Summer window

I see Ba more central. The difficulty covering those 2 is that they are nailed on starters if fit. They are the Crown Jewels if you like.

Ba absolutely can cover there you are bang on, but for me I’d like him developed as an 8/10.

Then there’s Jobe…. Haha.

If we look at having Jacky/Paddy/Jewi/Lihadj/Ba and maybe Rigg who can be used there we are ok wide.

Amad ices a cake going forward and I have a feeling we get him back.

 

Def need another CDM, if neil gets injured we will struggle. Ekwah might be able to play there but hes more natural going box to box.

Also dont think embo and matete are of the quality for a team pushing for promotion. Rigg n bellingham are obviously young lads so depends how much they develop this season but we will need to be clever with their minutes

 

I'd snap their hands off for that. Southampton chucking the parachute money around like Leicester - gambling on an instant return to the PL

 

I think longer term Ba will 100% be a central player but just feel he is better coming off a wing

Jewi is an interesting one, my cousin was at the North carolina game and said jewi was shocking - always hard to judge in preseason

Id want 1 of jewi or lihadji to go out on loan then get someone who can push roberts n clarke. Agree about them being our star men but need a real quality option to push them

Exciting times as we are mostly signing quality rather than need now. The only 2 needs we really have is CF n back up GK

 

Benntte could do with a loan to get regular game time for his development. I'm not sure Lihadje is going to be a player that will do it on a dark cold winters day/night.

Another winger on par with Clarke and Roberts is a must for me.

I see Ba as more of 8 or 10.

 

At this point I’d take the £7m and move on. It’s dragged on too long.

 

You have missed Embleton who's played off the wing a few times.

 

Wouldn’t be against sending Jewi to Derby, play decent attacking football could definitely aid him, then as you say have Ba as the right footed cover for Jacky

 

As I said mate, a lot depends on how we view the set up and expectations of the midfield.
In my mind we don't need a dedicated DCM, but part of that is probably because I see the midfield as a 3 rather than a 2 with the 3 interchanging roles depending on the situation is.

Yes one will naturally have to sit when the other 2 are going forward, but they are all capable of doing that role imo

 

Aye he could fill in there but it’s not gonna be his best position, he hasn’t pace for it.

Again, an option though. I hope Embo steps up and has a breakout but I fear for him being here. Love to be wrong on this.

 

£300k cost and £7m received. Is this the first deal the model referred to?

Not bad going really.

 

I mean, an injury free season and we don’t need anyone…

 

Yeah. That's absolutely the model but there will be twisting regardless.
For me, it's all about how we replace him - if we go into the season with Hemir & Bennette as our striker options, people will rightly be annoyed

 

Having a quality delivery with both feet kinda makes up for the lack of pace.

I would rather see him play ahead of Pritchard.

 

Pritch has shown many times an ability to change and impact a game though. I think Pritch be gone anyway.

2 weeks out and lots to consider.

 

This all day...by the end of the season defending corners & free kicks...big lads were coming forward & it was almost ..who the fxcks gunna mark him

 

I get that but for me a CDM is possibly the most important position in a 433 formation. The 3 midfielders need to know which one is holding, Neil really improved in the CDM role last season - think he was top 8 for tackles in the league regardless of position. Ekwah might be able to play there but think it takes a lot away from his game, he seems best being able to go box to box - bellingham is the same. Rigg has an eye for goal so you dont want him sitting, plus be a huge ask for a 16 yr old to do that no matter how talented he is

Embleton cant play that role as he isnt strong enough in tackling n he doesnt cover the ground quick enough.

Pritchard is an AM only

Matete wins tackles well in CM but positionally he isnt great so doesnt block passing lanes through the centre of the pitch. In possession he struggles to pass through the lines. Id love matete to get a loan move in a possession based side so he can improve in that area as there is def a player in there

The above is why i think a CDM will be high on the priority list, need someone with a bit of experience that can help us see out games better

 

Yep. That's what I've been guessing at. Terrible advice he had.

A player should always sign the first contract that could "set you up". The rest will follow If the business is being done.

Even at 26 last summer this applied to Ross . I imagine he'll try and get the deal he turned down here somewhere else.

 

The joys of football and its differing opinions

We could go round the houses discussing this, but that all goes out the window if we play a fixed 2 in cm and a 10 as that changes the dynamics again, especially if that 10 is Amad who naturally drifted to the right hand side but left us over ran at times in CM

One things for sure, it's going to be a very interesting line up come Ipswich and possibly again come the end of the window.

 

You'll likely see Matete, Pritchard and or Embleton departing before CDM comes in.