trousers

This is the key point to me... Yes, SR have spent substantial amounts of money on transfers since taking over, but we end up spreading our relatively modest budget too thinly IMO. As you say, why didn't we spend our remaining striker budget on a single player in the higher price bracket rather than on two seemingly mediocre strikers in the lower price bracket? Buying one very good striker for £30m is better than buying two average strikers for 2 x £15m, surely? #QualityOverQuantity

Worryingly, that going to rock a lot of boxes on our scouting reports....

I wasn't disputing that. Just adding additional info for my fellow forum chums

Yep, for 5 minutes in a friendly 18 months ago

🤔

That is arguably a worse combination than being competent and stingy...

Indeed. Although, to be fair, we were by far the better team when it was 11 vs 11 too, but appreciate that was only for half an hour.

Looking at possible "blessings in disguise" from our opening two performances, I think the two defeats now gives Russ a self-justification to deviate from a 'loyalty' starting 11 to a more ruthless / best starting 11.... Up to now, I see why he probably felt he couldn't drop the likes of Smallbone & Aribo, but he now has the trigger he probably feels he needs to shuffle the pack... All of which, following the Carabou Cup game, should lead to a starting 11 in the next PL game vs Brentford along the lines of: McCarthy / New GK KWP - Bednarek - THB - Yuki Downes - Big Les Dibbling - Ferdinand - Armstrong/BBD Archer / New CF

😁

Being a founder member of the fence sitting brigade, I obviously respect differing opinions, but I would venture you won't get too much empathy with that viewpoint....

Yep, decent line-up, but I'd be inclined to find a starting place for Dibbling in this game. Probably in place of Armstrong.

We've known that way before today...

Things we learned today... - we STILL need an actual goal scoring centre forward - KWP would be mad to stay - we need KWP to stay - AA only flourishes when he has space - AA isn't going to get the space he needs to flourish this season - Fernandes looks promising - With 30 minutes to go, Russ would rather preserve a draw than go for the win. At home. To Nottingham Forest. - Big Les needs to start instead of Smallbone - McCarthy isn't actually a bad goalkeeper when he's doing normal goalkeeper type stuff

McCarthy actually having another decent game overall.

Feels like we're playing for the draw here

This has got 0-0 written all over it

KWP running the show again

How many transfer windows is it now that we haven't properly addressed this omission...?

Stu Armstrong on a free anyone...?

KWP having a go at his team mates there for lack of movement? Quite right too.

Yep. You can't imagine the likes of Pep or Mourinho (for example) waiting until half time to make the obvious changes this game needs 'now'...

We're missing a Stuart Armstrong type presence... Someone who can link midfield and attack. KWP the closest to fulfilling that role at the moment... Dibling maybe...?