ClaphamFox

We're targeting an attacking midfielder, so it seems plausible we're after at least one of O'Riley, Sara, Chair or Hamer. I have to admit I've not watched any of these players close enough to say which I rate the most highly, but if O'Riley is the best of the bunch we should go for him. I think it's achievable too if we're determined enough.

Why do you say that? We'd be giving a Championship player the opportunity to play in the Premier League. It would be a step up for him. And according to reports, the other clubs interested in him are Atalanta, Galatasary, Palace and Leeds. Are you really suggesting we can't compete with them?

Eh?

Seems plausible, but the French can be pretty bolshy themselves, can't they? I wouldn't rule out a domestic protest of some kind. I just read that one attempted arson attack was 'foiled', though it's not clear whether the perpetrator was detained. If they were, that would presumably give pretty strong indication as to who is responsible for this.

Who's done this, then? https://news.sky.com/story/paris-olympics-french-rail-network-disrupted-by-vandals-as-athletes-and-world-leaders-gather-ahead-of-opening-ceremony-13184945

He’a scored 19 goals in 116 appearances for Arsenal, and scored 3 in 17 when he was on loan at Leeds. A lot of those appearances for Arsenal may have been as a sub, but still…

And the club absolutely did not want him to. They were a bit sloppy in defence in their first pre-season game after a couple of weeks of training. I get the impression some of our fans are so desperate for him to fail they'll seize on any evidence - however ridiculous - to prove their point.

The internet killed local newspapers. Their margins are so tight they can only afford to a little bit of actual journalism, so they fill up the rest of the space with absolute shite. A bit sad, really.

Thanks. Hopefully he’ll start tomorrow.

There's an old hermit who lives in a cave somewhere in Swithland Woods. Apparently he'll tell you if you give him some brightly-coloured beads. Heading over now...

Does anybody know when Hermansen and the other players who were on international duty return for pre-season training?

We have lots of central defenders; whether we have enough quality central defenders for the PL is another matter. Personally I'd prefer Nelson to stay as I can see him becoming our best centre-half in the near future and I don't really trust any of the others.

Leicester fans: Hey Soule baby, do you wanna join us? We'll treat you real nice and pay you lots of money. You're so talented and skillful - you'd be perfect for us. Soule: No thanks, I fancy Roma. Leicester fans: Alright then, **** off you ugly slag! We never wanted you anyway

There were numerous reports that we turned Potter down, not the other way around.

I believe Cooper likes his teams to play out from the back but doesn't regard it as an absolute must, which means Hermansen will probably be allowed to kick it long if he sees an opportunity to do so. When Iversen came in to replace Ward, I think we were all so relieved to have a keeper who wasn't a complete shitshow that we ended up overestimating his abilities a little. If he was a Premier League standard keeper he would be in demand from lower PL side and upper Championship sides; in reality, it seems only Derby want him and we're willing to let him go for peanuts. That should tell you something. Besides, your logic is very odd. We're going to be battling relegation anyway so we should only aspire to have a low standard keeper? That seems incredibly defeatist to me. I don't think Hermansen will go because I can't see Chelsea forking out £40m+ for a keeper, but if he did leave we would definitely need to buy a new No 1.

Iversen is nowhere near good enough to be our first choice keeper in the PL for one month, let alone six. A decision like that could see us practically relegated by the time Stolarczyk returned.

Yes. But all three had been with us since childhood and were open to being persuaded that moving would be good for the club. I’m not sure Soule’s sense of loyalty to Juventus runs that deep…

He hasn't been forced to go anywhere yet, has he? Juventus can refuse to accept a lower bid from Roma, but Soule can also refuse to sign for us. Ultimately neither can force the other's hand - it's just down to whether one of them blinks first or they both stand their ground and he remains at Juve next season.

On the basis that we're unlikely to sell Iversen AND Ward given the injury to Stolarczyk, I'm hoping Iversen stays.

I don't think Soule has ever really been on.

In his post-match interview, Cooper said that they were experimenting with playing certain players in different positions to see how they'd get on. My impression was that nothing is set in stone and we'll probably see other formations and tactics tried out in the forthcoming preseason games. This would fit with what we know of Cooper - ie, he's a pragmatic coach who is willing to change systems throughout the season and is not wedded to any particular formation.

No.