Nods

"We lost our club when you lost your Dad"

Fvck a van. Small fry, tin pot waste of time that doesn't get noticed. Needs to be big or don't bother. In fact not bothering at all and not turning up would probably send the biggest message.

Positives: - Monga - Okoli - Cifuentes changed the system mid-game and it had a positive impact. At least he's flexible Negatives: - It looks like a lack of communication at the back. Not just on the goals but a few other scares. Basic stuff - We still have a total unwillingness to run, especially in the middle of the park - We absolutely cannot start with Ayew up top on his own. We just have no way into the box because he won't stretch them - Thomas and Justin are the worst full back combination possibly in the football league. Toothless in the tackle, afraid to show for the ball and atrocious when they do receive it. Drop them at all costs Summary: We need a striker and a capable midfielder who's going to put a shift in, to allow us to start in that 3-4-3 formation. At the absolute minimum. We need Ricardo desperately and hopefully we just about get away with Kristiansen.

It's not so much how bad he's been. He just doesn't put in the hard yards. He's not good enough to justify carrying him. Really basic stuff. I'm not even one of those fans that just loves a runner or someone who is going to put himself about, but Soumare point blank refuses to get behind the ball. It'd be unacceptable in Sunday League.

We have the same players we had last time, except Bilal for KDH, which in some respects (other than pure goalscoring), is an upgrade. Play Ricardo centrally in there with Winks when he's fit. Yeet Soumare and Oliver in to the nearest Skipp.

He'd just scored a goal to retake a lead against League One opposition. Pretty common for big favourites to not enthusiastically celebrate goals isn't it? He turned away and had a smile on his face. He has played well from what we've seen of him in the last two games. With our alternatives in his position, I'd be more than happy to see him on the team sheet moving forwards. The sooner the likes of Skipp and Soumare make way for the likes of Ricardo and Winks, the better. Hamza, for all his flaws, might at least put a foot in, too.

I get it, I do. But nobody is forcing him to play Soumare or Skipp. We have limited options, yes, but it doesn't take much imagination to figure out how you'd drop at least one of that pair. Regarding the full backs - it's probably our weakest position. Look how well we did last time at this level by playing a system that removes the requirement for full backs. I don't know enough about Marti to know if this is just his system and that he will always use 2 full backs. Surely at some point you realise we have one guy who passes as a footballer in that position and he's consistently injured. Adapt the system. If our 11 is going to consistently include Justin, Thomas, Skipp and Soumare in those two functions, we're in for a long, long season. Inability to pass combined with an inability to track back? Some combination, that.

You just can't be a central midfielder and refuse to track back. At any level. It really is that simple.

How many managers do we have to go through before we drop Soumaré for an absolute unwillingness to track back? It's borderline hilarious watching him as he lets runners pass him by time and time again.

Thanks very much for the offer, someone has come through with a spare to meet at the ground 👍

Only an hour's drive for me and turns out I've got no plans. I'd go along, but the idea of paying for a membership I'm unlikely to need more than a couple of times, if at all, is stopping me buying a ticket.

Because he's too good for this league and not good enough for the one we were in last season.

Played well. Would rather see Bilal on set pieces, mind.

I'm all for being annoyed at the running of the club, but this isn't one of the things to be annoyed at. Was always being sold, we have a replacement. Worst thing we could have done is hold out for an unachievable price and leave it too late to re-invest any funds. I'll jump on your bandwagon if we make no signings. Until then, it looks like necessary and sensible business.

Just glad we don't have to watch a smug Coady in a post match interview tbh

While the Championship is probably his level, I wouldn't agree he's good enough for what we want this year. You'd imagine we'll have a decent amount of the ball this season, and frankly his passing has made Wilf look like Pirlo in his prime. Justin would be fine for a lot of clubs in the Championship, but he'd be a much better fit in a team that will rarely dominate games. Enzo played Doyle ahead of him for a reason.

Not our worst player by any means but I'm happy with that. Decent chunk of cash for an injury prone player who is just a disaster with the ball at his feet. Did well under Enzo as a kamikaze goal threat for a while, but ultimately we have better options moving forwards. I don't know if football has changed since he was effective as a DM or if the footballing world just realised he folds when pressed. Maybe it's just his legs. Can't believe he's only 28. Feels like his legs have been going for a few years.

Never has so much been said about (or by) such a non-descript footballer. What's he good at? Glad he's gone. He'll be forgotten about very, very quickly.

Chilwell, despite being very evidently left-footed, always struck me as having a remarkable ability to look like a right footed player asked to play left back. Never known a player struggle so much to see a pass. Always had an engine and a decent left foot, but vision and attitude let him down. Was very happy we managed a decent pay day out of him, to be honest. Average at best.

Can't we just be objective? As a direction for the club it does make business sense to give youth a chance, because they don't cost us anything, therefore it's low risk/high reward. So I want us to promote youth. Absolutely. But when it comes to analysing each footballer, I have and always will make that analysis on merit. I don't really care if they're 'one of our own' or not. KDH is and always was a limited footballer for the type of football we were playing at the time. That doesn't mean he didn't have his strengths, but I'd have thought that whether he was a Leicester academy graduate or a £20m signing. Looks like Chelsea agree. Meanwhile I personally always rated Barnes and thought he was fantastic for us. To be honest, I don't think it's that people are particularly 'venomous' towards our youth players at all. As football fans generally, we are very critical creatures. I think you, and others in this thread, are just more sensitive to it when it's one of our young lads on the receiving end, to be honest. Confirmation bias, if you will.

Can't be any worse than Ward. And that was in a league in which your Keeper is going to be relied on more. Most games you'd hope our keeper will be a spectator.

Bilal could be an elite 8 if he adds some physicality to his game. As a 10, the jury is out. Not convinced he has the composure. We missed a trick last season. Should have played Bilal deeper with Bnotte as the 10.

I stuck £200 on it on Saturday and the odds didn't flinch.

This has given me a great idea. Can we Thai honey trap Rudkin?

There's a difference between it being bang on and the bookies knowing it's bang on. Assuming what Pro has heard is correct, he has information that the bookies don't have. Not that anything is truly bang on until he's stood with a grin on his face holding a scarf anyway.