Supergray22

I’m one of the few who seemed to have liked Casey. He always worked hard and had a great engine and had a knack of scoring some useful goals. I think it’s a good deal for all parties as he wasn’t getting enough game time here and I’m sure he will go and improve further with a successful career. Just don’t play well against us Casey please.

Agreed but it is one poor game. I thought he looked decent in pre season. Inconsistency needs to improve but he does try. Not sure I could see him as a number 9 as some suggest. A number eight maybe or backup to Abdul.

Me too but it’s that mental strength that sets great players aside and needs to be worked on and encouraged. He has the attributes and that’s what is so frustrating.

The ACL injury would knock anyone back and especially at such a critical stage. He deserves time still and it to be taken gradually. That might mean another loan deal and eventually may lead to our paths diverging but we shouldn’t be too harsh. He is one of our own and a good lad. Some of the other youngsters have moved ahead and that’s great too. Just what we wanted to see and positive signs for seagrave and the academy set up.

Yes I like this. Mavididi but I wouldn't mind monga either - what a talent. I could see okoli starting as well and soumare. Like monga page and Nelson and some of the other academy players they deserve minutes and perseverance but it will take time and balance.

I agree with a lot you say here. Marti made some changes and we improved with our fluidity and overall performance second half again. You can’t leak goals at any level. We are too vulnerable on the break and when players run at us. We need to work on this throughout the team as it undoes all the good stuff we do. We need to improve offensively too but when we started to click it was better. We can’t turn on the team after each match when we can see the right things being done and effort being made. One or two players are more culpable but I think marti is getting to know the team better and is making the right changes. Great to see so many academy players in the pitch but some do need more time before they start but overall very positive signs. We lost it on penalties. We have won as many as we have lost in that situation.

Surely the qn of Skipp vs winks is settled now. Even the most fervent skippyonites have to concede now.

Great dave but where was the following up.

I have to say without VAR the referees have to take more responsibility for their decisions which is no bad thing.

After a decent start what was Skipp doing there. I would say schoolboy error but every school kid gets taught not to do a pass like that in your own box.

Yes that’s what I meant when I said if he wants to go. I may be naive here but I’m hoping he may want to stay. He is one of the first on the team sheet here and is pulling up trees. I don’t know how others feel but despite our current predicament the likes of Abdul and Bilal give me real hope for the future and are role models for our youngsters coming through.

Some things are worth more than money and points deductions. Abdul and bilal are two players who give their all for this club and if we are to build for the future sometimes we have to make a stand and say no. Of course if one or both turn round and say they want to go then that is a different matter but if not then we have to stick to our values. We have to many players who aren’t bothered about being here and don’t put in the effort. We need to take back control of our future.

Championship standard. We couldn’t give him away to Wednesday. Actually he is currently their top scorers.

A good keeper is such a key position for any club. I wouldn’t trust the recruitment team to reinvest that and get any other players at such a bargain fee. I still have Skipp nightmares.

West Ham have got a steal there. And to think we paid £12m years ago for Ward. Can we throw in Rudkin for free. I rate Stoly but we must be really desperate to let him go for £18m. I just hope that means we get to keep the likes of BIlal and Abdul.

Quite liked him.

The fact that KDH has just signed for Everton for £25m plus add ons, not much more than we paid for Skipp just underlines what you have said. It’s not Skipp’s fault. He has barely been used. This squarely lies with JRs and the boards poor management.

Thanks Wilf for all that you have done for us over the years and good luck for the future. You will always be held in high regard here.

I think it could be. We just need to see that teamwork and understanding flourish. There is a good chemistry from playing together already but being played together going forward will only reinforce that. I expect to see more swaps and changes early season but hopefully Marti lands quite quickly on a formula that gets the most of our squad and the vision he wants. I’ve seen some positive signs from this bunch but I’d like to see the same progress on the defensive side too across the whole team and to be honest I’m more worried about that.

I do agree he is a more natural 8. I thought you were advocating playing him as defensive midfield/ number 6/ pivot? I did say we had no one like Kante. I don’t know why you were using language like bonkers against my comments?

I don’t see tackling as one of his main strengths and that is just based on what I see. I do love it that he tracks back and enjoys a tackle just like I did with Vardy. I’d say the same thing about Abdul. Nothing got the crowd going like when jamie came crunching into tackles and the same applies with Bilal. I just feel that isn’t as big a strength as some of his offensive capabilities. I don’t think that is bonkers. The three points you mention are important in the art of tackling but I think he would pick up quite a few yellow cards through the positions he sometimes gets into in the tackle.coming in from the side or getting caught square in or with a leg dangling out. Part of that is because we mostly see him tracking back I concede. If you compare that to a natural tackler of recent past like Kante he does not win the ball as cleanly or effortlessly. That said this is an area we are not blessed with at the moment. I also mentioned the need for the pivot to have positional discipline. I don’t think placing this restriction on Bilal is getting the most out of him. I firmly believe in playing your best players in their natural position not fitting square pegs into round holes. He is one of our most talented players and together with some of the other talented youngsters we could build a team around for years to come. I just think his talents lend themselves to a more forward position. If he can’t play there for us would he even stay?

I really like Bilal and would be gutted if he left. That said I would have reservations about playing him in the pivot. He is particularly good at turning the opposition and running at players with the ball. He is prepared to take a risk in both his passing and willingness to run at opposition. These are attributes better suited to a more advanced position. In the pivot discipline is required in terms of holding position and not risk the ball. His work rate is commendable and is why he is so useful in the advanced role both in and out of possession. I can’t see him using that as destroyer type deep lying midfielder either. As an ex midfielder I don’t see his tackling as one of his great strengths - brave and willing but he tackles more like Vardy used to. He is a great player and I want to see him thrive with us but I’m not sure that is going to be a number six. I think he is capable of ramping those attacking stats up considerably and that this will come under Marti.

Capable at this level. I’ll believe it when I see it with my own eyes. But you are right we are lumbered with him. No one else will come near him for a fifth of what we paid but I don’t want to see him starting.

You’re kidding. The amount of times skipp gets played through as though he is not there and loses possession through a misplaced pass. Soumare will be gone but neither of them are what we need. I would not be relying on skipp even at this level. It will be interesting to see what Marti lands on after ten games or so but I hope he can build something out of what he inherits. I suspect it won’t be that different from what Enzo used unless we get some inspired loans or start to utilise the youngsters coming through.

I wouldn’t take him over soumare. Yes soumare looks a bit lethargic and lazy at times and lacks consistency. At his best he offers a physical presence and the power to burst through lines and initiate breaks. We got our pants pulled down with the skipp fee and got a winks lite in return whose form has been deteriorating for several years. If Marti can get a tune out of the likes of soumare or ndidi they would offer the team more in this division.