AV82

The floodgates will open for Rogers soon.

Watkins on the other hand, is not.

Rogers is phenomenal.

Watkins the assist king

MacPhee gunning for Emery's job at this rate

I'm not too concerned about RB. I'm not saying I'd turn down a new player like a Frimpong or a Geertruida but there is another way to look at it. Our team last season drastically needed a new, attacking full-back and the capture of Maatsen perfectly fits that profile of player. Moreno was flagging and on the wrong side of 30 and while Cash is no superstar we can all agree Konsa looked very comfortable at RB and gives us an intriguing balance when paired in that position with a marauding LB on the opposite side. It works. A brand new attacking LB replaces Moreno, allows us to lean on Konsa at RB (as well as the capable Diego Carlos) and pave the way for Mings to return. We also have an emerging youngster in Nedeljkovic. I can confidently say I'd much rather replace Cash with Konsa (and likewise him with Carlos/Mings) than sign a new flashy RB and be stuck twiddling our thumbs if Digne got injured and we were left relying on a lacklustre Moreno or an out of position Pau/Mings. With our financial constraints we might not have signed a new, sexy RB but we have managed to find and successfully sign a LB who, for all we know, is better than any RB we could have realistically signed this season. All while having capable, diverse options at CB/RB. If we were limited to signing only one fullback this summer, which I think is the case, I am over the moon with Maatsen. Pending the return of Mings (some risk, yes, possibly covered by the emergence of Bogarde) our backline isn't as bad nor as neglected as some seem to think.

Both of the toughest matches are at home. Laaavely.

We just can’t find a place for McGinn can we.

People questioning him because of a few pre-season matches. Boss.

Let's not dismiss the importance of having Tielemans firing on all cylinders going into this season. It's almost like a new signing if you compare it to the Tielemans we had 12 months ago. There were signs at the end of last season and I really hope he can, to some extent, emulate Baileys sudden, positive impact on the team.

With a bit of luck I can see him finally lifting a trophy for us this season.

Never before have I been so blindsided by a player on first look. It's testament to just how good he (and his ceiling) is rather than how I was rating him but after those first couple of appearances I could never have anticipated such rapid adaptation. It's wonderful to watch.

He's going to be a menace this season. Secondly I hate that view of 'if he'd done X then Y wouldn't have happened.' You could apply the same logic and be thankful that he wasn't called up to the full squad in case he broke his neck and had to retire. Phew, thanks Gareth! We really owe you one there pal.

Agree, maybe Bogarde can make the step up?

Yeah but I don't really see the focus. We've replaced Douglas with a 50m midfielder and let go an unsettled Diaby while seeing Rogers shine and players return from injury. There's a lot of discourse, rightly so because of our performances in pre-season, but I don't understand this obsession with our transfer activity.