Saint Matty 76

This is actually quite funny

How come Rudoni and Spertsyan aren’t playing v Norwich tonight?

Anyway that’s enough whinging about the lineup. Let’s hope that Stewart and Archer get firing, need at least one of these strikers to bag a goal or two. Thought Archer was a given to be the starter based on preseason.

Would’ve been nice to see us try the system he’s suggested we’ll filter into, but I suppose it’s challenging without a proper 10 in the squad and the need for wing-backs to create the width due to our lack of wingers. Extremely dull team though. Nine changes from Norwich as well.

McCarthy Roerslev - Edwards - Quarshie - Manning Downes - Charles Fraser - Matsuki - Archer Downs That's my guess, other than maybe Fernandes in for Matsuki.

Think we end up with Azaz and 2/3 loans to end the window. I do think we keep Fernandes now though. Hopefully some good wide options come available late on. Esse, Roberts, Benson and perhaps Nelson (wages...) are the few that come to mind who might fit.

Nah looks like Sky are actually saying £36m with £6m in easily achievable add-ons, alongside the 20% sell-on. Seems most parties are aligned with a £42m total package.

Sky apparently saying £42m+6m on SSN.

£42m and a 20% sell-on is a really good fee for a player who basically disappeared for half a season. I do doubt he kicks on to be that £100m player at Everton however.

Reading like £42m and 20% sell-on.

Haven’t seen that since Danny Ings to Villa!

Also, every deal runs this way but we just clearly have a very active agent feeding stuff through this Armenian channel. People suggesting we should just walk away because it’s not immediate are hilarious. We are a Championship club and not a desirable option. I’m not sure why anyone thinks we have some huge leverage here and people with pedigree are dying to join us. As long as we have alternatives lined up in case of failure, we should absolutely pursue these bigger deals. I don’t personally believe it’ll go through, but SR criticism based on us going for higher-end targets is very bizarre.

The club are in no rush but a decision will be made tonight is a spectacular update.

Looks like he had a good season last year playing RW in the Bundesliga. If we kept the 3-4-3 you'd have (with our current squad minus known departures) Robinson, Fernandes, Dibling, Guilavogui and Brereton-Diaz competing for the two slots behind the striker. Perhaps 3 of the above if we move to the 4-2-3-1 but then Fraser is added to the options away from the wing-back role he's doing well in. Armstrong, Archer, Downs, Stewart all competing for one striker spot.

Hell of a strike...

Very quickly gone from hilariously optimistic posts of "both" to suddenly... neither?

Never felt like this one was going to happen. Hopefully we can still get Rudoni.

Lots still to improve on but a good result Matsuki doesn’t look worthy of a place in the squad. Charles is very impressive but other than spells by Fraser/Robinson not a whole load else to shout about Quarshie doesn’t fill me with confidence whatsoever, interesting to see if in a more favourable fixture next week we finally go into a back 4

Why’s Dibling on the bench if he can’t play 10 minutes chasing a goal? Matsuki a headless chicken so far

Awful from Quarshie and Stephens

Those changes make us significantly worse, surprised Dibling isn’t getting 20.

Quarshie is an absolute calamity and Welington shouldn’t have even started

Neither of the big strikers on the bench so it's Armstrong and Archer for the duration. Hopefully works a bit better against a team who aren't sitting back for the majority otherwise it was a bit painful watching us try to swing crosses into AA against Wrexham.

I sometimes find Blackmore a little over-hated but he really wastes a lot of time trying to impress managers with his "football knowledge" and we gained absolutely nothing from that press conference. Not that they're overly important or anything, just an observation.

Not a single press conference question on incomings prior to the 10:30 embargo.