joey_big_nose

Reckon with Rhodes we would all be bitching and moaning that he can't physically compete and link up play... But then same is true of Szmodics, Dolan and Vale, and they don't score goals like Rhodes.

I was about to pile in on this one, but to be fair Rhodes' 35 goal season the year before at Hudds was at League One rather than Championship level, which I had forgotten.

Great ideas, but would be so difficult to get signed off by Venkys. 1- they are so disengaged so would be hard to drive them to a decision, 2-they would rather squash the whole thing anyway rather than have a hint of bad press directed at Venkys, and how could you guaranteed to them up front there would only be positive press? It's not really any malevolence or lack of resources that makes Venkys such pernicious owners... it's just how divorced and uninvested in the day to day reality of the club they are. Absentee landlords... We'd be better off with someone with significantly less resource but much more engagement, as they would try to come up with and be open to the innovative sorts of solutions you are suggesting.

Doable if BBD goes. If we got Bowler and a proper proven number 9 in that could be an upgrade on BBD. Worth noting though he scored seven goals last season, so we are going to be looking to replace the BBD goals primarily from a new number nine and other midfielders chipping in.

Crikey. Amazing effort - Wednesday night game off the back of three defeats. Wow. Hope the team can do the fans justice.

Main difference is Dykes can head a ball and physically win central aeriel duels whereas Gallagher can't.

In style exactly the sort of number 9 we need, but his scoring record isn't that good. Could see him being a perfect foil for Dack like Graham was though. But... QPR are going to want a huge fee surely? Contracted to 2024. And he's not guaranteed top quality at Championship level, he's a middling sort of striker. Hmm. If QPR wanted to get rid of him for some reason I could see it happening, but if they want to keep him can't really see how it could work.

Wishful thinking probably. Even a "marquee signing" budget isn't going to get anywhere near the £50k p/w minimum that Barkley will want (though I suppose if is viewed internally as a £2.5M "transfer fee" split across a 52 week contract that could get near the number. But a £2.5M investment for literally zero resale value at end of year). But even if it was true why would we spunk our cash on our most covered position (number 10) - we have Dack, Smozdics, Hedges, Dolan, Buckley all buzzing around a single role. Then on top of that attitude concerns, likely that he will just see as as a payday like Danny Murphy did, and the impact of his vastly higher wages will do to the dressing room. Plus doesn't in any way fit with the philosophy that Broughton and JDT have aligned to (young, hungry, cheap players). So not likely imo. But we only have to wait to tomorrow to find out!

Yeah, but at least with a back three Wharton can cover Pickering down the left. Back four Pickering has no cover.

Interestingly Hyam's right footed but seems to usually play on the left of a back three which is Wharton's side. Plus as others have pointed out Ayala has been our best player this season so far... So when everyones fit it will be interesting to see what we do. Could be back three with Ayala central, Wharton left and Hyam right? If Hyam can pass well like Wharton there's a lot of sense in that. Let Brittain and Pickering (maybe Styles?) push up.

Ayala's other reason for getting dropped beside injury is he does limit the playing style. You can't push up because he's too slow. Our great run last year coincided with playing a back three of Lenihan, Van Hecke and Wharton, and pushing up pretty high. Ayala was deliberately left out. If we want to stick to counter attacking football great, but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets left out for games when we want to push up.

What happens if Brittain gets ruled out long term? Edit - to answer my own question Carter...

Doubt we'd play Ayala on the right of a three, not mobile enough. Also surely S Wharton starts?? Probs VDB, Hyam, S Wharton as the staring three if we went that way.

Yeah he's also atrocious in the air, and you are onto a hiding at full back if you can't head. Also why I think Eduns never going to make a full back. Rather have someone like Carter playing there and being solid in the air than a JRC or Edun who can be easily targeted. Edit - scratch that, for some reason I thought Carter is left footed. He's right footed.. wrong footed full backs always a bad idea!

For whatever reason the powers that be seem satisfied with our options. We haven't been linked to any left backs at all.

We need VDB to cover right back. After Brittain it's JRC.

Team I'd go for Kaminski Brittain. Ayala. S Wharton. Pickering Travis. Morton. Hedges A Wharton. Brereton Gallagher Subs : Pears, Hyam, Sepp, Buckley, Dack, Dolan, Markanday Still searching for a settled XI and system, though the playing options definitely improving.

I think Hyam, Wharton and maybe even Sepp will be available for this. Going from really struggling to quite decent back four options. How's Brittain getting on too? Whatever system we play hopefully having at least two established centrebacks and a decent right back will make us much more solid.

Their own manager said "I need to find a replacement for free or near free" so theyre obviously being pretty transparent that theyre broke.

I liked that he scored quite a few headers... That's basically what we need. That said highlight videos mean so little as they have no context.... Had a look on the Pompey fan forums, seems they like him and are gutted he's leaving. But also not really sure he's Championship level. Feels like if we get Hirst he's not going to necessarily start, and just be a different option on the bench. Not sure that's what we need - we need someone who is the obvious number 9 and plays week in week out. Haven't had that since Graham left.

Seems a pretty solid set of defenders who should let us play a three or a four at the back. Also pretty balanced with Wharton, Hyam and Carter all play left side and Ayala, Sepp and Phillips play right side. Not having a left sided centreback last few games has hurt us. Still think surely we will get a big lad up top in? And a left back / wing back?

Realistically we won't know how we are doing until around November. Then we'll have enough games under our belt to have some sort of balanced view. It's possible one the defenders come in and we sign a striker things will come together. Or that the early trend of not generating chances and being defensively brittle will continue. I dont think we can really predict atm.

From what I saw of Adam Wharton yesterday I reckon he could do something like the Rothwell role. Carried the ball forward well a few times.

Pickering, Brittain can sling them in, and I think we would do more with crosses if we had anyone to aim at. We don't bother much as what the point with Smodics, Dack, Dolan, Vale... We need an option to play a direct aerial game if the other team sits in.

Hes turned into a bit of a dysfunctional owner specialist. Coventry, Rovers and now Sunderland.