Chez

fucking hell Adams. So fucking lazy there.

How long is KWP out for? If it's going to be months, then could we possibly loan Wan-Bissaka?

revisionist poppycock. Broja was injured in the first couple of weeks, but he hit the ground running as soon as he got his chance, which was the Leeds game mid October, in which he scored the winner. He was excellent between then and the West Ham FA cup game, which was March 25th. After that he did little. But to suggest he was only good between Dec and end of Jan is bullshit. What was exciting to fans was that we had a genuine Premiership striker that offered pace, power, skills...the lot. Opponents genuinely feared him and were troubled by him simply because of his acceleration and ability to take a man on. We had a proper number 9 that gave our side an edge. What we have now is several mediocre forwards that lack any of the key attributes that makes a stand out forward. We actually brought a new striker in - Mara. So it wasn't the fact we failed to bring a body in, the problem has been that Mara has yet to provide anywhere near the same impact or attributes that Broja brought us. No resigning Broja to another loan was a huge loss. That doesn't mean he couldn't have been replaced, but he hasn't been.

When Ralph said KWP will be out a long time, what did he mean? 5 or 6 weeks or five or six months?

I have to say I loved his youtube highlight reel of three years ago. He bullied opponents in that video and he looked exactly the guy we needed. I think the €20m figures bandied about two or three years ago may have reflected the great season he had, but priced us out of the market. His struggles in the last two seasons eroded that value, but it may have helped us get a bargain. I'm still a little concerned about his lack of pace/acceleration, but most CBs are not quick, you just need to ensure that lack of pace is not exposed very often. I'm all for signing the highest quality youth and ABK proves it can be done, but adding an experienced guy like this seems a smart move.

Very much an upgrade, turning a weakness into a relative strength. The one hing I would say is Caleta-Car's lack of pace might be more exposed in a flat back four. Salisu is a bit quicker, but perhaps Caleta-Car is more composed and better positionally? Hard to say as we've not seen a lot of him, but he gets stuck in and has that `nastiness'/winning mentality that Fonte offered - which has been much needed.

He's chased his tactics, from the high press, high energy, try to grab goals early and then hang on for grim life route (which were widely criticised on here), to something more solid, less expansive, more energy conserving allowing us to press hard in the second half (which most on here demanded). If we had some more midfield dominance, and some flair, pace and goalscoring ability in forward areas, that approach could work a treat. Sadly, we don't. I've no idea what tactics would get the best out of the players we have to be honest, but that's what managers get paid the big bucks to work out.

Do we create three simple chances a game? If our strikers created chances for themselves, either through their pace, skills or arial ability, then you could live with them missing some of them, but if you have strikers that need teeing up, then you want those strikers to be pretty clinical.

He certainly did. Sadly we have yet to find his replacement. Armstrong just hasn't cut it. I keep reading how shit JWP corners have become, but from what I can see they are just as good, if not better, but instead of having Ings coming to the near post, beating the first man and heading into the far corner - making them look like great corners, we have players like Armstrong that simply don't do anything.

true. Although a striker that could actually create his own chances would help.

He scored 6 goals last year and 3 so far this (Che 7 and 3). Wonder if he would have had more or less opportunities to score if playing for us?

fair points, but Ings scored goals for us and we didn't create much more back then.

This is a problem. Our financial model can't allow players to walk on frees. I mentioned this during the summer, it's all very well not selling Salisu (to Newcastle when we had the chance) and Che (potentially to Everton), but with contracts running down we needed to get them signed to a new one this summer. But that's not simple. Both will have had their heads turned and know they could have got a a big wage elsewhere. Also, both will know the longer they hold out the more they can demand. When I suggested we might need to spend £100k a week, maybe more on Che and asked how many would be happy with that, there didn't seem to be many takers. He's just not worth that kind of wedge to us.

Wonder what the criteria was based on. If it was based on the points we deserved based on performance sand chances created, I'm not sure we would be much better off. If there was some grading depending on toughness of opposition...I'm not sure we'd be better off.

He is and it was.

Never understood how the skate Ward still gets games at this level. He's shite.

Scouting is still about `knowing' players. Specifically knowing how good they are. Evaluating them is essential, especially when they are young, from lower leagues and other leagues, and a real skill too. It's not hard to spot young talent, they stand out, but will they stand out when they move into senior football or step up a division? We knew about AA as did every other team in the Premiership. They will all have evaluated him and decided if he was for them or not. Seems like we were pretty much the only ones that thought he was the man for the job. Is getting players to come the real skill? Money usually talks.

Saints tried to sign Aribo in the summer of 2018. Both manager and scout Thomas Rekus were with us back then. Seems likely that he never left our radar and we finally got our man this summer. As head of recruitment Shields will have been involved in all deals in some way or other, we have had a transfer committee after all (or did that go out the window this summer?), but in terms of us wanting the player and driving the chase for him, I'd of guessed that Rekus and Ralph will have pushed for that more than Shields?

Hmmm. I don't actually know what this so called `play book' of ours is, but how hard can it be to take on board? If we are talking about a play book like the NFL uses, which has a vast array of plays requiring very specific positioning and movement of players, then new players to an NFL team pick them up in about two weeks. How hard can it be for our players to understand where they should be with and without the ball in the various thirds of the pitch? It's been 9 weeks since Edozie joined. If he hasn't worked it out by now, he never will. Do we press any more? Not noticed it. Do we even play 4222 (lets be honest, its just 4-4-2) any more either?

I also think Edozie should be playing more even of its still from the bench. So far he has got just 17 minutes against Wolves (where he looked sensational), 11 v villa, 23 v Everton, 16 v West Ham, 0 v Bournemouth and 10 v Arsenal. For a side that creates pretty much fuck all, that's not enough. The discussion above has centred around a choice between between Moi and Edozie, but as he mostly plays on the right. Aribo and Amstrong are all getting a lot of game time with little return, perhaps the merits of their selection ahead of Edozie should be discussed. As for Edozie not providing the left back with any cover, I am not sure that's true, but if we are playing five at the back and three central midfielders, does he have to track back to help Perraud all the time? Shouldn't we have two or three players that get some license to bomb on?

Ideal to play the wingback role (as he did at Forrest) we are currently deploying rather than as a standard right back.

He has scored in 3 of the last four games agains us, including the 90th minute winner last season. They obviously have other attacking talent, even Ayew caused all sorts of problems with his pace at SMS last season, but Zaha has been difficult to stop. He's a very good player, and our issues at RB don't help. If we go three at the back, then that space behind the fullback is where he resides, so our lads better know what they are doing.

you thought he `didn't look interested' or `up for it' when at Saints? My eyesight must be on the wane, as that isn't something that I spotted. Poor touch and ineffective, certainly, but looking like he's not bothered? I didn't identify that trait.

don't get that either, although we have been playing AA left wing, so we obviously needed someone to play there too, as well as someone to play down the middle. I bet we tried with others too. We won't have made an offer for Delap got a no and then given up on a striker. No idea who though.

He isn't very quick and got done (and will be from time to time in the future). I suppose if you have been done, you have no choice but to foul otherwise its an `after you' type scenario and he ain't that kind of guy.