AndyLimpey

His physicality will be missed this Season. The injury issues are also exaggerated, he was of such an important player for us, that he was never given time to recover properly after injuries and was overplayed, this happened multiple times under Rodgers, and even under Maresca during our Championship Season. The very fact even Maresca was willing to persevere with his limited technical ability and play him completely out of position as a number 8 says a lot about how much upside Ndidi brings to a team. He'd be in our first XI this Season, but given the financial mismanagement he's one of the sacrifices we have to make, but would not, if we had other options.

If Bilal goes, then it's even more important JJ goes, so we have more financial room for Bilal's replacement and a new number 9.

I'm hoping for a draw. It puts pressure on both sides right away then to win the week after. Even though I completely disagree with the sentiment that Birmingham are going to be challenging for Promotion, at least not the top 2.

The following stat is not an attempt to suggest we don't need another striker, we 100% do, but I've just worked out that Patson Daka had 12 goal involvements in 12.17 games when we were last in the Championship. It's important to remember just how much weaker sides are at this level in dealing with a bit of pace and mobility.

As well as the ownership, Do you think the Birmingham 'Expectation' also comes from what Ipswich did? Because in terms of their players, I just don't see it. I think with Kyogo and Stansfield, they can always grab you a goal from nothing, but I don't see a lot else in their side. Especially defensively, I don't see how it's any different to when they were relegated. The likes of Laird/Buchanan/Bielik are all still there. Put it this way, if that level of squad are around the top 6 come the end of the Season, then it's great news for us.

We're talking about the same Ben Nelson who played just 17 games right? For a side who fought relegation all Season and had zero expectation on them? Faes and Vestergaard should be starting over him every day of the week, footballing ability wise. Nelson undoubtedly is very highly rated with regards to his potential and of course is paid significantly less than the other two....But we have evidence of Faes and Vestergaard dominating this level 2 years ago, what are you going to put up against that in support of Nelson? Again, Age/Wage/Potential are not 'Footballing Metrics'. Doyle stood out at Coventry, then looked exceptionally ordinary here around better players. I'm not saying Nelson doesn't have 'Potential', I'm just stating based purely on facts and evidence, Nelson in unproven. Replacing two players who are "Guaranteed" to dominate this level, for one who "Might" do the same, is not a risk worth taking. If it backfires, we lose BEK, Fatawu, likely even Nelson himself and we're up shit creek without a paddle.

We've yet to see Nelson even appear competent as a second CB, the idea of throwing him in as the more "experienced" CB pairing is a great example of how our fanbase overrates players, who haven't even played. Some did the same with Braybrooke a few years back, claiming he should've been replacing Ndidi/Tielemans....And then the guy couldn't break into Dundee's side. Nelson by all accounts did ok at a relegation battling Oxford, whilst Alves didn't really do anything of note at relegated Cardiff. Yet it's these type of profiles who are supposed to be pushing out Faes and Vestergaard, who proved 2 years ago, that this level was too easy for them? Within our current squad, Doyle would be 5th choice CB and 4th choice LB. Getting rid of Vestergaard/Faes for him, immediately reduces our chances of Promotion. With Thomas, Kristiansen, Nelson, Okolie, all 24 or under, Brownhill on a 4 year contract at £100k a week would represent far better business than £8-10 million + Wages for Doyle. (And I don't think we should be signing Brownhill on those terms)

Usually your opponents are a good gauge of where your weak links lie. When we were here two years ago, teams in this League targeted Justin, he was the weak link then. They especially targeted him under the high ball, he would get caught out time and time again. He genuinely looks finished to me. Bereft of all confidence because he doesn't appear to have the legs to get him out of trouble anymore. Kind of like Pereira, except he has the technical ability and brain to have reforged himself from a marauding full back to one who uses his intelligence to create overloads. Watching him against any wide men these days, is like watching Ben Mee against Jimmy Kebe.

Based on what we saw of him here he has a ceiling based on his lack of mobility, which can never be solved by simply getting more experience. I don't think he's mobile enough for a full back and I don't think he has the physicality for a two man centre back pairing. His best position is probably as a left centre half in a back three, anywhere else he gets exposed unless surrounded by elite players. Plus he's the same age as Kristiansen, who for me, has far more of the attributes required for a full back in the modern game. I wouldn't be as quick to throw VK away as some, a full season in the Champ for a 22 year old could bring him on leaps and bounds. Problem for him, is the re-emergence of Luke Thomas.

With the exception of Kyogo, I'm not impressed with Birmingham's signings at all. He and Stansfield are the only players they have, which would make our matchday squad. I know it's popular to criticize a lot of our players, but the truth is, that's largely because they're not good enough for the league above, they're standout players at this level. Take Faes, a lot of our fans don't like him, but he was clearly a level above when he played two years ago, it was absurdly easy for him. He's in the debate for the best CB at this level. Even Ndidi stood out 'technically' at this level, and we know he's a technically limited at Premier League level. I think people will be pleasantly surprised how comfortable guys like Kristiansen and even Skipp, look at this level, although they shouldn't be, as I really don't think this level is any more difficult than two years ago. Unlike last time we were here, we've also got an array of exciting young talent chomping at the bit to get involved. The only team that can prevent us winning this League, is us. This squad has a lot of advantages over the one which was last at this level, it's 100% stronger, purely down to the fact that Hermansen, Stolarczyk, Fatawu etc were unproven. Thomas/Kristiansen > Doyle, Okoli/Nelson > Coady, BEK and KDH cancel each other out. Monga is going to be so much more of a threat than Akgun. Ndidi is going to be the one we miss, the physicality especially. Whilst Vardy is of course our greatest ever player, his decline over the last 4-5 years has meant often we really struggle to link up play make it stick, for all the criticism, Ayew will make Fatawu/Mavididi more threatening than Vardy could.

I think there's an argument to be made that we have a much better squad that when we were last relegated, as well as having a lot more potential in this Squad. The likes of Hermansen, Fatawu and Mavididi were unknowns going into that Season, and I think they've all improved significantly since then. You could probably say the same about McAteer. Thomas/Choudhury have benefited from great game time at the end of the previous season. BEK was a positive from last season, and if he stays, is capable of being a player at the next level. For a lot of players, who are still 24 and under, like Kristiansen, Thomas, Okoli, Skipp etc, this could be the making of them. The same goes for Nelson, Alves, Monga, Stolarczyk etc, who we should acknowledge, should be loaned out to this level, if we were at the level above. I've seen an energy in pre season that has reenergised me, from a fan who was pretty disillusioned during last Season. Even Jordan Ayew, whom it is popular to dislike, has a lot of qualities he can bring. Whilst Vardy is possibly our greatest ever player, in the last 3/4/5 years, his flaws were exposed just as much as Ayew's have been. In my genuine opinion, in a side with a lot of energy and runners wanting to get beyond the striker, Ayew is a better option than Vardy.