[Devongone]

What's going on, the year's ending and suddenly there's actual evidence I might have a clue.

I've said several times we should jump in, give Torquay's young keeper Dan Lavercombe a contract and loan him back to Torquay. And it seems Wigan are going to do exactly that.

Not particularly perceptively I ruled Swindon out of getting into the Division One promotion picture ,because of the dangers for their manager if he came under pressure. Sadly the job has already become too much for him.

And I wrote that I didn't have much confidence in Sheff Utd's promotion push (admittedly due to Adele's dad Marmalade) but it seems Mr Morgan couldn't have been too convinced of Championship football adding a lustre to his CV any time soon if he'd rather work with Danny and us ...........

No wonder they're closing the year down if I'm on the verge of getting stuff right.

I'm slightly beginning to panic that we're going to recall Gnanduillet from the commuter hell that is Stevenage and play him at Centre Back against Shrewsbury ........

Maybe we're going to send Morsy to see Morgan ...... when he wants to leave. He'd be bound to come out shaking, having signed a four-year contract at minimum wage.

[Dancingwilldoit]

Keep taking the tablets Dev. You know you shouldn't be drinking with them.
Don't expect anything other than hard graft to get us out of trouble with Morgan as coach.
The one issue that worries me is the centre back pairing. We saw Hird and Raglan paired up earlier in the season and it wasn't that good as neither of them has a left foot. There is talk of bringing in Maguire from the youth team who I haven't seen but that would certainly be a baptism of fire.
If we could guarantee a few goals at the other end I wouldn't be that bothered but 1 goal in 5 games or 2 in 8 doesn't exactly inspire me with confidence.
300 appearances for Tommy Lee has to be worth a mention and it really does make a refreshing change for a player to show a bit of loyalty these days. That's why he shouldn't be dropped Dev. Loyalty works 2 ways.

Happy New Year to you all.

[bluepooch]

I'd imagine 300 appearances for one club is a rare-ish thing nowadays so its definitely worth a mention Dancing.
Isn't it logical for Danny to want to have a look at Armand ?
Oh and by the way SEB will score tomorrow .
H.N.Y TO ALL !

[Devongone]

300 games is a great achievement. Tommy is a very good keeper at our level who I like a lot. BUT it is hard to distinguish between loyalty and lack of ambition. He's now a 29 year old lower division keeper so his transfer value is low to non-existent. His place now appears automatic, however many mistakes he makes (and he's made some this season). Why did we sign Chapman, stick with him through prolonged injuries, send him out on several successful loans if we never intended to play him?

Do we then intend to keep Tommy until he is 35, he may well be fit enough and deserve his place, especially if we permanently avoid offering a younger keeper a chance? Should we never give a moment's thought to the idea that one way to freshen up a failing defence is to bring in a new keeper? If our defence might struggle in the air isn't one way round it to play a tall keeper who can win the ball in the air? Can Chapman do that? If not, what's the point of him?

One of the positives of a crisis is that it sometimes forces a decision you'd never otherwise be able to justify. Gnanduillet seems not to score sufficient goal,s but we've never tried playing him in a different position. Centre forwards sometimes do make good centre backs, so maybe him or Novak might be a revelation (or of course a disaster)? Equally when are we likely to give Maguire a chance, but in a crisis? When might we give him a gentle baptism? He is going to be under pressure whenever it happens. Okay it would be better if the side was occasionally winning, but look at the potential rewards for the lad. (That said I did think what we did to Daley was tough, drop him into a losing side from nowhere due solely to left-footedness.)

The good thing about Danny is he is both shrewd and caring. I don't think he'll throw in a young lad and risk ruining his career. I think he'd only play Maguire if he thought he was mentally up to it.

This time tomorrow you might be thinking that Maguire's a real player. Kept calm, never put a foot wrong. When SEB made it 1-0 in the 88th minute we all knew we'd hold the lead with that defence.

If we reward loyalty as you'd like Dancing we'll eventually have a team of fading old men. You pick whoever you regard the best man for the job on the day. My rating of Tommy is that Aston Villa, Norwich and Newcastle could all improve their sides by playing Tommy in front of their current first choices! So I think he's well good enough to get the gloves elsewhere, but ruts aren't good for anyone and we'll become one for him (if we haven't already). We and he should be looking to the future that's all. And if he left us it should be as a hero, not some sad old failure.

[Devongone]

Dancing, I've cut out the tablets. I didn't like the way they dressed up the small dead animals in the fridge.

And yes hard work and coaching and tactics that make the most of our players is going to be our potential route to salvation. We clearly won't be recruiting a bunch of proven players to haul us up the table.