S-Clarke

We need someone similar to Theo still, if we haven't been able to get Theo that shouldn't mean the club close the door on a 'pacy' winger type. Let's hope we don't follow the stance of ''oh well, we couldn't get our main option, let's shut the door''. If our scouting is as good to be believed, then it should be able to find a player with similar attributes and ability to Theo for a similar sort of price (I'm thinking Quincy Promes or Pone Sisto off the top of my head) Don't think this is the time to try and be clever, we need to gamble and if that means spending a little more than we want to on proven players, then do it.

A hate the blame game in terms of individual blame, I think it's misguided to praise just one person when the going is good and by the same token it's misguided to direct all the blame at one person when the going is bad. We have done things well in the past, collectively as a club. Over the last 18 months we have taken our eye of the ball and have got a little too sure of ourselves, that comes across in our managerial appointments, PR slush in the press and our recruitment policy. We seem to still be living off of one transfer window, which let's be honest was a raving success for the club. Since then though our recruitment has been quite poor in my eyes, as the club have seemingly thought they had it all made so took their eyes off the prize. Collectively peoples heads need to be slammed together and they need to stop looking at what we did 3 years ago, thinking we can still follow the same principles now. Football changes, players change, demands change, our principles also need to change otherwise we will continue to go backwards.

He was alright in the League Cup game at Arsenal too, but that's it.

Ah dear. We're ''hopeful'' and 'calm' again.

Sam McQueen as a number 10? Random alert.

Now you've done it.

He will have no influence in the game against Utd. It doesn't give them any more chance of winning it.

I think we can safely discredit anything Crook says.

Just like us to replace a £75m CB with a £1.5m one. Not that I see this happening. We'll stick with Hoedt, Yoshida, Bedranek and Stephens, with Gardos and Jones in case something horrific happens. More than enough. Not saying it's anywhere near the quality we've enjoyed, quite a fundamental downgrade, but it's more than enough in numbers and enough to secure survival if managed correctly.

Widmer is a good player, but he's a first choice RB really. Maybe we're preparing the ground for Cedric's inevitable departure.

Don't think we're getting a CB. The Celtic links are nothing imo.

The fact Stoke are scraping the barrel and have only just managed to get Lambert is probably why we still have MP.

We don't have a physical team. We don't have anyone who I can see tearing into any team, so we just need to hope for the best and a bit of luck.

They've gone a bit stale in attack really. It's not surprising to see Barca and Real flip flop at the top over years, but that gap is just crazy. It's not even close. Real are closer to relegation than Barca! I think Ronaldo has probably peaked, Benzema is a figure of hate around the place and Bale is just incredibly injury prone. They've got to freshen that side up, which is why I can see the likes of Hazard ending up there next year.

That gap between Real and Barca is just insane.

They've missed out on Rowett, QSF and O'Neill/Keane. They're going to end up with Paul Lambert and Megson apparently.

Yeah but that's us. Champions of keeping injuries under wraps for no apparent reason what so ever.

We do have the players, there is no doubt about that, but the fact we haven't beaten Swansea, Palace, Bournemouth, Huddersfield, Brighton, Watford, Newcastle, Stoke, Leicester says it all for me. Our start of the season was relatively straight forward, but we ****ed those points up the wall. Unless the manager has some sort of transplant over the next week then I cannot see how anything can change. The club can't admit they've failed AGAIN though, as it will go against their PR back slapping bull**** about how well run a club we are. We have been, but we have dropped an almighty bollock over the last 2 years and people should be accountable for that. To go from Top 6, playing Inter Milan and 60m+ (and now 75m+) in transfer profits to where we are now is nothing short of incompetent management at all levels. Heads should roll from top to bottom.

But then we'll get the claptrap about our 2nd half being better, and how we are starting to perform based on the 2nd 45 etc. So it will just roll on, and on and on, and on...and on....

Yeah, we are full of it. Lots of back patting going on, probably still, over the £75m for VVD. Whatever happens the fact we got 75m for VVD will seem a successfull season to the powers that be, our model is to buy low and sell high, if we achieve that - good stuff. Seemingly performance on the pitch is secondary. The fact we've had the 'chat' about him trying to re-align our expecations says it all to me. What is it that Ralph has on his desk? the 5 goals of the new owners or some clobtrap like that? Maybe he's having to change the wording and remove his references to single digits. He is the most unlikable bloke ever.

Nothing serious, just a little strain apparentley.

Babacar was rated highly a few years back, wonder what happened to him? He has the attributes we lack though in terms of height/power and pace, but I wouldn't expect us to be all over that. We're too fussed on bringing Theo back, which won't happen anyway. Then we'll re-sign Cacares on a free in Feb. As you can tell, I'm seriously angry with this club at the moment. The whole place just feels passive with absolutley no sense of urgency at any level. They all need a rocket up their backsides.

Nothing will change. Priority will be to contain and defend, even though that tactic doesn't even work as we still conceed. Need the manager to grow some balls and throw Gabbiadini and Long up front, push Boufal and Tadic to the flanks and just go for it. But it won't happen, it will still be the same passive approach hoping it will click. it's too late now, we need to go for it. Nothing to lose. We lose if we defend, so we might as well attack.

Why have you become a troll? Pretty sure you used to just be a normal poster. Not sure what makes people decide they want to sit on the interweb and wind people up, bit odd.

That first goal sums up everything. He was looking forward, he had options to play it forward. But he stops, checks, turns around and tries to go back. But fails. If he'd taken a gamble and played it forwards, even if he'd have lost it, that goal wouldn't have happend. All this playing it safe and backwards is anything but.