Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[Monty]

If he really is intent on the flat 4-4-2 then he absolutely cannot be serious about going for it with this midfield. It would be a real stretch with Doug and McGinn, never mind if one of them got injured and we either had to play Ramsey out of position or, let's be fair, a player of a lower standard than we need in Nakamba.

[DrGonzo]

Wesley having a medical at Brugges.  Watching cricket and surfing the transfer waffle.  Good times, good times.

[cdbearsfan]

Wesley having a medical at Brugges.  Watching cricket and surfing the transfer waffle.  Good times, good times.

Fucking Hell, medicals in Belgium sound like a piece of piss!

[ozzjim]

Smith has said again this morning he's happy with the squad. I think it will bite him firmly on the arse, one win against a dog awful Newcastle doesn't change our piss poor midfield.

But that's just it, we don't have a 'piss-poor midfield'. Far from it.

Let's see how many times we get over run in there this season. I think McGinn is good but not top 6 unless he has better around him, he has too many days when his passing is piss poor, or worse. Nakamba breaks it up well, but gives it away equally well and is no more than I lower mid table midfielder. Luiz is potentially the best of them but not consistent. JJ had a  very good game against Newcastle in advanced midfield but didn't create our score, or look like doing so if you are being really critical. Beyond that Sanson had a few games looking lightweight before his injury. For a team that has been bleating about the top 6, that midfield is nowhere near.

[Monty]

They're not piss poor players but in the wrong system they can be piss poor. Really they want to play in a three, Doug and SJM, and as a deep two are constantly getting caught between various positional obligations.

[SoccerHQ]

Smith has said again this morning he's happy with the squad. I think it will bite him firmly on the arse, one win against a dog awful Newcastle doesn't change our piss poor midfield.

But that's just it, we don't have a 'piss-poor midfield'. Far from it.

just a lack of quality depth?

It's just balance really.

A new DM who's better than Nakamba and then Luiz and McGinn infront and that's decent enough and arguably a top half midfield. So with all the options we have in final third now I'd be optimistic once everyone is fit.

Just feels though as it stands too many decent teams will just play us through too easily as Watford did and we'll throw away too many points from not having a solid base.

Of course we could just keep playing Nakamba but he's one of those who looks solid one week and then abysmal a week later so simply not consistant enough especially with his passing for where we want to go imo.

[Demitri_C]

If mcginn is injured it shows how light we are in cm.

Madness not to get another dm in

[chrisw1]

If he really is intent on the flat 4-4-2 then he absolutely cannot be serious about going for it with this midfield. It would be a real stretch with Doug and McGinn, never mind if one of them got injured and we either had to play Ramsey out of position or, let's be fair, a player of a lower standard than we need in Nakamba.

I can't help feeling that if he's really intent on the flat 4-4-2 it will ultimately cost him his job.

[dave shelley]

If he really is intent on the flat 4-4-2 then he absolutely cannot be serious about going for it with this midfield. It would be a real stretch with Doug and McGinn, never mind if one of them got injured and we either had to play Ramsey out of position or, let's be fair, a player of a lower standard than we need in Nakamba.

I can't help feeling that if he's really intent on the flat 4-4-2 it will ultimately cost him his job.

You just can't afford to be intransigent at this level of football and it appears to me that Smith is.  I hope I'm wrong, we shall see.

[LeeB]

Is everyone wtiting off Doug as the defensive midfielder then? Granted his form dipped but he'd been excellent in that role from when we stayed up until this new year.

[Monty]

Is everyone wtiting off Doug as the defensive midfielder then? Granted his form dipped but he'd been excellent in that role from when we stayed up until this new year.

In a midfield three I think he can be great there. In a two, he'll need someone other than McGinn alongside him.

[SoccerHQ]

Would be a bit limited of DS just to completely fail because he's now got two top class strikers in the squad.

I can't believe he's just going to take the easy route and play 4-4-2 especially given for the last decade he's largely been 4-2-3-1 at all the clubs he's managed.

Just play Ollie out wide. It's not ideal but pretty much all the top managers do it with at least one of the top forwards they have (Salah, Rashford, Son, Werner etc) and will mean we can press well from out wide so to me that seems the most obvious short term fit.

He did exactly that at Brentford after all when Maupay was there at the same time so seems to me the only logical model for this season.

[john2710]

[[/url]


That's what you call a shit midfield & the defence is no better...

[Rudy Can't Fail]

If mcginn is injured it shows how light we are in cm.

Madness not to get another dm in

I'd imagine Morgan Sanson would be the cover for SJM as he prefers to play on the right from the minutes I've seen him.

Agree completely not bringing in a DM is utter madness bordering on negligence, when world football is still suffering the financial impact of Covid and clubs need to sell to survive. We're in such a privileged position to take advantage of it. I really hope Dean isn't going to try and shoehorn Axel in there.

[sickbeggar]

Wasn't Watkins a so-so winger under Smith and then the guy after turned him into a striker? Not sure if I want the shit winger back.