egg

I wouldn't play either against Huddersfield. If Lemina is fit I'd play another man in midfield and a back 4. Stephens additional height and strength at RB would be our best defensive option imo. If he does play a 3 I'd prefer Cedric - he's a good player and will improve now we have a proper coach/manager, and some competition for his place.

This is tedious. None of us have any idea what we offered, and what they were willing to accept. I get that you would have preferred a loan to buy but that may not have been an option and even it was, I remember the Toby fiasco. Anyways, it is what it is and we have a decent striker who is scoring and, like any other player, may stay fit or may not. I'm happy to have him and if this deal was the deal available I'd rather we took him on that basis than not at all. For what it's worth, I suspect Turkish is right about how the deal will have been structured.

You assume Liverpool were willing to loan him. The bottom line is we've bought him, albeit with the first year as a loan for whatever reason.

We could also finish top half and he stays injury free.

We won't play a 3. I think it'll be Bednarek at RB with Valery ahead of him. Johnson as Valery replacement.

Yep, agreed. As you mention, 4 or 5 clubs are in false positions but the rest aren't a million miles from their net spend positions. In fact, if you take spurs out of the bottom 6, I'd be surprised if the remaining 5 clubs plus Fulham aren't the bottom 6 at the end of the season.

Yep...Jaidi comments perhaps implied that Hughes wasn't overly interested in the u23's: "it's nice to have a first-team manager who believes in what we do"

That's the safest bet ever. The whole thing is WWE politics. Boris never wanted to win his leave campaign. He did too good a job and we are where we are.

Some great players there. Abdul was a potential star, such a talented lad. Followed Ray and Rod Wallace to Leeds along with Bob Higgins. Faded after that.

What has our on loan youth players not being good enough got to do with our senior players not being good enough? I think you're suggesting that we replace one with the other. If so I'm not sure how that helps. If you're not saying that, then god knows what your point is. The bottom line is that neither our senior or youth players are good enough.

Because he's not a premier league player. Ditto Sims. What next, Alfie Jones to solve our defensive crisis cos he's playing in the Scottish prem? How about Ryan Seager coming back from Holland to score all the goals we need? These lads are on loan to lower league clubs because they're lower league players.

Yep, I thought Sparv would have become a first team regular for us. Never understood why we released him. Going back many years the one player who seemed destined for the top was Paul Masters, captain of the Shearer era youth team and looked to have it all. Now owns a cleaning business.

Way off. That's a changed side and bench Johnson, a winger, seems to be at LB rather than Vokins. There is no Slattery or Barnes either. Obviously no Valery or Obafemi too. Kpouhnouh is an under 18 but apparently a real prospect at CB. I'd hazard a guess that those absent are around the first team squad.

Based on having watched him play. There's also the fact that he can't make a poor Reading team. He's a good player, but not good enough for the premier league. You say we should give our youth players a chance. Have you actually seen our youth players play? If you have you'll know that outside Valery, Vokins, and possibly Slattery, that none of them are anywhere near good enough. One or two of the others such as Smallbone may improve enough but giving them a chance won't suddenly improve their ability. Anyways, back on subject, this Hasenhuttl fella looks decent.

I'm staggered that anyone who thinks a player who can't eat into a poor Reading team will improve ours. I agree with lighthouse, he's not quite good enough.

Vokins should make it. Valery has a chance, as does Slattery. The rest of the u23's should make make a living out of the game at various levels.

Spot on. He's busy and quick but lacks that bit of quality and composure. I'm all for giving youth a chance but they have to be good enough. Obafemi is not there yet for me either.

Blimey, Romeu in the nippers team away at Notts County. That's gotta hurt.

Kelvin would be a disaster. No experience and very much the players mate. Jaidi and Craig Fleming would be half decent caretakers, both have experience and can actually coach.

So 3 at the back it seems. The u23's play a 4 so Valery will be making his debut out of position. Other than that, I like that team. Coys.

There's a proper defender amongst that lot though. Shame he's nowhere near the team.

Vestergaard is even worse, less mobile - arguably our most pointless signing. Stephens and Yoshida are a decent pairing and the best we have imo. I think Bednarek and Yoshida would be ok together too.

More stupid than carrying on with Hughes? Admittedly we need leadership across the whole of the club, but results on the pitch must be the priority.

He's got to go now. We're unfit, unmotivated, and generally shi'ite. Admittedly he has a poor squad but only an idiot would start Austin up front and persist with Hoedt. Until today my position was that I wouldn't want him to go until he's upgraded but enough is enough. Having seen our under 23's playing some good stuff, looking fit, organized and committed, I'd rather see Jaidi as caretaker than Hughes manage us again.

Shocking player. Sad thing is that Bednarek and Stephens aren't.