FFP will be his excuse.

[Glass Half Empty]

An insight into Transfer deadline day

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...r-deadline-day

[longeared]

Wednesday clusterfuck update; the club announced late last night that the replica kit is delayed until at least the end of this month. They appear to be suffering some shortages in the actual stuff too, the development team wore last season's kit at Millwall on Tuesday and staff are still wearing Sondico gear. Oh and it's £42 to watch the Sheffield derby, by the way. You'd think if we were charging these ridiculous prices then the club would be organisationally shit hot, but, no. A very accurate summation of the general position appeared on the main message board.

This is what happens when you run a large company as a dictatorship. You don't trust people to make decisions. People need to stop blaming people at the club, in the commercial department, Joe Palmer.

Every decision at the club, EVERY DECISION, is made by the Chairman. Every decision. That's why the training ground isn't finished, that's why we've sold a handful of executive boxes, that's why we've launched a scheme to lend him some money, that's why we have no shirt sponsor, that's why only a handful of local companies now sponsor us, that's why we've sold less than half the available tickets for Monday's celebration, that's why we're the most expensive club in the league to watch, that's why other clubs fans are boycotting us, that's why some loyal fans can no longer attend, that's why we are playing in Ipswich kits and that's why we look like we may be on the verge of an embargo under FFP.

[Glass Half Empty]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41249300

That brings football into perspective.

[Billy Casper]

Thanks for linking to this story Glass.

Leaving aside the infinitely more important human aspect of Cryne's illness, it is tragic from a BFC point of view. He is universally popular amongst the fans (I can only assume the online abuse he talks of is people saying we should spend money we don't have chasing million miles away Premier League places). He is the perfect owner in the fact that he has been invisible, has lost money year after year keeping the club afloat and leaves decisions to others who he trusts to know better than himself.

He put the club up for sale when he found out about his cancer, but says he will only sell to someone who has the best interests for the club at heart.

Awful news.

[KGR]

I wondered if there was a thread about Cryne's programme notes from last night.

THAT'S what a football chairman is, TTA, Sisu, Duchatelet, Oyston, Venkys etc. It's about local pride. And personal pride, pride in yourself and that you did the right thing for the club and not your own pocket.

[Glass Half Empty]

A wedding in deepest darkest West Sussex kept me away from S6 yesterday (and the stupid money they charged us for tickets) but the pint I had in the Sky hosting pub in Reading on the way back tasted particularly fine. Not sure how long we can keep this going for but we're certainly enjoying the ride. Very tough week for us this week with Wolves at home on Wednesday and Forest away on Saturday. Pre season I'd have taken mid table consolidation but I don't think that's in Wilder's nature.

[Kevin S]

Norwich City, last three home games:

1-0 v Birmigham
0-0 v Burton
0-0 v Bristol City

I mean, I suppose it's a run of sorts...

[Kevin S]

The last four away games, in contrast:

lost 4-2 at Aston Villa
lost 4-0 at Millwall
won 0-1 at Sheff Utd
won 1-3 at Brentford

You seem to get more bang for your Canary buck on the road.

[Mr Beast]

Against my better judgement I was at Villa Park on Saturday. I thought Villa were absolutely shocking, but then again I always do.

[pebblethefish]

As Saturday was our first win of the season, I watched Channel 5 highlights programme for the first time. What the fuck is with the presenter's pronunciation of Wolves? Why are "Leeds, Cardiff and Wooze" battling it out at the top of the table? Apologies to those of you whose teams didn't wait till the end of September to win, and have probably been laughing at him for months.

[tracteurgarcon]

Went to Elland Road on Saturday and was pleasantly surprised by 1) how good Ipswich were in defeat, especially in the 2nd half and 2) how enjoyable the match and atmosphere was, despite the outrageous ticket price of £37.

[Thierry Ennui]

A wedding in deepest darkest West Sussex kept me away from S6 yesterday (and the stupid money they charged us for tickets) but the pint I had in the Sky hosting pub in Reading on the way back tasted particularly fine. Not sure how long we can keep this going for but we're certainly enjoying the ride. Very tough week for us this week with Wolves at home on Wednesday and Forest away on Saturday. Pre season I'd have taken mid table consolidation but I don't think that's in Wilder's nature.

It made for bloody miserable viewing in the ground as a Wednesday fan. The only positive is it might have nudged Carvalhal closer to the exit.

