Baird of the land

But playing Lavia there meant we ended up with one of our most impressive players(in the first half of last season) Romeu looked like a fish up a tree in a bizarre role. Wingbacks get exposed in the formation, it's not just djenepo. In the 4 they get support. We were just as bad in a 5 getting humbled by Burnley at the end of last season. So I don't see any progress in the formation.

I guess the fact that we've got 4 AM in last year of their contract may mean there's more chance next season if they do well. Until we shockingly renew Walcott & Co.

We also won lots of games with those players playing 4-2-2-2 last season. We lost games playing 5 at the back last season too, one rather fortunate win against Arsenal aside.

If the players can pick up 5-3-2 so easily & effectively why did they fail abysmally to play it despite playing it all pre-season and the end of last season. Why not blood new players slowly if it takes time to adjust to 4-2-2-2

Tough games it is not as if we are playing Man City, Liverpool & chelsea in the next 3. We are playing a Leeds side that struggled last season, a leicester side that struggled last season(& have lost players), a Man U side that look to be struggling still under a new manager. Don't see why we should cower against them?

His answer made pretty clear 5-3-2 is now the default formation. Had a whole blather of a justification of why 5-3-2 was better and that new players couldn't really adopt 4-2-2-2. The mention of 4-2-2-2 was extremely throwaway.

We learned he's completely abandoned 4-2-2-2. I'd hoped this awful 5-3-2 was a temporary blip but Ralph has instead gone completely round the bend with nonsense logic about 5-3-2.

Think it just gave an easy out. I'd have preferred something more specific.

Unless we get someone else with real pace in that would concern me.

Maybe the u23's won 9-0 and that's why Ralph denied it happened during the fan forum

Depressing hearing him say he's pretty much moved away from 4-2-2-2. Have zero faith in his 5-3-2 explanation

Apparently not according to Ralph

Annoying. Just the sort of player I would have loved us to get this summer.

If 7 to 10 of his other shots end up in the back of the net again i'll be pleased enough.

Don't really see. Wokeists tend to be very illiberal & desperate to shut down anything that doesn't reflect their viewpoint.

Or we struggled to find a suitable replacement who was interested.

Timing is very odd if it is so amicable.

Seems very much on the cheap end for Che. Hope it’s not a falling out as kicking a decent player out when the manager is skating on extremely thin ice would be dangerous.

Romeu as an attacking midfielder is more of ralph’s Current ‘heads gone’ approach, just like Stu Armstrong being a striker. Think salisu would likely do better in a simplified 2 rather than the muddled 3. As you say with the current 6/7 it’s about getting two that can operate to some degree(not going out and trying to buy an 8th). It’s not like we haven’t won games with these sort of players when we were playing more of a defend more from the front approach.

I'd have more time for Ralph if we he was still trying to play his aggressive 4-2-2-2. This cower and hope approach is worthless.

If he's not i'd be really curious to know why he wasn't involved for the B team.

My real concern is at the other end. We don't seem to have addressed what should have been the no.1 transfer priority, a first choice striker. Our steady striker is being linked with a move away. Our only business at that end of the pitch is a youngster the manager didn't even consider ready to be amongst the 9 subs.

Much rather have lyanco who has had good games as well as bad in his limited time here rather than bednarek who is consistently shite for several years now.

No way should Bednarek be ahead of the likes of Lyanco. Utter turd of a player.

I'd be amazed if we manage to find anyone willing to give us a fee for him.