Summer transfer madness thread

[eamonn]

Grayson wants Snodgrass too. The club might be in meltdown but when a team's got a good manager things can always improve quickly.

[PaulWinch again]

Reports Ross McCormack is close to joining Sunderland on loan. Grayson has got good form out of him before. Sunderland with a fully engaged and useful McCormack could make the top 6 the way they have started.

Frankly at the moment the top 6 appears to be little concern of ours.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

It does appear to be true, Whelan was fantastic in his first match, as was Lansbury. Maybe the lack of movement off the ball around them is making them appear less effective than they could be, also the minimal physical presence and poor touch of Hogan means the ball isn't sticking to him when they knock it into him and they are then out of position.

All in all Bruce seems to have a serious problem in getting any kind of tune out of the midfield, even after buying a whole new one.

Against hull they were both fantastic? Jesus wept

Edit, sorry the watford game, fantastic is being very generous

[eamonn]

Presume he meant the friendly pre-season. They were both pretty poor against Hull.

[PeterWithesShin]

Whelan was very good against Watford, especially first half.

[Ads]

And first half against Hull. That dummy which lead to the chance seems to have knocked him.

We were on the front foot prior to that mind. It's amazing how much better players look when being positive. It also shows how fragile confidence can be.

[SoccerHQ]

Snodgrass seems like such an obvious signing to make.

Think he'll be our final one of the window.

[tomd2103]

And first half against Hull. That dummy which lead to the chance seems to have knocked him.

We were on the front foot prior to that mind. It's amazing how much better players look when being positive. It also shows how fragile confidence can be.

When we went on that good run at the end of last season, we played a 4-3-3 and I thought that would be our best way forward but with a couple of additions - a striker who could hold the ball up and a defensive midfielder who was a bit better on the ball than Jedinak.  I think Whelan would be more suited in the holding role in a three man midfield as he looks exposed in a two man midfield at the moment.

[Steve67]

I think you're right Tom. Whelan was really effective for Stoke in a three man midfield. Bruce is a negative bugger but could pick a side to cover all eventualities, something like;

                                                   Johnstone
De Laet                      Chester                             Terry.                    Taylor
                                      Jedinak.               Whelan
Elmohamedy                                       ?                                           Kodjia
                                                    Striker

The question mark and striker are up for debate, although we really should try to sign a left mid and perhaps play Kodjia up top maybe. Grealish, when fit, might do some damage with those two behind him. I still don't see lots of goals in this side.

[Matt Collins]

I think Bruce concluded that promotion teams almost always play two up, or one up and one behind. The 433 worked, but we lacked goal threat apart from Kodjia

I can see why he reaches that conclusion and he's probably right. But the problem remains the same as it's been for years. We don't seem able to put together a two man central midfield that is strong enough. I thought Whelan might solve that and maybe it will. But it really hasn't so far.

[ozzjim]

Which is why with Terry and Elmo signing I was sure we were going 5 3 2. Then he sold Baker.

As an aside if we get Snodgrass and Gallagher In, we will have the best squad in the division by a long stretch.  No excuses.

[Matt Collins]

I still think we lack a bit of energy in central midfield which would be important to playing two in there

I agree he may revert to 352 but I don't think it would suit us in key areas - and it wouldn't suit baker either

[PeterWithe]

It does appear to be true, Whelan was fantastic in his first match, as was Lansbury. Maybe the lack of movement off the ball around them is making them appear less effective than they could be, also the minimal physical presence and poor touch of Hogan means the ball isn't sticking to him when they knock it into him and they are then out of position.

All in all Bruce seems to have a serious problem in getting any kind of tune out of the midfield, even after buying a whole new one.

Against hull they were both fantastic? Jesus wept

Edit, sorry the watford game, fantastic is being very generous

I meant their respective debuts, Whelan against Watford and whoever Lansbury's was against. Both look far from the required level of fitness to me, Lansbury in particular fades terribly after an hour.

[Clampy]

Which is why with Terry and Elmo signing I was sure we were going 5 3 2. Then he sold Baker.

As an aside if we get Snodgrass and Gallagher In, we will have the best squad in the division by a long stretch.  No excuses.

I was thinking about this last night whilst watching the Small Heath game. Other than one or two, I didn't know any of the players and it didn't really matter that much. It was the same with the teams who went up. Since we came down, we seem to have bought individuals rather than trying to build a side.

[Matt Collins]

And this is Bruce's last defence

We've basically replaced the core of a side three times in 18 months, up to the last winter window

Maybe it just will take a while to bed that in. I guess Watford are an example of a side who have managed that transition, and you'd definitely want there to be much more signs of progress - if anything we've been regressing for the last dozen games - but it does mean that some of the "we've spent x money" claims are unfair. Not least because a lot of it wa spent badly last summer

I was listening to Dan Bardell on the villa view say that he just doesn't know any more. That's how I feel. I'm definitely fed up with Bruce but is there really a credible candidate who looks a better bet on paper and is available? Maybe jokanovic.