goodymatt

Just one more thing to add on Jay, I really like how he always wants the ball, is happy to track back and seems to create space to have a shot. Plenty proven players have struggled to do all of those three in recent times for us.

Dibling is an unusual mix of pace, technical ability and power. He made international full backs at some of the biggest clubs in the world fall over themselves or just bounce off him. He has all the attributes to be a top player and that’s why he’s gone. Dibling’s physique after this summer looks bigger and stronger. Even in the championship he played a cup game vs Watford and powered through their entire left hand side, he’s always looked very hard to knock off the ball. Robinson has played a handful of games and looks able to dribble with both feet and get into the right positions. He is sometimes pushed off the ball but he is still filling out and adapting to the step up to men’s football. We’ve seen him snatch at a few shots and sometimes not get the power behind them. I get Lallana vibes how he twists and turns, he’s not weak at all. Remains to be seen how Robinson develops but he looks plenty capable for the championship already, which is encouraging. Much more raw than Tyler but he’s jumped the queue in front of some seasoned players already. Both are a fantastic advert for our academy and it’s great to see us producing players again that actually make the first team. It will be interesting to see how Jay is managed now we have Scienza and Fellows who will expect to start.

Last player to score from near the half way line Che Adams vs City, wasn’t inside his own half mind. Rickie Lambert at MK Dons with the chest and volley was pretty far out too. That effort and both goals scored were all decent technique, oppositions first game ever vs a Bundesliga team, so standard of opposition needs to be considered, same for a lot of his highlights which show him playing 3rd tier in Germany before Heidenheim.

We have the highest xG (9.3 goals) having only scored 6. In comparison Coventry are 2nd (7.7 xG) but have scored 14! They have been very clinical (not sustainable/swayed by the QPR game) and Rudoni has played a part. Shame we weren’t able to bring him here. Hopefully we start taking our chances after the international break. Only Wrexham are above us (9) for big chances missed, we have 8. We’ve conceded 6 goals but were expected to concede 5.4, so although Bazunu has only saved 45.5% of the shots on his goal, it’s pretty clear he’s not to blame for the goals conceded so far. Perhaps more of a coincidence he’s carrying on his low save percentage. Time will tell if backing him is a mistake.

Different gravy those three, what a time that was.

He was a €15m signing for Bournemouth from Lyon. Was quite an exciting talent at that time, I recall thinking how did they get him but they loaned him out immediately to their French club Lorient. Has only made 5 league apps for Bournemouth.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13419169/summer-transfer-spending-premier-league-efl-wsl-scottish-premiership-laliga-ligue-1-serie-a-and-bundesliga-breakdowns interesting read, scroll down to the Championship section to see us win the net spend trophy. I’d like to thank everyone else for playing.

They’ve lost Hermansen, McAteer, Justin, Ndidi, Coady, Vardy, Iversen (GK), Ward (GK), Coulibaly, El Khannouss. Buonanotte and Eduard returned to parent clubs following PL loans.

Depth wise I think it’s us and Ipswich. Leicester do still have some great players though (and a pending points deduction).

Interesting amount of change from the team that got Ipswich up last time.

I think this will be a proper under the radar signing, all the fans of our promotion rivals will be thinking “who?”, until he plays them. I’m really excited to watch Scienza - Azaz - Fellows, there’s a bit of everything in that trio.

Here’s another one

Watching his highlights it seems that he has decent pace and agility. The main thing I noticed is how much power he gets on shots and crosses without having to lift his foot back much. Set pieces seem to be another strength. Remains to be seen if he can do it in England but he didn’t seem a fish out of water in the Bundesliga, which is very encouraging. Rickie Lambert style long journey to get to a club like Saints and his personality did come across well in the welcome interview. I’m hopeful he will be successful with us.

Very true, fair comments.

As it stands Bree returns in January Taylor walks on a free next summer Smallbone walks on a free next summer. Wrexham’s £7.5m bid they didn’t move forward with irks. ABK we have an option to extend but will we? Unlikely! So you’re probably right, all most likely walk free after this season. Sad indictment of our recruitment in recent times?

Hope this guy is worth all this excitement, we are hooked!

Fake post

Seems a bit wasteful to let him go on a free next summer.

So I assume this means Smallbone leaves for free at the end of this loan?

Hopefully his finishing is more like it was in the Ipswich away game in 2 weeks time then. Local lad going back to start off playing the derby, has a worrying inevitability about him scoring, doesn’t it?

Could he have not just got on the lunchtime flight to London Heathrow from Stuttgart?

THB when he’s fully back up to speed and playing in a back 4 that suits him best, will no doubt be one of the best CBs in the league. Recency bias from him playing in a 5 in the premier league with suicide tactics and then no pre-season is really affecting people’s views. For me 100% the first CB on the team sheet.

On Smallbone to Brum, that is a better fit than Wrexham, a much more possession heavy team where his one touch passing can actually be used effectively, as we did in our last promotion campaign. As he’s in his last year of contract, are we going to extend to try and get a fee or are we going to lose a player valued at £7.5m for nothing?