Premier League - Ipswich Town vs Newcastle United Preview & Matchday Thread

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

This, for me, has been the most fascinating thread on this forum for ages - those who can see the mistakes that KM is making (Mike, Wilf, Hallam, myself, to name a few), and those who think the sun still shines out of KM's @rsehole (Marko, Valley, MMJ, etc). Oh, and others like Charnwood who seem to do their best to sit on the fence. It's interesting that the ones firmly in the KM is the messiah camp are the ones who don't get to watch the team live - maybe that means something? Maybe not, I don't know.

In my view, this upcoming transfer window is not going to make a blind bit of difference to the squad - we will get new players in of course, but they will not be any better than we already have. Anybody who thinks that players of quality are going to want to come and play for Ipswich is living in a fantasy world.

It's looking already as though we are nailed on for relegation. I don't want us to be relegated, because if that happens there is absolutely no telling how long it might take us to get back up again (if ever).

We absolutely have a chance of staying up, but for that to happen KM must change his approach. His interview after the game disappointed me - he seemed (in a roundabout and underhand way) to put all of the blame onto the players and to entirely disregard that which he must take the blame for.
He has to realise that the way he wants the game to be played requires much better players than we have or indeed are ever likely to have. Instead, he needs to look at what he does have available and choose an approach that best suits them. And be flexible in that approach, and realise that he cannot play the same system in every game. If he can not or will not do that, then I think he should ship out - this club is bigger and far more important than him and his own personal ambitions.

[Blue Wilf]

This, for me, has been the most fascinating thread on this forum for ages - those who can see the mistakes that KM is making (Mike, Wilf, Hallam, myself, to name a few), and those who think the sun still shines out of KM's @rsehole (Marko, Valley, MMJ, etc). Oh, and others like Charnwood who seem to do their best to sit on the fence. It's interesting that the ones firmly in the KM is the messiah camp are the ones who don't get to watch the team live - maybe that means something? Maybe not, I don't know.

In my view, this upcoming transfer window is not going to make a blind bit of difference to the squad - we will get new players in of course, but they will not be any better than we already have. Anybody who thinks that players of quality are going to want to come and play for Ipswich is living in a fantasy world.

It's looking already as though we are nailed on for relegation. I don't want us to be relegated, because if that happens there is absolutely no telling how long it might take us to get back up again (if ever).

We absolutely have a chance of staying up, but for that to happen KM must change his approach. His interview after the game disappointed me - he seemed (in a roundabout and underhand way) to put all of the blame onto the players and to entirely disregard that which he must take the blame for.
He has to realise that the way he wants the game to be played requires much better players than we have or indeed are ever likely to have. Instead, he needs to look at what he does have available and choose an approach that best suits them. And be flexible in that approach, and realise that he cannot play the same system in every game. If he can not or will not do that, then I think he should ship out - this club is bigger and far more important than him and his own personal ambitions.

WORD

[JohnnyB]

Well here's my take. Btw I have managed to see the team once this year and generally get to one or two away games when in uk. I watch as much on tv as I can.

Gamechanger, Ashton and Mckenna have a long term plan. It involves playing a brand of attractive football and building a brand and culture to attract fans and ultimately establish ourselves in the prem.

The promotion to the prem last year was unexpected. Town gatecrashed the party if you like and may soon get booted out! But for me, that doesn't change the brand or the culture that has been so successfully established. If they do go down, they will regroup in the champ (with the parachute money) and come back stronger, as sheff U seem to be doing now. Delap will go, probably Davis and maybe McKenna too, but the project will continue. Alternatively, there's a fair chance we stay up. We're kind of relying on a couple of teams to be really sh#t but it certainly could happen.

So to me, the talk of doubling down defensively and changing the way we play, is wrong-headed. We could do, but it probably won't work anyway, and we lose the essence of the new Ipswich.

[Blue Wilf]

Well here's my take. Btw I have managed to see the team once this year and generally get to one or two away games when in uk. I watch as much on tv as I can.

Gamechanger, Ashton and Mckenna have a long term plan. It involves playing a brand of attractive football and building a brand and culture to attract fans and ultimately establish ourselves in the prem.

The promotion to the prem last year was unexpected. Town gatecrashed the party if you like and may soon get booted out! But for me, that doesn't change the brand or the culture that has been so successfully established. If they do go down, they will regroup in the champ (with the parachute money) and come back stronger, as sheff U seem to be doing now. Delap will go, probably Davis and maybe McKenna too, but the project will continue. Alternatively, there's a fair chance we stay up. We're kind of relying on a couple of teams to be really sh#t but it certainly could happen.

