murphy

We are at the agree to disagree stage here since you seem to be doubling down on said prior nonsense but what is it specifically that you think Nelson would not be able to do for us that he has already demonstrated that he can do for Oxford against the same opposition playing in the same position?

Oh I understand, I just completely disagree. He defended against the same teams at Oxford and played in a team that would have spent more time than most defending. Come on. It is nonsense to say it's not comparable. Styles of play are immaterial. Can he play at this level? Yes he can.

Oxford couldn't be more comparable since they play in the same division and face the same teams that we do. That is the most nonsense statement I've read here for some time and that is saying something. If Nelson'sOxford experience is not comparable, then what would be?

Stolarcyk? I think you're also forgetting Barnes, Chilwell, KDH, Nelson and to a lesser extent Hamza and Thomas. Our academy has been a proven source of talent and we have a crop that look like they have the potential to be very good. The trouble is, they don't come ready made. If you expect that, then you're going to be disappointed. You have to develop them and invest time into them. The two that you have mentioned have had serious injuries that have cost them both a year of development. Alves has done well at Cardiff I believe and literally nobody said he was going to be Lionel Messi.

I think it was £2.75m plus add ons. We had £60m incoming. I know we have our problems but I find it hard to believe that we couldn't have managed that. Scandalous that we have been left without a striker that is fit for purpose when we have a team that should be challenging for promotion.

He is making an enormous leap in his development and there will be indifferent days. All part of the education. All part of the journey to becoming the special player that we expect he will be and we need to expect this and be patient.

Please edit this. It hurts my eyes.

Starting? It was a problem we knew we were facing at the end of last season, so the powers that be, in their wisdom, are arrogant enough to think that we can get by with a fourth choice Feyenoord cast off on loan. Congratulations Rudkin, you saved a couple of million, but you've potentially lost £200m that we would have got if we were promoted this year.

I don't share your optimism, but even if you're right, we don't have the luxury of allowing a season to bed in. We need a striker for this season as a matter of urgency. I just can't believe the clowns that run this club.

Big mistake because we need a striker for this season

No. You're getting mixed up with kneeling in prayer

So why didn't we do it when we had chance in the summer?

The moveable object versus the resistible force.

this place will break out with cabin fever. Imagine the threads that will appear - 'Your all time favourite kit sponsor', 'who would win a fight between Nigel Pearson and Robert Huth', 'Best players who had a moustache'... (Ind Coope, RH and Ali Mauchlen btw)

I can't keep repeating myself, but I will say it one last time. I am not basing my disappointment at this signing on any minutes that he has played for us, not one, but on the career he has played previously. I see nothing on his resume and no outstanding attributes. If you think this deadline day afterthought solves our striker crisis then I hope you're right and I'm wrong but I am beginning to think that your monicker might be ironic. In any transfer thread in any window you will see various posters casting doubt on potential signings or indeed, the opposite of that. What do you think those opinions are based on?

The reason I feel strongly about this is because of the unique predicament we were in. Going into a new season with only one recognised striker and that striker having stunk the place out for four years. I'd call that a crisis and yet we have done next to nothing to put that right despite having had months and months to plan for it.

Carranza hasn't just materialised out of the ether. He has had a career and it is perfectly reasonable to judge whether you might think a particular player is good enough for what we need, based on what he has done to date. It genuinely baffles me that some people cannot grasp this concept. Just to be clear, please could someone direct me as to how much time must elapse before one is allowed an opinion? Many thanks.

Maybe not legends but if you're a half-hearted journeyman, Rudders is your best friend and walking money tree.

Oh yeah. Oops.

Dont you start Ben, you with your one man Jordan Ayew Appreciation Society. Need a nice quiet lie down now

When we allowed Kone to sign for Swansea I thought that we must have something better up our sleeves. We didn't. We signed a fourth choice Feyenoord off-cast. I just can't believe the arrogance of going into the season without addressing this gaping hole in the team. Frankly, I am less than overjoyed about this state of affairs but what I can't understand is why everybody else seems to be so sanguine about it. Just the usual 'give him time' platitudes as if we have that luxury. Look, I have no axe to grind with JC I'm just really annoyed at the club for leaving us in this wholly avoidable position. As for support, of course we should support him and the team at the ground but this is an internet forum. A place for idiots like me to get if off my chest.

I would wager that Wout is absolutely baffled by this.

You don't need to be mystic Meg, just a little cursory research shows you a pretty mediocre career to date. I can never understand the idea that seems to pervade FT that a player might undergo metamorphosis into something quite different just by putting on a blue shirt.

I was being flippant but I cited Benjamin just as an example of forlorn hope. He was always going to continue being Trevor Benjamin. But let's say you're right and I'm wrong. Carranza is just not ready or acclimatised to the league, but will get better given time. Well that is still piss poor recruitment because we need a functional striker right now if we want to get promotion, not in six months time. 20% of the season is already gone. We've been Rudkin-ed yet again.

I think you're going to be disappointed. I expect that you think Trevor Benjamin just needs a little bit more time