Tomaszk

Other tidbits very welcome.

A starting striker is the number 1 priority. Man down the pub tell you?

I think you need to see some promise to stick with a manager. Having 10 good games in 100 and setting up for the season with 1 centre half shows ineptitude that isn't worth persevering with.

I disagree that was one of our best games. They had so many clear chances it was silly. I agree certain players let Jack do the hard work for them. It's an easy option giving it to him because he's brave and shows for it all the time, be nice if a few others could help him out.

Don't let this troll derail. @Vive_La_Villa has made some great points recently.

We did get thumped for 70 mins and they missed about 4 golden chances though. We also will need a new striker or we'll be fighting with one arm behind our back.

After that Saints mess we absolutely should be trying something different like this. We won't.

I'm afraid we won't have Jack Grealish and that is a huge concern. I can't remember an attack that didn't involve him this season.

What positions would guarantee we stay up if the manager refuses to play anything other than an incredibly attacking 433 do you think? A striker and two fantastic central midfielders I'd guess. Jack can stay wide. A new winger with Jack moving back to CM is an option but there's issues with having him in there and no McGinn who gets through a lot of work. I wonder if Purslow sees it how you do. I do think pressure builds on Smith if we bring in two or three starting players in January, he must deliver more.

What's your point? Bruce had us sat bottom half of champ.

Let's see if the manager starts having a go at the fans first. It may not happen with such a gent at the helm, not a potato headed cretin.

This is correct. It's remarkable how he can be in the wrong place so often. 99% of balls that goes forward or into the box, you just know he's going to be anywhere but there. If he is there like the El Ghazi cross right to him at 0-0 v Southampton, you know he's going to either scuff it.

And he almost got tackled twice and scuffed about three. It's a valid point about Heaton's distribution, it's not great, but I don't care. I think he's absolutely fantastic, Champions League level goalkeeper.

Like I said, I don't want to see how bad it gets for them to get involved. I didn't expect that Southampton performance from us at all. If we repeat it v Norwich and Watford we are losing both in a similar fashion. It'll be a grim grim season going forward.

It'll have to get really wretched for Smith to go this season. I really don't want to see how wretched, it'll be so bad. Purslow runs the club and loves Dean. He's willing to work in the system he's put in place. He's great with the media and won't throw the club under the bus in public. Imagine other managers if they'd been given these signings? They'd be going mad every press conference....we have to strengthen, these lot aren't experienced enough...blah blah. The place to do it is behind closed doors, and I'm sure that's where Smith has voiced concerns. In fact, I think if he does go this season it'll be coming from above Purslow. Our chairmen watching on from USA and wondering why we're stinking the place out having spent £140m.

If we can find a 22 year old Deeney with a 30 year old Deeney's attitude we'll be finishing 12th or higher with zero issues.

Need to add a 20 onto the title of this thread. Just a question for people who know more than I... Can we actually spend any money? In Jan or the summer? We've already done something dodgy with the stadium which I don't understand. As long as we don't get points deductions I don't care to be honest. Not my cash. Man City and Chelsea stuck themselves into the elite using a method they'd be banned for now.

I've only seen him wide left and sometimes right. He's absolutely brilliant but won't sort out the midfield being a mess and letting everyone pass through us and charge on our defence. This is the season Brentford can get into the playoffs as favourites. Stadium to pay for might be the only reason they would sell.

He'll be great in 2 or 3 years. Right now he's up and down for me.

Only if we change formation for some games.

A real error if we went for him over Rongier, and I believe we did. I suppose he could come good if we stay up, needs to play more. Too many recruitment errors though.

Hope so! A lot of fans I've spoken to were so confident this season. The strength everywhere else in the league is what concerned me after about 3 games even though we looked OK. Lampard changed formation for Chelsea and played a three at the back after a stinking run of form at the weekend. They got a great win away from home. I want to see Smith trying something different at some point this season. It's very silly to continually play the same shape if we're getting battered every game.

I take that as implied on every post tbh. People say all sorts of guff Wes looks about level with Jordan Bowery, if not worse because his movement is just so bad. He has no natural radar of where he's meant to be even if he's maybe ahead technically. And that is a maybe. Wes cost more than 40 times more than Bowery. This has been brought into my thoughts of why he's the worst signing we've made.

Grealish is on £70k+ a week. Wes can't play football. Yes, he will improve, but so would I training with Smith every day. He's starting from a disastrously low level. The worst signing we've ever made and it's likely going to cost us our Premier League spot. We should be much higher in the table going into these crunch games. With any old average Joe we would have been halfway up the league.