Pre-season megathread

I'm not worried. Wednesday was good and today was ok. It was a good test today against a very good side. Aribo was class again. We won't line up with this formation in every game but it's the one where we needed most practice.

 

Time will tell. Agree about Aribo, looks very good. Although it is telling that the one player we have signed with a decent level of experience has hit the ground running.

 

So why are we suddenly switching to 5122 from 4222? Our CB’s were poor last year so it can’t just be that.

Im not concerned but I find it odd if Ralph is trying a new system with new players who are very inexperienced.

Some of the best football we have played in recent years has been 433, I wish we could go back to it.

 

Haven’t watched the last two games. Is Kotchap good enough to replace Salisu if we play two CBs?

 

Bednarek would be the one replaced for me. He always seems to do the spectacular, when a simple clearance is easier. I constantly gets caught out.

 

Lavia and Bazunu have as well tbf.

 

Salisu is more likely to be purchased though.

 

Perhaps he's not for sale though.

 

Well yeah. Beddie or Sally. Neither are good enough to be honest. So have we actually - with one week to go before the season starts - improved our CB situation?

The answer is ‘no’. We’ve made some nice signings, but this area was key.

Worrying.

 

Really not convinced by Bednarek or Salisu tbh. Not sure what everyone sees in the latter, he's as error prone as Vestergaard for me.

 

Salisu not good enough? He's clearly more than good enough.

 

Because we don't have enough fit full backs. We have KWP who can play (well) as an orthodox full back who actually offers something going forward. Djenepo would not be played as a left back in a back 4 but can be used as a stand in at wing back.

It probably doesn't hurt that it gives more scope for getting ABK minutes as it might be a little too soon for him to be in a first choice centre back partnership

 

He had a great game where he got 1000 blocks against City, apart from that been average.

 

He seems unable to maintain concentration for 90 minutes, and for a defender that's vital.

 

OK, my pre-season bubble is slowly being burst, good signings aside! Is Colwell the answer?

 

He’s a liability, Tom.

 

Well he's clearly able to do it because he did it against City. My point is he's got all the attributes to be a top CB and he showed it for the first half and a bit of last season.

 

Oh behave. He was great for the first half of the season. Of course, you completely forget about this after our car crash of an ending to the season,

 

Last season was also Salisu's first season of PL football. At 22. Give him a ****ing chance for ****s sake.

 

It isn't telling at all. Not least because by all accounts he didn't pull up any trees in the games in Austria. He did well today and when he came on in Austria. This comment seems like an exercise in confirmation bias. The idea being we need to sign players with experience and therefore using some selective viewing and cherry-picking to back up that point

By all accounts Lavia and Bazunu have done well in pre-season. And ABK is being drafted into what appears to be a starting slot for the opening match of the season.