Badger

Didn’t Gabbiadini score 3 in the first 4 matches or something like that ? Apart from that …. Not defending our MF and sideways passing mind.

But he’s revolutionised the scouting set up, bringing in some bloke who previously worked at Barclays. Plus a new head scout from Germany, who’s identified a couple of hot prospects/duds (delete as applicable) from Germany. And clearly his time at Hoffenhrim and experience there gave him a good working knowledge of third choice GK’s at Norwich.

Equally reckless is not looking to improve the GK options when 90% of the fan base know it’s weaknesses. Ryan is often mentioned. Not a choice I’m keen on, but at his age I suspect he’s an upgrade on Bazunu and McCarthy.

As things stand, a moderately decent window seems ambitious and beyond us. They’ve got a week to amend that but on past performance it seems unlikely.

When Lawrie arrived he sent the first team squad to the Docks for a day, and to see the bin collections. Idea being to show the players how hard people had to work to pay their entrance at The Dell to watch them play. No idea if it got the message home, according to legend they probably spent as much as the blokes earnt that afternoon in the pub. But in those days it might also be said that the pub was probably the team bonding exercise.

That combination certainly didn’t work in Saturday. Really have to ask why, as last time in the Championship the Downes/Smallbone tandem worked reasonably well for us most of the time (even allowing Smallbone’s non existent tacking). Certainly wouldn’t see or expect Charles after his season at Sheff Weds to be a downgrade. Perhaps just an off day, but it doesn’t bode well. I like your proposed line up, but hinges on bringing the right players in. With a week to go..

I fear you’re right in that summary. We’re living in cuckoo land thinking Spurs or someone will offer us £35m for Bazunu at some point and staying on that path.

Saints fans being too placid again, and we get what we deserve. Supporters at many clubs wouldn’t put up with his feeble displays, without making their views known.

When we went into L1 the club had a full reset. Although talk of one last summer it hasn’t materialised and we’ve stayed on same path it seems. For L1 we had new owner, new and ambitious CEO, and appointed a manager whose reputation was above that level. Having Pardew in charge no doubt helped attracting the players you mention.

This would be my hope, at £2m it would be a major investment in a promotion challenge. Fair points re Ramsdale (although I don’t expect him back) and PSR.

This has been done to death. You may be in a minority with that view. I think Bazunu is a liability, you disagree. No need to reawaken the debate, we have to agree to disagree on that. Agree with you about other positions. A CF would be good too, but having coughed up on Downs we probably won’t be signing another.

Are Fulham particularly flush with MF players though to let him leave ? Thought I read that they’d lost a couple this summer and Silva was moaning about a limited squad. Not sure that would see them release another one so easily

I’m hoping we show some ambition with the players we look to bring in. Of your list Azaz and Sargent fall within that category. Ziyech - totally unrealistic. Isn’t Brownhill after an EPL move ? GK : someone better than Bazunu is needed if we’re serious about a promotion challenge. But I’m sure I’ll be disappointed.

Azaz seems to be our last credible link really after Spertysan and Rudoni are said to have declined approaches. If we don’t get Azaz then perhaps it’s on to the lesser known French and Bundesliga links.

Who is, Rasmus or Spors ?

Agree. We were heavily linked last summer and it seems that’s taken as we’re interested for evermore. Although I think Edozie will leave, the fact Sheff Utd don’t want him back tells its own story.

What a ridiculous fiasco. Signs a new contract, unbeknown to his agent !! Something doesn’t add up there, but we’ll probably never know what. Of course it’s easy to say we should have walked away sooner but if he’d ended up signing for Sheff Utd or Watford we’d have been criticising the club for not pursuing the deal. On the other hand we’ve possibly been naive again in just focusing on the one target for too long, although you don’t know what encouragement we received from his agent. We now find ourselves looking at plans B downwards, just hope we don’t reach the Elyonoussi level before we make a signing.

Despite having since January to plan and prepare for it.

So who do you think is pulling his strings, Rasmus?

Good thinking. The prospect of having to play 90 minutes will certainly give them an incentive to leave

Don’t bank on it with Sports Republic. Unless it’s an untried - but one to improve - kid from somewhere.

How can over 20,000 supporters see this but not the dickheads in charge if recruitment ?

I can’t see Dragan having another cull so soon after the last one. But who knows it may push him closer to selling up.

Yes. Johansen cost them c£900,000. Someone on here suggested he now has a release clause of £2m. How much did we pay for Bazunu (and all his obvious potential)?

But you have to realise that isn’t the modern way Whitey in the game of Xg etc. The game is no longer 11 v 11 on a fucking big grass rectangle, sent into battle following rousing team talks by Lawrie, Clough or whoever. It’s won and lost by nerds operating spreadsheets. Another thing that gets on my tits is defending corners (and I noticed this with Stoke again yesterday as well as us). 21 players camped around the penalty area for the incoming corner. Stick one perhaps two or your quicker forwards on the halfway line. That’ll immediately take two of their players back. Channon would always stand near the centre circle flanked by two defenders, can’t imagine him coming back to defend the corner.