Today was only a friendly and I dont think it can be underestimated that we still have plenty of work to do in the transfer market, even before considering potentially replacing Brittain, Travis and Tronstad. We have nowhere near enough quality or quantity in attack. Especially if we are playing a high press and with a manager that is reknown for regular, multiple subs, we need 9 or 10 options along that front line to try and always have 3 or 4 on the bench at any one time, factoring in injuries. Its not a silly number, 5 have gone out so its not like we would suddenly be swelling the squad. We obviously need a right winger but we also need a number 10 and a striker who can compete with Ohashi, when he isnt on the pitch then Gueye forces a total change of style. We also obviously need another right footed centre back. Tavares and Alebiosu in particular feel like options more to be cover and will hopefully give us stronger options in the squad rather than last season when Forshaw/Buckley or JRC/Carter at right back really caused a huge dip.

I get that the right wide player tucks in, but the setup doesnt specifically need a right winger who offers nothing in attack to work. It would surely work better if an attacker from that position could offer a threat that would really give defences problems knowing that theres an attacking right back to deal with at the same time.

Adebajo is out until Christmas. He probably also wants his right winger to offer some semblance of attacking threat. Luton fans would be queueing up to drive Chong here. A Hedges-esque season but you seem to know exactly what Ismael wants.

He said that we are open to another centre back without committing to saying we will get one, mentioning priorities. We really do need one. Carter is unfortunately a sick note who cant be relied upon.

Probably something about me being constantly negative even though the 2 posts youve quoted are just me preferring one player to another and merely questioning the logic behind someones theory. That was a great bit of play. I wonder based on the fact that De Neve seems to be first choice, if the logic is that Kargbo is seen as/trusted only as an impact sub against tired defenders.

Typical pre season fare, a slow game purely as a fitness exercise and punctuated by changes. I almost feel like you learn more from the starting 11 as opposed to the actual game. In the few positions where we have 2 options at full fitness, it seems like De Neve, Ohashi and Ribeiro are first choice above Kargbo, Gueye and Pickering. Not so sure about the latter personally as I think Pickering is slightly better but not much in it. Always interesting to see the new signings, in this case only 1 started. Nice finish by De Neve (and also the corner he took was better than a Cantwell floated ball) but still coming to terms with what is expected of him and loose on the ball at times. Not overly quick but seems to be an athletic up and down type. Impossible to take much of a conclusion after an hour of a pre season game. We already knew that Brittain will be a gigantic loss when he goes. We already knew that we badly need reinforcements in attack, especially on the right hand side. And we already knew that Kargbo is absolutely rapid but incredibly raw.

Why would that be the reason? Adam Wharton wasnt underrated. Travis isnt underrated.

There is a reason why, considering it was almost exclusively one or the other, we won far more games with Ohashi up front than the very few with Gueye.

Did I say that? He can still be part of the first team squad without having an unhealthy reliance on him. Theres still scope for him to break through if hes ready. You want another right back and keep justifying the Forshaw deal. So with 2 senior right backs and 4 central midfielders, we may aswell sell Montgomery, right?

Slowly they have taken better decisions? In recent years, two successive managers have decided they had no choice but to leave such is the running of the club. 3 potential signings fell through due to "admin issues." A one off talent through the academy was pushed out the door for a knock down price and the money wasnt reinvested. The womens team has had the rug pulled from under it. The stadium has not been maintained. The club has been submerged under the shadow of a court case due to the owners dodgy doings. Has the academy been invested in or has it just been kept going, and are they getting praise because its an area of the club they havent closed? Attendances are really low due to disengagement and also high prices. The owners havent attended in about 10 years. Im not sure the public liason woman who was binned off after 30 years agrees with the family feel. We tried to keep Weimann and Batth so it wasnt a strategic choice for resale purposes. Forshaw still signed so how does that fit in. Wage to income % will never be healthy as a Championship club.

That last bit is the key. We need another first team attacking midfielder.

Quite interesting to hear that he said publically that Wharton isnt fit to play how he wants. Obviously hes been out for ages so its not quite like calling out any random player but still. Presumably he will want another centre back after McLoughlin. Did he say which position he sees Montgomery playing in? Also, we know that he isnt interested in loans so if any come they arent necessarily to his approval. Its a market we have relied too much on but its probably not one to totally dismiss, if you use it purely to bring one or two bits of quality we couldnt ordinarily afford. Did he say anything else about how many he wants to sign or anything else interesting?

A healthy direction! Wow. Under Venkys, with Suhail, Gestede etc making decisions? Im not sure many if any will agree. (Also, Tavares came through at Leicester)

Ipswich have a lot of players that are stand out Championship players that are unlikely to get Premier League moves. Greaves, Philogene, Clarke, Szmodics, Davis, Broadhead, Chaplin, O'Shea etc. Can see why they would be favourites. Even though they were so bad last year, it says a lot about the gap between the leagues that Southampton also have lots of really good Championship players. Leicester are the ones of the 3 who maybe look the least likely even before a points deduction.

Stubbornness that leads to losing them for free.