HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game by delving into their forums.

“Make no mistake, ladies and gentlemen, we are going down this season”, “We are a rudderless ship from top to bottom”, “Every so many games we get a hammering now”, “What a f****** shambles all round”, “This lot are going down. The whole team needs rebuilding.”

Millwall have the appearance of a team in chaos. They have lost their last four home league games, scored three goals in their last six league games and conceded 24 goals in the last nine games. The 4-0 drubbing they were handed at Bradford in Wednesday night’s Cup replay came as no surprise.

“After five games we had 10 points. From the next 20 games we have got 13 points”, “After a disastrous December, survival will turn out to be a bridge too far”, “If we go down, we go down. It’s just the way that we seem to be going down without a fight that bothers me.”

Bradford City 4 — 0 Millwall

“We’ve been playing three at the back for 20 minutes. When we’re 2-0 down, Holloway will switch to a four”, “I’m 100% certain it’s a back three”, “If it was, it isn’t any more.” The Lions were taken apart by League One opponents in Wednesday’s Cup replay after Mark Beevers received an early red card.

Holloway switched to playing a 3-5-2 system but a lack of pace at the back, chaotic set-piece defending and no cover on the flanks saw this tactical plan quickly unravel. “We were getting ripped apart down the wings prior to the red card, just like against Boro when we played the same system.”

“Unf******believable”, “Here we go”, “The hilarity continues”, “I’m off out with the dog”, “It’s kicking off now”, “Fordey’s throwing punches.” The game also included a melee in which keeper David Forde was fortunate not to be sent off. “The first punch he’s connected with all season.”

Lions were once again left bemused by some of their manager’s baffling tactical decisions. “We are starting with three defensive midfielders in the centre again”, “We are two goals down and have just substituted off our leading scorer”, “You know it’s bad when Bradford are taking the piss,”

“Bradford have scored only three or more twice in League One all season, but twice against us in 10 days.” The first game at the Den had been an entertaining 3-3 draw. “Some were worried about getting a thumping at Chelsea [who awaited the winners]. No matter, it’s happening tonight.”

Blackpool 1 — 0 Millwall

“Sound the last post”, “This is as bad as I have seen in a very long time”, “If we cannot beat a team and set-up that is in total disarray, then we have nowhere to go”, “The first half was a shambles. Both teams were worse than pub sides”, “Even with an extra man we would still have lost.”

“A back four with an average height of 5ft 9in is always going to struggle in the air - 1-0 to a header.” The Lions lost a very poor quality game to a first-half Peter Clarke header. Things went from bad to worse when striker Ricardo Fuller got into an altercation with fans when being substituted.

“We were inept and utterly disorganised. There was plenty of positivity until it became clear this was another horror show”, “I love this club but some of these players are not up to scratch”, “The team that went down the last time put up a fight. This lot are taking the piss.”

“After the Blackpool goal, the team seemed to give up completely and we resorted to hoofball to no-one. It was like watching your pissed-up mates play pub football on a Sunday morning”, “If you can’t beat the lowest placed team in the division you are ******* doomed.”

Millwall 0 - 2 Bournemouth

“Bournemouth players, Ollie! Thousands of ‘em! Coming from the west, east, south and bloody north!” “My brother got me a ticket as a Christmas present so I have to go. Apparently watching Millwall is a treat. It’s good comedy you have to admit.”

“What Bournemouth goal will you leave at tomorrow?” Lions were reduced to gallows humour before a game which was comfortably won by the Cherries and which saw defender Shaun Williams red-carded for a reckless challenge. “They had 20 shots and six on target. We had three and none.”

“We looked like a team low on confidence but prepared to give it a go”, “Bournemouth treated it near the end like a training game and didn’t get out of second gear”, “Bournemouth could have had a Madame Tussauds waxwork in goal for all the shots we had.”

Frankenstein’s Bumpkin

“Well Ollie, we have had words about belief, composure and sticking together time and time again. Now we need some action. You are the manager so make it happen. Start with the basics. Decide what structure you are going to play and which players fit that structure.

