skarroki

N'Doye sounds like a more realistic championship signing, he's from a French league where he's captain and I've never heard of him, so he definitely fits the bill. Diawara is unrealistic and I feel like the Jedinak transfer has gone on a little too long after confirmed interest, so I wouldn't be surprised if we're looking at other options either to hurry it up, or because it's fallen through.

Pretty sure it was Ayew.

Greene?! Saying Clarke was forgivable, but it looks like you're just going out of your way to use E wherever possible.

Fixed for ya

Because then the mighty Alan Hutton and his footballing greatness would be on show less

Having given it further thought and putting Wednesday night behind us: Gollini Bacuna - Elphick - Baker - Amavi Gardner - Westwood - Tshibola Grealish Ayew - McCormack Get the full backs to offer us width, we have to have 3 in midfield because we're simply not strong enough with just 2. Grealish given the opportunity to play more centrally will offer much more I'd have thought. Ayew and McCormack should be ripping this league apart with correct service and I trust Bacuna, Amavi and Grealish to provide that service more than any of our other players. Comfortable 4-0 win

Are the Dreis Mertens links true?!

I wish I shared your optimism

Gollini Bacuna - Elphick - Baker - Amavi Tshibola - Lyden - Westwood Ayew McCormack - Hepburn-Murphy The full backs can provide width, the midfield should be good enough and the front 3 need to be creative and fluid and outscore Rotherham I just assume we will lose but I hope we at least look like we're trying.

I don't hate him, he's just obviously not good enough. If anyone wants him on a free then let him go. I can only muster so much hate and almost all of it is being directed in Micah's direction at the moment, so basically, you're league 1 standard Gardner, continue your career there now

I hope he Nevers plays another football match again and never earns another penny for playing football badly, let alone £60k every damn week. But of course I'm not seriously saying I'd get a baseball bat to his leg. It's called hyperbole, a lot of football fans use it, especially when wound up. You should get used to it.

Richards is absolute poison. Utterly useless, useless player. Please just do one or get a career ending injury

With Riley watching Wolves last night, do you think we've bid for one of the players? Looking at the line up I'd hope for Hause, if we were getting anyone from Wolves I'd want Iorfa but think Hause would be a good left footed CB/ LB to add depth and balance.

I think Huddersfield were interested in Steer permanently at the start of the summer, so potentially he could be part of any deal? Wouldn't be surprised

What's the story with Faurlin, the midfielder from QPR. looked talented but been released. Not sure if it was wages or attitude? Would he be worth a risk? Sandro from QPR could do a job for us too Edit: just seen that Faurlin signed for Getafe last night. Nevermind

Isn't that just a lazy link cos Di Matteo signed him for WBA when they were in the championship?

Jordi Gomez....

Gardner is definitely a championship standard player at least, he has shown that by being selected by 3/4 different managers consistently at this level. He's still only 24, he's not a youngster anymore but he's got another decade of football in him. Give him time and he should be a good player for us. I personally am not even sure what all the criticism is about anyway. We're a championship team now, we don't have Barry and Petrov in the midfield, the standard of player we have, and we can attract, has fallen.

I think Ayew is the sort of player that needs to be told not to stay in position. Let him wonder the pitch like Young did for us in that brief stint under Houllier I think? I would play effectively a 4-4-1-1 come 4-2-3-1 with him in the team. Sit him in front of 2 good CM's and tell him to go where he wants, run the channels, be the link between midfield and attack. Get him to release the ball at the right time too, some of those runs and moments yesterday were brilliant but you'd have to cut them short on a highlight reel cos they all ended in shots wide, balls going out of play and him losing possession. Frustrating to see such a talent on the ball not knowing when to give that ball up.

You could sign the very best of the championship for a similar price. If he goes, we could bring in someone to replace him who's more proven and battle hardened to the championship. People said it in may and I'll still say it now, I wouldn't be too bothered about any single member of last season's squad leaving. One of them leaving for more than we sold Ashley Young for? Madness

I would like to see Henri Lansbury in a Villa shirt before the end of the window. Think he'd be another fantastic signing that would be a huge asset in the Championship and could eventually be useful in the Prem. Make it happen Di Matteo

Gollini Hutton Elphick Baker Bennett Westwood Gardner Green Ayew Grealish Gestede Bunn, Okore, McCormack, Tshibola, Cissokho, Lyden, Hepburn-Murphy That's what I think will be most effective and get us a decent showing. Which basically shows how horribly unbalanced the squad is once you take out all the guys everyone hates from last year. Adama and Amavi returning will improve the look of the lineup however, as would some new signings.

Suliman and Mason were not given squad numbers, but Toner was, or at least retained it from last season. So I think he's somewhere in Di Matteo's plans, whereas the other 2 aren't. I would like to think we're looking to bring another CB in anyway. I hope Mason gets plenty of game time and shows his potential,

What about Toner?

Squad looks big but it's including 4-5 good prospects, 3 keepers and 3 players apparently close to leaving so should be trimmed in the next few days. I'm happy with the new numbers given but disappointed that Richards, Gabby etc. have kept their squad numbers, don't deserve them and should have been stripped of them