volpeazzurro

For me he got better as the game went on. I also think it's only fair to mention that 1. He's hardly had any game time. 2. He's just returning from injury and can't be match fit. 3. He's being asked to play in an unfamiliar role. There's certainly something there for a first 90 minutes and it will be interesting to see how he develops. He was industrious and tricky and sometimes just a bit unlucky that some things didn't quite come off. He adapted well I thought. In comparison, I think Casadei struggled sadly.

Why not, he offers something quite different, he can still supply crosses into the danger area as good as anyone. Different because he doesn't need to run at players, he can do it with just a bit of space. In any case, the context of the point was that he's one of 4 alternatives as opposed to none for certain other positions.

In fairness, there's bound to be goals!

Absolutely, he can hit a corner flag from 30 yards!

Mcateer, Akgun, Wanya, Albrighton could all potentially step in if fit over the next few weeks during Afcon. In comparison, who'd be adequate cover for KDH or Winks if injured? With Vardy currently injured, we've only got one young striker too, what would your plan there be? We're not that short of wingers at Championship level really are we.

How far clear of the competition are we thus far? Are we noticeably weak in this position? Bearing in mind money available and lack of squad places, are there not more pressing areas for concern?

I agree entirely. Firstly we're doing ok as we are but if we do recruit, firstly it should be in a position we are short in. We don't need yet another winger or someone that can bit part a number 8 position. Secondly, if it's a loan, preference surely must be for a player that we have a good chance of signing at the end of it if it's obvious they're Premiership ready. This lad would be merely a project for Liverpool who potentially, even if crap in the Championship, we'd perhaps be beholden to give him game time over one of our own prospects. Mavidivi, Akgun, Fatawu, Mcateer, Wanda and Albrighton are all players that can do a job on the wings, do we really need another?

We'll buy and improve and there are some teams in the Premiership this season that aren't very impressive to me. I would give us a reasonable chance for survival but as a fanbase we'd just have to accept before we even started, we will lose a lot of games and not press the panic button too quickly and get on the manager and players backs.

Enzo's system is like any other system in football, it only works if you've got the players in your squad capable of playing them. Burnley haven't. We didn't under Sousa all those years ago. Enzo's style relies on players being comfortable enough on the ball to be able to play out from the back. We have some of those already. It also relies on a particular type of striker and currently on the surface, Vardy and Iheanacho don't fit that mould. Daka's all round game appears to suit better and we're yet to evaluate Cannon properly. If we go up I'm sure certain things will be addressed and Enzo looks capable of doing it. He's streets ahead of managers like Rodgers.

I genuinely appreciate your views and respect them, I also agree with a lot of what you've said for the reasons given. However, I personally just look at the situation more pragmatically on a season to season basis dependent where we are at any particular time. For me this season, promotion has to be the most important goal and we've come incredibly far in a very short space of time with a new manager with several new and young players. I agree with the approach that where possible usually, that you start each game with your best players and withdraw some later dependent on score and performance. Indeed, Enzo seems to do this also. However, the prevailing circumstances are that this year, Afcon is about to happen and we will lose some of our regular players. Some of our other regular players will be getting fatigued and therefore to avoid injury, if possible, built-in rest games have to be at least considered. You can only visit the well so many times and players like KDH, Winks and Mavididi as just three examples are not robots. There may be others who our sports science people may evaluate as being near or into their red zone as they seem to refer to it. With this in mind, the most appropriate game to try and rest players would logically be against Millwall in the cup. They themselves may also rest players of course but even at full strength aren't the strongest of opposition. Certainly for this one season the goal has to be promotion and every three points are vital at a period where we will be naturally weakened due to Afcon. It also gives lesser used players the chance to get minutes and try and play, in a real life situation and adapt to Enzo's system. For me it has to be worth it for this season. Of all teams out there, we have proved what can be achieved with good and balanced team regardless of recognised galacticos but we are still at a formative stage currently after a rebuild. Promotion this season would enable us to ditch those players, new or old this summer that are deemed after full evaluation to be not up to the task and replace them with the money we'll then have to get more in. If we don't fully evaluate, in live match circumstances, players like Akgun, Cannon, Casadei or other youngsters we'll never know either. To risk certain of our best players to injury in a cup competition in such a season as this would be foolhardy at this point in time in my opinion just to tick an entertainment box to appease some supporters. Tradition and dreams are one thing but practicality and doing the best thing as a whole for a club at a particular point in time surely has to be a priority.

Arguably at least two of them are hard to judge because they haven't played. Would you therefore just kick them out of the squad to make way for some more whilst still paying their wages? I can see Cannon getting more game time, remember, because of injury he had no preseason and they are rightfully protecting him. They signed him knowing that he was injured so I doubt they'll just dump him without giving him ample opportunity to prove himself. They clearly wanted him. Akgun again we haven't seen. Enzo hasn't tended to replace players willy nilly if they're playing well just to have a look and see. It's this approach that has kept us at the top.

Both being injured might have had something to do with it. Neither have had enough game time to judge properly and if you include Albrighton, 5 wingers is more than enough for the Championship when we've got more pressing positions we could do with cover for. If Winks or KDH got injured that would be more of a worry than a winger. There's only so many places in the squad too. This lad would be just another risk and arguably it's better to wait until the summer to fully evaluate what we already have for the sake of about 4 months. If Fatawu and Mavididi remain fit he'd hardly get a look in.

Can't see this personally. Firstly we've got to make room in our squad by letting someone go. Secondly, if we were to do that there are far more pressing positions than yet another winger.

Those positives are? Promotion seals around £135m +, the FA Cup £2m, the Carabao Cup a mere £100,000! Cups are a nice bit of icing on a cake for misty eyed fans but football is a big business now. Another year in the Championship could set us back years as a club as the gap between the Championship and Premiership widens year upon year. If you're a comfortable mid table Premiership team with little chance of making Europe, then throwing everything towards a cup can possibly be justified in a business and entertainment sense but, to risk relegation or potentially miss out on promotion would be foolhardy. The game against Millwall is a great opportunity to get some minutes into legs and form on-pitch understandings with between players that haven't had that much game time, particularly if we're going to be relying on them during Afcon. Why risk a KDH, Faes, Vestergaard, Winks or Mavidivi etc?

Is that 8 actual journalist for the whole newspaper or just sport? Journalism locally to me is about talking to people and getting a 'scoop', not merely researching and copying other people's work.

If he's with the Mercury, he probably didn't even see or listen to the match. More likely just spoke to someone or copied their work like the rest of them.

I heard he turned up to training in a Darren Anderton T shirt!

Gooseberry.

It would be a nice gesture. It just doesn't bear thinking about for his family. I don't think there's been any gripe whatsoever between our two clubs over the years, quite the opposite in fact I think and it would be awful to think the behaviour of one complete idiot could mar that. Sincere condolences to everyone connected to Ben, so young, so tragic. I hope our fanbase get the opportunity to show their respect when you visit.

I don't doubt Daka's current superior stats but what also has to be taken into account is the quality of the opposition he's played against. Iheanacho and Vardy certainly don't seem comfortable with the way in which they are expected to play by Enzo.

But as he's not been playing and seemingly not in the manager's plans, is he going to give it everything and risk missing the Asian Cup with his national team?

Some say he's a lucky player, even streaky.

Wouldn't touch him with a barge pole. Thick and not without temperament problems.

Think you'll find it's the exact opposite to your reckoning. Check how many of our goals have been scored in the latter periods of our games.

I do admire your blind faith in Rodgers and Holloway. In fairness to Holloway he inherited a mess. Rodgers though was King Midas in reverse, he gradually turned everything he touched into 💩.