Adama Traore - CONFIRMED

[Ron Manager]

Far far too much expectation of this young player. If he adapts to our league he might live up to it,but don't expect wonders from his first few games. He has a lot to learn.

[Dante Lavelli]

Far far too much expectation of this young player. If he adapts to our league he might live up to it,but don't expect wonders from his first few games. He has a lot to learn.

Not certain but I don't think he has trained with a club this summer, or at least was not with the main barca squad.  He could be at least a month away from being fit, ignoring all the other factors.

[OCD]

He will have been training with Barcelona B.

[Dante Lavelli]

He will have been training with Barcelona B.

Don't they train together for pre-season?  I thought they all went to the US (somewhere outside Europe) which was one of the reason Traore wanted a new club, as he was not selected to travel.

[OCD]

They've got 2 large squads and they wouldn't have let any of their players just have the summer off. If that's the case, they've probably had 2 training camps and if he wasn't selected to travel, would have trained in Spain. He probably is a little off the pace but I doubt it will be a month behind.

[Villa in Denmark]

Also bare in mind the Spanish league doesn't start for another 2 weeks, so the best case is that he's about 1 month behind.

[silhillvilla]

We need to ease him in gradually. Starting him at palace would probably be a mistake.

[OCD]

Also bare in mind the Spanish league doesn't start for another 2 weeks, so the best case is that he's about 1 month behind.

He's 19 years old, it shouldn't be a month but I would be surprised if he was ready to start.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

We need to ease him in gradually. Starting him at palace would probably be a mistake.

After the complete lack of opportunities created in our first two games, he can hardly fail.

[ozzjim]

Relying on the movement of Gabby down the middle with Sinclair wide left and Ayew looking off the pace and adjusting on the right, I am not suprised we have created so little. I would be tempted to play with the formation a bit next week and get Veretout in behind the striker where he might get a little bit more time to adjust to the pace.

[Toronto Villa]

I don't like this formation at all. We created so much more in the diamond that we used for a few weeks last season. 4-3-3 isn't working so either go to a system of 4-5-1 with two wide attacking midfielders or back to the diamond and at least give ourselves a chance to score every week.

[Chris Smith]

We need to ease him in gradually. Starting him at palace would probably be a mistake.

After the complete lack of opportunities created in our first two games, he can hardly fail.

There is a cup game a few days after which would probably be the best time to give him a run out.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Who was the other ex Barcelona player we signed?

de la Cruz

[OCD]

I don't like this formation at all. We created so much more in the diamond that we used for a few weeks last season. 4-3-3 isn't working so either go to a system of 4-5-1 with two wide attacking midfielders or back to the diamond and at least give ourselves a chance to score every week.

We've been away to Championship champions on the first day where the tactics were to contain them in the first half and then against a Champions League team that we never do well against. All this where everyone's at different fitness levels, most are getting their first experience of the league and the team still has to gel. Chopping and changing the tactics on a game-by-game basis might not be the best idea right now.

[Dante Lavelli]

I don't like this formation at all. We created so much more in the diamond that we used for a few weeks last season. 4-3-3 isn't working so either go to a system of 4-5-1 with two wide attacking midfielders or back to the diamond and at least give ourselves a chance to score every week.

We've been away to Championship champions on the first day where the tactics were to contain them in the first half and then against a Champions League team that we never do well against. All this where everyone's at different fitness levels, most are getting their first experience of the league and the team still has to gel. Chopping and changing the tactics on a game-by-game basis might not be the best idea right now.

Wasn't it more of a 442 v Man U in the first half?  That's what I saw - admittedly on the TV - and also what Michael Cox's tactical analysis reviewed in the guardian.