Missed Saturday's game again, as I've had family over for abroad who I've been showing around the UK.
Much like the Millwall game, the result was as expected when I saw the line up.
After championing Carlos Corberán for the role even weeks before Bruce was sacked, I am feeling a tad embarrassed after that team selection...
It screamed of a Richard Beale selection. So many square pegs in round holes.
3 full backs on the pitch, 2 playing centre half
I appreciate that it seems to be the "done thing" in football for any new manager to select the same dross as the previous manager in their first game. But after watching Corberan's interview where he said he had watched all of our games this season, I was hopeful of him getting some of the basics right and hitting the ground running. After seeing that selection, I suspect he was telling a few porkies about watching us.
Common sense says we have to build the team around our best players - Yokuslu, Rogic, Swift and Wallace. Bizarrely the manager only managed to select one in Wallace, who was again played out of position. Having an out and out winger in the side doesn't fit a 3-5-2.
I just can't fathom how Yokuslu and Rogic have almost 100 international caps between them, yet neither were deemed good enough to kick a ball on Saturday... Absolutely bizarre in a side containing the likes of Furlong, Townsend, Reach, Grant, Asante. Players who I've yet to see anything to prove they're even good enough at this level.
We really need to get back to basics, fast. I'd be looking at our 4 steadiest defenders. Yokuslu and Jake protection. And then tinker with the creative 4. Give us a solid platform but without 3 men constantly behind the ball that we have in our back 3.
I'll give Corberán the benefit of the doubt after 1 game, but he needs to learn fast. Continued selections like that and we will be relegated.