areNOTwhatTHEYseem

The article in the Athletic was very reassuring, as it confirmed that at least two bids have met the £30m threshold to avoid a points deduction next season. The 5th December deadline looks like it's being pushed back, though...

Our ticket prices are among the highest in the Championship. Not a single Championship team are averaging crowds over 30K. When you factor in that next season we'll be playing in League One, a division in which only 5 teams currently average over 15K, our current ticket prices would be even more of an outlier. What is it about Wednesday in particular which means we need crowds of 30K+ in order to reasonably expect lower ticket prices whereas other teams don't?

I just don't get it. Has any manager ever had such a bad hand to play? We're outgunned in every single game. And yet he's getting stick from some as if this were just a regular season and we're performing terribly.

We've got super Cooper playing for the Wednesday Tackling everyone Clearing balls for fun I'd like to see him in League One

I don't know why some fans are ignoring this. Pedersen will have seen yesterday's game starting to slip away from us, but if he's been given medical advice to limit his experienced subs to 15 mins each, then his hands are tied. Risk them and they pick up an injury, and we're even more screwed.

I can't fairly judge Pedersen given the circumstances. He's having to guide a squad that's been completely destroyed through a season in which they're outgunned each and every week. He's simply not going into each game on an even footing with his opponent, so whilst there'll always be tactical elements we can point to, that'll always be likely due to his opposite number having stronger players to call upon in the first place. Ultimately, he's just shuffling the deckchairs on the Titanic. Is he the right man for the long term? I have no idea. To be honest, it almost feels disrespectful discussing it whilst we're still in the eye of the storm. What I will say though, is that the fact our squad are still fighting and competing in most games is remarkable given the circumstances.

We weren't good enough to win today because we didn't capitalise on our chances and we handed Preston simple goals. But if we were a standard Championship quality team, we should have won that game on the overall balance of play.

I think you may have answered your own question there. Hopefully the likes of Cooper and Redmond can stay fit and give us genuine options to share the game time around a bit more now. If Chalobah and Bernard could return to the matchday squad as well, that would really help.

By the sound of what the administrators have said, the push to get funds back into the club via ticket sales, merchandise and other fund raising initiatives such as on here and via the Trust have been a roaring success, and not one that many clubs at this level could match in similar circumstances. It was actually quite emotional being back at Hillsborough for the Oxford match, and it was clear I wasn't the only one - there were several grown men with tears in their eyes near us. One thing that this past month has made clear is the strength of feeling among the fanbase - everyone will be doing what they can to support the club they love, and hopefully that's going to have helped set us up for a brighter future to come...

How do we know that wasn't the plan, though?

That's the thing, isn't it? Even pretty average-looking Championship teams can put three past us without really breaking sweat. I look at the division this season and can't help but wonder where we might be had we been in a position to back Röhl with a few recruits in January and the summer.

There was - we created some fantastic chances, but we only took two of them. The missed penalty was the most glaring of course, but there were a few others, too. You look at the situations that Preston turned into goals against us, and the lack of confident finishers is glaring.

His record isn't good. A 57% success rate.

...but no real quality where it counts in both boxes. With stats like these, you've simply got to be winning that game: To end up losing it just shows the extent of the damage done to this squad by Chansiri - we created so many chances, yet Preston didn't have to work that hard for any of their goals. It's so frustrating, but I can't be mad at the players.

Who is our penalty taker?

He's scored 4 and missed 3.

I've got some good news for you...

I can only assume he is?

Our defence simply isn't up to it at this level. Teams aren't having to work hard to score against us. Then you look at the amount of chances we spurn at the other end...

Urgh. How is their player still on the pitch? Shame for McNeill. I was surprised to see him stepping up, but I suppose he is on a hattrick...

We look like we need some subs, here.

Oh dear. We've had the chances to be two or three ahead and yet we're level. Can we pick ourselves up and go again, or is our lack of depth going to catch up with us once again?

It's a bloody saying, you pedantic git!

The pluralised version has become a more common saying, and that version makes more sense in this context.

"If you build it, they will come.”