Thank you for the Blackoool stats. Good job we won then. Bayo was available for £845,000, approx €1m Manaj was bought for £3m Hamer £0 and Bacuna £0. They were both without clubs and looking for work. There will be no sell on fee for them. Ferreira is an interesting one. Rio Ave wouldn't pay the €2m originally asked for him. They didn't want to pay €1m on the price drop. The fee we paid is £2m. Yes, l bang on about the transfers, but only because the majority of fans seem totally happy for a club massively in debt to throw money away on total dog turds. It is the way football is as a business and agents are locusts. The accounts will be out in 12 to 18 months perhaps we will see the costs then. This site is entertaining l grant you that.
I thought the Hamer/Bacuna part was pretty obvious sarcasm, but I guess I should have remembered who I was speaking to... What's your source for that Manaj fee?? (SARCASM ALERT) Yes yes the majority of fans are definitely happy with the fees we spent on Kalu/Okoye/Bayo etc, yes indeedy well done (SARCASM ALERT)
Whe I saw 54 on his shirt I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that 54 was one of those striker mentality "number 9 is taken so I'll get a number that adds up to 9" scenarios. Didn't some Newcastle striker go with 27 or something as shearer wouldn't give up 9? Anyway, then 53 turns up and I didn't really know where to go with that. This true story was brought to you by the numbers 53 and 54 and the letter F.
Not looking to defend the referee as he was complete bobbins but he did inexplicably fail to give one of our players a yellow when chopping down a Blackpool player running centrally into the box early on. It was the only one of our fouls I actually thought deserved a yellow (at least above what Blackpool were getting away with). Some of the decisions or lack of were truly baffling and I’ll often try and see it from the refs perspective but Saturdays ref perspective was “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
I won't look back but some time ago people were wondering if there was any talent in the Academy that could step up to the first team. I recently went to the youth Cup match v Everton and really enjoyed it. The thought that is nagging at my mind is about the u21's and u23's. I realise a few of the u18 youth Academy play for all 3 teams when available but otherwise, how come none of the u23's were good enough for the 1st team squad during this difficult time? Or am I being stupid?
I think Mooney nailed it on Comms. He said that after a few bad decisions, he just totally lost control of the match. He was trying to even stuff up all over the pitch and it led to both sides getting away with potential yellow cards, and getting fouls that weren't fouls. If he was being assessed he's definitely heading to league 1 for a bit, because he looked out of his depth
You aren’t being stupid as I wondered the same, however Morris was playing for the under 21’s before being brought into the senior fold. I’m pretty sure a couple of similar age players might have made the bench in the weeks gone by. Possibly the better ones are sent out on loan e,g, Shagai Forde
The first penalty claim looked absolutely nailed on to me. Sarr doesn't help himself because he does dive, and he took a laughably bad dive about three minutes into the second half which was no doubt in the refs mind when he was fouled in the box.
That is the most stonewall I think I have seen in a long time. Ball was past him before he even lunged in. Sarr had every right to go down then. Awful officiating.
I recommend you revisit the earlier post that shows the decisions he gave for Swansea vs Middlesborough a couple of seasons ago....the fact he is still allowed to ref in the EFL after those decisions alone amazes me.
It was one where it was either a penalty or a blatant dive. I don't understand how the ref gave neither.
Horrendous officiating. He's clearly not sure as he's not been confident enough to give it the big No Way signal. Love Kone's reaction, need more of that
I was pleased by the hunger and intensity the team showed in the first 15 minutes of this match. Symbolized by Bayo's attempted overhead kick. i also liked Kone's pass forward "as a first thought" mentality.
Looks like a clear dive to me. Sarr didn't help his case by putting in a ridiculous dive about 5 minutes before this as well.
I'm less sure than I was now I've seen that. No contact on Sarr's left foot, and Sarr drags his right foot along the floor into the defender.
And in the first half lying on the floor in their half for about 2 minutes which the ref was having none of.
I thought it was a weak shout at the time and that video doesn't change my view. Sarr's anticipating contact and already dragging his leg before their bloke commits. Even then I'm not sure there's much meaningful contact?
Well let's be clear, the ref gave Sarr no protection throughout the match. At times he was triple teamed and they systematically took it in turns to foul him. He road a number of fouls, staying on his feet but did stay down a couple of times for a long time, I would guess in frustration more than injury. He also won the ball back from the opposition for the start of both goals moves. He had a good game.
I guess if he wasn't sure if it was a foul or not from his view, he couldn't give a pen or a booking ? TBH we aren't even all "as one" on this after watching the playbacks that the ref doesn't see.
Yes Sarr was clearly targeted by the opposition. I thought the ref was thinking early on that Sarr was simulating, but after he allowed that bad foul by Patino and booked Gasppar soon after I started to wonder. Blackpool took full advantage of the ref's reluctance to give Sarr any protection.
Definite pen, honestly thought it was a dive from where i was sat on Saturday (bit lower that the camera angle on the first clip)
Tough decision for a ref though without the benefit of a replay. Got to be sure to give it. Got to be sure he dived to book him.
One of those that wouldn't have been overturned if given, but not necessarily given by VAR if the ref didn't give it. He has gone looking for it and he made contact with the defender rather than the defender tripping him. I can see why the ref didn't give it.
Couldn't agree more. Some seem to think having taken Evergreen Rovers to the Champion League Final in 13 seasons condensed into 4 days and learning new letter and number combinations CDM, RWB, 3-5-2, 5-3-2 etc on Football Manager equates to remotely to anything that happens in football when people actually play it.
Looking at the pen I can see why the ref didn’t give it. Sarr always looks like he’s trying to buy a pen/foul despite, more often than not, being fouled. Key thing with this one is there seemed zero logic to going down. I mean he had gone past the player and was around 7 yards out in front of goal. If you’re not taking the shot there, you never are.
