[drewks]

What were the players thinking? A "delightful pass" from Varela, a "terrific individual goal" from Ideye, an assist from Blanco? Don't they realise that such actions will be enough to keep them out of Irvine's plans for weeks? They should keep working on passing the ball sideways or backwards, tracking back (slowly) and keeping a good defensive shape.

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Not sure whether this will alter AI's thinking.....but it bloody well should!!
Surely that is the very reason for these matches - to have a look at fringe players? I know that it won't equate to a PL game but if this DOESN'T count at all then it's not worth staging; also I'd be very disappointed as a player if I shone in a game like this then was told (or got the impression) that it didn't really count!!
Actually, I'd be pissed off

[Squirrel Regis]

Ska'd,
Yep he was a bad bad manager but he did have balls. Remember him driving the players to a mid-week game in the club mini bus ?
The man was a raving lunatic !
After one bad game he invited one of the fans into the dressing room to tell the players what he thought of the game and it almost ended in a brawl !!!!
Mind you if you ever hear him on talk sport he is mad as a hatter.
If anyone ever sees the footage of that Shrewsbury game I'm the one in the pink panther outfit on the final whistle pitch invasion !
Got the hell out of dodge when some idiots broke the cross bar though ....