AKCJ

We play three midfielders in Martin's system. A single pivot (a six, if you like) and the starting option for that position is Oliver Skipp. A box-to-box midfielder (an eight, if you like) and the starting option for that position is Sammy Braybrooke. An attacking midfielder (a ten, if you like) and the starting option for that spot is Connor Chaplin. We have plenty of back up for the attacking midfielder role but almost no back up for the pivot or box to box role. If Skipp gets injured then we're playing Hamza Choudhury in the single pivot. I would say that is us horrendously short and absolutely not a scenario I want to see happen.

Does that guy post on here? See his tweets all the time.

I would class that as horrendously short. It's two positions and 4 options one being a kid with zero men's football experience and the other being Hamza Choudhury.

Look I don't really want to be seen defending Russell Martin but this is obviously not him turning down the option to sign another striker. This is a case of resource management. He (rightly) wants to prioritise centre back and centre mid because we have two key players leaving with no other back up. Leicester fans love to whinge about a lack of strikers but Bristric, Chaplin, Cullen and Reid is more than enough for a League 1 club, especially when you factor that there's still two and a half weeks of the transfer window to go and we can go again in January if needed. Assuming we're selling Souttar and Page as heavily rumoured... we're one injury to Okoli from playing young Kevon Gray, one injury to Skipp from playing Hamza Choudhury and one injury to Bristric from playing Cullen or Chaplin up front. To me that says we don't need a striker as much as other positions.

Exactly. The window is open for a few more weeks and it feels like we're going to be down to the bare bones for centre midfielders and centre backs. 1. Sell Page and Souttar. 2. Replace them. 3. Get a late loan of a young striker.

That's not as good of a deal as the £10m that was mooted earlier in the week but it's still a no-brainer.

I think the real worry is that he's not an out and out striker. I do think we need two players that can lead a line. Cullen, Chaplin and Reid will have their uses but to really occupy a back line we could do with Bristric and one other IMO.

I think one problem we've got (and it stems from Aiyawatt) is the sense of "everythign will be fine", "we're above all this" and "we're a Premier League outfit in all but name".

You can add Chaplin to this list. I do personally agree that we need more midfielders and centre halves before we need strikers. We are dangerously close to playing Hamza and Faes. You can bet that Bristric gets a decent injury the second the window shuts though.

That is an absolute corker.

Pretty sickening really isn't it. Makes out that he's been there through their academy as well. "Darren Motsi joined us from Leicester at 15 years old and will be another strong addition to our Under-18s side" He joined you this summer lads. Say it how it is. Trey Nyoni has been getting rave reviews for his performances in Liverpool's pre-season as well. Just so shit that these players get pinched, go on to make an impact at that level and we get essentially **** all.

Imagine the headspace of a Rangers fan after last night and hearing your club wants Stephy Mavididi

I think that Faes could potentially go on loan with us paying a portion of his wage but I don't see a scenario where Mavididi tempts anyone. Happy to be proven wrong of course

Nobody is desperate to sign Faes or Mavididi mate

Why? Who would buy Mavididi or Faes?

I don't think there's a world where that three definitely goes. I think Souttar will go, because it sounds like Sheffield United are keen. I think Faes will go out on loan but I don't see anyone matching his wages. I don't think Mavididi will actually go. I don't think there's a club that would pay what we'd want. Page will likely go but Skipp definitely won't.

We do, but I expect that Page and Souttar will leave which would leave us horribly short of options in those areas.

Horrendous. Would have been lovely with a normal pattern on the kit.

I rate it. I think the red goes with the black white and yellow to be honest.

I don't think we'd need to replace him. I would rather spend that money on a centre back, central midfielder or striker. Right now the squad looks like this without Mavididi; Bristric Alves Chaplin Burns Braybrooke Skipp McFarlane Souttar Okoli Joseph Stolarcyzk Reid Watson Cullen Howell Page Choudhury Thomas Faes Gray Aluko McCarthy

Would have really liked Alves and Braybrooke to have been given more 'first team' numbers. Obviously it doesn't really matter but there's a good chance they're both going to play a lot of games for the club. Would have really liked us to have given Braybrooke the 6 and Alves the 10.

This allows Alves to move to his favoured left side which means we can absolutely afford to sell Mavididi and Decordova-Reid (even more than we already could). ST: Bristric LW: Alves, Watson AM: Chaplin, Cullen RW: Burns, Howell One more striker to come in and that attack is more than fine.

Yep, he made life miserable for Newcastle fans. No wonder they wanted him out. Only so long you can take finishing 17th playing shit football. I think everyone is entitled to enjoy watching their team play.

I think Arsenal will win it quite comfortably. Looks a weak league to me at the top despite the money going around.