So to me, the talk of doubling down defensively and changing the way we play, is wrong-headed. We could do, but it probably won't work anyway, and we lose the essence of the new Ipswich.

That is a very fair viewpoint, Jonny. However, I would argue that the already slim chance of staying up will become a definite impossibility if we don't change tactics. Other teams change approaches too (even in the Championship) so there is no guarantee that we would come up again any time soon. Time will tell and this transfer window will give us more of a clue but with our upcoming fixture and those around us potentially taking points could see us well adrift at the bottom come February. If Leicester and Everton win today for example, our closest opponent above us in the table becomes Palace who would be 4 points ahead as we go to arsenal and then chelsea...

[Bluemike]

This, for me, has been the most fascinating thread on this forum for ages - those who can see the mistakes that KM is making (Mike, Wilf, Hallam, myself, to name a few), and those who think the sun still shines out of KM's @rsehole (Marko, Valley, MMJ, etc). Oh, and others like Charnwood who seem to do their best to sit on the fence. It's interesting that the ones firmly in the KM is the messiah camp are the ones who don't get to watch the team live - maybe that means something? Maybe not, I don't know.

In my view, this upcoming transfer window is not going to make a blind bit of difference to the squad - we will get new players in of course, but they will not be any better than we already have. Anybody who thinks that players of quality are going to want to come and play for Ipswich is living in a fantasy world.

It's looking already as though we are nailed on for relegation. I don't want us to be relegated, because if that happens there is absolutely no telling how long it might take us to get back up again (if ever).

We absolutely have a chance of staying up, but for that to happen KM must change his approach. His interview after the game disappointed me - he seemed (in a roundabout and underhand way) to put all of the blame onto the players and to entirely disregard that which he must take the blame for.
He has to realise that the way he wants the game to be played requires much better players than we have or indeed are ever likely to have. Instead, he needs to look at what he does have available and choose an approach that best suits them. And be flexible in that approach, and realise that he cannot play the same system in every game. If he can not or will not do that, then I think he should ship out - this club is bigger and far more important than him and his own personal ambitions.

WORD

Word x Two

[Ricco]

Let me tell you, Ricco, to spend £50+million on 4 or 5 quality players that won't buy one,

Well it would... when £20m buys Delap... but that's why I said cracking buys. I doubt we have the money to really go after things, so we're going to need some really good picks and a big slice of luck.

And as you point out, yes, those full backs are poor defenders as I mentioned, but I think 3 centre backs solves a lot of that problem without having to spend £40m on full backs and benching Davis (which won't happen because of his threat).

[Bluemike]

Let's be honest here, at this level McKenna is floundering and out of his depth, he's living off the past Two seasons which count for nothing now, that's the reality it, he is making the same errors week after week, how any manager with anything about him can't see the failings of Muric is beyond me.

I think at 90% of clubs McKenna's position would currently be under review and that is no exaggeration, Leicester, Wolves and Southampton have made a change to try and turn things around. It's not just the scoreline today but that first half performance was abhorrent.

We fluked a win at a very off colour spurs and nabbed a winner last week against a team in utter turmoil with fighting Two weeks running, a manager on the way out and disgruntled players, hardly inspiring. Half way through a season and that's the Two we've won and when we get a win we all feel it's turning round, its quite simply not. Oh and for the record the process is bollocks and I don't trust in it at all.

Mckenna has a belief in a system that over the whole season he hopes will gain 1 point more than the team in 18th.
He wants to play it each week so the whole squad knows their roles and players rotating can fit in.
He knows there are games where Town will get battered but over the season hopes to get that single point more than 18th
I very much doubt that many managers out there would achieve much more with Ipswich in their first season in the PL.
I don't know a single person outside of Town supporters who though Town will stay up this season.
McKenna is not out of his depth at all. Where exactly did you think Town would be. It just an angry rant of frustration and do you really want to change the manager ?
Mckenna is an outstanding coach hugely regarded at the top level. Just listen to his players about his man management etc
The goal is 17th and Ipswich over a whole season will be close.
All those wanting to go down and rebuild for are talking utter junk. Stay in the PL and build !!
Tired of reading these rants by Town supporters time for a bit of perspective

You are pretty much spot on with everything you wrote. The amount of bedwetting on this site is, frankly, embarrassing.

