Football League Thread - Season 2018/22

[Oblomov Boblomov]

Blues absolutely dominating Boro here. How times have changed.

[Herdanos]

So the Derby players are completely guilty then... and have been fined six weeks' wages and let back into the squad.

[Tomous]

"The club will not tolerate any of its players or staff behaving in a manner which puts themselves, their colleagues, and members of the general public at risk of injury or worse”.....says club who tolerates their players behaving in that way by fining them only 6 weeks wages and lets them straight back into the squad.

[Oblomov Boblomov]

Apparently 6 weeks' wages is the maximum fine they can enforce, but surely it's grounds enough for immediate dismissal?!

[Tomous]

Exactly, they should be sacking them.

[pjbetman]

Apparently 6 weeks' wages is the maximum fine they can enforce, but surely it's grounds enough for immediate dismissal?!

Surely this is where the FA step in and ban them for a season or something, without pay.

[Mini E]

Apparently 6 weeks' wages is the maximum fine they can enforce, but surely it's grounds enough for immediate dismissal?!

Surely this is where the FA step in and ban them for a season or something, without pay.

This is definitely where a governing body should be stepping in (like Cricket Australia did with Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft) to add their own sanctions.

[Oblomov Boblomov]

Apparently 6 weeks' wages is the maximum fine they can enforce, but surely it's grounds enough for immediate dismissal?!

Surely this is where the FA step in and ban them for a season or something, without pay.

This is definitely where a governing body should be stepping in (like Cricket Australia did with Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft) to add their own sanctions.

Agreed. There needs to be an example set such that it sends the clearest possible message that driving while drunk is a crime serious enough to accrue a punishment that will have a major negative impact on your life.

Couldn't give a gooseberry fool that they play for my club, this is something that obviously transcends the realm of sport.

[Corazon de Leon]

Travelled to London for that tosh.

[PatSharpsMullet]

Travelled to London for that tosh.

I was there too. We were abysmal, especially when it came to defending.

[Corazon de Leon]

Travelled to London for that tosh.

I was there too. We were abysmal, especially when it came to defending.

You know I actually thought we played well in places, QPR were just a lot more clinical and we don’t know what we’re strawberry floating doing at the back. Whereabouts did you sit?

[PatSharpsMullet]

Travelled to London for that tosh.

I was there too. We were abysmal, especially when it came to defending.

You know I actually thought we played well in places, QPR were just a lot more clinical and we don’t know what we’re strawberry floating doing at the back. Whereabouts did you sit?

I was on the right side of the stand in Row L. I always buy the Silver standard tickets for QPR as you still get a perfectly good view with no obstructions.

We started well and looked well on top until they scored. We can play some decent passing football but there never seems to be any end product. When we get near the goal we have no one else up there and end up playing it back into our own half.

[KingK]

Apparently 6 weeks' wages is the maximum fine they can enforce, but surely it's grounds enough for immediate dismissal?!

Surely this is where the FA step in and ban them for a season or something, without pay.

This is definitely where a governing body should be stepping in (like Cricket Australia did with Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft) to add their own sanctions.

Agreed. There needs to be an example set such that it sends the clearest possible message that driving while drunk is a crime serious enough to accrue a punishment that will have a major negative impact on your life.

Couldn't give a gooseberry fool that they play for my club, this is something that obviously transcends the realm of sport.

Refreshing to see your comments this week about your team's players.

What was the crowd reception today when Lawrence scored? He was booed in the previous game apparently but now he's scored I wonder if that was cheered, booed or simply greeted by silence?

Also, 2nd for us!

[Oblomov Boblomov]

Apparently 6 weeks' wages is the maximum fine they can enforce, but surely it's grounds enough for immediate dismissal?!

Surely this is where the FA step in and ban them for a season or something, without pay.

This is definitely where a governing body should be stepping in (like Cricket Australia did with Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft) to add their own sanctions.

