GREAT_BEARD_OF_ZEUS

to @AVFCDAN & @trekka for the pointer to Upgrade. Watched it last night and thought it was great. Had a slight Bladerunner feel to it I thought, very stylishly shot. Funnily enough I had watched Venom the night before (and thought it was rubbish) so I see exactly what you mean in terms of the similarities!

So let's pretend you're Albert... you know that if we get promoted, likelihood is you ain't getting a new deal and you're pretty much out the door. BUT if we stay down, then with FFP as it is you're likely to get a contract extension, even if it's just to continue acting as cover, at a club where he's settled and seems to like being. I'm sure he wouldn't really let that effect his performances, but you've got to wonder if it's gone through his mind?

Linked with Isaac Hayden today too. Good player in this division, IIRC he was a key part of Newcastle's promotion side the other year. Him and McGinn in the engine room behind Jack would make us very strong.

Lack of confidence can cause delayed reactions, almost as if the mind is questioning your bodies movement before you do it. His reactions have been more than quick enough in games where he's started off well. Sadly I don't see him regaining that confidence any time soon. Last night's game and the subsequent fallout will have a massive effect on him for weeks and any further mistakes will simply compound it. He needs taking out of the firing line, no question.

Happy El Ghazi is back from the dead WTF has happened to James Chester. Nothing like the same player of the last few seasons. Clearly struggling with the new style of getting it forward quickly. Nyland... good grief. Get him out of the 1st team asap. Don't care who comes in, Bunn, Moriera, Sarkic, shit Alan Wright playing on his knees would do better. Every team will have his number now and play with a shoot on sight policy - which given Forests shots to goals ratio tonight, won't end well.

This is going to sound silly, given he only lasted 8 minutes, but I thought he looked pretty good in his little cameo. Showed a few neat touches. If the reports that he's been busting a gut in training are true, then I hope it's not a serious injury as he could blossom in this new style of play.

His cameo against Bolton was great to watch. I don't care if he can't play 90mins twice a week just yet, so long as we get that version of him when he comes on. Judging by Smith's comments though he's applying himself in training and should be gaining more pitch time week by week.

Please please can someone ask what is going on with appointing a new official ticket resale partner? It used to be Seatwave, but that deal ran out at the end of last season. Since then I've heard nothing? I usually get to around 10 or so games a season, and Seatwave used to be great for getting decent last minute seats, which unlike the official site, weren't in singles dotted in random places with limited visibility. Thanks in advance!!!

Gah! I hate Friday night games ? a loss ruins your weekend before it's even begun! That said I think this week might be one where we turn a tiny corner and see some of this new style of play come to fruition. I imagine that the players felt a little hard done to last week, so hopefully they come out with a point to prove this game.

I'd go 4-3-3 Give Bolasie a start and tell him he's got an hour until Elmo replaces him. Bust a gut for an hour Yannick, terrorise their fullback and keep them on the back foot. Albert is out and I don't think we can risk going with both Bolasie and El-Ghazi on the pitch from a defensive point of view so I'd stick Jack there. I know what people are going to say but personally, so long as it's more of an inside forward role rather than running the line, I don’t see why there’s a problem with him playing there. Look at how Hazard plays that position, that's who Jack should be watching week in week out and trying to emulate. I'm surprised Smith hasn't deployed him there already as it suits his style of play more than an out and out winger. Also they have Rangel at right back and that fella is a red card waiting to happen sometimes, Jack will frustrate him and if anything we’ll win a few free kicks out of him. A midfield 3 of Connor, Jedi and McGinn are the best to start with IMO. Jedi helps nullify the aerial threat of Tomer Hemed, plus he could drop deep at times to create a back three, allowing our fullbacks a bit more license to attack. Bjarnasson is then an option to bring on in the second half when we need some extra energy in midfield. I think Bree deserves a chance at RB, plus he’ll add fresh legs. Other than that the defence picks itself. Lastly Moriera in goal. I’m not confident about him, but Nyland’s confidence is shot to pieces and with the crowd being so close to the pitch, I can see him being intimidated by the atmosphere in the stadium and dropping another clanger.

Drop him. Confidence is shot and his heads all over the place at the moment - that diving save to push a ball going 5 yards wide of his goal against Swansea showed just how much. Give Moriera a go. Yes I watched him against Yeovil and yes he flapped more times than Big Bird on acid, but what other choice do we have? Bunn who's CV reads "dressing room DJ" for the past 5 years? Recall Steer who is doing so well he's got the Charlton fans demanding he never plays for them again? Or Sarkic, who is the youngest of the lot and so far only has a total of 2 senior cup appearances for Wigan?

If you took the best bits of Nyland, Moriera, Bunn and Steer and rolled them into one keeper, we might just have... ... still got the worst f***ing keeper in the league by a county mile ??? Nyland is a shot stopper and that's it, he hasn't got any other goalkeeping attributes! But then which of the other clowns can we replace him with??!!

Think this game will be more telling than the Swansea one. Will he freshen up the side given it's only 3 days since the last one and we play again on Friday? Does he feel confident enough in the squad to do that? I can't imagine it'll be anyone else other than Hourihane replacing McGinn, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Hogan involved, or even Bree. Both have got running in them and I think DS will be looking for a couple of fresh legs. Other than that I just can't see any other player in the rest of the squad who has the kind of energy levels DS is going to demand? I mean you could justify bringing someone like Jedi in if we were playing a more physical team, but Norwich are anything but. Has anyone else impressed him enough on the training ground this week to move up the roster? Wonder if El-Ghazi will make the bench?