Why is it bedwetting or embarrassing? Because it doesn't concur with your ridiculous theory that all is rosy and Mckenna is God?

Trouble is too many thickos on here think when someone voices disapproval about something they want McKenna gone, they don't grasp it, its ADAPTING and CHANGE at certain times which is needed, go Google the meaning of those Two words, not hard to understand

[Ricco]

And we're well adrift now too Mike, especially if Everton and Leicester win games in hand. It doesn't matter if we go down in 18th or 20th, the result is the same. If our plan hasn't worked thus far, it needs to change, quite simple really.

[Bluemike]

Exactly, yes we all said we'd grab 17th with both hands and that still stands but there have been games KM has chucked points away through blind stubbornness, just get savvy and stop trying to be smart.

[JohnnyB]

Well here's my take. Btw I have managed to see the team once this year and generally get to one or two away games when in uk. I watch as much on tv as I can.

Gamechanger, Ashton and Mckenna have a long term plan. It involves playing a brand of attractive football and building a brand and culture to attract fans and ultimately establish ourselves in the prem.

The promotion to the prem last year was unexpected. Town gatecrashed the party if you like and may soon get booted out! But for me, that doesn't change the brand or the culture that has been so successfully established. If they do go down, they will regroup in the champ (with the parachute money) and come back stronger, as sheff U seem to be doing now. Delap will go, probably Davis and maybe McKenna too, but the project will continue. Alternatively, there's a fair chance we stay up. We're kind of relying on a couple of teams to be really sh#t but it certainly could happen.

So to me, the talk of doubling down defensively and changing the way we play, is wrong-headed. We could do, but it probably won't work anyway, and we lose the essence of the new Ipswich.

That is a very fair viewpoint, Jonny. However, I would argue that the already slim chance of staying up will become a definite impossibility if we don't change tactics. Other teams change approaches too (even in the Championship) so there is no guarantee that we would come up again any time soon. Time will tell and this transfer window will give us more of a clue but with our upcoming fixture and those around us potentially taking points could see us well adrift at the bottom come February. If Leicester and Everton win today for example, our closest opponent above us in the table becomes Palace who would be 4 points ahead as we go to arsenal and then chelsea...

Thanks! Appreciate your friendly tone

Honestly, if Town stay up, that's a far bigger achievement than either promotion.

Essentially (correct me if I'm wrong) folks who want a change in tactics believe we should set up more defensively, stop playing out and punt it up the field instead for example. But don't we then invite prem teams with their glittering arrays of attacking talent to come at us all game? Would that really be more successful?

For me, we need Southampton, Wolves and Leicester to be worse than us. Unless they actually dole out so punishment to citeh, that's it really. I think there's a fair to middle chance of that, personally.

[Mach_Polish_Blue]

A post-match interview: 'lessons to take from this game blah blah blah'. How predictable !

McKenna will have taken the club out from the wilderness but right now he is getting us relegated. His persistence with Muric and 4-2-3-1 stubborness are the main reasons of that.

Tuanzebe is by far our best defender. When we miss him we truly do. But doesn't stop McKenna from using 4 at the back and continuing his tippy-tappy approach. 3 out of the 4 defenders yesterday were League One players yet we were still so open. Add to this the calamity in our goal and it is a recipe for disaster.

No Tuanzebe, no Delap, no Hirst meant we have had no physicality in the team. No threat whatsoever from the forward players but hey he won't change an approach. The same managerial school like Martin or Kompany. My way or nothing.

Chaplin and Burns....dear me ! This level is beyond them. Not knocking them as they will have given us great memories but they are nowhere near Prem quality.

Muric .... keeps costing us goals and points. A strong candidate to be our worst ever goalkeeper. However he is getting picked up week in week out despite our manager saying that lessons will have been taken.

Continue with 4-2-3-1 means we are facing a bloodbath against Arsenal and Chelsea. To give ourselves a little bit of hope to avoid that McKenna will have to go against his principles and copy approach from the Tottenham game.

Losing 0-4 yesterday isn't a reason why we are going down though. Everton and Crystal Palace have been more disastrous results as we are toothless against physical sides. But this is Kieran McKenna for you. The same managerial school with Russell Martin or Vincent Kompany as they all want to impress top clubs with their vision of football and Kompany has won it.