Agreed. There needs to be an example set such that it sends the clearest possible message that driving while drunk is a crime serious enough to accrue a punishment that will have a major negative impact on your life.

Couldn't give a gooseberry fool that they play for my club, this is something that obviously transcends the realm of sport.

Refreshing to see your comments this week about your team's players.

What was the crowd reception today when Lawrence scored? He was booed in the previous game apparently but now he's scored I wonder if that was cheered, booed or simply greeted by silence?

Also, 2nd for us!

It's easy for me to write those words, candid as they are, because I have no say in the running of the team.

No idea on Lawrence's reception. Of course, his goal will have afforded strong relief, so I doubt there will have been much booing at that moment.

I've only watched you play twice this season and both times you were awful. Have you actually been better in general or do you think you are overachieving?

[Corazon de Leon]

Forest were lucky to get out of Ewood with a draw from what I saw midweek as well. That doesn’t mean much though, we don’t know what the strawberry float were doing in front of goal half the time.

[KingK]

Oh we’re overachieving for sure. Long may it continue too.

But we don’t look like losing much this season, so far. We look different on and off the pitch. The manager definitely has a plan B if needed and we have options off the bench in every match. It’s been years since I’ve felt that.

I’m thrilled at the current position and would snap anyone’s hands off if they offered us this as the end of the season.

I expect us around 6-9th at season end, but hopefully I’m wrong and we make top 2

[jawafour]

Sunderland have sacked their manager, Jack Ross, with the team currently placed sixth in League One. After eleven games, and a record of won 5, drawn 4 and lost 2, this feels incredibly harsh!

[Mini E]

Sunderland have sacked their manager, Jack Ross, with the team currently placed sixth in League One. After eleven games, and a record of won 5, drawn 4 and lost 2, this feels incredibly harsh!

They've been far from convincing in some games they've picked up points in, but yes - Sunderland fans tend to be dicks on Twitter. This smells of fan power, to be honest.

[PuppetBoy]

On the one hand I'm disappointed as I liked Jack Ross and really wanted him to succeed. He comes across as a intelligent, articulate and genuinely nice bloke and I'd have liked him to develop Sunderland for a few years. That said, I'm not surprised this has happened.

There is a huge level of expectation. There is far too much unjustified arrogance in the fanbase, and the board stoke that. The owner Stewart Donald went on a podcast and started bleating about wanting 100 point seasons before we'd kicked a ball for crying out loud. Mind you, there should be some degree of arrogance - by that I mean the club absolutely should be planning to try for promotion. With the resources they have for the division, there's no reason not to aspire to that.

So the thing is then, how long do you back something that you don't think is working and doesn't look like it can deliver on that expectation? They might be sixth but frankly they are lucky to be sixth. Sunderland have gone backwards since last season - in fact since the checkatrade trophy final they've been quite poor. As Mini E has alluded to, where we have won games we haven't tended to play well, we've just been dug out of holes with individual moments of skill from the likes of Aiden McGeady or Chris Maguire. It's well documented we draw a lot, and towards the end of last season we've started losing games - with a whimper - too regularly. Southend, Coventry and Fleetwood last season, Peterborough and Lincoln this.

I don't think it's fair to put everything on Ross - the summer recruitment was questionable and that lies with the recruitment team they have in place, Tony Coton and Richard Hill. They've improved at centre-half, but arguably regressed elsewhere. I think the one player that's caused the most issues though is Will Grigg. Now Ross identified him as his number one target to replace Maja in January and he hasn't gotten anything out of him. Part of that probably does fall down to the way Ross had us playing - lumping aimless long balls up over the top isn't going to get performances out of a striker like Grigg - so why ask to sign him then?

I hope they have an idea of a replacement in place though, and this isn't just a kneejerk reaction to the Lincoln game. We'll see soon enough I guess.

[Mini E]

Surely you’ll grab the recently departed Barnsley boss?