egg

I think it'll almost end up like a diamond with Lavia sitting and Alcaraz playing ahead of him.

Happy with that. Alcaraz and Lavia in midfield could be very interesting. 3-0 to us.

My guess is it'll be something like; ------- McCarthy ------- AMN - Caleta-Carr - Lyanco -Djenepo Walcott - JWP - Diallo - Alcaraz ---- Aribo - Mara ----- Comfortable win tonight, and a bit of confidence restored.

Dean

That's change though. The OP (i think) is talking about a like for like repair.

Good point...but is it a planning or building control point? Playing the tape forward, if a duff roof is replaced like for like, how would the LA enforce it? They surely won't insist that the knackered roof is reinstated!

Prey

I can't understand how a replacement is a planning issue. You're not changing or adding anything. What's led you to understand that planning permission is needed? This feels like a misunderstanding.

I can see him at Chelsea, I don't think he'll move up north. Cobham to Otterbourne is commutable.

Don't you think that his lack of work rate will hamper us whatever system we play? For me that's the issue with the lad rather than ability.

Where's it said that we met wage and transfer demands? I think that's become a popular belief rather than fact. If I'm wrong I stand corrected.

Not sure that's accurate re Gakpo...he joined Liverpool "without thinking" after a blinding world cup when he was well sought after. There's differing views of why he didn't join us in the summer.

Pretty much as I see it, although you're softer on Baz and harder on Orsic than I am. Personally I think Baz pushes Aribo as the worst signing of the lot, and that Orsic hasn't been given a proper chance yet.

Club

Perhaps a lack of money is why we didn't get it over the line...

You miss the point. We used cash that could have been added to our striker budget to instead but an 18 year old youth team left back. It doesn't matter how good a left back Larios may be one day. Youth team left backs don't score the goals to win games. Strikers do. Look at it another way - what would have been a better use of cash -£6m for Larios and £12m for Mara, or £18m for a ready to go goalscorer?

Hamilton

But not an 18 year old who'd never played mens football.

Bus

That's the issue, we've signed too many players in that sort of price range. We've gone for quantity and perceived promise ahead of proven ready to go quality. We'd have been better off keeping Forster, and signing 5 decent £25m ish players than this lot. The one that really irks me is Larios. We were nickel and diming over strikers in the summer, and then threw £6m on a kid that we didn't need. Had we just paid that bit more to get a proper striker in over the summer, we may not be in the mess that we are. Absolute shit show.

You are conflating issues again to try to defend Baz. The ball should not have got away from the corner. Bednarek should have reacted to the the fella shooting. He should have stuck a leg out for a block. None of that alters that Baz was again in a poor position. Scott has illustrated that perfectly above.

Dunno, but you'd think by now that it'd be ingrained in him where he should be positioning himself. I think the issues with the lad run deeper than coaching tbh - I just don't think he's good enough for this level.

Yep, 100% this. It's the keepers job to position himself. Hilarious that we've had people all over this thread telling us that it's Bednarek's fault that Baz was stood near his front post and behind one of his players. Sure, Bednarek could have attacked or blocked the ball, but Baz's positioning ain't Bednarek's fault or responsibility.

Whisky

Yep, but he's too lazy to play as a 10 in this formation imo. I think he'd work in a 433 drifting in and out.