[mendipblue]

The first thing KMck must do is drop Muric. The 2nd is to play 5 4 1 away from home. 3rd, he needs to take his head out of his arse. I really rate the guy but right now he is not helping the situation with team formations, team selections and tactics, which is very worrying because that's his job?
🫣

[Blue Wilf]

A post-match interview: 'lessons to take from this game blah blah blah'. How predictable !

McKenna will have taken the club out from the wilderness but right now he is getting us relegated. His persistence with Muric and 4-2-3-1 stubborness are the main reasons of that.

Tuanzebe is by far our best defender. When we miss him we truly do. But doesn't stop McKenna from using 4 at the back and continuing his tippy-tappy approach. 3 out of the 4 defenders yesterday were League One players yet we were still so open. Add to this the calamity in our goal and it is a recipe for disaster.

No Tuanzebe, no Delap, no Hirst meant we have had no physicality in the team. No threat whatsoever from the forward players but hey he won't change an approach. The same managerial school like Martin or Kompany. My way or nothing.

Chaplin and Burns....dear me ! This level is beyond them. Not knocking them as they will have given us great memories but they are nowhere near Prem quality.

Muric .... keeps costing us goals and points. A strong candidate to be our worst ever goalkeeper. However he is getting picked up week in week out despite our manager saying that lessons will have been taken.

Continue with 4-2-3-1 means we are facing a bloodbath against Arsenal and Chelsea. To give ourselves a little bit of hope to avoid that McKenna will have to go against his principles and copy approach from the Tottenham game.

Losing 0-4 yesterday isn't a reason why we are going down though. Everton and Crystal Palace have been more disastrous results as we are toothless against physical sides. But this is Kieran McKenna for you. The same managerial school with Russell Martin or Vincent Kompany as they all want to impress top clubs with their vision of football and Kompany has won it.

You are so right, Mach. Play with the 'guardiola' style and lose every week but get the Bayern Munich job on the back of failure or play a bit more of a 'savvy' style based on your teams capabilities (even with the same set of results) and get told it is hoof ball and never get a chance in the Prem again. It is just the latest 'fashion' in football, regardless of your Teams capability, sadly.

[Blue Wilf]

Well here's my take. Btw I have managed to see the team once this year and generally get to one or two away games when in uk. I watch as much on tv as I can.

Gamechanger, Ashton and Mckenna have a long term plan. It involves playing a brand of attractive football and building a brand and culture to attract fans and ultimately establish ourselves in the prem.

The promotion to the prem last year was unexpected. Town gatecrashed the party if you like and may soon get booted out! But for me, that doesn't change the brand or the culture that has been so successfully established. If they do go down, they will regroup in the champ (with the parachute money) and come back stronger, as sheff U seem to be doing now. Delap will go, probably Davis and maybe McKenna too, but the project will continue. Alternatively, there's a fair chance we stay up. We're kind of relying on a couple of teams to be really sh#t but it certainly could happen.

So to me, the talk of doubling down defensively and changing the way we play, is wrong-headed. We could do, but it probably won't work anyway, and we lose the essence of the new Ipswich.

That is a very fair viewpoint, Jonny. However, I would argue that the already slim chance of staying up will become a definite impossibility if we don't change tactics. Other teams change approaches too (even in the Championship) so there is no guarantee that we would come up again any time soon. Time will tell and this transfer window will give us more of a clue but with our upcoming fixture and those around us potentially taking points could see us well adrift at the bottom come February. If Leicester and Everton win today for example, our closest opponent above us in the table becomes Palace who would be 4 points ahead as we go to arsenal and then chelsea...

Thanks! Appreciate your friendly tone

Honestly, if Town stay up, that's a far bigger achievement than either promotion.

Essentially (correct me if I'm wrong) folks who want a change in tactics believe we should set up more defensively, stop playing out and punt it up the field instead for example. But don't we then invite prem teams with their glittering arrays of attacking talent to come at us all game? Would that really be more successful?

For me, we need Southampton, Wolves and Leicester to be worse than us. Unless they actually dole out so punishment to citeh, that's it really. I think there's a fair to middle chance of that, personally.

I am not advocating playing defensively and hoofing it upfield (although to be fair, that would have saved us at least one goal per game in recent weeks) but I think a formation that plays to our strengths with clear zones set for players to defend would be a good start. Just playing the gung ho football we have all loved for the past 3 years has been great to watch but when you are playing against more skill, pace and strength, you have to play with a bit more guile and sense. We were never going to score 2 or 3 goals yesterday (with no recognised striker and a team at least a foot shorter than any opposing player!) so why set out to try? It was suicide and we paid the price for it.
The failing for that strategy sits firmly at McKenna's door - only he has the power to recognise that and change it but so far, he hasn't (or just plain won't)! His career will still flourish long after he leaves us even if we get relegated. We will have to change track and hope to reclaim our success of previous years.

