melmacian_saint

We need another offensive player. A plan dashed by WP's injury.

Should've been Davis for WP, not Cork.

I know Ward-Prowse is the one for the future but I think Davis should be on the pitch. We need to be more intense and he always improves the speed of our passing and movement when he's on. Surprised by Cork's pace and offensive mindset, it's like we've edited his stats on a videogame.

Overrated, folie de grandeur style signing by mastermind Nicola who surely has plenty of friends in Italian clubs thanks to robbing our club and the Liebherrs of their precious money with this and the Osvaldo move. For a player with his hype to be considered not good enough by three managers including a fellow language native speaker is very strong evidence. The unfashionable, simple-skilled Steven Davis was much more effective than him for a start. Ditto for Rodriguez when played in his position. I think it's wrong to let him go to a club that is such a close rival though.

Not good enough for the PL, unnecessarily left exposed at times, but certainly seems a great person, and in the physical battles of the CCC he will surely thrive. He's also had a number of clever steps in his career, I think this is another one. Wish him all the best!

I think people are mistaking squad for team. We may have spent some money on players who seem decent but that doesn't mean we're on for a top 8 push- teams around us have also signed new players and more crucially have not had their starting 11 suffer as many changes as we have. While defensively I must admit we look as sound as we have since promotion (good keeper despite no back-up and good CB/FB options), there is one crucial thing that we have to do: we need to find and get the team to learn a new way of attacking effectively. At West Ham it may have worked, but I can't see us being as effective when we need to have some initiative and playing with one striker will likely not help. I'll wait to deliver my verdict on Pelle but I fear that with time defenders will learn how to mark him and with no support he won't be able to do much. It may turn out that Long is not the best companion as he needs someone as mobile to be effective, and I'm not sure Pelle is that kind of player. The Ramirez situation also looks weird, but then again Mané may have the strength and pace that Gaston never had. Still the Austrian league is very far from the level of the PL. Alderweireld looks a decent signing but for someone that was back-up in a team that does need some squad depth it does seem like they let him go a bit too easily. Plus at 25 he really should be firing at all cylinders, but hopefully he will be great for us. Bottom line, still a lot to be seen. But my guess is somewhere around 10th-15th in the table. We're good, but we're not as good as last season nor are we better.

Lallana Lambert Rodriguez Schneiderlin Davis Wanyama Shaw Lovren Fonte Clyne I'll leave Boruc out because I don't think we will miss him, but I'll have this team on my phone notes so I can be happy remembering the good times, we'll need it.

Looks good, I don't think we will be disappointed but I do think we paid a lot of money for him. Celtic must love us.

I thought Taider was a box-to-box CM, or even a DM. Which reads to me as Schneiderlin is actually moving away.

Trouble is, he is doesn't defend all that well either. It's always Davis, Morgan or Wanyama who press on and chase players. He has no intensity to his game and even less so when he is off the ball. I never quite understood why he broke into the first team when he did, especially when soon after Chambers and Shaw broke in with much more ease. To break through you must have at least one stand-out characteristic. I don't think he has one, and a very high number of players can take set pieces.

Alongside Davis who is responsible for James Ward-Beckham not having had the season of his life last year and not being off to some bigger club for 40m+

We will see how James Ward-Beckham fares now without that useless Norn Irishmen on the pitch...

I see the "JWP is SURELY the next big thing" gang are already finding excuses to bring Davis off.

Taider on for Ward-Prowse. I really don't think he's as good as people in this forum make him out to be.

Because we've been a short of a winger since we came back to the PL. Rodriguez was playing wide at times last year, because neither of Lallana and Ramirez could do a job there.

Is Pelle this season's Van Wolfswinkel?

Tadic looks our best signing so far. Schneiderlin still looks sulky from his body language.

I think we may struggle a bit more, so I'm looking at a season like our first back in the PL.

I feel he would've finished it exactly like Davis did.

Did we pay his Megabus ticket?

Unless football has its own property bubble burst, and by that I mean the collapse of TV deals, I very much doubt prices will change.

I think it was worse that Schneiderlin decided to stay back watching even though he could've easily gone for the ball and headed it clear much more easily than Davis who would've had to flick it backwards whilst being challenged.

I think it was worse that Schneiderlin decided to stay back watching even though he could've easily gone for the ball and headed it clear much more easily than Davis who would've had to flick it backwards whilst being challenged.

I see S.Davis is going to be the root of all our flaws this season. And JWP the player that gets the credit for things he does not do.

I see S.Davis is going to be the root of all our flaws this season. And JWP the player that gets the credit for things he does not do.