Chez

boy do we need to find a CB from somewhere this season. Cahill is no where near international class

that's what I'm talking about. Cleverly. No impact on the game. I'll shut up now.

Cleverly. I wondered who that player wondering around having no impact on the game was. Boy do we have a lack of quality throughout. I don't rate either CB. The keeper makes mistakes. No left side as usual, no strikers and a central midfielder that is out of his depth.

Walcott again shows no desire, then follows it up by losing it. Buck up lad you're better than that.

he should be banned from playing passes over 15 yards. Top quality player until he tries to play longer passes.

total lack of desire from Welbeck and Walcott if you ask me.

Hart starts the season off where he finished it...making massive mistakes.

massive lack of effort to close him down quickly, Walcott especially. Didn't see Welbeck put his body on the line either.

looking at the early exchanges I have to ask, why is England giving Rooney match fitness. If you aint fit you shouldn't be selected

Wiltshere is some player.

I actually rate Welbeck, but I had hoped Sir Rickie would get the nod. Maybe an England wim will cheer me up. I hope the Lambert call up doesn't end up being like the Kev Davis call up.

I'm actually a little nervous for him. I hope he is used in the right way with ball to him not beyond him to chase.

So far I am not a fan if I am honest. I felt he was too passive in games. Far too often he didn't get tight, bully strikers or win enough headers. His passing out from the back was often atrocious. Worse, dare I say it, than Jos. He did play well in some games when he was a little nastier, but I want to see much more of that this season. I know you can't kick strikers up in the air these days and its all abut positioning and jockeying - which is his strength, but there is still a place for a physical presence and dominating strikers, rather than the other way round. The good thing is he has age on his side and hopefully has settled in the UK so improvement is certainly a possibility, but I don't think he is a shoe in for the first eleven and if Fonte or Jos was selected ahead of him I wouldn't have a problem with that. Looking forward to seeing whatever partnership MP goes for and with Shaw, Morgan Cork and Wanyama offering more protection to CBs they hopefully won't be exposed like they were at the start of last season or at home to WBA at its end.

I use not having SKY to justify the cost of a season ticket. Then I watch the other games, cricket included, on web feeds.

me to. I can still afford to go, but I just find it hard to justify paying that sort of money to watch footie.

When I have seen him he looks a weak link in the Japan side.

Better first choice CBs certainly, but very good question about the reserves. Not sure we have.

seems a bloody long time since we even looked remotely interested in winning the league cup. Hope that changes this season. Let's get some silverware.

Kone

Was Cropper the lad Blackburn released at some point before we gave him a contract? Quite a turn around.

and only the genius of MLT prevented us from being relegated in most of them

that's the one. Was it the first season of the City of Manchester Stadium? I had upper tier seats. It was the first time I have ever seen TV screens showing the game positioned behind the servers in the food bar enabling you to watch the game whilst you queued for a pie. We ran rings round City that day in glorious sunshine. Did BT not play that day then?

I tend to back the underdog a lot on here as my defence of Jos all last season proves, but even I struggle with Fox. He had a decent game at Swansea, especially considering he hadn't had a run of games in the side, but by and large he causes us problems. He doesn't get tight, ever, drops far too deep to cover for his lack of pace, and doesn't work hard enough going forward or tracking back. He has enough ability on the ball to play at this level, but this is the top flight. More is expected. Are people forgetting the impact Cork and Shaw had on our solidity and results last season? Losing Shaw is a massive blow. Massive.

As an apprentice I think he started off playing in central midfield, but I think they tried him out at fullback. I am not sure why, he was all about first touch and vision and being able to play in tight areas. You need to get up and down the line at fullback, which never struck me as his game. The club didn't see the potential and he was released. The 1991 Saints side was pretty decent as I recall, so perhaps he just didn't look likely to break into that side. He signed for Baldock and played at the back initially before moving up front when they had injuries and the rest is history.

I was thinking the exact same thing. Nothing against Riise - I have no idea how good he really is defensively - but it doesn't feel like a progressive signing. Mind you, he's better than Fox presumably and perhaps this kind of signing is what we need, especially for this position, so perhaps I am wrong.