I know right! He's clearly holding an iPhone, not a Motorola. Sheesh, what is this? Amateur hour??!

I think he's got the self belief to stick to his way of playing, as well as the backing/patience of the club and fans to make it happen. I don't think Lambert had either of those.

If DS goes with the same formation as he did at Brentford, I think El-Ghazi would suit playing the same role as Sergi Canos did for them. Think he'll predominantly play on that right side of the attacking midfield 3, Kodjia the left and Bolasie rotating through both wide spots to such an extent that all three get equal game time. Adomah probably getting less minutes as a fourth option.

I think frustration was the biggest cause of his downfall. Frustration with the situation he was in to begin with, which then gave way to frustration with himself. If you're not playing in a system which suits you, or players don't pass to you, or you just don't get a run of luck, the effects can soon mount up. You lose confidence sure, but you also begin to lose belief... belief that the next goal will come, belief that the next pass will come your way. Example: You make 9 runs into the box that come to nothing and then the 10th time, the time you don't run, it's the one where it rolls free into the space you would have been in. The frustration kills you! The next game you give up those runs a little earlier, the game after that earlier still and then it's those chances which got away which stick in your mind and sap away at you. You could see that frustration in his face all the time towards the end of his playing time under Bruce. And the less minutes he got each week, the worse it made to the point where he probably needed a long lay off to reset himself, reset his brain. DS coming in now, at a point where Scott is now fit again and raring to go, it couldn't have been timed any better for him. Smith plays a style of football which seems to benefit strikers like Hogan, just look at Neil Maupay's success this season - IMO they're similar players. I think he will look a different player in no time - but if he doesn't then he can't have any excuses.

As exciting as it appeared at first, the more I think about Henry, he seems like a bad choice. Our club isn't the place for a new manager to cut his teeth. It's not the right environment to learn your trade - and as good as he comes across in the sky studios, there's far more to management than simply being able to explain Barcelona's tactics on a touchscreen. There's too much risk involved in an appointing someone so completely inexperienced and we've seen first hand what risky strategy can result in. Yes he could be the next Pep but 'could' isn't good enough for Aston Villa. I'm not blind to what Lampard and Gerard are doing, but no two situations are alike and knowing our luck, we'd be the example which bucked the trend. Brendan Rodgers for me is (as Stan Collymore recently tweeted) an absolute no brainer. To quote that tweet..."He's a super coach, managed at two huge clubs, track record of finding young gems in/out of club, front foot football, knows league." Whatever you think of Stan, I don't think you can argue with him on that. As a mid-table placed championship club, we shouldn't really have a chance of attracting someone of his standing and abilities, but listening to him the other day (when he said he couldn't turn the job down because he hadn't been offered it) I just got the inkling that he fancies it. If I were the owners, I'd be going after him in a big way, doing whatever it takes to get him down here.

According to Strachan he's undeniably a good cabbage, a personal friend of his and he's pretty sure he'll go into the green grocers tomorrow, ready to roll up his leaves and go again.

If you can, try and watch tonights episode of The Debate on Sky Sports. Bruce was one of the topics being covered by Liam Rosenior and Gordon Strachan. The stark contrast between the two was unbelievable. In one corner you had a bright young man who has made the effort to watch as much football as he can and formulate his own opinions and in the other you had a crusty old dinosaur, spouting lazy cliche after lazy cliche. Rosenior was articulate and insightful - driving home the point about our lack of playing style, highlighting the fact that we've allowed Bruce to bring in quality players, the likes of which any other championship manager would kill to have. He could have easily defended Bruce (being an ex player of his) but he stood up for what he believed. Strachan on the other hand wasn't even listening to the points being made, and added very few relevant remarks of his own, more content to drop in anecdotes about his conversations with Steve in the summer which bore little value to the overall discussion. It perfectly encapsulated the way in which modern day management is going. With all his experience Strachan should have led that discussion and been the one to make the most insightful comments, but instead it was Rosenior who was the more clued in, the one who understood the real underlying problems. We clearly have our own 'Strachan' managing our club. A man who no longer feels the need to learn, but who thinks he knows it all and is as a result falling further and further out of touch with the game. Give me the equivalent of a Liam Rosenior any day of the week please - whether that's Terry, Henry or any number of young, hungry modern coaches from overseas!

Please don't give him the Millwall game. As unlikely as it is, don't give him any chance to fluke a win and go out moaning that he would have got it right eventually. Let that utter comedy of a game be the fitting end to his reign, showing him for the clown he is!

I don't know what made me tear my hair out the most... 1. The utter capitulation in the second half 2. The state of the wall for their equaliser!!!??? Pub goalkeepers would have organised it better! 3. Hutton's inability to pass a ball with any more power that a kitten's fart 4. Grealish being a shadow of his former self 5. GLENN ****ING WHELAN DEMANDING TO TAKE A LAST MINUTE PENALTY 6. Not one of the vastly more technically superior players having the balls to grab the ball off him. AARRRRGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Glen Whelan better be getting the beating of his life right now in those showers!

Game over Bruce, Game over!