barry'sboots

Agreed. Certainly not with out and out wingers/creative wide players.

Thank you Mike for that insightful perspective.

But I don't think we can play 13 players, so you would have to take of the goal contributions of the others that they replace as well??

Not rocket science is it. Look at the new contract that Jack could have signed with us. I think its fairly easy to be a good agent when you have a good player!

Agreed. The other issue is that, if you are not showing progress then players like Watkins and Konsa may be tempted away next summer by bids from the Super 6.

Still don't get this. We now have no right back cover and have to convert Konsa or Tuanzebe, the latter of whom was not great last time he played there for us under Bruce. And what happens if one of them gets injured, as Konsa now has. I would have thought it made sense to keep him around for the next 12 months with a view to, hopefully, Kessler replacing him next summer.

I'm pretty sure Danny Ings, Buendia and Bailey wouldn't have joined us last summer???

I'm disappointed in our window. I wanted some of the Jack money redeployed into a "6", an "8" and a back up left winger. I would have also sent JPB and JJ out to the championship for a season. But I'm not thinking it's gloomy. I am just thinking it's not as bright as I'd hoped it would be. Certain people in the management of the club have talked about aspiring to compete for the European spots in the short term and I think the squad that we have at the minute is probably some way off that. I feel that it is an opportunity missed!

The kid has just turned 19 and has no experience of men's football. I would imagine he is at least a couple of years away - and probably at least a season's loan - from any meaningful contribution for us. We need to bring in a strong DCM now, imho, if we are to progress this season. If Iroegbunam develops as we all hope, he would then become this signings understudy and potentially push him out over the next 3 to 4 years. We need to develop the first team/progress to compete and, if the kids are good enough, they will come in down the line. My fear is that, if we do not progress in the meantime, by the time the kids come through, if they are as good as we hope/believe, then many may be off to the Sky 6 or a large German club etc. before we have really got to see them. If we get value, then that may be okay but it is not always possible. I know its a fine line but, if we have serious aspirations (as I understood the owners do), we can't just leave holes in the squad hoping that 17/18 year olds will fill them in the future and we will muddle through until then??

The same back up that we had last year that could not produce anything when Jack was out injured?? I know many on here disagree, but I don't rate him as I think he lacks the intensity and fight to be a successful top half PL player. I don't disagree that we could have done with a couple of extra bodies in midfield - a "6" to upgrade Nakamba and an "8" to compete with SJM, Luiz and Sanson for two positions - I see us playing 4-3-3. I think Bidace looks like a really interesting prospect but, like JJ, I would really liked to have seen him go out on loan and get proper game time/30+ starts in the championship. I want these guys to have a pathway but I don't think we can have them "learning" with us if we are truly aspiring to compete for European spots. I don't see us doing that at the minute.

Chelsea have Mount and James starting and have sold youth in Tomori, Tammy, Livramento and others that have allowed them to recycle considerable funds into new players. I think their model is not as broken as some think. Clearly, if we have good youth then they need a pathway but I personally think they would develop better with a loan, e.g. JJ, and we should sign someone - to give us 4 x "8"'s, as I see us playing 4-3-3 largely. I think relying on the youth too early, unless they are Harvey Elliott (who looks some player) may be too burdensome and doesn't necessarily put you in a position to challenge for Europe as I thought we were aspiring to. If the youth deliver then they deserve a crack but, like Mount and Elliott, they need to push a quality player out not just fill an open gap that is kept for them, if you really want to aspire to be a top side.

I am hoping Bailey is fantastic BUT I will be massively surprised if he is on, or nearing, Jack's level, at least in the short term, or else you would think we would have had to pay more than £30m for him? Buendia hasn't looked like much of an upgrade on Traore as yet but I'm hoping he will come good. JJ could be very good but for me, personally, if we are aspiring to European football, he should have been out on loan this year getting 30+ games at the top of the championship. I think it is fair to see Ings as squad depth as I just can't see the two of them playing together without a radical re-shape, which I am not convinced Smith has it in him to deliver, and 4-4-2, imho, will leave us very short in our weakest area - midfield. Ings, Tuanzebe and Young are, hopefully, squad depth but will not improve us much on last year as we barely used Taylor, Engels and Davis who they are, in theory, replacing??

An injury to Bailey and we look light ... that is back to Jack territory??

