Hopper

Great hair though.

Need to invert the red and white for me. Feels far more Saints.

Smallbone has been so static. Isn’t getting into positions to be the out ball.

Charles for Rothwell and Mara for Brooks. Charles is playing in slo mo right now.

On balance a good half and JUST about deserve to be ahead. Need to get the second to make the game ours. Bench might be needed to add some quality when legs start to tire. Charles in particular started to look a half step slower at the end of that half.

Manning has been beyond poor and maybe he feels Jack will give better defensive cover. The rest of the team is pretty solid and kind of picks itself with Donwnes out and Brooks banged up.

Feels like the type of match that might call for Stephen’s’ shithousery at some point... Hopefully he doesn’t get too adventurous and everything wide from us comes through KWP and Arma.

There's some real intent with that team selection. Hope the midfield has the right balance!

Seems like a lot of people forget just how poor the team and the football was last season. We're not going to walk the league, we've come off the back of season after season of getting beaten into the ground. We had an abysmall squad completely bereft of confidence who had no style of play and no personallity. No mistakes about it, the size of the job in front of RM coming in was massive. We're not playing electric football but we're a mile away from how we finished up last season. The reaction to Baz's save and goal show just how much work has been done to get this group playing for each other. We are scoring late goals, which is obviously not ideal... but the team are battling until the death and that's more than I can remember in maybe the last 4-5 years. It's wasn't a great performance. Holgate was abysmall again and should be nowhere near the first team. Stephens can't come back soon enough! But we scrapped and took a difficult point away from home against a team in 4th.. Just for a bit of perspective.

Captain Arma... I don't hate it. 😅

The club has navigated a difficult window superbly. Exceeded my expectations and now I'm looking forward to some football.

I think the strategy is basically that a committed team is stronger than a talented individual. For that reason I've got no issues with ABK or anyone else leaving that doesn't want to play for us. Looking at where we're at right now I'd say we need a Striker in if Che and Tall Paul are gone. Stewart, Arma, Seku and another would be plenty of competition there. Wings provided we can get Roberts I think is more than covered even if Kamaldeen goes. Midfield is probably the strongest part of the team right now, no need for anything new there. O'Riley would be a bit of a Luxury signing. Fullbacks are fine provided KWP stays and as mentioned above I think CB is fine even with ABK on his way. You could argue a backup keeper would be great to replace McCarthy but seems he's going nowhere with his wages. I think we look stronger as a unit all told and I'm really excited by a few of the guys we've brought in. A fit Ross Stewart is a hell of a signing.

The sheer volume of player movement in both directions is the most I can remember in a very long time. Feels like the dawning of a new era tbh. Bring it on.

Russ gave a very wry smile at the presser when asked about captain for Saturday. What are the odds it's Che and he's renewing? Felt there was a bit more to his answer than he let on there.

Feeling a lot more positive on the rumoured incomings and outgoings. We seem to have done some really shrewd business in this window that gives us a good platform for promotion and the flex to continue the rebuild if we fail this season. Loan deals at this point seem like a win-win in both directions especially if they come with an option. Excited to see things develop over the next couple of days.

I think the 'motivated' part is the biggest issue here with Kamaldeen.

I'm talking in comparisson to the Eredivisie not the Premier League or Bundeliga, Ligue 1 etc. The dutch league falls quite short of those other leagues.

I don't know that the championship is as big a drop as you'd think. The Championship generates more revenue than the Eredivisie and given we're promotion contenders who are probably more than capable of improving terms on what AZ have him on I'd say it's not outside the realms of possibility. He does look like a great replacement for Che in terms of a similar profile of player.

Seems like Drameh would be the player on the shortlist for KWP's spot

I hate to break the news but the fact of the matter is we are now a championship team. The majority of players that have left are not championship players they are higher level players, we were never going to be able to keep most of them. In a footballing utopia it wouldn't be an issue we would just say no to offers and move on but the fact is these are real humans with their own wants and needs and it only takes a few agitated players to ruin the group. The one thing I trust is that the management team at the club know about these players and their ambitions more than we ever will. So you have to roll with the punches, and make the most of the situation that's put in front of you. Russ has said more than once he won't worry about the things outside of his control. If a player leaves they leave. What he and Wilcox can control is replacing that player and we can't judge that work until the window is closed.

Pleased for Tella, he's put in the hard work and got his move based on is efforts last season. I'm still feeling pretty relaxed, Pretty much everyone who's gone was to be expected, I expect we will see possibly Kamaldeen, Tall Paul, Lyanco and ABK gone before the end of the window ,aybe Che unless he renews. The loan options make a ton of sense right now whilst we steady the ship, we don't want to be lumbered with these guys but they will be hungry to show thier worth and it gives us room to manouver for longer-term targets. Fraser coming in is a good example of just how fast things can move, none of us had a clue he was coming in until earlier today and it's already a done deal. I really think we're only going to be able to judge this window by the time it closes at the earliest... and probably much later on depending on performances.

With the Everton move looking likely to be falling through, you've got to think a renewed effort to find terms with Adams might be the play now. Perhaps with a break clause if we fail to get promotion?

Reportedly we've rejected an offer for Aribo from Verona, with two unnamed Ligue 1 clubs also tracking him.

I think this model is also a lot more effective now that we have Russ and Jason Wilcox in place. They know the type of players they are recruiting and whilst they know that we will end up moving a lot of them on, potential players will be attracted to the prospect of playing 'good' football and putting themselves in the shop window. It's the most sustainable way for a club like ours to move forward without a super ruch Saudi owner. In other words I'd get used to it 😂

Looks like Johan Hove is nailed on. Got him for a bargain price due to a release clause according to reports as Groningen were relegated last season. Seems like a decent squad signing to add some depth to midfield with good upwards potential.