OntarioFox

Middlesdidn'tbother

His inaction earlier in the summer is going to leave us with a hollowed-out squad. We've left ourselves massively vulnerable to the departure of key players and other teams will be able to have our pants down knowing we have glaring gaps in key positions. Selling Coady was a rare moment of clarity. Those considering it a turned corner need to give their heads a wobble though - the squad is still full of absolute rot brought in on his watch. We've also just sold a potentially world-class keeper for below his real value, since we don't have much bargaining power as a second-tier club. It's a carbon copy of what happened with Maddison last time out. We're facing a season with a midfield pairing of Skipp and Soumare, who cost us a combined £38 million yet aren't even good enough for the championship. That's Rudkin's legacy. Don't think there's anything more that needs to be said.

My head and heart say hell f***ing no, sell him and we riot. The devil on my shoulder though? It says it's the straw that breaks the camel's back and leads to A) a full squad turnover once the wastemen like Faes and Soumare realise we're stuck in the Championship for the forseeable and force moves and B) a tipping point in getting the majority of the fanbase turned against KPFC steering the ship into every iceberg they can find. I've already passed the point of even caring what happens this season, the club needs change and this could be the lightning rod to kick the wider fanbase up the arse. He's our most popular player, I doubt he wants to leave, and if he does go it's going to be a board decision, not his. Fatawu is that important to our season. I personally think we can afford to lose BEK given we have a few options that can play centrally (Ayew, McAteer, Mavididi), but if Abdul goes we're relying on Stephy and a 16 year old kid to cover our creativity on both wings. We're done as a serious force if that happens.

Marti gets a pass from me for starting (and persisting with) Soumare on Sunday. He is far from the first manager to be gaslit into believing he's a competent footballer. And he's barely had a fortnight of actual pre-season to see him in games, thanks to our board's inaction. If the lazy lump is still here and playing week-in week-out by the end of September while Choudhury is sat on the bench, that's when I'll get angry.

#TruthFromThailand with a big gun or something i dunno

Earlier jokes aside, I think we're more likely to see Soumare stick in the squad than Skipp. They were both garbage, but Boob lasted the full 90 despite having a capable deputy in Hamza on the bench. Which is a red flag in itself. What's worrying is that the player who took Skipp's place (Winks) apparently wants out, which will leave us with zero creativity in an already pants midfield if he goes. The dream scenario is that someone does come in on loan for Soumare again so we at least don't have to see him all season, we get someone (anyone, preferably Brownhill) in for reinforcements, and Winks stays. We're never getting shot of Skipp as his stock is far, far lower and the level he belongs at (honestly low League One / high League Two in my opinion) couldn't afford his probably astronomical wages and we'd end up paying them. I don't really want to see him in the side again, but he's probably going to settle into a cameo role off the bench where he'll do absolutely nothing of note.

I think I echo what many others have said in saying - oh, to be a fly on the wall in these training sessions where Soumare is apparently so impressive that both players and managers have commented on it! There's clean slates, then there's whatever that bloke is doing. He must have a body double doing the sessions while he sits on his arse eating haribo and watching Netflix until matchday. It's genius in a way - the biggest swindle since Ali Dia. It's been happening for four long years now, save for last time in the Championship when he didn't fancy it and sent the body double off on loan where he apparently excelled. He must have caught up on a lot of telly in 2023.

This is also true of course. Shafted by our board's inaction for most of the summer, if we get anyone in for midfield it'll be a last-minute signing, probably a loan, who might not be the right fit. Rudkin masterclass. I'm not going to blame Marti if our midfield options let us down this season, which they will on today's showing. It's a blatant weak link now, and if he's not backed with at least one option I think he's within his rights to blame the tools at his disposal. We're pretty knackered if Winks goes, he's the only one outside the final third with an ounce of forward thinking. I don't think it will cost us too much creatively as we have an embarrassment of riches out wide, but we're not going to dominate the middle of the park like we did last time out, and that could ultimately prove to be our Achilles heel if we want another instant return. We saw early proof today that the level of opposition doesn't matter, teams will create chances against us as our backline have people in front of them incapable of doing the basics to control the game.

In order of easiest to most difficult ways to improve our midfield overnight, we need the following: Bin off Soumare and put Choudhury at DMF Convince Winks to stay Sign Brownhill Marti has 100% control over the first of those, and he'd probably make the club and those rabid Bangladeshi fans happy while doing so. It's a win-win way to start to address the rot. Choudhury is a meh footballer but a perfectly capable player at this level, and stood out in a Sheff Utd team that bagged 90 points last season. Whatever reservations some of us have, he's 100% a better option than Soumare on today's predictably garbage showing.

I think it sums up how sour the fan relationship with Wout is that a lot of us can't bring ourselves to properly enjoy a bullet header winner in the last ten. Most other players, that'd have brought the roof off, but the way he reacts was so over the top, like he's proved some sort of point to us despite it being against a team of glorified charity volunteers, playing with ten men, in the second tier. For me, it's like watching the kid who bullied you in Primary School and went on to achieve nothing in life get married and expect you to congratulate him on Facebook. He needs to go.

I am reminded of this scene every time he plays. lcfc midfield.mp4

Winks was offside for our first goal.

Feel sorry for Belgian fans going from Kompany and Alderweireld to this fella

i piss on those wishes, he can just go elsewhere

Unlucky not to score and that run for Daka's chance, holy moley. Soumare apologists claim he has that in his locker, but a carthorse like Jordan was able to bulldoze his way further down the wing in one game than Boob has in his entire sorry career for us. He's going to have a good season.

Evidently we need to keep booing him, louder and louder. It's the only thing that appears to motivate this cumstain.

If there are any Sheffield Wednesday fans on here, here's your chance to sellotape the table to the wall

Ok, THERE's the evidence that Ayew is going to shit this league

bugger me they're burning through this already limited squad of theirs

Faes and Vestergaard back pairing Soumare still on the pitch Skipp stinking up the pitch for 45 minutes Rudkin watching it all from his pedestal with his squashed-pudding face

For the love of God just throw the budget at him, midfield is clearly where we need serious help.

HE'S ACTUALLY SEEN ENOUGH AHAHAHAHAHA nah i love Marti so far, right sub, f*** the potato, Soumare next hopefully

That midfield is going to cost us every week. Those of you who were exercising mental gymnastics to suggest that Soumare and Skipp are good enough for this league, hang your heads in shame. They've just had rings run around them by glorified part-timers.

Skipp and Soumare both APPALLING at tracking their runners there, by the way. Hate them both.

Hands up who is REALLY glad that happened?