Lallana's Left Peg

No, because Jay Rod had been touted to play out on the left when he joined and also played their previously for Burnley. Whereas Shane Long is a 27 year old striker who has never played on the left and only ever had his best patches of form when he played with another striker up front, which we haven't done since our return in the Premier League and Koeman hasn't done in pre-season friendlies.

He's only ever performed well when he has had a strike partner and not in either role mentioned above though. Unless we're changing our system I don't know.

Where is he going to play though? On the left!?! Strange.

If there is one thing that pressures a club into selling their player and taking your offer its when you bid more for another player on another team #LesReedFootballGenius.

I would suggest Koeman is involved of course but it just makes no sense to me. Rather worryingly is the way we've been pumping long balls forward at times pre-season - anyone who was at the WBA and Hull away games would have seen how Long performs in this conditions. For every five long balls pumped forward he'll jump into the defender once giving a free kick away, not bother with two, and for the two that go over the defenders head he'll chase full pelt even though the ball is clearly going behind for a goal kick. I just do not understand what we are trying to do with the balance in the squad. This isn't a striker who fits into a possession based strategy.

£10m on a player who moved for nearly half that 6 months ago. £10m on a player who clearly can't play with his back to goal or as a target man and basically runs down channels and blind alleys chasing things like a dog in a park. £10m on a striker who isn't going to 'fit' into Koeman's system based on his pre-season 4-3-3 effort. What the **** is going on.

It depends how bad he thinks the bottom three will be. Burnley are down, surely? That leaves two spaces left - if he thinks there will be two other very bad teams then 45 points could be 10 more points than the bottom three could muster and would be comfortably safe. Right now I don't think anything to do with our season will be comfortable but I sure hope it is.

Yes but Forster will be afforded that starting role - it is his to lose rather than to earn. Boruc is starting from a disadvantaged position in that respect.

At Boruc's age he may think he can secure himself a two year contract at a club right now rather than a two or one year deal in the summer. He's too good to be a backup at a club of our size in my opinion and I don't think he is the sort of keeper who will just sit on the bench for a long time either. Time will tell but I think we'll see some movement here.

Has a team ever lost its Manager and five+ starters and done even as remotely as well the following season?

15th. Not sure where the goals will come from.

19 years old, Captain of England U19's, ousted Clyne as right-back in half our league games and part of a team that finished 8th in the league with a record points total. Already shown he can play centre-half as well. He is not as good right now as the fee we got for him but only an idiot would suggest he's going to be anything but a bargain for Arsenal. His loss hurts more than any other because we lost him after just one season of service when there was so much more to come. Absolutely gutted.

Is the reason why there isn't more fan backlash against Scheniderlin because everyone understands his position after the Board misled him or because people are now just desperate for him to stay and will excuse any sort of ****tish behaviour? If he is refusing to train and / or play in games as far as I am concerned he should go.

He is far better than vaguely promising, as he has already shown for his new club. He could have been one of our best players for years to come.

I have not seen anything of us this pre-season beyond the online highlights however do people think we hold enough of a goal-threat in the team to score goals? If we went behind in a game do people think we've got enough to get back into it?

Important game for the fans given this summers activities and also we saw last season what a good start can do for momentum and prospects.

We sold Lovren and Chambers and signed Ryan Bertrand on loan. Club starting to make the right noises about keeping players and signing players but I think everyone has been burnt from the exploits in May / June and are waiting to see if the Board can deliver.

Nothing in the grand scheme of things as the supporters can't control anything but if rumours are true and the Schneiderlin transfer was cancelled because of supporter reaction to the other sales then perhaps our feelings have some influence and the Board cares what we think?

I suppose whether you believe what they say or not is based on trust?

Was it FourFourTwo that had us down to finish 20th or something in our first season in League 1

Looking forward to see him play I think his combative style will appease fans however I do wonder why we're signing players in arguably our strongest squad position. I'm sure it will all play out over the next few weeks.

Realistic in numbers too lol

Whilst bookies odds are never accurate they usually aren't too far off. If 8th is the best we could ever realistically finish then it may be a case of finish 11th with £72m in the bank or try to finish 8th with far less money in the bank. 3 places difference. Worth it?

Only if it accompanied a picture of Andy Carroll.

JWP is under 21 as well and it is highly unlikely just because we have space that we'll fill it with over 21 players for ****s and giggles.