Ex Lion Tamer

For all that, I actually think they'll improve a lot now they've got a proper manager

There will also be some weird results towards the end of the season when higher teams have nothing to play for. Plenty of points to be had, if we're good enough to take them

We did our best and spent money but it's so tough to get game changing players in January when you're bottom of the league

We didn't get rid of Romeu, he wanted to leave and we let him because he's been a good servant to the club

Definitely looks like one for the future. Don't think he'll help us much now. Has anyone got that chart which shows he has the most successful dribbles in the major leagues or whatever it was?

He's behind Lacazette now at Lyon so not getting much game time, he'll increase his earning power if he comes and does well for us (or someone else)

£3m loan fee till the end of the season would make more sense

Mmm, 2 goals in 14 games this season, lovely! In fairness, he has a proven goalscoring record before then. Wonder if we can match his wage demands - I wouldn't be surprised if he sets them high in anticipation of a big deal in the summer

Supposedly haggled over a few million and missed out on a striker when he had a free rein to spend big

So we shouldn't make other signings and save all the money to buy a striker who doesn't exist?

I think there's a shortage of goalscoring strikers at the moment and a lot of teams around us spending silly money. Leeds have just spend £35m on Rutter who has scored 2 goals this season. Bournemouth have signed Semenyo who scored 5 in the Championship. West Ham got Ings ahead of us and he's injured now anyway. Even Man U have settled for signing Weghorst. Chelsea are struggling for a striker and signing wingers instead. What I might be willing to accept is that we cocked up in the summer which apparently was Semmens' fault rather than SR.

Just saying it isn't difficult doesn't make it so. Who would you have brought in?

Knowing about the problem doesn't mean we can magic up goalscoring strikers who want to join us over other clubs

What if you're wrong and it is actually difficult? I find that idea more compelling than the suggestion that the club is either useless or deliberately gaslighting us season after season

Are there ever times in your life when things don't go as you hoped and you have to reset your expectations? Alternatively, do you think the club should stop trying to be ambitious in transfer windows in case people get disappointed when it doesn't happen?

Well not really. But we needed to roll the dice and see if someone else could bring new ideas and get a tune out of the squad. We shouldn't be surprised that they haven't

Does he deserve to be pilloried for the fact that we haven't signed a clinical striker?

The exact reason why Everton want him is the reason why we're struggling to find a replacement. There isn't much better out there for teams in our position

Brighton also struggled to find a goalscorer for a number of years. And they're not bottom of the league like we are

You said "for the money we'll pay". But even if we pay more, who will come to us when we're bottom of the league? Who are the strikers with great goal records who we could buy for £30m, £40m, £50m who would come to us right now?

Even if we had £70m, would a £70m player join us right now?

Who though? Maybe no one good wants to come to us

Caleta Car, Aribo, Lis, Maitland Niles are decently experienced players. We now have Orsic, Bree, Bednarek as well. Add that to McCarthy, KWP, JWP, A Armstrong, Ely, Adams, S Armstrong and you have plenty of 25+ players. The problem is that a lot of those players aren't very good, because you have to pay astronomical fees for good players of that age

I thought Orsic couldn't influence the game because he didn't have an attacking full back to support him. He was isolated out on the left