Rousseau

Graham Potter is still available. Just sayin'...

I liked wee Fashion. Criminally underrated because we rarely used him properly, IMO. We have to take the money, though. Watch now as he becomes the answer to all our problems, even from those same people that couldn't wait to stick the knife in when he got caught offside or fluffed a shot. We're weird fans.

He comes from Zam—

Kent never played wide. He was played as a #10, as part of the christmas tree formation. (Actually, he did truly play wide under GvB, but was worse - many said he was 'wasted' out wide.) This 'lack of width' issue is a red herring. We've got width from our FBs and one of our forwards (as one of them has to play the channels, like Sakala: Sakala was playing as part of a front two). The issue is we don't know how to build through the thirds. Our defence can't find our midfielders, and both midfield can't find our attackers.

I agree: It's mostly the same sh*te from MB. I was hoping the boring football of last season was just because he had inherited a squad and he had to make do. He's had 8 months with those (inherited) players, a full pre-season with new players - on which he's spent £15M - and it's still the same.

I was responding to this point: "Coming to think of it, in these games, we should try Dessers/Danilo and Roofe up front and Lammers directly behind them. We need able strikers up top, and we still play but one." We played 2 strikers, arguably three as Sima is more of a forward rather than a winger.

Agreed. That's the problem.

Technically, we had three forwards on the pitch.

Did you watch the game? Did you see pre-season? That's what we were doing. The issue, for me, is midfield: We're not finding the attackers at all; there's no movement.

On the bright side we're not in the relegation zone.

Sima, Lundstram and Raskin are the only ones that tried, for me. I went with Sima just because he was the most lively. All were p*sh, though.

What are your thoughts, folks?

We've had a 'nae points' before. Not on the first day, though...

I don't think that's an issue per se - especially if we're employing the narrow formation, where we should be able to use intricate interplay or drag them to one side then switch it into open space - it's just that we failed to execute it properly. Our forward and midfield players were just standing about, often behind their man, marked. The best passer in the world couldn't find them.

Nae points.

You're conflating every knee-jerk argument made and directing them as you see fit. I've actually always argued - wrongly, in many ways - that the squad was fine; that it was the coach's inability to get the most out of it. I think our squad now is even better. Yet the coach isn't doing much with them. Perhaps it needs even more time? I expected to get some sort of clue by now. He'll not be sacked any time soon. It'll not stop my heart fluttering after any good coach that's available. Oliver Glasner, anyone?

And what is Beale doing after 6 months, £15M and a pre-season?

It was merely an example to show that it's possible. I want to see us win playing good footbalI. There are many different shades of good football, though. I don't need to see us play like 70s Brazil to be entertained.

I don't know. Walter's second stint had me bored to tears. I would settle for winning right now, but that wouldn't last long. I need to see better football on the pitch. They seem to be able to do it. It might, if we get a good coach in... (I'm half joking.)

And/or just use them properly/differently. It's the only way to go. Cantwell is a good example.

Agreed, but I expected something more by now. Anything. His football bores me. It always has. I don't think that will change.

I wish he'd never been appointed. I've been saying that since that day.

I think a quality centre mid would just be asked to do the same things so nothing would change.

It was all Barisic's fault. Everything.