York_Owl

One of the problems playing 4-4-2 is that we’ll come up against sides playing three in central midfield. As a result we get outnumbered and it means they can shut down Bannan knowing he’s our main playmaker. It also means that their playmaker (Norgard, their number six) gets a lot of time on the ball and can start controlling midfield. Personally, I think Bannan is more suited to a three man central midfield either in the middle of the three as the playmaker or on the left of a three with Hutchinson providing defensive cover in the middle.

If we’re gonna go with two up front I’d switch to playing 3-5-2.

If Norwich offer us nothing for Rhodes in January I'd snap their hand off.

Didn't you once state that three was greater than two? Whereas you now seem to be saying that two is greater than three.

It doesn't but that's where a good manager and/or recruitment team get it right more often than not. And, to be fair, our most recent recruits have been more hit (Iorfa, Borner, Harris) than miss (Murphy). Though Murphy may yet come good.

That would be the first question I would ask when looking to sign a player; do they improve the first xi? If the answer is no I would move on. The only way to move forward is by bringing in players that are better than those we currently have.

Been there once in the early 90s whilst playing football for Notts Trent Uni v Staffordshire Uni. We went past their ground en route to a local pub which had food laid on for us just as their game finished. I was slightly concerned that a coach load of teenage / early 20s lads might not go down well with the locals. I would have been more concerned had I realised at the time that our coach company was called Vale Travel which was plastered all over the coach! We were getting a few looks as we got off the coach and went into the pub. I didn't think too much of it even when the landlord bolted the pub doors. We'd not been in there long before we heard the smashing of glass as the pub windows got put through. The place went silent apart from a load thud as the Stoke lads started ramming the pub doors. Fortunately the doors held but, it seemed like an age before the Police turned up. I had a peak outside to see a large mob of Stoke. Anyway the police cleared them off and we got on a windowless Vale Travel coach back to Nottingham. Not been there since.

If Reach alone can turn a side from relegation form to top six form how much is he worth in the current market? Got to be knocking on £100 milion surely!

Bizarrely I remember him chanting “Wolverhampton Tories” at Coventry away in the League Cup 91.

my concern, as others have mentioned, is that we get out numbered in midfield. They then get control of the game whilst we (being reliant on Bannan to make us tick) run out of ideas as they are able to stop Bannan playing with the extra man.

And he’s now The bastion of financial fair play (with his parachute payments).

Playing devils advocate but had we not fielded such a strong first Xi for the zenith data cup games could we have picked up the extra point in the league to keep us up that season?

Westwood Palmer Iorfa Borner Fox Hutchinson Luongo Bannan Harris Reach Fletcher

With the FFP restrictions I'd say that is anything but clear.

A quality and, ideally, fast (left footed) left back. A quality and fast striker. A central midfielder unless Luongo proves himself there in the next few months.