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

For me, we need Southampton, Wolves and Leicester to be worse than us. Unless they actually dole out so punishment to citeh, that's it really. I think there's a fair to middle chance of that, personally.

I don't think that is what we need at all - why should we want to rely on 3 clubs being worse than us? That's so defeatist.
What we need is to be better than 3 other clubs, and the onus on that sits squarely with KM.

[marko69]

Well here's my take. Btw I have managed to see the team once this year and generally get to one or two away games when in uk. I watch as much on tv as I can.

Saw Ipswich “live” on 3 occasions, late 90’s, so that’s 25 years away from being relevant to this discussion.

But i suffer from MOTD. Thats “Myopia Of The Daylights” ……. Which means, I’m fkn screwed. I have no idea what the fk is going on. Probably akin to Ipswich Town manager Kieron McKenna if the “People who go to games ” on this forum are to be believed & trusted.

Someone posted yesterday: “Jesus Wept”

Thats right ——>> The Messiah is weeping guys! Have faith in the long term plan. Have faith in Mark Ashtons “process” ——>> HE coined that.

[Mach_Polish_Blue]

For me, we need Southampton, Wolves and Leicester to be worse than us. Unless they actually dole out so punishment to citeh, that's it really. I think there's a fair to middle chance of that, personally.

We need to worry ourselves not just other teams. We can't even win a home game despite this manager earning 5m a year.

[Mach_Polish_Blue]

[
You are so right, Mach. Play with the 'guardiola' style and lose every week but get the Bayern Munich job on the back of failure or play a bit more of a 'savvy' style based on your teams capabilities (even with the same set of results) and get told it is hoof ball and never get a chance in the Prem again. It is just the latest 'fashion' in football, regardless of your Teams capability, sadly.

There is also a third category that will eventually get you a job. Just be 'famous'. And Rooney and Lampard are like that.

[marko69]

You’re farting against thunder, Johnny B. Something AzzurroMark realised 2 weeks ago. But don’t follow in his footsteps. Stick around and carry on being, quote: “Defeatist ”

[valleyroad]

You’re farting against thunder, Johnny B. Something AzzurroMark realised 2 weeks ago. But don’t follow in his footsteps. Stick around and carry on being, quote: “Defeatist ”

Aye but remember if you don't see Town live your point of view is not worth a jot. Even though you may have seen plenty of Town this season with a tv and stick !

I kinda get where AzzuroMark is coming from

[Blue Wilf]

You’re farting against thunder, Johnny B. Something AzzurroMark realised 2 weeks ago. But don’t follow in his footsteps. Stick around and carry on being, quote: “Defeatist ”

Aye but remember if you don't see Town live your point of view is not worth a jot. Even though you may have seen plenty of Town this season with a tv and stick !

How hard is it for you guys to realise that other people may have a different opinion to you? Surely thats not a complex thing to grasp? I don't think any of you are being defeatist - just deluded in your unwavering conviction about 'the process', thats all.

[marko69]

You’re farting against thunder, Johnny B. Something AzzurroMark realised 2 weeks ago. But don’t follow in his footsteps. Stick around and carry on being, quote: “Defeatist ”

Aye but remember if you don't see Town live your point of view is not worth a jot. Even though you may have seen plenty of Town this season with a tv and stick !

Well, to be fair, i put the stick away when watching football. Because I’m sitting down you understand!

Where is KennedysZimmerframe when you yearn for some hilarity!

[marko69]

You’re farting against thunder, Johnny B. Something AzzurroMark realised 2 weeks ago. But don’t follow in his footsteps. Stick around and carry on being, quote: “Defeatist ”

Aye but remember if you don't see Town live your point of view is not worth a jot. Even though you may have seen plenty of Town this season with a tv and stick !

How hard is it for you guys to realise that other people may have a different opinion to you? Surely thats not a complex thing to grasp? I don't think any of you are being defeatist - just deluded in your unwavering conviction about 'the process', thats all.

No one has any issue at all understanding that all opinions differ.

In fact…….. if you think about it Wilf, we are all the same really.

WE …… think your opinion is shyte.

YOU….. Think our opinion is shyte with an added “deluded” to the equation.

