S-Clarke

They were signed around now though, THB was an out of the blue deadline day signing. The best additions will come between now and next Monday, these will be the players which make or break the season. We started with a much higher base last season with Tella contributing, and Adams in the squad etc - but not so lucky this year.

Transfer Deadline days are made for us to be disappointed, so I'm fully prepped.

I don't think we can play Downes and Charles together, it's one or the other for me. I'd plump for Charles as he has a bit more mobility, but having them both in there keeps the game slow and there's a lack of drive. Like you say, Fernandes was the only one really doing it, but he was coming quite deep to get the ball. He's not a 10 as some are suggesting, so if we get our 10, go to a flat back 4, I'd stick Fernandes alongside Charles (if he stays that is), with a 10 in front of them and two wide players either side.

It's mental really when you think about it. We used promotion to regress our squad. Bizarre.

3 is my guess. 4 if we get lucky. Winger, 10 and a GK. Maybe another bonus winger if we get lucky.

Compared to our last squad in the Championship, we are so far apart quality wise it's untrue. I don't know why people say we're stronger. We had Adams, Stu Armstrong, Aribo, KWP, Brooks, Tella (for a part of August), Charly, Sullemana. I class KWP as an attacker as he was crucial in everything we did down the right side. Compare that to our offerings now, OK Suelamana was shit, but even so it's light years behind. Somehow we've got to bring our level up to that.

Usually these days it's a % of the profit they sell him for in the future, I believe it's based on the guaranteed fee. If we take the fee here to be 42m, then being sold in the future for £72m would pocket us around 6-7m on the % of profit.

I don't see it being that much. 3-4 tops, no more than that incoming. I can see BBD, Edozie, Taylor, Dibling, ABK, Aribo & Suguwara out of the door. We'll lose more than we bring in simply because we have to get the squad size to a manageable level, but they need to make sure those that are coming in are better than the collective leaving. (Shouldn't be too hard if we consider BBD/Edozie/ABK/Suguwara)

Haven't we totally overhauled it this year though? Sacked the lot of them, Spors brought in his own people. The contract renewal for Stephens and the two project signings do concern me though. But let's see where we sit in a week, then we'll know for sure what the score is. (Southampton-Nill probably)

If you're referring to Onuachu, that's stretching it a bit. He only got 4 goals. We hardly scored any goals last year.

That Ings sale always annoyed me. The club were internally patting themselves on the back for weeks and weeks by being proud of the fee they got from Villa for him. Yeah, it was a good fee and probably above his market value at that point - but we didn't reinvest the fee in a replacement, so what's the point of being excited by getting £30-35m if it's not reinvested. The club tried to be clever and put down 12-15m on Adam Armstrong to try to replace him.

I wasn't too sure why Solak came out and said we wouldn't use it this time out, but we clearly will as that's where the best value is. (certainly in terms of proven quality). Still came today and said he's 100% open to loans, so I'm sure that's what we'll see.

I think we can entirely discount BBD at this stage.

Seems like a few of the 'favourites' are really struggling to get off of the blocks so far. Still so much uncertainty around most of our squads, so it's hard to know what 11 you'll be able to field most weeks. Ipswich seem to be struggling to find their way, they don't like like the same outfit they were last time out in this league. Sheffield United were tipped as well, but they look hopeless. Early days, but it shows how important the next week can be for everyone. No one is going to run away with it this year based on what I've seen so far, so some clever and suitable recruitment could be the difference.

I did, still don't think you can underestimate how damaging that season can be. It may even restrict players we can go for as they may not be interested, who knows. That sort of season can have massive repercussions that can last for years, we we'll see how this season goes. We needed a mega reset in the summer and I don't think we've reset enough, as we're still persisting with Bazunu, Stephens, Armstrong who we know have failed before.

I think this window has more of a critical feel to it at this stage. If we get the next week wrong, we'll be marooned at this level for many years IMO. Feels a drastic thing to say, but we're so far off at this stage from being a competitive outfit at the top end. If we wait until Jan we'll be too far off it, then we'll be stuck here for another season and have the cycle of yet another squad change over.

