RiseAgainst

This might be controversial, but I'd like to see us name a stand after Jack. I think that would be far more fitting for our history and heritage than the current N S E W designations. Not sure who we'd name the other three stands after, but a fan poll by MFC would probably come up with the right results.

D'oh! I meant £100,000,000 as a selling fee, but I forgot some of the zeroes. Mind you, I should be used to seeing lots of zeroes this season. Goals for, expected goals, marks out of ten...

I can't imagine Warnock behind the scenes. He's too steeped in the pitchside mentality and he loves training too much to put his feet up in a windowless office somewhere in the Riverside while someone else gets to shout at the defence. He'd end up telling the manager/coach they were crap (which they probably would be, knowing our recruitment) and then either him or the manager would have to leave 'by mutual consent'. Then all the long-term strategies we'd put in place would be tossed up in the air, and we'd have to start completely afresh. Actually, that sounds familiar...

The same world in which Jadon Sancho is worth over £100,000,000 and the same world which pays Mesut Ozil £270,000 a week to not give a rat's ass about Arsenal. A very, very wrong world.

What was that about? I haven't heard that anecdote/rumour!

I don't want to derail the matchday thread by turning it into a Skindred appreciation thread, but the Newport Helicopter Benji orchestrated at Download last year was truly epic. If I ever meet him again, I'll give a better account of myself! Back on topic, and it feels like such a luxury to be discussing the next game with hopes of a decent performance - and maybe even a result.

1. Given the limitations of our squad, and the effectiveness of yesterday's performance, I absolutely would stick with wingbacks. I've always been a fan of the system, right back to the Robbo days. 2. Yes. They work well together, but neither can cut it as a lone striker. I'd gladly cut Britt loose post-season and bring in someone who could form an effective partnership with Fletcher. 3. I once met the Skindred singer Benji Webbe after a show. He's impossibly cool, and for the only time in my life, I was starstruck and couldn't think of anything to say. He'd probably forgotten about me before I'd walked away, but that encounter has haunted me for over a decade, thinking of all the cool-as things I could/should have said if my brain hadn't abandoned me.

And the emotional pendulum swings in the opposite direction once again...

It's been a long time since this team made me double air punch, but that penalty did. Fantastic stuff!

Surprised to see our goalscorer being removed, but pleased to see Tav on.

Go on Britt!

Or O for "oh no, Millwall have bundled it into the net".

Even if we end up getting tonked, I am hugely encouraged by this performance, for the first time in ages. It sounds like we're creating good chances and playing some decent football - and there are still four games to go even if we leave the Den empty-handed. Perhaps the run-in won't be as hopeless as we'd all feared?

Just to be different, I'd play a 4132, with Clayton protecting the defence and two up front so our strikers aren't trying to win knockdowns by themselves, Negredo style: GK: Pears LB: Coulson CB: Moukoudi CB: Shotton RB: Spence CDM: Clayton CM: Howson RW: Tavernier LW: Roberts CF: Fletcher CF: Assombalonga A few reasons for the above: we desperately need to score goals because our defence is so leaky I don't think we can play for a 0-0. I don't think Friend deserves a place in the team any more, Fry has been making some ricks and doesn't have Shotton's physical presence against a giant striker, Saville gave us nothing the other day, and Wing has looked extremely ineffectual. At least Tav and Roberts pose some attacking threat, and this lineup allows the team to play to whatever strengths they have left.

Four draws from our last four games got us promoted a few seasons ago. Maybe four draws will keep us up this year? (Four draws plus massive points deductions for all the naughty clubs).