So your knickers are a tad more twisted than ours!

[Blue Wilf]

Aye but remember if you don't see Town live your point of view is not worth a jot. Even though you may have seen plenty of Town this season with a tv and stick !

How hard is it for you guys to realise that other people may have a different opinion to you? Surely thats not a complex thing to grasp? I don't think any of you are being defeatist - just deluded in your unwavering conviction about 'the process', thats all.

No one has any issue at all understanding that all opinions differ.

In fact…….. if you think about it Wilf, we are all the same really.

WE …… think your opinion is shyte.

YOU….. Think our opinion is shyte with an added “deluded” to the equation.

So your knickers are a tad more twisted than ours!

Yes - that about sums it up - but I don't wear knickers on a sunday... just for the record...

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

Aye but remember if you don't see Town live your point of view is not worth a jot.

And just who said that? I have scoured this thread, but I don't see where anybody has said that.
Still, if the cap fits.

Even though you may have seen plenty of Town this season with a tv and stick !

Not quite the same, though, is it.

[marko69]

How hard is it for you guys to realise that other people may have a different opinion to you? Surely thats not a complex thing to grasp? I don't think any of you are being defeatist - just deluded in your unwavering conviction about 'the process', thats all.

No one has any issue at all understanding that all opinions differ.

In fact…….. if you think about it Wilf, we are all the same really.

WE …… think your opinion is shyte.

YOU….. Think our opinion is shyte with an added “deluded” to the equation.

So your knickers are a tad more twisted than ours!

Yes - that about sums it up - but I don't wear knickers on a sunday... just for the record...

[marko69]

Not quite the same, though, is it.

It may arguably be better.
(SPL alert) ….. When at Easter Road at maybe an important derby match, you see an incident and think, “Pi$$ off, ref” …… Then you cannot wait to catch highlights……. And its, “Jeezo. That should’ve been a red card for the Hibs player!”

[Ricco]

I think defeatist is carrying on doing the same thing and settling for relegation. THAT is defeatist.

Nobody is knocking how the team are doing, we all knew before the season that it was going to be a rough one and 17th would be a superb results.

But... and let's make this crystal clear... if you know that a certain 'system' is going to get you relegated, why would you persevere?! Answer me that, seriously. Why wouldn't you try another way, especially when you have another way that has a 50% win rate this season?

Burns has 0 goals and 1 assist in 14 appearances, so why is he getting game time? Why is Hutchinson playing out of posistion, why is Szmodics playing out of posistion? None of it make any sense. To accommodate Burns? And as much as I love him, he's not cutting it... so why no... I don't know... CHANGE?

Even if change ends up being worse and you finish 19th instead if 18th, at least you've had a go, at least you're not defeatist in accepting relegation.

[valleyroad]

Aye but remember if you don't see Town live your point of view is not worth a jot.

And just who said that? I have scoured this thread, but I don't see where anybody has said that.
Still, if the cap fits.

Even though you may have seen plenty of Town this season with a tv and stick !

Not quite the same, though, is it.

Funny how you responded ?

[hallamblue]

I think defeatist is carrying on doing the same thing and settling for relegation. THAT is defeatist.

Nobody is knocking how the team are doing, we all knew before the season that it was going to be a rough one and 17th would be a superb results.

But... and let's make this crystal clear... if you know that a certain 'system' is going to get you relegated, why would you persevere?! Answer me that, seriously. Why wouldn't you try another way, especially when you have another way that has a 50% win rate this season?

Burns has 0 goals and 1 assist in 14 appearances, so why is he getting game time? Why is Hutchinson playing out of posistion, why is Szmodics playing out of posistion? None of it make any sense. To accommodate Burns? And as much as I love him, he's not cutting it... so why no... I don't know... CHANGE?

Even if change ends up being worse and you finish 19th instead if 18th, at least you've had a go, at least you're not defeatist in accepting relegation.

Quite agree with you.....funny thing is I said to Mike yesterday at the game that I could easily see Burns being offloaded in January. He can't cut it at this level, and barely did, if truth be known, at Championship level.

The club can't afford to be sentimental and I'm 100% sure they won't be. The owners are piling in hundreds of £m's to settle for Championship level.

I still say McKenna has a free hit this season because we are ahead of our owners' schedule, and the squad clear isn't up to PL level. But McKenna needs to be far more adaptable with the squad he has and not blindly continue in this one approach fits all, because it plainly doesn't.