S-Clarke

A really worrying performance, yeah you can lose games at this level - but to lose a game 5-0 is not a good look on a team. Again, a lack of grit and leadership throughout. Someone to stamp their mark and stop it getting ugly, fair enough we might not win - but sometimes you have to take a 2-0 and get the fuck out of there, but we seem very dozy. This was reiminicent of games last season and the season before, at a lower level. Different players, but same basic braindead game management. Holgate was on Alan Bennett levels, he's demoted himself to 4th choice CB on that showing. THB in every week after that. Manning was horrendous I have to say, for his role in an attacking sense he lets it all go to shit defensively as christ alive it was bad. I know they're not helped by being left exposed somewhat, but he doesn't seem to have a defensive bone in his body - or have I missed something? He looks like he could play left mid, sure - but since when has he ever been able to defend? Stu was awful, sadly a consistent rating over the last few years. Since 'lockdown', he looks shot. I think we needed to cut ties in the summer if I'm honest, doesn't look like he can deal with the pace of any decent level of football anymore. The key will be how we react to this. Leicester will be saying the same - so it's an absolute game and a half in a couple of weeks. We can't let this result define our season, we'll learn a lot about this team during this month.

Yeah that needs to be sorted, you don't get anywhere near promotion with that sort of record.

There is going to be an annihilation if we're not careful. Not in it.

Edozie very dozy.

And quite incredibly it doesn't even contain Stewart, Sulemana....or Onuachu or Moussa...

What's the point of this post? As egg said, it's been good nature on here over the last few days because of the lack of digs and snipes. You might be coming from the angle of knocking down negativity, but all posts like this do is create it imo. People are entitled to their opinions and views, if you don't agree with it you don't have to highlight it after the event and take the piss.

Che did well to avoid going there.

He clearly wasn't around for last summer's transfer window then.

Now you've done it.

I guess you could say unproven international quality though, I don't think many of us saw them going to the 2014 world cup when we were promoted in 2012! They progressed with us which is what made that team so magical. We have more players this time round who have already played at international level, whether that makes them better quality for us this year is up for debate!

What happened yesterday has exceeded my expectations. Keeping KWP and Adams is a massive plus, KWP especially - how he's still here is beyond me, but we need to make the most out of that! If we compare this to our last NPC team - GK 2011 - Kelvin, Forecast (lol), Bart GK 2023 - Bazunu, McCarthy, Lumley GK Doesn't feel hugely different in terms of quality to me. RB 2011 - Richardson/Butterfield RB 2023 - Bree/ KWP/ Holgate You'd argue RB is stronger in 2023, as we have a proven PL player there. CB 2011 - Jos, Fonte, Aaaron Martin, Seabourne CB 2023 - THB, Bednarek, Stephens, Holgate I'd argue stronger CB options in 2023, as there is PL and international experience in there. LB 2011 - Fox (not sure we had another left back that year). LB 2023 - Manning, Larios Not a massive difference at LB apart from the fact we do have 2 natural left backs. Manning is someone on Fox's level in the Championship imo, nothing to be sniffed at. CM 2011 - Morgan, Hammond, Chaplow, Cork CM 2023 - Charles, Downes, Smallbone, Armstrong I loved the 2012 midfield, it was quality. 2023's effort has the potential, but it feels 1 player too short for me. AM 2011 - Lallana, Guly, Puncheon, De Ridder AM 2023 - Sulemana, Edozie, Fraser, SAA, Armstrong in AM Guly and Lallana were quality, but the other two not so much. I think we have better depth in the wide/AM areas in 2023 ST 2011 - Lambo, Connolly, Barnard, Sharp, Lee ST 2023 - Che, Stewart, Mara, Onuachu (lol), Armstrong We have better ST depth in my eyes in 2023, but obviously no one close to Lambo. Overall, as expected, our squad this time round has more PL experience and International experience in it's locker. The benefit we had last time was the momentum and the team spirit built up through the couple of L1 years, cannot be underestimated how important that is in football. Quality is only one part of it, but if we get the team spirit right then I think we're on course. The other big part is that the spine of our team in 2011 were our players on long contracts. We have a decent flurry of loans this year through the spine of the side, so if they commit the same as a permanent player then we should be fine. I'm positive though. The turnover has been huge, but we've filled the gaps with quality.

Tino and Tella were the surprises to me, I thought they'd stick around. The rest of the departures were expected. The biggest surprises have been who we've kept.

Did some fans genuinely think we'd spend £100m+ in the Championship? Got to wonder where some of these guys heads are at. They don't live on our planet.

I didn't want to tempt fate earlier, but I had KWP as one of the first to leave - in the same bracket as Lavia, JWP etc - our proven PL players. The fact there has never been any noise about him is so odd, he's knuckled down, play in all the games and hasn't entertained any chatter. Keeping someone like KWP is absolutely huge for me. He is proven established PL quality, way too good for this level. Staggered there have been no takers.

Norwich losing their best CB to Forest - nice to see potential challengers being weakened at the death.

I think that's the key for me. I'm not basing the strength of the squad on how much it costs, or how much we spend out on wages etc - the strength surley has to be made up by the commitment of the players. We're much better off for example with a committed THB than a quality, yet not committed, ABK.

He's one of Sky's 'main stays' now, fronts Soccer Saturday as the main panel regular, lead pundit on some games. Part of cup draws and all the such. Absolutely horrific to listen to though, trying to just be a proper gansta' innit.

The Onuachu one is really interesting, he hasn't had a look in and isn't really being integrated - clearly doesn't fit any sort of style we're trying. Paid a decent wedge, but may not even make the bench in the Championship.

Daka staying at Leicester, his move to Bournemouth is off. They're still trying for Sinistera though.

Not sure how or where he plays ahead of guys who want to be here. He was better off out of it, quality or not.

He is the example of all that is wrong with Twitter on days like this, or X - whatever you want to call it. It gives teenage boys, at home on a Friday night, the audience to try and sound connected and important - when in fact he's typed that whilst waiting for his mum to bring up his hot chocolate.

I don't think ABK wants to be here, so for the sake of club unity and committed players we've hawked him around just to get him off the books. Footballing wise at CB we've got THB, Holgate, Bednarek, Stephens - so we are absolutely fine, even counting Awe who is very highly rated. We can probably take the hit on a loan on this one as we don't need to reinvest, we just need to get a character out of the place. The bonus with no option, from how I read it anyway, is that he can tear it up at PSV, keep his value, and we ship him out for 20-30m next year as his contract length means his value will hold and maybe even increase.

Yes, that's how I see it as we stand. But....I have a sneaky feeling that there will be a last min PL loan for ABK. Might be someone like Wolves, Everton or whoever, but I still think he'll go.

I can't bring myself to watch it, I'll end up smashing my TV. And i've just bought it, so I don't want to do that.

You watch ''MaxTransfers!!!'' claim that as the 'other deal' we were working on.