“Play a settled side and get them to stick to the ideas you have. Coach them so they believe they can succeed and win some games.” Most fans would go with the strategy outlined above given the problems they have been witnessing, but the feelings of many others are unrepeatable here.

“Get behind the manager and help him out the door”, “Every week I get more and more worried about his lack of thinking”, “He changes the team, set-up and tactics every week”, “I hoped that he would be the man to steady HMS Millwall. Instead it is sinking pretty quickly.”

A small minority still back him. “Holloway’s a good motivator. He took a team last season on its knees, but that wears off after a while from a player’s perspective”, “I’m genuinely gutted that it hasn’t happened for him. I honestly thought he would produce a team with the spirit we expected.”

Rotation, Rotation, Rotation

“Does Holloway use bingo balls to choose his team?”, “In all my life, I have never seen one manager change personnel and formations so much in a short space of time. He’s clutching at straws.” Holloway has used 24 different outfield players in the last eight games, often played out of position.

Holloway played his usual 4-2-3-1 formation at Blackpool last Saturday. The defence lacked height with Danny Shittu rested and full-back Alan Dunne covering out of position. With Shaun Williams suspended, Abdou and Chaplow were widely seen as lacking quality in the holding roles.

“We are a combination of a tactically clueless manager and players who don’t give a ****”, “Our bench against Blackpool is far stronger than our starting line-up. It’s another week, another team, another formation and inevitably another loss”, “Do or die, we need the first XI to be set in stone.”

Some Lions think the squad simply lacks quality. “If you’re unlucky to be skint you don’t shop at Waitrose. You end up at Lidl and that’s exactly where we stand”, “Nobody wants relegation, but in reality we’re a two-bob club with no money. We can’t compete to buy Championship players.”

Defence

“As a former defender, I can tell you there’s no better confidence builder than being alongside someone who you know how they will act in every situation”, “A settled centre-back pairing is the key to any sound defence. We don’t have one”, “It’s patently clear that this is our weakest position.”

“We are weak at defending set-pieces”, “What sort of defending to we do for them in training? It’s embarrassing conceding every time”, “Set-piece training consists of running into each other and injuring ourselves”, “It’s our smallest back four ever. Let’s hope Blackpool don’t play lump-ball.”

“Holloway needs to knock the team into a defensive unit which he knows f***-all about”, “When we pushed up and squeezed Bradford players in the first game we were on top”, “The fourth Bradford goal was Sunday league defending at best. The time and space we gave them was embarrassing.”

“Bradford realised they could score in the first game by attacking our full-backs and crossing for their lumps in the middle, and we let them”, “The first two goals were down to our not closing down or really challenging for the ball”, “It seems to me we have collapsed since Edwards’s absence”

“Carlos Edwards played a key part in our good start to the season.” The 36-year-old former Ipswich right-back has not played since suffering a serious knee injury in September. “He had great positional awareness and was a threat going forward. This forced the opposition winger to stay back.”

David Forde

“What was Forde doing for the Blackpool goal? He’s a liability. He just watched the ball expecting it to go wide. A simple dive and he saves that”, “If he stays in goal, we might as well start looking up directions to Fleetwood. He’s utterly useless”, “All keepers are crazy, but he’s plain mad.”

The 35-year-old Republic of Ireland international “is so flat-footed. Every corner or cross he’s not on his toes. He was a class act who kept us up last year but needs to be slowly taken out of the team”, “Forde is a goalkeeper, for want of a better description, but I don’t think he’s playing well.”

“You can’t blame defenders for Forde’s poor kicking, misjudged crosses, trying to play the ball carelessly out of the area or letting the ball slip under his body”, “He doesn’t like a cross. He sits on the line and relies heavily on his defence in the six-yard-box. He needs to take control.”

“Alan Dunne will be moving to League One shortly, with us or with someone else. If he ever had an edge, it’s gone.” The 32-year-old club stalwart “is not a centre-back. He might have a great desire to win and leadership qualities, but if he cannot be dominant in the area, he cannot play there.”

