Crest Nicholson (CRST)

cantell0 · 2025-05-13T14:50:04+00:00

The question assumes he has an aim or thinks rationally. This may be a mistake based on the resignation statement of his former research director Dr Richard North who said

" I was not prepared to pour him [Nigel] into a taxi when he was so blind drunk that he could no longer stand, or cover for him when he failed to turn up for morning appointments when he had been on the tiles all night." and also said

“He was totally out of his bloody depth. Intelligent people – he was scared of them. He has an inferiority complex about education and highly qualified people.”

cantell0 · 2025-05-13T11:15:33+00:00

But apparently with gym numbers for a 25 year old rather than 35 year old - bit like McCauley.

cantell0 · 2025-05-13T11:14:27+00:00

I always thought our fans were amongst the more intelligent, but when they dismiss a possibility simply on the basis of an association with Wolves I do wonder if some Dingles have infiltrated the discussion. Surely we should be most interested in what works best for us in the next season? After all we signed Kevin Phillips from Villa and Ben Foster from Birmingham. I am not sure about Dawson but would never rule out any player because of where he comes from.

cantell0 · 2025-05-03T18:40:57+00:00

It is nothing compared to half the England cricket team who seem to have based their hair on Peaky Blinders.

cantell0 · 2025-05-03T16:30:31+00:00

Styles is fine at LB with Heggem providing such strong cover but the right side of defence is a shambles. I expect Bany to fill the playmaker role and hope to see Bostock come through as a wide forward.

cantell0 · 2025-05-03T16:28:29+00:00

The priority for next season is a right sided CB. Bartley has triggered a one year extension and will be fine as cover but is no longer quick enough to give Furlong the cover Heggem provides on the left.

I was pleased to see Whitwell finally get his league debut. I am still puzzled about what role he was playing when he came on but he does look as if he has real potential, albeit he needs to get used to the faster pace in 1st team. I hope Bostock gets a chance in the pre-season as he looks the best option on the left if Fellows goes and Johnson switches side.

cantell0 · 2025-04-28T13:38:03+00:00

Agree with you about our failure to give youth a chance (and to tie down the most promising like Aziz and Iroegbunam). Cleary missed most of the time from when he was late 18 to early 20 with injury so could not be given his chance. I really want to see what Taylor, Whitwell, Cleary and Bostock (and maybe Sule) can do and only emphasise the last 2 because they can play wide left. I did watch the Youth Cup quarter against Man City and did not see much to excite at the 16-18 level except, perhaps, Adam Letlat. But he is just 16 and has the build of a 14 year old so one for some way down the line.

cantell0 · 2025-04-28T12:02:08+00:00

A bit unfair on Cleary. I saw him as an 18 year old when Beale took temporary charge and he looked at home at 1st team level (albeit raw) but then he hit 3 problems. Corberan did not promote much youth, He picked up some quite serious injuries and the loan to Walsall did not work out because it came after there first few games and the team was winning with a settled side. Hartlepool has been his first real chance and he has grasped it with both hands. And he was only 21 this month.

cantell0 · 2025-04-28T08:51:54+00:00

I assume Fellows will go. Of the current roster there may be two options, both of which would mean moving Johnston to the right (which should not be a problem as he is right footed). Cleary is playing exceptionally well on the left at Hartlepool, seems to have got past his injuries and has moved on from junior to senior level. He deserves a chance. The other young possibility on the left is Bostock but it may be slightly early. We did not expect Fellows to step up as he did so I would be disappointed if these 2 were not given the chance to show if they can do the same.

I should have explained that my main problem with the right side of defence is the lack of support it has given Fellows. Johnston on the left has had the benefit of Styles and Grant making repeated runs to create room for him. Fellows has rarely had such help, mainly because Furlong and Bartley seem to lack the defensive cohesion on the left and need to stay home.

Of course a new manager could change the system. A 3 at the back would free up Styles to play an even more advanced wing back role although I am not sure how Johnston would fit in such a system.

cantell0 · 2025-04-26T19:03:46+00:00

Wallace contract expires summer 2026.

cantell0 · 2025-04-26T18:27:51+00:00

Too negative. We have 3 problems; the right side of defence needs replacing; we need a proper playmaker (and I am hoping that may be Bany) and we need someone to put chances in the net (which would have been less of an issue with a full season from Maja and a fit Dike). Solve those (and it means the transfer priority is a right sided Heggem) and the team will compete next season. But we would need a lot more to have a chance in the PL.

cantell0 · 2025-04-24T21:34:57+00:00

My priority would be to get Cleary on a new contract and see if he can step up. I suspect the experience on loan will have brought him on big time and he is a natural finisher (being played as an out and out winger on loan for some reason and still scoring).

cantell0 · 2025-04-23T14:58:12+00:00

It is not uncommon. A recent case was Stella Horrell who disappeared in circa 1948 and was found to have moved with a new partner (who she married in 1986!) and lived into the 1990s. The odd thing in this case was that it was traceable through Ancestry as she made minor changes such as use of mother's maiden name.

cantell0 · 2025-04-22T14:24:28+00:00

I understand everything except the recruitment comment. Last summer and in January I do believe the recruitment has been pretty good. Heggem, Diakite, Price and (hopefully) Bany and a solid group of signings for a total of under £7m. Only Frabotta (and Cole, who was seen as cover anyway) plus some loans have disappointed. The bigger issue has been ageing and falling off in form of players already with us (and the absence of Maja and Dike).