I felt he wasn't showing himself enough when he first came on, he was a bit passive and sort of slid into an invisible role. He did start to get on the ball in the end and was making some darts in and around, but there's no one to supply him so it's a moot point really. I don't think we can truly judge Downs until he has quality players supporting him.

I've always been quite bemused by people who say our forward options are amongst the 'best in the league'. They're really not, they're hopeless. Individually they have had good seasons in the past, but collectively they do not work together. Armstrong, IMO, is done for us. We got that one season out of him where he bagged a bucket load, but he's not the same player now. Stewart is not someone to be relied on. I've said it from the outset. People keep calling him this proven Championship striker which baffles me, he isn't. He played 13 games with Sunderland at this level and hit a purple patch, that doesn't make him proven at this level. Downs is a 'project', probably in a position where we needed to avoid a project if we're honest. Archer is at his best with a powerful CF, but we're forced to play him wide due to our horrendous lack of options. I'd probably keep Acher around and obviously Downs, but the rest can do one as far as I'm concerned as they're not good enough.

We're certainly the worst club against Stoke. A really miserable team to play against, no matter what season, what scenario, what quality of player, what league. It's always pure misery.

Fellows is the sort I can see us going for, a real traditional winger who will keep the width and stretch the game. Right up Stills street. Azaz will happen I imagine, he'd be the 10. Spertsyan isn't happening and probably never was if we're honest. Guilavogui has gone quiet, but will probably happen. Doesn't set the pulses racing though, I think we need better than him given the current state of our options. GK - isn't Ryan a free agent? If we were interested in him it would have been done by now. He probably wants first team football, but we're only signing a backup GK.

I'd rather gouge my eyes out than have Martin managing us again. You cannot judge Still at this stage, it's pretty weird to do so and sums up everything that is wrong with with modern football.

I mean it's a bit daft to judge him before the windows shut. Let's see where we are in a week. The 'biggest' deals were always going to happen towards the end of the window, they always do.

I think people are being OTT about him at this stage. This is what happens when you purchase potential though, it's not ready 'straight away'. He will score goals for us, I'm sure, but we need guys in our attack who can do that for us straight away at this point.

We need more Mads style signings in the attacking areas, ready made players who can come in and make us better from the day dot. I don't want to see any more 'potential' signings at this stage. We need ready players who start for us tomorrow. They need to replace Fraser/Armstrong/Archer and such in the attack immediately. If they don't then we've failed.

It was a bit of a disjointed mess really, I don't feel we ever had control of the game. The first half was pretty even, but Stoke had the edge and looked like a threat on the attack - much more than we could muster. The clear issue with this team is a lack of ability to play the ball between the lines, the guys just have no idea how to do it. So often our approach play is predictable as we go side to side because we have no one stretching the game or with the ability to split the defence with a pass. When teams sit in with a strong defensive unit, like stoke did, you need width, pace and the ability to move the ball quickly. Our players in unable to do that and it won't change. I would happily take an offer for Downes tomorrow. He blotted his copybook with me last January and if I'm honest I don't think he fits what we're trying to do now. His work in the midfield sums us up, as he moves the ball too slowly - russball is engrained in him and that's never going to go. To be done on the break against 10 men is embarrassing, non-league/pub league stuff, let's be honest. That should never happen. But this team always seems to produce things that should never happen, bad things - not good things. So we're pretty much as we were really. Our attack, no matter how many people keep proclaiming it's ''good for the championship' - it isn't. It's utter fodder. Individually they have good records, but collectively it's a mish mash of a mess and it will never work together. We need at least 2 wide players, game changing ones who start - not kids. And a 10, again, a starter - not a kid. I'd also use the money for a striker. Downs is a project, but he needs better to push him. And Stewart isn't that. So, a big week upcoming. We need to spend big and sort the attack out, if we don't, we will struggle to finish Top 6 with this outfit. This last week of the window will confirm us as playoff hopefuls, or Top 2 promotion chasers.