CourteenerOwl

Keep an eye on Stansfield - loan till Jan.

So second half of last season we find a way of playing and tactics that keep us up and placed us in the top 8 form teams. So instead of building on these foundations and tactics and try to continue but improve the players - we rip it all up and start trying to play the exact way that Röhl had to change from in the first place. Most of its PR hyperbole to. This passing around back endlessly and so called ‘press’ (has anyone seen it tonight) is far less effective than how we played towards the end of last season. We were hardly long ball and the way we played was both effective and entertaining. Looks like we are being hoodwinked into a young coach and his ideologies rather than what’s best for the team and league we are in. Let’s see how we play vs teams more on our level but none of our back line look overley comfortable on the ball anyway, which makes it even more ludicrous. If it ain’t broke why did he fix it.

Dembele gone to Blackburn

Dembele signs for Blackpool then.

For Bannan testimonial when he retires - I reckon the Championship Playoff 2015 team vs League One Playoff Final 2023 Team would be a fun idea. What do you think, and with their current ages would the game be tight? Bannan playing a half for both sides.

Ugbo has signed.

Windass has turned WBA down and signed for Wednesday late last night. UTO.

It was not that bad but what was bad was he has cost us valuable points by setting up with players out of position and getting tactical decisions wrong. If that game was say the game after he was sacked and a manager comes in and goes back to basics - we win. That is what was annoying, Preston were poor, so we were always going to look better than the first two games, but need to be winning these home games.

.......How much ground will we lose or how far behind will we be before either the manager goes or he sees the light and changes his tactics to get points on board? We seem to be in that old age situation of a new manager trying to impose new tactics, whilst playing players out of position. We are seeing a CB being played at left back and Bannan almost as a second striker. I would say 90% of our fan base disagree with these two tactical choices. Yet I fear Xisco will do what all poor managers do - be stubborn in the hope it changes and he is proved right and everyone is wrong. If he does this, we will keep losing and he will be gone. If he is a better manager then I am suggesting he will move Famewo to CB and bring James in at left back this weekend, whilst playing Bannan in CM, not behind the strikers and not on the CB toes. So what will Xisco do? Remain stubborn and hope Bannan and Akin adapt to these new positions, despite them not being their best positions and arguably better players on the bench. Or will he see the light and start playing players in their correct positions. For what it's worth, I expect him to remain stubborn and get the boot before xmas. New manager comes in - returns us to 3-5-2 in the short term to get points together and does so. Bit of a mess already or at least a lot of red flags. Saturday I hope to see Bannan in CM and James at left back, with Famewo at CB.

Watford please.

Smith might score 15-20 again if we get 15 pens. We cannot rely on him to be a regular scorer from open play - just my opinion. Would be nice to have a striker who can get the ball under quickly, release the ball to others and bring them into play, and when they are in the box you jus know they are clinical. A younger Lee Gregory would do.

Good point, like Palmer in there so that could work.

We will need a CM with good technical ability in case Byers or Bannan get injured.

I have been happy with all the signings so far and the two that are expected today. Xisco is thankfully aiming to have a fast, mobile and athletic side. If we signed Diaby and Musamba that is more pace added to that of Fletcher, Delgado and Pol Valentin. Whilst we do need another CM and potentially a back up left back or better left back than James - the Marquee signing needs to be a CF!? It is CF that make the difference at this level as seen with Viktor Gyokres and Chuba Akpom last season. Gregory is fine as an impact sub, Fletcher is good for another option but cannot be relied upon for goals and Smith is imo one of the main player Xisco will look to move on by the end of the window. A statement CF signing would really get the fans excited - looks like we are looking far afield for options, so would it not be great to have a really quick, mobile striker with a good track record of scoring in the last few years, in whichever league they are in. UTO.

Be great if we could get them chopped up before the game and get off to a great start indeed.