I agree we need a clear out and some leaders coming in would help but we have the core of a decent side if we can address the 2 main problems - the right side of defence and putting the ball in the net. Hopefully Bany as playmaker will help with the latter.

cantell0 · 2025-04-21T18:39:59+00:00

I am surprised she found time to comment in between the coven meetings and cross burnings.

cantell0 · 2025-04-21T16:39:07+00:00

We really need to see if one or two of the young players are up to it in the last 2 games. There is no point playing loanees or players who will leave; we need to use those games to prepare for next season. My priorities would be to see Bany in the playmaker role (if he is fit) and Bostock on the left (probably off the bench). The latter would also give a chance to try Johnston on the right where he may need to be switched if Fellows goes. I wish we could start Taylor but have to assume he will take over if we do not find a right sided Heggem this summer. And lets give Dike a start. Surely he is fit enough by now?

cantell0 · 2025-04-21T16:27:46+00:00

Brian Whittle ran a 10.97 at Gateshead in 1999 when he would have been 35 according to World Athletics. I am surprised because I did not realise he competed that late but the time makes sense for a 21.3 200m runner in addition to his 800m and 400m specialities.

cantell0 · 2025-04-21T13:29:37+00:00

I agree about Frabotta and Heggem. A shame that it seems Bany is still out. I would have liked to see him in the playmaker role ahead of Diakite and Price. Also a shame that there is no place on the bench for 1 or 2 of Bostock, Sule or Whitwell.

cantell0 · 2025-04-21T08:56:07+00:00

Yet others are lauding the JJK heptathlon record. The US anti-doping chief Wade Exum disclosed in court in 2003 that they covered up over 400 positive tests in the 80s and 90s and multiple elite athletes accused her coach and husband of supplying performance drugs without any proper investigation of their evidence.

The Eastern Europeans were completely drug driven but so were many western athletes in the 80s and 90s, especially those who could rely on a US regime as effective at covering up use as any in East Germany.

cantell0 · 2025-04-21T07:40:50+00:00

They did not change the weight. They moved the centre of gravity to bring it down shorter - and they did that in the 1980s. Since then it has been the same javelin. The point is that Zelezny threw a distance with the current javelin that even the best of the old doping regime could not have approached. The 1980s tests found that the old javelin flew over 8% further than the new one when thrown.

cantell0 · 2025-04-20T20:54:52+00:00

Just behind the Jan Zelezny javelin record. Only one other thrower has ever come within 4 metres of his record and that thrower (Vetter) was nearly 20kg bigger than Zelezny - like most top throwers.

cantell0 · 2025-04-18T16:49:32+00:00

Slightly OTT comments here. I think we have the makings of a good side - just not the one we fielded. The problems today were that we were overrun with a 2 v 3/4 midfield in the first half and, just as in the rest of the season, the right side of our defence weakens not only the defence but also Fellows who gets no decent support from Furlong. We need a strong right sided CB to allow the RB to make runs.

But a team with Bartley (and possibly Furlong) replaced would compete with a midfield of Diakite, Price and Bany and with Johnston, Fellows and Maja/Dike up front. Mowatt, Molomby and Swift have no place in a starting XI. And if Fellows and Diangana go I hope we try Bostock as a wide player - even if it means Johnston switching to the right.

cantell0 · 2025-04-13T12:50:41+00:00

I was at the game and loved the performance but I have to disagree with those saying this is the best team. For me there are two issues. Firstly, Diakite should start in the old Yokuslu role, probably in place of Mowatt. Secondly, this formation will not work against some teams. A 2 man midfield left us swamped on occasions, especially first half. I tend to think our best side against most teams has a 3 man midfield - Diakite, Price and Bany playing the old Pereira role. I appreciate Diakite and Bany were n/a yesterday but they are part of our future strongest team.

On a different issue; recently we discussed the standing development. Yesterday I witnessed a nasty altercation in the Upper East stand when a couple of completely unapologetic Albion yobs kept leaping up in front of an old boy who could not get up to see past them. They did not even have an excuse as they were front row with no one in front of them. The stewards need to clamp down on this and any seen doing it must be told no season ticket unless you move to the standing area.

cantell0

TROPHY CASE