Yeah, assuming no exits, a CB, RW and an attacking midfielder (Baradji) would do it. Im keen to give Yuki and Big Mak a chance up top. Any exits will be covered by loans is my guess.

Marc Guiu on loan from Chelsea would be a brilliant signing. We need more goals in the squad. Right Winger, absolute must. All quiet on the Al-Sahafri fella? Were interested in Gassama. Baradji deal on hold, believe he can play anywhere in midfield. If that is off, then then we should get Harrison Armstrong on loan from Everton. So gimmie 3 more. Striker, Right Winger and Centre Midfielder.

Or maybe he knew they were likely going well before we all found out.

In the making, that doesn't really suggest he is going to push us into the top 6 now. I'm expecting him to be no more than a useful squad player this season, maybe becoming a starter by the last month or two if he develops well or injuries open a space.

You would think that the first 11 will play 90 minutes against NEC, or very close to. Tends to be the way in the final pre season game. I mentioned in the Elche chat but one thing that I have found a bit strange is that unlike usually when minutes are spread out with sometimes 2 games being played on successive days to keep everyone in line. Pre season has been very much weighted towards basically 11 players. Surely they will have another game BCD to allow the likes of Kargbo, Gueye, Pickering, McLoughlin, Alebiousu, Tavares, Montgomery, Tyjon etc to try and get morr minutes in?

Asking for it if we dont have a sufficiently sized squad across 46 games plus cups. Gestede said we wanted a right winger with ACD going back and some power up front to compete with Ohashi and Gueye. That was when he expected Weimann to stay and also hadnt ruled out Dolan staying. So if we ended the window with only De Neve and a new right winger, theres no way they can claim that its been a successful window.

5 is about right for what we need. And would take us to 9 which considering that Ismael said 6 or 7 BEFORE Weimann, Batth and even Dolan left, the former 2 unexpectedly. Can take Leonard off the list. No good naming people who not only arent of sufficient quality but clearly cant stay fit. If we only signed one attacker, ie a right winger. For a manager who demands high physical output, likes making mass subs so 7 or 8 attacking players may be used per game. Having only 8 including Tyjon is not sufficient and once 2 or 3 get injured will mean he cannot fully do what he wants to do.

We need another competitive friendly next week. WBA play Lincoln away tomorrow then Rayo Vallecano at home next week. Are we playing behind closed doors?

Prepare for the customary post-Christmas slump.

You can get into dangerous territory by pumping too many untested kids in at once. But the 2 stand outs (typically both having a year left on their deal) in Tyjon and Montgomery both played last season and seemingly were already considered as first teamers coming into this season so nothing they have done in pre season should have altered the numbers we need. Of the others, they seem to be the typical cases (not just here) of academy players filling up the numbers to make up 2 teams whilst players are not ready for 90 minutes. Especially the centre backs against Everton with McLoughlin only having signed that day and Carter getting injured again. Mullarkey-Matthews again seems to be making up the numbers, he doesnt look anywhere near ready for the first team nor should he be expected to.

This should fit on the shelf nicely between My Bloody Valentine and New Order

You knew the rebuild was a complete lie because a Blackburn Rovers senior manager said it.

Maybe he's happy with a few of the Academy players stepping up. Tyjon still being here is clearly a big bonus. None of the CBs have disgraced themselves. They seem to like Montgomery as an option at RB and CM. Mullarkey-Matthews seems to have been catapulted into the fringes of the first team.

Wanted 90% of his business done before pre-season started. We're about to head back from our warm-weather camp and we have a gaping hole at RW and no depth at 10 and CM. He can't be happy.

And most of us complained he wasn't good enough - so to go from that to nothing leaves a massive hole.

Theres a core of players who are top half Championship players. As long as we keep the majority, theres no way the first 11 is anywhere near a standard where youd worry about relegation. There was really even that when we nearly went down, the issue was that even for our standards, a team who regularly nosedive post christmas, our squad was particularly thin to the point where League 2 standard players were regularly on the bench. And we still stayed up. So the keys are to keep or replace our key players, to ensure we have enough depth especially considering the potential high energy tactics, and to get some more goals into the squad. Due to some of the teams at the bottom, you have to be really bad to go down. I dont think we will be in major danger, but its really hard to judge exactly how far up we can finish. The frustrating thing is, with a bit of money and ambition, including tying down our main assets and then a bit of investment. We wouldnt be far away at all. But it never materialises.

Squad currently Keepers - Toth Pears Michalski RB - Brittain Alebiosu CB - Hyam Carter Wharton Mcloughlin LB - Pickering Ribeiro CM - Travis Tronstad Forshaw Montgomery Tavares RW - Hedges AM - Cantwell Tyjon LW - Kargbo De Neve CF - Gueye Ohashi Leonard So when we need our 25 man squad we currently have 20 players over 21 years old. So thats gives chance for 5 signings. With 24 players in the squad. Still short of right winger, centre back and I would another striker but Ismael to want another centre midfielder from reports

Seal - Kiss From A Rose

Let us know how it goes.

He must want more. He wanted 6 or 7 before he knew Batth and Weimann were going. Maybe hes managing his own expectations knowing that we wont get the size of squad he had initially planned. Feels like nothing will happen imminently.

Absolutely a great move to him. I dont think he will be good enough and stay in La Liga for the duration of his contract. But he has totally justified the decision made, disproved talk about him and his agent having egos beyond his capability, because hes gone and got a fantastic move and a chance to play at the top level against the best players.

But either way. My point was about numbers. We wanted 6 or 7 players BEFORE we knew that Batth and Weimann were leaving. Ismael also said last week or the week before that this summer was going to become more of an overhaul So the intention was 6 or 7 AND to keep Batth and Weimann. So that was the size of squad he wanted. So surely to keep that same size of squad, considering that was the plan, we now need 8 or 9. Basic maths, nothing more, nothing less. What has changed? Why is he happy with 2 less than planned? Will the budget not stretch? Not interested in spiel about how aligned they all are, how Ismael wants to play a certain style or whatever other soundbites you would like to parrot. Was purely about the numbers in the squad.

Burning off that lazy tag with recent performances. In Great shape and looks more hungry to do well. Need to get him more of the ball. He has the quality to unlock teams, just find he doesn’t have that natural 10 awareness to be in those dangerous positions. In the holes, breaking the lines, Be doesn’t find them frequent enough

Cantwell was undoubtedly the most gifted player on either side in the Elche game

Probably a glimpse of what the season ahead will be (and realistically what the season was last year) when it’s good, we’ll have a hard working, front foot team. Athletic, direct and capable of getting results. Fleeting moments of quality but built on a foundation of hard work. Less Arte More Labore when it’s bad, we’ll have plenty of injuries because of the demanding workload, no real guile or X Factor to break down teams, or to unlock defences that sit behind the ball when already 1-0 up. The frightening thing me and for most fans is relegation to League One. From what I’ve seen over the past week I think this squad is capable of staying in the division. Where we go from there depends on late recruitment, form and fitness.