Lotus

Glad he's had a high profile tournament. Good for him and good for us. Not bothered about him wanting to leave in the slightest. We need to build a good squad that will grow stronger over the season to provide a good bedrock for next season when we're hopefully back in the Prem. The right thing to do would be to cash in on him.

Any news of the transfers for the division we're actually in?

Wasnt on about Crouch specifically. Just pointing that Rafa has it in him. Ngog, Nunez, Dossena, Voronin, Aquilani etc Liiked Aquilani in Italy but i always thought his eyes were too close together to be a really top player.

I like to remember the best about people and he had plenty of good games here if we're fair. He had a physique that wasn't really suited to the league but he had a skill set good enough to make it work, for a while at least. Could read the game very well and i've rarely seen a CB make interceptions as often as he did. Rather those than last ditch tackles any day. He certainly had his rough days but don't we all. The letter was a nice touch.

Looks a clever player with good awareness.

Perez.

Never mind all this, who have Rotherham signed?

We will miss him imho. We need to find another player who can carry the ball forward at pace.

If we keep him and Mbemba at the club and fit we'll have a good platform. I'd say we'd probably have one the best defences in the Championship. Would be a very good foundation to build a team.

Seriously struggle to believe this chump won't screw Benitez around. He's done it to everybody else without exception. As if he'd change.

Wonder if we'll look at Will Hughes again. Probably better than Shelvey.

Who was it saying that Benitez used to get Ayala to shout and abuse the players who weren't trying enough? If so maybe Benitez is trying a similar method here. Lascelles is big enough to be intimidating even if he lacks any experience. Moussa is another one he could and maybe has recruited for this kind of 'foreman' behaviour.

So many of our players have been sh*te under Pardew, Carver and Mclaren it's almost enough to think that the standard of manager can have a profound influence.

Well, he had some excellent games for us and i'd say the EPL is tougher than ligue 1.

I didn't watch all of last night but, if we're going to sign a player for whom passing is their greatest strength you do need the other half of that to be functioning. He does NEED people to pass to. The movement was so bad yesterday and Everton had been tactically set up well to reduce our options. We didn't look like we had had any discussions on how to deal with this. Very, very poor preparation from us.

We really need a tall, powerful CB who knows what he's doing.

Gillian McKeith

Gap year scum..

He only had Fletcher to mark for the 3rd. Was literally no one else anywhere near him. One player to watch. Lost him.

I knew Ian W would come in here and take the heat off me. Phew!

I never thought he came across bad in the interviews when at WHam. Managers from other clubs never particularly endear themselves. Was awful when here though.

I liked it.

Agreed. Lascelles really doesn't look like much at all.