Lawrie’s Left Peg

Best example being Sunderland in playoffs. Neil changed personnel and formation to overload the wide areas and nullify our wing backs. Over 180 mins we didn’t / couldn’t respond. It was close, but no cigar for us. Moore needs a top-class coach to help him through those moments

Wish DM and the club would take a leaf out of Sir Alex’s book and recruit the best coach they can afford / attract. Ferguson had Kidd, McClaren and Meulensteen. Fergie was the leader the motivator and the visionary but his coaches were the tactical brains behind the outfit. Put a top coach alongside Moore and we get the best of both worlds.

Nope. No football snobbery here. I enjoyed Megsons time. More than any manager since TBF. Just think that the Ginger Mourinho had a plan to play direct. With Moore it’s a more patient build up which won’t suit Smith. Let’s see

History shows that teams playing with a lamppost up front get drawn into playing hoofball. Hope Smith is only used as an impact sub or for nuisance value a la Nuhiu. I thought Toytown were more professional, organised and pragmatic when they beat us at S6 last season but I wouldn’t enjoy watching that every weak.

He won’t score 20 goals for us next season

Doesn’t mean he’ll score 20 goals next season though

Smith won’t score 20 goals for us next season. He had a freakish season for Rotherham who’s direct football was ideal for him. Won’t suit Moore’s possession based football. He’s not great with the ball at his feet and doesn’t have the pace to run in behind or the movement to find those little pockets of space like Gregory. Poor man’s Nuhiu and we know how he split the fanbase.

Too much

Let’s agree to differ. I saw a few glimpses of quality. Don’t recall one 90 mins when I could say he was stand out. Don't recall any games he changed. Don’t see any evidence we were worse without him in the team. And the less said about the Sunderland game the better.

Wasn’t good for us

He wasn’t when he played for us

Should never have signed him, Berahino or for that matter Andre Green. Need to stop trying to be a rehab centre for basket cases. Would love to see the recruitment policy focussed on up and coming youngsters with potential resale value as others have said.

Come on you White & Blue Wizards? It’s a no from me

Top post @areNOTwhatTHEYseem. Thanks for bringing a modicum of decency to proceedings

Interested in your perception of lone forward in the systems you describe. Also why the lone forward should be a target man. Best example of 4-2-3-1 in recent times is Pochettino’s Spurs with Kane, Song, Erikson and Dele. Hardly class Kane as a target man. Dele and Song played in very advanced positions. Klopps Liverpool best example of 4-3-3. Never plays with a traditional target man and has Mane and Salah as inside forwards.

We’d have more happy clappers ?

Hope the VD clears up before he meets the rest of the squad

Clubs decision not to sell will backfire on and off the pitch in the same way as holding onto Fessi hurt us in the long term. Not trying to be negative and I really hope I’m wrong but getting it out there now so it’s not hindsight come the end of next season.

Not sure why we’d need to offload Bannan and Gregory to play 4-2-3-1 ? Best team in U.K. playing 4-2-3-1 was Pochettino‘s Spurs with Kane, Son, Alli, Erikson up top At that point Kane was an out and out goal scorer. His creative play has developed since. Gregory is an out and out goal scorer. Bannan could comfortably fill the Erikson role in League 1.

Best team in U.K. playing 4-2-3-1 was Pochettino‘s Spurs with Kane, Son, Alli, Erikson up top. Would hardly describe Kane as a target man type. Just a personal opinion.

Simply need referrers to correctly apply the laws of the game.

Iorfa has never been a good defender. Neither before he joined nor since. When fully fit and on it he is a very good athlete and his speed, size and strength makes up for his inability to mark players and his poor positional sense. Unfortunately when struggling for fitness he looses his best assets and his worst ones are exposed. Another player who’s potential greatly exceeds his worth. We shouldn’t plan around Iorfa as a first team regular.

This’ll make it worse…