Dunne apologised after the Bradford defeat. “Enough apologies now — it’s getting patronising”, “He’s okay at right-back but he needs protecting by a defensively-minded wide player”, “I don’t know how he can play well one week and like a pub player the next”, “I love him but his time has come.”

“Danny Shittu was beaten in the air again for Bradford’s second goal at a set-piece”, “Their forwards made him look weak and even his heading was pathetic.” The 34-year-old ex-QPR centre-back is the only defender offering height and physical presence, but “wear and tear” is catching up with him.

“Shittu is fine against sides that lack pace, but he is dominated by quick forwards”, “He is worth playing one game in five if we are desperate”, “Our lack of quality defenders to replace him is a real concern”, “His lack of pace against Norwich [a 6-1 hammering in December] was exposed.”

Stoke loan signing Andy Wilkinson was signed to cover at right-back after Edwards’s injury. The 30-year-old played at Blackpool, returning after a back injury. “Holloway slotted him into a wing-back role after a month out against Boro and he was woeful. He’ll be solid in a consistent back four.”

With Scott Malone having joined Cardiff, Dan Harding has joined on loan from Forest to the end of the season. The 31-year-old left-back made his debut at Blackpool and was “the only player who seemed to try. He was passing balls all over the place, but nobody could do anything with them.”

The former Ipswich player “has come ‘to play regular first-team football’”. Some damning comments from a Forest forum were reported back: “He has the one-footedness of a man with a wooden leg and slow defensive abilities. He’s slow, doesn’t anticipate or react to danger and stands off players.”

“Matthew Briggs hasn’t being doing that well, has he?” The 23-year-old ex-Fulham left-back “has not impressed”. He struggled at Bradford. “Briggs did nothing to stop a cross for their third goal”, “He does look comfortable on the ball, but I would be terrified seeing him up against Burke or Noone.”

“Byron Webster needs a decent run in the side”, “No he does not. He can **** right off.” The 27-year-old former Yeovil centre-back “was dreadful in the defeat against Boro. All the basics were wrong, heading, tackling, positioning and marking. His confidence must be completely shot”.

“It looks like we have a decent player.” One player who may feature against us is 25-year-old Shaun Cummings. The new signing from Reading “is a proven right-back at this level and a good age.” The Jamaica international “is a handy back-up for left-back as well”.

“My 10-year-old daughter, who doesn’t really like football, said on the way home from the first Bradford game ‘Dad, why do we only have one good player?’ ‘Who is that?’ I asked. ‘Sid Nelson’, she replied”, “She’s a very perceptive young lady”, “It takes a 10-year-old to hit the nail on the head.”

The 19-year-old youth product “is a young and inexperienced centre-half but makes up for this with keenness. Nelson needs a taller, more commanding and experienced partner beside him”, “Being blooded in this team has been a baptism of fire”, “Sid is fearless but is still learning his trade.”

Central Midfield

Lions may have a litany of concerns about their defence, but a lack of quality is the biggest midfield worry. “Today’s midfield [against Blackpool] was probably the worst in the league”, “It would be useful if Abdou and Chaplow dominated a game to a point where we score the opening goal.”

“Nicky Bailey was a massive part of keeping us up last year. Please God he comes back to save us again.” The 30-year-old ex-Boro man has missed most of the season with a recurring calf injury. “Give me a half-fit Bailey over a fully fit Chaplow any day”, “He really could make a difference.”

“Ollie praised Nadjim Abdou in the early season, then ‘poof’, Jimmy disappears as if by magic.” The 30-year-old ex-Plymouth holding player has been been picked recently, sometimes out of position. “I can’t work out why he was at right-midfield in the first Cup game. It limited our attacking options.”

“Jimmy was the only player on the pitch at Bradford who looked like he cared. He ran around for the whole 90 minutes. I don’t care if he can’t pick out passes. He gives his all every time he wears the shirt”, “His ability is so limited it’s untrue”, He does his best but is ineffective.”

