firstdivision

I think you should pick the team, Dave. We are lightweight with the current structure - and without Tommy C. I would like to have seen Mehmeti, Conway, Bell. I wonder if he’ll get there eventually (quite a while now with TC’s injury), just like he got to Cam Pring eventually, and a back four eventually. I don’t mind your idea of Mehmeti in the 10 role either. God, I miss Antoine. And AS. And TC.

You're right about the Millwall game, Sir Geoff (I did bother to watch it and watch nearly every game). We played well enough, but there was still something troubling about it, I thought. Afterwards I was ecstatic with the win but couldn't help feeling a little disquiet as well. Our uncontrolled forward play left me wondering about our ability to unseat teams (especially at home) who've done their prep and stick to the game plan. We are simply too lightweight up front. We had one of those (rare) days when something fell nicely for us at the end. Serendipitous. But the Championship is generally more brutal than romantic. I would characterise the Preston game as worrying (the lack of creativity and the ease with which Preston started to open us up when they were 1-0 down). The way the Birmingham game panned out didn't surprise me in the slightest. We're hard working, but I fear some hard work for our watching fans this season. And God help us if we get any more long-term injuries.

I listened to the whole podcast this morning. I agreed with nearly everything that everyone said. The contributors were gloomy but reasonable in their analysis: critical but largely fair. I always desperately hope we win every game but I also try to be objective about how we play etc. People think using your critical faculties makes you a bed wetter (or if you over-support, you are a happy clapper.) I ignore that nonsense. It’s childish. Just say what you see without insulting. This is what I see: we have problems and those that run the club/team need to find solutions: injuries, illness, some average signings and the sale of AS have left us looking leaden and unconvincing. We will get injuries so we need a bigger squad if we want to compete - the last few seasons have shown that. I agree with Ian that we need five new players - not that we’ll get them, of course. I can’t believe some posters are using the phrase: ‘if we want to compete for a top six place…’ I thought 10-14 at the start of the season and for the first time since we were promoted I didn’t try to work out three teams obviously worse than us. I did it after Saturday though. Fortunately, I think there are more than three but there aren’t stacks of them.

Stroud’s refereeing of that incident was like someone seeing the sun rise and saying ‘no, it’s still midnight.’

Indeed. I’d like to see us try Bell on the right and Mehmeti on the left. I’m not a huge fan of Sykes because his delivery is so often disappointing but he looks more natural on the right than HC who looks like he struggles to control his own body let alone the ball.

Agree with all of that apart from the not getting despondent bit. I found it quite depressing. And slightly worrying. I was hoping to watch a team that had a coherent plan of attack. We were so boring and lacking in creativity. I want a bit of excitement. It looked like a team picked to work hard…and, my god, it was hard work.

I’m absolutely baffled why we bought him. A Luton fan told me he is decent alongside a big target man - and we don’t play with one of those. In fact, we don’t have one in our first-team squad.

That response is far too well-informed and sensible. Don’t be bringing your science on here.

Can anyone explain how this works? And when any potential AS-transfer funds could be reinvested in the squad?

Yes, I see the difference as I pointed out in my original post (‘I might sign’; ‘I won’t sign’) But my point is about our attitude to the two players. Why didn’t TK turn down the contract when it was offered and say ‘thanks but no thanks’? Because he’s hoping he might get better somewhere else and wants to keep his options open with us if he doesn’t. He’s still not committed, which NP said he wanted players to be. TK wants the best option for him (same as HNM), not us. Fair enough. I have no quibble with either. But TK was offered his contract before the end of the season, didn’t sign, and yet we still played him. That’s the double standard: NP always emphasises commitment. Well, TK is/was hedging his commitment. Anyway, let’s move on.

To be honest, BA, I can't quite work out the point you are trying to make. Also, there are a few unknowns and 'I don't knows' in there. This is what I know: NP said he wants players who are committed. HNM didn't want to sign (so loaned out); Tomas Kalas hasn't signed (yet?) and has missed pre-season. Neither committed. One treated differently to the other. Also, I would say there were definitely times last season when we had injuries in midfield and could have used HNM. We had to use OTC who was reasonably promising, but not a patch on HNM. We didn't have to play TK in the final game of the season, but we did (when he clearly hadn't agreed a new contract). One other point re: HNM. We (and clubs) are perfectly happy to play players who will be leaving at the end of their contracts (eg Jay Dasilva) when it suits. There are (possibly) some differences in the HNM and TK situations but it does look like double standards to me.

