DaveAV1

Winning goal at the Holte End vs The Noses to send them into the bottom 3

He's the Scottish Cafu!!

Whilst I agree that winning is and always will be the most important factor, the manner of the victories can't be totally ignored. If we have a game plan, even if we don't like the style, that is producing good results then we're happy. However if we're getting results that seem to be more by luck than judgement, whilst we may still be happy in the short term the luck may eventually dry up. Obviously there is a fair dollop of subjectivity in assessing what is lucky and what is a deliberate game plan.

And I hope you had to Google those lines and didn't just know them off pat!!??

Those of us over 40 now have an unwelcome and disturbing image of you as Mr Humphries

You're probably right, it maybe wasn't Lambert's decision, but he deserved better and has been a great pro. I echo your thoughts on Bree.

If you want to reach the moon, shoot for the stars

I'm very pleased that Steve Bruce has bought himself some time. That is important for us as a club, so that any decisions made are made in a calm and objective way and not in the midst of yet another crisis. I'm a great believer in the power of momentum and there can be no better example of this than Leicester's amazing run from bottom of the league to Champions and almost doing it in reverse! I believe that one possible reason for the turn around has been the injuries we have picked up in recent weeks which have ironically lead to a more settled side. We haven't had to try to accommodate Kodj and Hogan for example. The team is sort of picking itself. Ok lack of options and competition for places isn't ultimately desirable, but it has allowed things to settle down and the fit players to settle and build confidence so that when gradually the injured start to return they will come in gradually and into a more settled side. Those of you old enough will remember the 1986 England World Cup Squad suffering injuries to key players early on which meant Bobby Robson picked a more settled side by default. I'm not knocking either manager, but sometimes fate can lend a hand in a positive way. Ultimately if we can build on the last three games momentum, once we have more options, Steve Bruce can make decisions with a more confident mindset and in a position of strength rather than crisis. This obviously depends on the next few games continuing to build in a generally positive direction. A week, or in this case 8 days, is a long time in football.

Eastie whatever happened to your 7 point from the last 3 games prediction? So negative . . . . . .

Superb a proper fan and some way removed from the ridiculous false goal celebration I witnessed from Stanley Victor on the Holte End earlier this season.

Not sure but until today it was April 2010 since we last won 3

Possibly the right sentiment, probably the wrong timing

Fair enough KHV it does seem you did more due diligence than I gave credit for and your conclusions don't seem particularly favourable to Mr DeLaet. I hope he's either better than your first impressions or we find another mug to take him off us!

Regarding right backs. Alan Hutton has consistently demonstrated his professionalism during his time at VP. I have no idea why Lambert treated him so badly, he wasn't a bad influence and has always put in a shift. He has his faults, but if the rest of the squad, many of them more talented, showed the same desire and put in a similar effort we would be much higher in this division, or even still in the Prem. Particularly in The Championship, work rate can get you much more than talent. Mr Grealish being a fine example. De Laet appears to be being written off by people after 2 games, which is as ridiculous as it is unfair. The opinions of a few fans from his former clubs gleaned online wouldn't generally be considered as doing proper due diligence. (Not a did at you KHV, we all do it!). Bree is clearly rated as shown by the interest from Prem League clubs, but at 19 particularly as a defender he will need time and patience. Making him consistently number one choice wouldn't be fair on him or the team. So to sum up, we have two unknown quantities and one not without his faults, but a known quantity with a great attitude. So shall we ditch him and hope for the best? That's very much been the way over the last few windows and look how well that's gone for us.

I think theoretically the rules say something about a deal has to stand up business wise. They pulled Man City up when their owner sponsored the stadium for £400m. City had some sort of punishment which meant they had to have one less squad member for the Champions League matches. After that I don't think anything was public knowledge. I assume the money men and their lawyers had a good "chat" with the FA and UEFA and "a way" was found. I imagine we also have lawyers and money men who speak in similar riddles.

I missed the game yesterday due to work commitments, but from what mates have told me and stuff I've read it sounded like a great result but another poor performance. We need roughly a point a game to stay up and have two relatively winnable games coming up, which we really need to win or we'll be sucked into the relegation fight, with a squad that looks nothing like a squad up for a fight. If we're looking for out of contract signings then L. Uck might be the best we can find.

7 points Eastie! Wow I admire your confidence, a commodity I am completely out of I'm afraid and that's very unusual for me. Everything crossed that you're right, I'm struggling to find any other reason but a change of luck to end this terrible run.

We've just been through a transfer window, when our manager had a huge war chest by comparison to everyone else in this division. We bought lots of players who the manager is struggling to know what to do with, sorry waiting to gell. His response to this massive squad problem is to scour the world for ageing out of contract players, who he will seamlessly slot in to his well tried system. If our manager wasn't a highly experienced, promotion winning machine I'd be concerned that he didn't know what he was doing.......

Bruce has been here since October and has had an entire transfer window during which he was allowed the luxury of having a bigger budget than anyone else in this division. We have had no serious injuries in the CB position since the window closed, but he has decided that now is the time to look for cover in this position. Are you worried yet?

It's because he's one of the good old boys, pally with all the old hacks. So they ask questions like, "How is Hogan's injury Steve", or "That was bad luck with the second goal Steve, why do you think the team are so unlucky". Instead of questioning his tactics, team selection and complete inability to read what's happening during a game.

I think it's unfair to say we haven't got a plan B, we're on at least plan G!

Steve Bruce said that we wouldn't bring anyone in during the window that wouldn't strengthen us. I don't want to write out a long list of the new players and rate them against who they replaced, but I'm sure most people would agree that the team isn't stronger now than it was on December 31st. That doesn't mean that the players bought are bad players but that they haven't strengthened the team. The reason for this in my opinion, is that we don't set up to use the players we have to our best advantage. We swapped one weak goal keeper for another and did nothing to strengthen the centre of the defence but then set up defensively. We don't play a style that plays through the midfield despite buying a new midfield, some of whom are of questionable quality. And we sold a big bloke up front and decided to hoof it. At Sunderland Steve Bruce bought 30 players in 2 and a half years. The main argument for keeping him on is stability. What's stable about turning over 30 players in 2 and a half years?? Or for that matter changing the left back very game?

He's in goal against Derby.

I don't particularly like the fella, but he works hard for what ever his reasons are, despite being very talented. Something our lot could do a lot more of.

I agree TRO confidence is a bit of a chicken or egg thing . As far as sacking Steve Bruce is concerned, I'm only for it if we have a plan. We can't just sack him and then ask, what next? On balance the best thing for the club is he gets a few results and we lift the threat of relegation, then we can use the time to properly assess where we're going. My fear is he won't get the results amd we're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Hopefully we have plans for both scenarios.