“Nobody was good at Bradford, but Richard Chaplow deserves special mention for managing to stand out as being worse than anyone else.” The 29-year-old ex-Southampton man “was absolutely abysmal — poor passing, pitiful tackling and being caught in possession”.

“The funniest bit was Chaplow running away from both the ball and man for Bradford’s second goal”, “After two non-displays, I can’t see how a very stale Chaplow should be anywhere near Saturday’s starting XI”, “It sounded like he had a nightmare.”

Former Ipswich youth player Ed Upson has been a peripheral figure. The 25-year-old former Yeovil midfielder “is tidy on the ball and makes some forceful runs, but is very loose at closing down”, “He tried hard at Bradford but was ineffective.”

Scott McDonald

“I thought McDonald put in a good shift against Bournemouth. He never gave up trying, chasing back and putting in tackles. He was the only played that displayed the ability to hold the ball and turn without losing it.” The 31-year-old ex-Boro attacking midfielder “is a decent player in a poor team”.

Some Lions see McDonald as a striker. “He strikes me as a bit of a poacher. He’s tricky with the ball in tight spaces and a player who works on instinct rather than one who looks up, runs at defences or takes 25 yard strikes”, “He has amazing technique and finishing.”

“I think him and Fuller or Gregory would work well up front”, “McDonald hasn’t got the speed to be a striker. His first thought is to give a little twirl followed by another little twirl in case anyone missed the first one”, “He’s not a goalscorer. He hardly ever scored when he was at Boro.”

Wide Midfield

“Martin and Woolford are only good when we’re playing well”, “There’s no width in the squad at all. Widemen should be on the shopping list.” Millwall have little strength in depth here. Attacking moves have lost width and a cutting edge when wide players have swapped from their natural side.

Former Everton left-winger Magaye Gueye has mostly appeared off the bench. The 24-year-old “set up the equaliser in the first Bradford game setting up our second goal”, “He tries to put Gregory in and had some impact”, “I lost count of the number of poor efforts by him against Bournemouth.”

“Martyn Woolford has been a joke all season.” The 29-year-old ex-Bristol City left-winger “seems to get away with doing nothing week in, week out”, “He makes no impact and is too slow for a winger”, “He has been piss-poor all season”, “Woolford has been a joke and added little.”

Lee Martin

“Brainless. In one word, Martin’s brainless”, “He never stops running but his passing and crossing is a let-down”, “He does his best but is League One standard”, “Physical ability has to be allied to tactical awareness and Martin constantly selects the wrong option.”

The 27-year-old former Blue is also criticised for switching off at dangerous times. “For the second consecutive home game, we have conceded the first goal of the game from a Martin mistake”, “He should have cleared the ball when receiving it prior to our conceding the Bournemouth penalty.”

“It looked as if the big centre-half Clarke was being marked by Martin who didn’t even jump. The ball sailed into the corner for their goal. He had to be marked by someone who was going to challenge for the ball. It beggars belief”, “Martin puts in a shift, but flatters to deceive at times.”

Strikers

“We lack creativity, pace, width or strength up front”, “How many shots do they need to score at least one goal?”, “We have no quality in front of goal”, “We have produced one shot on target in each of the last two games. I have never seen so many good chances wasted.”

“Stefan Maierhofer can’t jump, shoot, dribble or cross and has no pace. Apart from that he’s all right.” The 32-year-old Austrian and former Wolves striker has just signed for a second spell at the Den. “He’s a handful, can hold the ball up and bring others into play.”

“The Hoff might not jump for toffee, but his presence and awkwardness will create goals for us”, “He gets defenders worried and causes chaos”, “We looked twice as likely to score with him on”, “We have been crying out for a Plan B.” Some Lions expect him to be used in a 4-4-2 system on Saturday.

“Lee Gregory has gone from being a hero at Halifax, getting bored at thinking up new goal celebrations, to being stuck on his own here”, “He must be wishing he had stayed at Halifax as they are a better side than us at the moment.” The 26-year-old has been a “small bright spot.”

