rock bus

A good point and I tend to agree but unless we sign a CDM in the transfer I dont think we have a choice. I know we will have to start again with two new players next year but we may save a bit of face this year compared to the current embarrasment.

Appreciate injuries are the current reason.....but cant remember a game when Mclean hasnt started?

If we are to have any chance of even ending the season with some hope and winning another game (now given up on survival) then we need to stop having such a pathetic midfield. I actually think we have the attacking players and defence to be an ok premier league team but the midfield has been woeful. I think a trio of Normann, Gilmour and Rupp is our only real option ....and I never thought I'd be pushing for Rupp as a starter. This means we get rid of the invisible man McLean and I would push Gilmour up and tell him he has one main job - to either make a slide pass to pukki on goal or play the ball behind the full backs for Rashica/Placheta/Tzolis to chase. Sorrenson can come on for Gilmour in last 15 minutes to protect our slender 1-0 advantage (sadly I dont think Sorrenson has the pace, power or strength for the CDM role).

Says it all when a loan signing seems to care more than our actual players

What 'striker' will continue to make our strike force completely ineffective in the absence of Pukki? If this is best option we might as well just recall Hugill and save the money for a promotion push next year and most importantly a longer term replacement for Pukki

Surely his contract doesn't expire this year. I know people are questioning Webber's competence but there is no way he'd leave us in a position where Pukki could sign with another club now. I'd also like to think that Pukki is one of the few remaining players who has a bit of respect and loyalty to the club so would be willing to sign a new contract so we could at least get a decent transfer fee for him IF he did want a new challenge (are you listening Mr Cantwell!)

Actually I dont think it was a penalty and if it was then Charrlton had a good shout for two - one when Hanley blocked one of their players (similar to Pukki incident but Hanley just used chest and not hands) and second when Sorenson clearly had his hand on back of player as he was falling (commentator said not given as on way down anyhow but I've certainly seen them given). but certainly agree we were absolutely dreadful! Anyone taking any hope from that highlights is fooling themselves - without Rashica and Pukki we would have lost the game.

Not 100% sure on that.... I am sure however that we will get Webber's version of the truth!

One of the things we desperately need to do is play the same defense for at least 4 games. And this may sound stupid but this is even regardless of individual or Team performance and results. I cant remember the Stats but we've nearly had a different back 4/5 every game this season. I think this is one of the reasons the defense looks so disjointed and vulnerable. Unlike our midfield I think we have some decent players who are capable of at least putting up a fight in the premier league. They need time to settle again and play as a cohesive unit. It will take Smith to be brave to do this but that's what I'd expect from him as a manager.

Guess I was kind of right... got to the end of the weekend but not as far as the West Ham game!

Paddy tweeted that Cantwell pulled himself out if training yesterday. final straw for me , need to get rid of the idiot

Very good point Difference between a professional sportsman and a wannabe celebrity!

Cantwell saga goes on…. A knock, really? I’ve loved him as a player previously but it’s a right circus now..sooner he leaves the better. Anyhow, what I’m really hoping for is a couple of goals for Sargent, I know most don’t rate him but a couple of goals could give him a much needed boost. He may then be a decent and useful player (even next year IF we are in championship).

Lets be honest the signing of Cantwell is unlikely to be the deciding factor in them staying up or not If he was playing to his true potential he would have given us more of a fighting chance but as he is at the moment he is more of a hinderance than a help

Huckerby on permanent deal... best ever!!!

Well done LDC ... glad to see you back being positive! Good to see some support for this positive approach from others as well. However.... I suspect this may last until after the weekend but post West Ham expect the usual suspects to be resurrecting this thread and giving you a hard time!!!

Even better lets either: a) Buy him or b) Send Gilmour back!!!!!

Sadly I think this probably shows why Webber and Delia went for Dean Smith ... he's a decent, honest man with football in his blood. Having been sacked by his boyhood club he'd have been delighted to have another go with a premier league team (for now!). Let's be honest we are probably the only premier league club who would have offered him a job. Post Villa I bet he would've expected to drop to a championship team with the ambition to be promoted. The key from Webber's point of view is that makes Smith far more amenable to what the club wants so he will follow the party line and not moan about inheriting a squad which is well below premier league standard and not being given money to buy and have a proper go at staying up (unless we can offload Cantwell and their is time to find a half decent player). Let's be honest, Frank Lampard may not be a better manager than Smith BUT he has the financial power and status to tell us where we could stick the job. Webber will know It's not a good position when the employee has more strength than the employer.

To give this thread more relevance to our team.... if the rumours are true could see El Ghazi joining us on loan. Know some arent sure but think he could be good for us (or at least no worse than we have at the moment!)

This last point is a really critical one for me and is a prime reason we are in our current predicament. Since he has arrived Webber has done a hell of a lot of great things for the club. Despite our current state I think we would have been in a lot worse position if we hadn't brought him in. For that I will always be grateful. The ignoring the noise mantra has served him well but it is also now highlighting that he is not the fully rounded Sporting Director he thinks he is. Just as his gamble on Farke partially paid off with a great Championship team but a failure at Premier league level the gamble the club took on him is now failing. He similarly does not have the skills and abilities needed to secure the t premier league survival. He will in turn be able to lay the blame at the lack of financial resources but there can be no doubt that the money HE has spent has been spent very poorly on players that are either not suitable for the Premier league or for our team. The failure to recruit an adequate CDM is the clearest example of this... I suspect the arrogance of Webber has seen him 'ignore the noise' that everyone knows this is one of the key elements we are missing. This decision making suggests that perhaps we have allowed Webber's perceived business acumen to be louder than the noise of actual 'football' people.

I’d love Cantwell to come good for us and stay but with the lure of Liverpool interest (if genuine) then there is no chance of that. He’s a potentially great player but also would appear to have quite an ego. A local lad but not a fan of the club before joining and has track record for having his head turned. if we can get anything north of £15m (even with add ons) then has to be in best interest of club and player for him to go.

I'm not sure if you are having a go at the club or not with this comment but to me that seems like a pretty good thing for the club to be trying to do. I'd love us to find a cheap player who after a couple of seasons is the new Buendia and get us promoted back to the premier league (and then hopefully then staying in it) before being sold for a club record transfer fee!!

No.... in hindsight we should still have let Vrancic go but also have signed better players than PLM, Sargent and Gilmour!

We let him go because he is a great Championship player but we know he isnt good enough for the premiership - and let's not forget he wasnt even that regular a starter for us in the championship. I admit that PLM, Sargent and indeed Gilmour arent looking any better (and possibly worse) but the expectation on buying them was that they would be an upgrade. I loved Vrancic as a player and am glad he is still doing well but I very much doubt we would have done any better this year with him in the team. Time to move on!

Would be nice to see a player for now given that’s where we are, rather than yet another one for the future!!!