The loss of Jack and the poor start (albeit with a number of injuries and disruption to pre-season) has massively dimmed my hopes and aspirations. I am also disappointed by the lack of business activity in our Central Midfield area. A net spend of -£5m might be great business, but I saw an opportunity to really press on this summer and think we may have missed it. I am also not confident that Smith can come up with a plan to compensate for the loss of Jack - on the basis of what we saw when Jack was out last year and what I have season this season to date. I hope that I'm proven wrong.

I can't believe that he'll be looking to stay after seeing how many of our "8"s were out on Saturday and still not getting on the pitch. Ash and Chuky in front of him must be a pretty clear steer.

Agreed. I think we have some good options but its just a bit unbalanced and Smith can't seem to make it work. It could definitely be enhanced by a strong "6" (Doucoure for me) and another option at "8" (McKennie would be great). Whilst I love SJM, it could also do with a real leader (barking out instructions) in there.

Billy Gilmour has already gone to Norwich hasn't he?

I can't see his assist figures. I know El Ghazi's were zero last year. 1. He's young and will develop. 2. He brings intensity and contribution - El Ghazi brings goals (but 4 of his goals were penalties - Ings ain't bad at those) but nothing else to my mind - combined with pace and ball carrying. 3. Damsgaard's international stats for Denmark are 4 goals in 8 games. 4. Judging by the England game, he brings a free kick ability that we haven't got? 5. He can play as an ACM and, from what I have seen, can get his foot in.

I would start the same as last week but bring in JPB for El Ghazi (unless Bailey is ready). If SJM is downed by COVID, I would think about a 3-4-3, bringing Tuanzebe in for SJM.

There's an oxymoron if ever I've seen one????

I'd love it if we finally got Damsgaard who we have been linked with. From what I have seen he has the intensity to his game that El Ghazi lacks. This would give us great options out wide with flexibility and mean that we could make changes during a game without dropping the intensity/threat.

I'd take anything over £10m.

I wouldn't disagree with much of this, except I think Hause is good enough as a second choice left sided CB for a team competing for the 5th-10th spot. I think Steer may be good enough for a second choice keeper but we haven't seen much of him recently so hard to know and I would say the same of Guilbert.

I think (hope) that there are three factors: 1. He's getting over an injury 2. He's not yet fully fit 3. He's not helped by the fact that he hasn't got legs around him - I think Watkins' running would make Buendia look better (as at the start of pre-season - accepting it was only Walsall) and Bailey's pace (or possibly JPB) on the left hand side will also stretch the defence/create more space for Buendia to operate in. Equally, I think if we could get the balance right in our midfield then this would make Buendia's job easier/him look better.

Tielemans - stats are about the same as McGinns (the disrespect on his name is criminal) I'm SJM's biggest fan BUT he was inconsistent for large parts of last season. If he can recapture his pre-injury/Scotland form I think he can be great for us and on a par/better than TielemansMaddison - A number 10 comparable to Buendia, we'll see who end up creating the most this year I don't see Buendia as a "10" and most Norwich fans would say the same I believe. Maybe with a strong "6" in there (an Ndidi) this would afford Buendia more licence to roam/create? Maddison as a "10" every time for me.Ndidi - Defensive machine would love him Rice - Overated can tackle ok but no where near to Ndidi's level. Doesn't really contribute much else. £100m for him a joke. Would prefer Bissouma. I think he's good. I would take Bissouma over him though and definitely wouldn't value him at JG levels.Soucek - Weird player, ok at tackling and scoring goals but that's about it. Great second sitter/box to box 8. Maybe not an elite/top 4 player but outside of that he does a great job and really complements Rice and a "10".Benrahma - Comparable to Bailey/Buendia/Traore we'll see who scores/assists more come the end of the season I think he is probably better as a "10" than our three (although I haven't really seen Bailey play there!) We will see how Buendia and Bailey do - I hope that they can eclipse Benrhama. I think he is a more consistent threat than BT but he has had the benefit of playing in England longer. I think/hope that BT will be a better, or at least more consistent, version of himself this season. So no we are not a million miles away from these two teams. We are lacking a true Ndidi type player which we all know. I think both sides have a better "6" - we know that's our major weakness and I hope that it is addressed. They both also have a better blend imho with proper "6"'s, "8"'s that are comfortable as second sitters/double pivots (whatever you want to call them) whilst also happy breaking forward/scoring and "10"s. Leicester have better quality overall but I think, if we buy a strong "6" and SJM and Luiz can recapture their best form, we can more than compete with the above midfields. And if we can bring in McKennie and Sanson comes through (personally, I would like to see Jacob Ramsey go out on loan and get 30+ starts this season) then we would have real options/strength.