We could definitely do with a little loan shopping, we look really light... Eldin Jakupović - Never made a first team league appearance Liam Rosenior Andy Dawson Paul McKenna James Chester - Hamstring - Hopefully back for Ipswich Jack Hobbs - Knee - Due back Nov/Dec Corry Evans Aaron McLean Robert Koren - Tight calf - Hopefully back for Ipswich Jay Simpson - Knock - Hopefully back for Ipswich Matty Fryatt - Achilles - May miss the whole season Mark Oxley - Never made a first team league appearance Tom Cairney - Knee - Out for two/three months Paul McShane Seyi Olofinjana Liam Cooper Joe Dudgeon - Knee - Recovery time unknown Jamie Devitt - Can't even get on the bench when there's no-one else Ben Amos Abdoulaye Faye Sone Aluko Ahmed Elmohamady Alex Bruce - Groin - Hopefully back for Ipswich Stephen Quinn Conor Townsend - Never made a first team league appearance Nick Proschwitz
I expect we will, hopefully a striker of some sort, as I know Mclean scored on Saturday however he has scored at times like last season at Forest at we all begin to think, here we go he could hit form now and he never does. He's just not good enough, with Fryatt being out and big Nick looking to have not settled just yet, Aluko is fantastic but not and out and out striker. Never know, a word in SAF ear might get us another young striker.
He was going to Bursaspor, with a £1m loan fee involved, but it doesn't seem to have happened(though that story was only in The Mail).
Oh thank you Dr KillDare. Far to early to to say. Steve Bruce could easily have named 7 subs. But for some reason decided not to. We can only use 3 anyway. End of November they hope. I would keep the same team for Ipswich. Give Chester and Bruce the extra few days. We have 3 games in 8 days and Middlesboro away 4 days after Ipswich will be much harder.
I'd like to see us dip into the loan market to sign: A central defender until January. Even if everyone is fit it'd be nice to have a realistic 3rd choice option to give Faye a rest now and then or something. By January we'd hope to have Hobbs back but it can always be extended if there is an issue with him or anyone else. A left wing-back, again until January. Dudgeon might be injured for a while and Townsend isn't going to get a game no matter how well he does in the reserves unfortunately. Dawson simply isn't the player for that position and I don't even really rate him as a full back much these days. A striker. I'm delighted with Simpson and Aluko but we could do with another. Fryatt and Prossy might not have a contribution to make until next season for different reasons and while McLean is reasonable back-up, it'd be nice to have someone else. Just a punt on a youngster from a PL team would be fine. I know some people have mentioned a touch-tackling midfielder but I still think McKenna can do that job and he can also play a bit, so with two more attacking players next to him I think it'll be fine. Oli is another option if we don't mind losing a bit of bite.
If we can get hold of someone who can pass like Oli but isn't completely non-existent defensively that'd be great.