Loan Watch 2023/2024

[Alan]

They tinkered with the playoff format in a way I think you guys will hate, but it's actually worked out okay.

So, the first official round of MLS Cup is, at least for now, a Best-of-3 series rather than your usual Home-and-Away aggregate. Higher seeded side (based on table position) gets the 1st and 3rd (if necessary) matches at home, 2nd match is away to the lower seed.

So, Cincy won the first match 3-0. That put them up 1-0 in the series. After 90' in match 2 with the score at 1-1, rather than go to ET, it's straight to the shootout. As Cincy won, they nabbed both results needed to advance. Had RBNY pulled out the shootout win, the series would be tied 1-1 and a final match would be played in Cincinnati to determine the series winner.

 

[Tony Towner]

Watched the first half of the Rotherham game this evening. Dexter loves a leg dangle

 

[Kenny]

They tinkered with the playoff format in a way I think you guys will hate

You called that correctly.

What's next. After 70 minutes the groundsmen will do a dance routine to entertain the crowd?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

So you could go:

Lose Game 1 3-0
Draw Game 2 0-0 and win on pens
Draw Game 3 0-0 and win on pens

Go through.

Not for me Clive.

 

[Alan]

I think the idea was that it's a way to reward the higher table finish (since the higher seed theoretically gets two matches at home).

I thought I was going to despise it, but it's basically done away with the cagey-ness you see a lot in significant cup ties.

 

[Kenny]

So you could go:

Lose Game 1 3-0
Draw Game 2 0-0 and win on pens
Draw Game 3 0-0 and win on pens

Go through.

Not for me Clive.

Almost doing a Huddersfield.

 

[Tony Towner]

The Conference have the best format if you take finances out of the equation:

5 v 7 and 4 v 6
2 v lowest seed, 3 v other winner
Winners play each other in the final

 

[Alan]

We like our brackets to be set from the start over here.

I dunno, like I said, I thought it was going to be shit, but it's really worked out.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Is that in spite of the format though?

Like you can get good 24 team international tournaments but almost by accident. When you get a bad one and the terrible format gets exposed (hello Euro 2016) then it sticks out horribly.

 

[Alan]

Time will tell. But making it about the result rather than aggregate score has meant teams have really gone after it when down 2-0 rather than shifting to damage control tactics.

 

[Tony Towner]

We like our brackets to be set from the start over here.

I dunno, like I said, I thought it was going to be shit, but it's really worked out.

The NFL is dynamic, while the NBA isn't, never understood the latter

 

[Alan]

The NFL is dynamic, while the NBA isn't, never understood the latter

Tells you how much I've had to be invested in the NFL playoffs that this change went right over my head for the last three years!

Good info, Tony, cheers.

 

[Johnny75]

Watched the first half of the Rotherham game this evening. Dexter loves a leg dangle

He's played reasonably well. No support from Onyedinma and got through some work down the right.

Looks lost from time to time and his decision making isn't there yet This is his level for now though.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Ki-Jana Hoever: I have qualities to become great defender if I can keep my focus

News from the bet365 Stadium as Ki-Jana Hoever analyses his game and embraces responsibility for Stoke City - even if he is only on loan from Wolves

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

I think I have all the qualities to be a good, great defender

I don't think you do.

 

[Alan]

Well what do you want the lad to say? "Nah, I'm gonna be pretty pish for the rest of my life".

I'd rather he backed himself, for his own sake as much as anything.

 

[Kenny]

Ki-Jana Hoever: I have qualities to become great defender if I can keep my focus

News from the bet365 Stadium as Ki-Jana Hoever analyses his game and embraces responsibility for Stoke City - even if he is only on loan from Wolves

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

I don't think you do.

I think its decent interview from him. Recognises he has been lazy and is starting to do things to sort that out.

He may not do anything with us but it is good to see he spotted he couldn't just cruise along and it wasn't just down to Bruno Lage being unable to manage players properly that he was getting nowhere.

Too many players think they have made it and let their careers drift and blame others for the failure, so taking ownership is surely a plus sign

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Well what do you want the lad to say? "Nah, I'm gonna be pretty pish for the rest of my life".

I'd rather he backed himself, for his own sake as much as anything.

He doesn't have to say anything.

It's not an isolated thing, remember that bunk how he was promised he'd be first choice here inside two years even though we signed Semedo at the same time? The man (not a lad now, he's 22 soon) lives on his own planet.

 

[Alan]

Do you really put it past Lage to make him that promise?

I don't.

Odds are he'll never be a serious piece here so whatever he thinks of himself is going to be a bit of a muchness for us.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I think its decent interview from him. Recognises he has been lazy and is starting to do things to sort that out.

He may not do anything with us but it is good to see he spotted he couldn't just cruise along and it wasn't just down to Bruno Lage being unable to manage players properly that he was getting nowhere.

Too many players think they have made it and let their careers drift and blame others for the failure, so taking ownership is surely a plus sign

Putting a bit more effort in (should be a pre-requisite of course) is welcome. He doesn't have good defensive attributes though, he's slow and never spots danger.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Do you really put it past Lage to make him that promise?

I don't.

Nuno signed him and he would 100% not have said that