So we hang on for TK (leave the contract on the table and play him in the final game despite the fact that he hadn’t committed to the club) but bin off HNM halfway through a season because he wouldn’t re-sign. This smacks of double standards to me. People will doubtless say the situation is different (‘I might re-sign’; ‘I won’t re-sign’), but I can’t see how in principle. (‘I can’t commit to you, Mr NP.’)

Indeed. It was a calf strain last season as well.

I’ve missed Naismith’s injury. Anyone?

Or, Dave, we say (in my specific scenario where a club really wants him and wants to get it done): ‘Alex/Alex’s agent, xx FC want you. We think it’s a fair price. They want to get it done and want to move quickly to beat their competitors. But might withdraw if a bidding war starts. What do you think? They need a quick decision.’ I’m looking at this purely from the position of a club that really wants him but doesn’t want a daft bidding war. I think we are playing this perfectly well. But surely we can’t and won’t say no to a straight up £25m. Imagine that club withdrawing if we said ‘hold on for a bit’, and then no one else was prepared to pay our price. And then Alex Scott does an ACL in September. That’s a worst case scenario but it’s also part of the subtle negotiating leverage for a buying club. Anyway, it’s just one strand of a potentially tangled negotiating web. All I did was put forward the pretty uncontroversial view that if you really want him, then offer the cash, make it clear the offer is there for a (relatively) quick deal to avoid a bidding war. If I’m a PL club, that’s my strategy to get what I want. Everyone else can have their own.

Silly me. I thought you just turned up with a lorry containing £25m in used notes, plonked it on the table and walked off with the player.

It does if you say ‘here’s £25m. Take it or leave it. We get the deal done now or we’re out. We’ll move elsewhere.’ We’d have to accept. Think about it: AS is almost becoming too valuable for us to play in our team now. Imagine if he gets an ACL or another serious injury. His highest value, without gambling, is probably now.

So here’s a question then: a PL club offers £25m last month. They say ‘take it or leave it. We get the deal done now.’ We say ‘sorry, that only gets you a seat at the table.’ Have I got that right?

Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. ? My point is that you risk losing him to the other club if you dont just get the deal done. We are also part of this and we’ve made it clear we want £25m. Whack down £25m if you really want him. Take out the others. Get the deal done. £5m here or there for a player of his ability is nothing to a PL club. If you really think he’s the real deal, do the deal. I’m actually surprised no one has just said ‘yep, we’ll have him. Here’s the cash.’ I think he’s that good. Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. ? My point is that you risk losing him to the other club if you dont just get the deal done. We are also part of this and we’ve made it clear we want £25m. Whack down £25m if you really want him. Take out the others. Get the deal done. £5m here or there for a player of his ability is nothing to a PL club. If you really think he’s the real deal, do the deal. I’m actually surprised no one has just said ‘yep, we’ll have him. Here’s the cash.’ I think he’s that good.

Of course, Mr P. But why lose him to another club if you really want him?

I find it amazing that one of these clubs doesn’t say, ‘here’s £25m. Thanks.’ And get it done - especially if you think he’s that good you are bidding £18-20m for him in the first place. To me, it’s a no brainer. Class player: great attitude, works hard, versatile, skilful, good passer, holds the ball, 19yo. Every signing is a gamble, but some signings are less of a gamble than others.

Looking forward to another EFL beauty following Norwich away on a Wednesday night and Burnley on the Saturday last season. Oh, look: Rotherham away on Wednesday 4 October; Leeds away on Saturday 7 October. Leeds, meanwhile, home on the Wednesday night before the play us. Ridiculous schedule. SL might have to splash out on a few nights’ accommodation in Yorkshire.

How is it possible to judge this? What metric do we use? I assumed WBA, Norwich and Watford would do much better, which perhaps left an opening for lean, well-organised clubs to do well.

We must do better next season. And my hunch is we will. Glad we’ve got away from being a soft touch defensively. The plaudits we received for losing 3-2 at Norwich nearly gave me a stroke. Sad to see Antoine go. Will be sad to see Scott go. Hope Mehmeti kicks on. I want to be entertained, excited by our football. Hope we don’t just become a team of hard-working dogs.

It's funny how you can take against a club. I've never liked Wrexham since they knocked us out of both cups in the 1977-78 season. They were two leagues below us. We played out an amazing 4-4 draw at home in the FA Cup. 2-0 up, 4-2 down, 4-4. Thumped in the replay. I wonder what people will be thinking if/when they're beating us in the Championship in three years' time. See Luton.