Best Of

The day is always better when I get to see you and your lad @Midlander.

Was lovely how he ran to me at the turnstiles to say hello. Hope he had a great time despite the result.

It’s his job but the human element of subjectivity also has an influence. The words dangerous, reckless etc can mean different things to different people.

I get your point @mooneyman but that does not alter the fact (for me) that it's strange that a centreback who probably cost more (I don't have the figures I know) and is presumably paid more than our whole back line can't get in the team, or on the bench ahead of 34 year old loan player. (And I think Bradley has been excellent for us.) It's a question we are allowed to ask without it revealing our lack of understanding of the game.

Well we can all look forward to it being fully rescinded then. Except it definitely won’t be. Threshold for what an official classes as dangerous play has moved on a tad from where you think it is. You don’t have to like it or agree with it, but those are the laws of the game.

This feels wrong doing this in @Shev's absence but in the hope that he returns...

And apologies for not doing this sooner, but if anyone who has posted a view earlier can add it into the poll I would much appreciate it.

The insight Shev gave us through this over the years was really informative. Trust me - I will not be doing the same! If he doesn't come back I will let this wither on the vine and, in my view, the Gasroom will be a poorer place for it's lack.

But I will try and keep this going in his (hopefully only temporary) absence.

Found Birmingham fans in the ground a bit obnoxious. But outside the ground, they couldn’t have been friendlier or more welcoming. Aside from the result it was a good day out.

After sleeping on it...

We were far to respectful to them first half. So slow at the back, far to many touches we simply invited them to win the ball in horrendously dangerous areas.

Second half, I think if we'd have played like that in the first half, we go in at the break at least level.

We looked so much better in the second. Reach looks fantastic so whilst it's a shitter losing Harvie, I'm more than confident in Reach stepping up.

I would have taken being 2 points ahead of Wrexham before a ball was kicked yesterday.

Big display on Tuesday and this weekend will be a distant memory.

For me, the most interesting thing about all of this is why the data seems to have been so wrong. They were two professional footballers regularly doing their job (presumably pretty well) at a competitive level of football. I will accept a week or two to get up to match fitness and a little bit of adapting to a new environment but after this length of time not to get near the first team (by any reasonable reading of MD's comments) suggests that their abilities and qualities that were apparent in their previous employment haven't (yet) translated into abilities and qualities that (presumably) our data said would be good for League 1 football in England & Wales.

Bit of a tricky one for Dan Rice if he's sanctioned spending the money and the head coach is saying none of them are good enough. Or better than the journeyman loans or veterans. Or I suppose it could be tricky for MD...