“He is a genuine honest player who has done his best but is not being used to his strengths”, “He’s an inside forward and should be played as such”, “Gregory has been an impressive act entirely starved of service”, “He deserves a firm handshake and a sympathetic arm around the shoulder.”

Ricardo Fuller

“Fuller is a good player, end of. Whether he fits in with Ollie’s mad game plan is another matter. On the ground and in the box, he’s probably the best we’ve got”, “Give him space in the box and he will get you goals”, “He came on and played a part in our turnaround at Bournemouth [for a 2-2 draw].”

“He’s a decent player past his best.” The 35-year-old ex-Charlton striker reacted to fans criticism at Blackpool. “He took a speculative shot, skied it, then got abuse for that and reacted”, “We were frustrated and so was he. We gave it. He gave it back. We gave it back bigger. No problem.”

“Fuller’s experience makes him a handful, but he’s not strong enough holding the ball up.” The one time Ipswich loan signing “has been one of our most constructive and consistent players”, “He cannot be faulted for his lack of desire, skill maybe, but he is not shirking.”

Lions’ Views on ITFC and the Game

“Is anyone else looking forward to Ipswich?”, “They will put five past us. The ground will empty and their fans will take the piss big time”, “There is no chance we'll get anything from the Ipswich game. Ipswich are as good as Bournemouth”, “They will rip us a new one.”

Pre-match polls see 64% of Lions forecasting an Ipswich win, with most expecting us to score at least three goals, against a meagre 14% predicting a home triumph. A 3-1 away win, 0-0 draw and 2-1 home win are the most popular score forecasts. They are very pessimistic.

“Ipswich put up a half-decent if limited fight against the third-best side in England. We have just been thumped by a Division Three team. Saturday could be another humiliation”, “This will be a loss by four or five”, “Win at home next week? Where are the goals going to come from for that then?”

“Ipswich have got the bottom stand tier as well. We will probably be out-numbered on Saturday”, “The ray of hope is that they have a virus at the club and a lot of the players aren’t training - clutching at straws”, “It is a must win game or we are going to be well and truly left behind.”

“Holloway hasn’t been receiving much stick at home games. Wait till we go behind on Saturday”, “I’m taking Saturday off work and am going to give Holloway some. He ain’t seen vent yet”, “He needs to be f***ed off. Every f***er needs to let him know enough is enough on Saturday.”

There is a good deal of pent-up frustration, and some Lions may let their feelings be known in what will be the first home game since the Blackpool and Bradford defeats. “Saturday’s game could be a tipping point”, “The ground has been like a morgue but I feel this will change for Ipswich.”

“I can see the atmosphere being very, very nasty if that **** hasn’t been sacked”, “This **** has got to get it this weekend”, “I can see Holloway and the whole lot of them getting it.”

Websites

The two biggest Millwall message boards now require registration. These are
House of Fun and Millwall Online .

The busiest forum with open access is Millwall Mad. These links come with the usual cautionary note regarding the omnipresent industrial language.

Photo: Action Images

hoppy added 11:54 - Jan 16 Busy C...
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adepowers added 11:58 - Jan 16 Holloway's popular then...****
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Lord_Mac added 11:59 - Jan 16 Great read - just hope we win after all that! BTW - I've noticed more and more message boards are asking people to register - not just to contribute, which is fair enough - but even to view the posts. This surely depresses the traffic hugely, and yet if you apply to register, they always accept you! Is it so they can show more data to potential advertisers, or is it because they are sensitive flowers?

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Steve_M added 12:02 - Jan 16 If there was a game for us to get an early goal in it's this one. And please, can we not hoof the ball onto Shittu's head every bloody time like we normally do against him.
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lowtit added 12:04 - Jan 16 sounds like a classic fixture for us to lose then -
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LankHenners added 12:09 - Jan 16 This seems an ideal opportunity for a big response from the lads after the last two games - Millwall will be nowhere near as resilient defensively as Derby or Saints and, judging by the shambolic defending in the highlights, Murphy could get 2 or 3 with ease and they'll struggle if we have Mings running at them from the left hand side with pace and trickery. It's never that easy in the championship but surely we have more than enough to overpower them.

