SNSUN

Here I am trying fad diets and all I needed was a campylobster and all my problems would be gone in a week. Welcome Downes. I'm hoping Flynn can ride(r) us back to the Prem. A good start to strengthening the spine. One more CM and a CB, then replacing anyone that leaves henceforth and we should be fine.

They also want Sulemana - that would be a £40 million odd outlay on 2 players which I don't believe Everton have. Ok Sulemana has been linked with a loan there but personally I don't see why we should be doing them any favours.

I think our concern, as fans, is this. It's not so much that we're desperate to keep Adams because he's very good at this level but that we doubt the club can replace him adequately. Our striker signings since Ings have been crap and even the Ings signing seemed like a bit of a punt (with his injury record) that happened to pay off. We've had strikers like Mara, Onuachu, Long, Mayuka, Walcott, Gabbiadini, Juanmi, etc etc since we went up to the Prem and really the only hits were Ings, Pelle and to a much lesser extent Broja and Austin. A good striker is hard to find and the worry is we'll end up starting the season with AA, Mara, Onuachu and a new striker who also ends up being crap. Better the devil you know. That said I think £15 million+ would be decent money for a striker in the last year of his contract who probably wants to continue playing in the Prem, so we have to hope the replacement comes in and hits the mark. I think Piroe has proved he could do that at this level, but if it isn't him then we just have to hope Wilcox et al have another good striker target lined up. Or hope Mara or Onuachu come good...

KWP has 2 years left on his contract

I would not want to rely on A-A all season. We would need a replacement for Tella or we could end up with the likes of Djenepo as a regular starter. But I really want to keep Tella. I like him.

Made good subs against Norwich last week I thought, improved us after half time today, and then there's that display against Wednesday... For a manager that inherited a relegated team and has achieved what he has done already is brilliant. He'll make mistakes (the Gills line up) but he seems to be quite a clever cookie and hopefully he learns from them. All good so far. A vast improvement on Jones that's for sure.

I was just looking up if anyone had signed Moussa Dembele on a free transfer. Surprise surprise he's gone to Al-Ittifaq and scored already.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/spieler/vertragslosespieler/statistik/1/plus//galerie/0?ausrichtung=alle&spielerposition_id=alle&land_id=alle&altersklasse=&wettbewerb_id=alle&seit=alle&yt0=Show Current free agent list. De Gea anyone? 😏

Villa want £20 million apparently. I don't think that's bad for a young striker that had a 1 in 2 goalscoring ratio last season.

I think there is too much interest in our players still, maybe 'obviously' was the wrong word but we still have a lot of players we need to shed somehow, even if we knock back the attempts to sign our better players. ABK, Sulemana, Adams, Tella all still linked with teams, not to mention the link for Aribo today. Even with two weeks to go I think we'll see at least a couple more out yet, if not jewels then fringe players and youngsters. Personally I'd love it if we kept the squad as it is and didn't sell anyone else (especially the jewels) as I think the squad as it is (with Downes and maybe one or two smart additions) would be enough to get promoted this season but I look at the squad list and I still see too many players that need to be shipped out still. We still have Lyanco, Aribo, McCarthy, Djenepo, Larios, Onuachu and Mara unlikely to feature a lot so the squad is still bloated and they're probably on fairly big money for this league even if they did get wage cuts.

There will obviously be more sales and unfortunately due to the contract situation one of them will probably be Adams but we do need to keep the likes of Tella and KWP. I think keeping Perraud is important for left back too as Manning, though talented, has started iffily this season. We also need to offload a bit more chaff like Aribo, Onuachu and maybe Mara. I think it's likely we'll sell ABK and Sulemana but their injuries may see them stay past September, in which both could be assets for us until January. What we do need now if for some incomings. Downes is a start but we also need another CM, CB and a striker, all first choice if possible. I wouldn't say no to a top winger if one became available and have Edozie as an impact sub.

I did think Charles looked decent and I thought Tella and Stu were decent but AA was my MOTM. Sheer work rate. I definitely see comparisons with Shane Long in the way he plays. Will be an important player for us this season in any attacking position that isn't the main striker.

Nowhere near our best... 3 points. Adams will be a miss if he goes. We need to get our recruitment right. But we do need to try and keep Tella and all the others or we will look very weak.

Whistle ref

Shea Charles MOTM from Sky

Fair play to AA for being first to that header too.

VAR may have fucked that in the Prem. Was close.

Adams again!

GYFI!

Whittaker hits post. 💩

Stephens booked. Late challenge.

9 mins injury.

Decent cross from KWP. Tella off for Mara.

Come on lads, still time to win this. But draw is deserved so far.

So close again. Not our day