Chez

Like your positive way of thinking. I'm now wondering if he might be better in the air than Lyanco and DCC? Knowing us, he'll come in, we stop conceding goals from set pieces, but goals will leak in every other way.

What's his youtube video like?

I seem to recall that we had to turn to Stephens for the second leg of the last league cup semi final we played in, after VVD got injured - and there weren't many fans excited by that prospect. He had a stormer that night and we obviously got to experience one of the greatest aways days in living memory. So, should we need to turn to Bednarek in one of the two forthcoming legs, maybe it will work out and we will be glad of his return. OK, it's very much a glass half full day today, but it's not exactly the end of the world that we have a CB on our books able to return and to sit on the bench to provide cover should we need it. Even if we lose a CB, Lyanco can shift across with Perraud playing at full back...shit...who's had the other half of my beer?

No idea about ABK injury. Bednarek's not cup tied for the League cup, but is for FA cup.

Makes sense (sadly) if the ABK injury is likely to keep him out a while as we are playing the other three CBs in the first eleven and don't have a fourth should any of those get injured.

You've heard of JWP, right? Sure, we haven't developed too many absolute top class players in recent times, but Jan Valery, Michael Obefemi, Harrison Reed, Matt Targett and Sam Gallagher have all be sold for a few bob. Part of the reason we have struggled is the likes of Chelsea and Man City have taken the youth development to another level over the last decade, spending a small fortune and offering huge contracts to youngsters, which has helped them to attract the very best young players. Luke Shaw went with Saints back in the day, despite being a Chelsea fan, because of academy reputation and quality at the time. If he had come along a few years later, with the reputation of Chelsea's academy much enhanced, then he'd of joined them. The academy lost its way. People moved on, and the club was unable to find and attract the real stars. Without those star prospects entering the academy you don't get the very best talent coming out the other end. In more recent times we have spent some serious money bringing in young talent and in the next two or three years we could well reap the benefit. JimmyJ, Ballard and the two Spurs fellas Sam Amo-Ameyaw and Jayden Meghoma may well make it at the top level.

They didn't start their brand new £40m striker either.

I don't get those vibes at all. I get the vibes that we are struggling to get the attackers we want. Jones' is clearly not going to throw the two he has under the bus before securing replacements.

yep. He's saying if the five or six striker they identified as being good enough can't be got, which it sounds like they can't, then let's not spend £20m on another Carillo. Not good news though, as it sounds like we can't the guys we want.

The idea that Jones was brought in with the Championship in mind is poppycock. We'd only played 14 of 38 league games. You may have given up at that point, but SR most certainly hadn't.

absolutely. Defenders just run back in their lanes. If the ball isn't at headable height then the forwards in between those lanes (players) just get free headers. 9 times our of ten you are OK, but we seem to be on the end of the 1/10 a fair bit. We are never going to prevent every goal, but there has been too many even with Jones says we are defending better. Not set pieces we aren't. The other week we had Ely `marking' 6'3" Onana and CBs zonal. That didn't work either.

it was a shit show under Ralph, with the instruction just to stand still and time after time the offside track was broken and only a massive slice of luck and good fortune seemed to precent us conceding almost every week. Admittedly, we did catch teams offside a lot too, but it was far from perfect and as I say, it was more about forwards not believing their luck and missing half the time. I don;' want to go back to that again. Obviously it was a pivotal moment yesterday in a relatively tight game, but our failure to keep the ball, create chances and take the genuine one we got we just as important.

Yes. It's zonal marking. I'm glad we have moved away from that crazy offside trap bollocks under Ralph, but I am starting to wonder if hold a high line at set pieces offers any advantages to the defensive side. If forwards and defenders are all moving towards the goal, it feels like its always going to be difficult for defenders to stick with opponents and make a suitable clearing header. If defenders were already on thee six yard box, they could be facing the ball coming in and then attack it. I guess in practice though, sitting deep makes it even easier for attackers to score with the right delivery. Perhaps it's just that Lyanco, DCC and Salisu aren't the ball winners we like to think they are.

I've flagged up before that Lyanco not dominating in the air at set pieces has cost us goals. He got under this cross and we concede again. It was a decent cross, so maybe not all on him, but he's not a giant guy that wins everything. I don't feel safe at all at set pieces with these CB's like I did with Fonte/Jadai or Fonte/VVD. DCC (standing behind him) doesn't exactly cover himself in glory either at that set piece, neither getting tight to Watkins or making any effort at all to win the header. Maybe it was just one of those crosses that is perfectly placed between two split CBs, but why does that always seem to happen.

Armstrong's chance in the second half hasn't seemed to be mentioned on here. He's hit it pretty well, but he's on the penalty spot when he does and should be burying it. We don't create lots of chances, so really MUST have strikers that are clinical for us to win points. They aren't.

how did Sander Berge look?

Just as well we had Che firing in those last ten games otherwise we might have struggled. Oh.

linked to Ousmane Diomande from Midtjylland

so definitely not a right back then and obviously KWP is going nowhere.

Who's offering? Bite their hands off. Can we send the scout that found him and the guy that offered him a new contract - oh, that was Ralph - with him?

Not seen him play. Is wright really shite? He would add height and looks bright. His goal tally is a fraction light, but might offer some bite. It would be a delight to get a signing tonight, right?

you're right.

there are a lot of links that may be total bollocks, but big, fast, powerful direct runners with the ball, guys that can control and turn and go at players, not too dissimilar to what Broja did for us in him pomp, seems to be the M.O. here. Jackson, Semenyo and Wright all seem to fit this type. It feels like their ability to get us up the pitch, to drive into space and cause problems is just as important as the goal threat. Whether that's what we need ( and I think many on here just want to get a to class finisher) I don't know, but it certainly wouldn't do us any harm to have a guy that offers more threat on the break.

no idea if he's any good or not, but quite enjoyed watching his highlights video. scored 24 goals in 48 Super Lig games over last 1.5 seasons. Big and fast, which Jones may well like.

The club clearly didn't think it was aiming low with Mara. They would not have signed him if they didn't think he could be a success. But they didn't sign him to be the main striker. I don't think they were looking to sign another striker full stop. They tried to get Gakpo, but he was a left winger.