egg

I'm not offended. I just don't agree a) that we look destined for relegation and b) your suggestion that signing a striker will help us defensively.

That's the spirit.

He's the manager, not the coach. We have coaches. Lots of them.

He's a good prospect and we're light on wingers. I hope he's given a proper chance this season.

It's not the nicest prospect granted, but "we'll kill you and your nearest and dearest" is a stronger message than your theory imo. Odd business in any event.

Not much of a deterrent though is it: "double cross us and we'll f/CK you up a bit, but not enough to kill you".

This. The first incident has Russian motivation, either from the state or by of the people impacted by Skripal's double dealing. Whilst I'm struggling to understand how a state level hit could fail so badly, the attempt is credible. That said, what we have been told, amounts to nothing more than a credible theory. The second incident makes no sense though. What Rowley said just doesn't stack up. Salisbury has been combed and cleared yet Rowley claims to have picked up a bottle that was just lying around weeks after the first incident, and can't remember where he found it. Assuming he's right, I'd need to understand how the search didn't find it or why it wasn't cleared on routine street cleaning or bin collection in the weeks after the Skripal incident. We then have Rowley inadvertently killing his partner, but the state level guys failing to kill the Skripals. I have no theory to peddle on the second incident but speculation is obvious in such a bizarre case, and the proximity of all this to Porton Down will only bolster theories. We'll never know the real truth I suspect, although the media will doubtless tell us what we're expected to think.

Bang on Del ?

They seem well over the top but Bournemouth gave them £21m last summer for 2 reserves so anything is possible.

Maya was always quick. Hoedt never will be. Maya was a great buy. Hoedt wasn't.

Knowing that other teams doing badly doesn't solve our defensive, goal creation and goal scoring problems.

Haven't I? Have you? He's not the next Harry Kane. He's nearly 23. He's (based on having seen play, and how he's done elsewhere) not a premier league player. If he gets a chance for us I'll wish him well and hope he proves me wrong.

He would be if we had CB's with pace either side. Yoshida could play one side but the left side looks weak. Those 2 in a 4 would be my pick with Romeu sitting just in front.

Not for me! One centre forward with knackered knees and recurring injuries is more than enough.

He wasn't deemed worthy of a place up front at Birmingham, and was then dropped. If we'd signed him from Birmingham against that background we'd all be right in thinking that the club had gone nuts. Now we're nuts if we don't see if he can do at prem level what he couldn't do in a lower league. Nuts. We've got a long season ahead and only room for 25 player. There's no room for sentiment imo.

What's with all this 'its only pre season' so it doesn't matter ******? Of course it does. It highlighted that 2 of our recent CB signings are slow, that one of them is awful on the ball, that Targett and Stephens don't offer quite enough, that Lemina still isn't interested, that there's a fair chance that we'll players in all sorts of odd positions, that we've got nothing up front, etc. It's hard to take any really positived from that performance, and to me more positives than negatives is a concern.

How does 'giving him s go' suddenly make him good enough? I know someone on here did some statistical comparisons between him and Kane, but comparisons between him and our own Ryan Seager are more realistic.

I got slaughtered for suggesting that Vestergaard plus Hoedt would be a car crash in a back 3. Our players aren't suited to our system and are being shoe horned in. We need to shift to 433 or 4231.

Is that an actual question or are you just being an idiot? It's based on his ability as a player. Whether Reed has preferred him in a couple of friendlies doesn't detract from Valery talent.

Ditto Danny Wallace, but both have feck all to do with Rodwell being a bright young talent who's still only 27.

Debut for a premier league team at 16, England debut at 20, signed for city at 21 for £15m. Absolutely no talent at all. Nope. Not a bit.

Valery is a hell of a talent. He deserves his chance and alongside Stephens gives good back up. We've then got various players who can "do a job" ie Yoshida, JWP, Hoj, Reed.

I feel for the lad. He chased the dream at city but it didn't work out. Sunderland were relegated and he had hobsons choice (aka Forster's choice) - stay, take the cash and don't play or leave and lose money. He's a talented player who could be a real asset to a club.

Pretty much a younger Austin. Pre injury I'd drive and pick him up. Not now.

That would need a club willing to buy him. Reality is it loans until he's out of contract or we pay his contract up and he finds another club.