[cantagalo]

I mentioned my (first ever) trip to Bolton on the match thread but thought I'd add here that, although Brentford played very well and scored three superb goals, Bolton, after the first ten minutes, were the poorest side I've seen at this level since perhaps Blackpool three seasons ago.

The stadium still looks quite nice but its location seven miles out of Bolton means that as a matchday experience it ranks as low as Reading and Milton Keynes.

[Glass Half Empty]

As I mentioned up thread I wasn't there but some horrible echos coming to light from yesterday's Sheffield Derby. Leppings Lane end - check, South Yorkshire Police - check, crushing at the entrance - check. The very fact that the Leppings Lane end is still essentially as was is astonishing, the dinosaur like attitudes from the club and the utter incompetence of South Yorkshire's finest is less of a shock. We were only given the upper tier so fortunately the sheer numbers weren't present to make a potentially dangerous situation turn into another disaster.

OK, Partisan views but the back story is still clear.

https://www.s24su.com/forum/index.ph...nstiles.58385/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLU1...ature=youtu.be

The local media are out quoting the SYP line on the "Success" of the police operation. After everything that has happened it is utterly beyond belief to me that the central causes to the tragedy are still discernible. Take care anyone going to Hillsborough this season starting with Leeds fans next Saturday

[Glass Half Empty]

I mentioned my (first ever) trip to Bolton on the match thread but thought I'd add here that, although Brentford played very well and scored three superb goals, Bolton, after the first ten minutes, were the poorest side I've seen at this level since perhaps Blackpool three seasons ago.

The stadium still looks quite nice but its location seven miles out of Bolton means that as a matchday experience it ranks as low as Reading and Milton Keynes.

THIS Add to this the attitude of a fair few of their fans make it top of the list for me as a place to miss.

[longeared]

I didn't go to Hillsborough on Sunday because of the abhorrent ticket pricing. I'd love to have gone but forty two quid? Nah, fuck off. As it was the game sounded a replica of 1992, United really going for it, Wednesday having the better team on paper but just treating it as another game and absolutely shitting themselves. The club has responded to the whole game in a familiar way - not saying anything in case some fans are nasty about them on Twitter. The WSC news editor put together an excellent thread of tweets yesterday identifying the assorted failings going on at the club.

Off pitch; obviously can't comment on the specifics, but SYP do seem to have chronically mismanaged things from everything I've heard and read. Them claiming the whole thing was a success is a novel departure though rather than blaming fans for minor offences. Apparently there were loads of our dickheads waiting around for the visiting fans and not moved on. The Star meanwhile reported "trouble" based on a non-specific tweet from an anonymous account. Not opening enough turnstiles is a persistent issue at Hillsborough (yes, really!) that pre-dates the chairman. Low key games (eg League Cup) where not many buy in advance are particularly affected by this, but it's not unique, there were big queues outside for the play off game at Huddersfield last year and that was all ticket. I noted the irony of queuing in the rain next to a closed turnstile.

Incidentally our ground capacity has been cut this year to somewhere around 33k on the advice of the somewhat mysterious Safety Advisory Group. The club don't tell us why because fans might be nasty about them on Twitter. Have a personal suspicion that the chairman is trying to pick a fight with said Group to make it easier to move ground in the not too distant future.

[Kevin S]

Quite a lot of goals across the board tonight.

[cantagalo]

76% possession but not as many shots as usual.

Derby offered absolutely nothing but it's never a good idea to go a goal down to a Gary Rowett side and his particular brand of anti-football. Anyway, a deserved point at the end.

[Amor de Cosmos]

A point at Barnsley, just about deserved in the end but man do we need a striker.

[cantagalo]

Remember when the Derby chairman came out with some crap about wanting to play 'the Derby way' after sacking one of his managers (can't remember which one)? I wonder if he's happy now.

That was a turgid, cowardly performance tonight and a look at the Derby message board would suggest that their fans aren't too pleased with Rowett either.

[Amor de Cosmos]

The sacked manager was Paul Clement. Currently managing Swansea.

[cantagalo]

The sacked manager was Paul Clement. Currently managing Swansea.

Blimey. So maybe that dross I saw tonight is the 'Derby Way'.

[Snake Plissken]

Steve Cotterill appointed at Birmingham. Probably what they need.