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jpring89 added 12:17 - Jan 16 if we dont win this i will be surprised a big win would be nice but any win will do.
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carsey added 12:17 - Jan 16 Sorry to be repeating my self but another excellent piece of work by Harry for those of us to lazy to do it or without the time. Sounds like this should be our chance to make a real difference to our goal difference. It will be good to get back on track after the disruption of the Southampton game and hopefully this will be the start of another unbeaten run.
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NSL added 12:28 - Jan 16 If the Southampton game couldn't have come at a worse possible time then this game has come at the best possible time! Millwall are easily the poorest team we played at home this season and it sounds like they have got worse. Shittu has the turning circle of an elephant with a javelin through its neck! Fully expecting to revert back to winning ways and get the confidence back - COYB!

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Cat_ITFC added 12:30 - Jan 16 Excellent read. Good job Harry
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theblueginger added 12:35 - Jan 16 I'm gonna put a pound on Skuse to score.
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NoCanariesAllowed added 12:35 - Jan 16 Have been keeping an eye on Millwall's results since buying my ticket for this game. Our results have not been ideal in the run-up but don't think we could be facing a better opponent at this time. I just hope Holloway doesn't mess things up for us again! Always a good read, Harry. I expect (hope) to hear similar amounts of frustrated swearing from the Millwall crowd on Saturday!

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tractorgrl added 12:57 - Jan 16 Great job again Harry! Yogi hasn't scored in a while and a goal or two from midfield would be nice please!
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B1TFC added 13:03 - Jan 16 Well, if we score a couple early on, I'll join in the chants with the Millwall fans of "you're getting sacked in the morning" cos I can't stand holloway lol If we are a couple ahead at the end, think I'll disappear early for my own safety! I remember putting Pompey in the mire, and the exit wasn't the most pleasing :/ We need this win big style on Saturday, and as mentioned, we will outnumber them, let's make sure we out sing them!! Great stuff as always Harry

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Surco72 added 13:06 - Jan 16 Good work Harry , I can see Berra or Smith adding to there tally in this one as Millwall concede a lot from set pieces and crosses into box , could be the exact game we needed after 2 narrow defeats against very good sides , get the confidence back to a run of games we could potentially take a lot of points from
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pazelle added 13:25 - Jan 16 Wow, Bradford looked like Brazil there! I think we're lucky they haven't sacked him - sounds like he's at the 'watching DVDs' period of his tenure. As always though, no easy games in this league. Cheers Harry!
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ITFC1983 added 13:32 - Jan 16 Cheers Harry, surprised your * key still works! LOL
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NITFC added 13:37 - Jan 16 Sounds like Lee Martin hasn't changed then. Really looking forward to this trip. Not many clubs get the bottom tier. If we have got it we must have a lot going down
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Kropotkin123 added 14:04 - Jan 16 Good work Harry. Nice read, as always. Really liked the lion's den image too!
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charsfield added 14:06 - Jan 16 is upson playing attacking mid?!
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HarryfromBath added 15:04 - Jan 16 Hi Charlsfield. Several Lions said that Holloway played him in a more advanced role ahead of the other two central midfielders against Bradford. I double-checked this on a couple of football statistics sites and said the same thing. It seemed odd, but nothing with Holloway is straightforward at the moment.
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Hegansheroes added 17:30 - Jan 16 theblueginger-reckon it's worth a fiver but the odds will be short even for Skuse. What are the odds for Martin getting on the score sheet, probably pretty (for an OG that is)
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dannyrr added 17:42 - Jan 16 We could have had Holloway at the time of getting MM. Looks like we got the better deal. Let's see a big result and see Freddie score on his debut. COYB
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StochesStotasBlewe added 17:55 - Jan 16 Great read again Harry. Caution fellow Town fans. They will be no pushovers. Will be a volatile atmosphere so cool heads will be required on & off the pitch.
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Seasider added 18:34 - Jan 16 Must be one of the oldest squads in the Championship,must go on the offensive rom the off
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