12 Oct 2026 19:16:11
Question for ED001
I know its hard to select areas of improvement without giving the gaffer enough time with this bunch of players but if you had to control and make transfers with this squad, what would you do?
Thank you.
{Ed001's Note - we need bite in midfield most of all. That would be priority for me and then a right-back as Bradley& frimpong do not fill me with confidence.
12 Oct 2026 19:57:42
3 players/capabilities are required from the next window for us to be elite again.
1. Bite in midfield
2. Progression from deep (whether it be a ball playing 6 or a fullback more progessive than Frimpong, Kerkez, Araujo etc.
3. A left footed forward.
12 Oct 2026 20:05:40
I would agree that we def need more bite in midfield but who do you drop if we stay playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. Macca has come back into form and although many will say he is crap I don't subscribe to that myself. Then you have Grav and Szob vying for a spot. Yesterday gave us a glimpse of what Grav offers, again yesterday up to 61 minutes both Macca and Grav did well in a midfield 2 up against City's 3 man midfield.
Our squad is thin at the moment but bringing the likes of Ekitike, Leoni, Conor Bradley into this squad gives a different complexion and that strength in depth we need. RW is an obvious area to improve and finding a way to get the best out of Wirtz is going to be a big task for AI. With Wirtz I think he actually gets too involved, lots of running but is then too deep to effect games more, I'd like him to stay higher, push our defensive line and midfield higher to compact the game and force turnovers. Rome wasn't built in 2 months so let's give AI time to get the players playing the way he wants and we may be a different outfit because yesterday up to 61 minutes we went toe to toe with City with 3 of our starters in the stand.
12 Oct 2026 20:12:21
Wirtz can't play higher as we would then only have 2 midfielders. Unfortunately the entire Premier League winning midfield which needed more bite not less now has less with Wirtz in it.
12 Oct 2026 20:28:40
Wirtz needs to play one through ball that we took for granted from Jordan, and then we might see his value. He has been appalling so far: every decision he has made has been wrong.
As it stands, he can't pass, tackle, nor shoot. We can't blame Slot no more: this guy is a Harvey Elliott upgrade by around 5%. That's being generous.
I just don't see any evidence that he has any of the tools required. I hope he proves me wrong, but I just do not see anything from him to give the case that he is nothing more than a Le Tallec or Cheyrou. A player who can handle the ball, but not make a pass.
He has been a disaster. So far.
12 Oct 2026 20:51:33
With the current squad, we would get more bite in the midfield by moving Wirtz into one of the forward positions and playing Dom at 8/10.
12 Oct 2026 22:29:38
Who's position does he take in the frontline, so Faith, because he's no better than anyone accross the front 3.
12 Oct 2026 22:35:23
To give some context, City's midfield three included Cherki who is more of Wirtz-type player.
12 Oct 2026 22:43:57
To be honest chewy, apart from maybe Gakpo, I would have no problem dropping any of the front players to try Writz in there None of them have shown anything to suggest they deserve their place.
12 Oct 2026 22:49:42
Chewy - it'd be LW or RW.
12 Oct 2026 23:36:29
I can't see why we'd try to find a place for one of the most out of form players in the squad.
Isak, Gakpo, Munoz and Koumas have all shown more than Wirtz and Barcola is still settling in.
Why weaken the front three to prevent Wirtz weakening the midfield?
I don't care how much he cost or about his reputation; he has to earn a place.
If he's as good as a lot of good judges say he is, he won't need a place manufacturing for him.
It might not work out for him with us but we can't sacrifice players in better form in the hope that he does.
13 Oct 2026 00:05:33
But he played LW plenty last season and was absolutely useless.
So we bench our new 100m summer signing for a player who hasn't been able to find a decent run of form for 14 months now, or are we going to sacrifice either an in-form Gakpo or Isak with 11 g/a between them?
Sorry but that makes about as much sense as "s******* in your hands and clapping", as Vik would say.
13 Oct 2026 07:18:52
Isak has done nothing and winning goals at Ipswich and Bournemouth and a goal against Forest isn't what us fans want. We want chaos from our centre forward. Not goals.
13 Oct 2026 09:22:45
Can anybody let me know when the 'spotlight of doubt' starts shining on Barcola, please? I'm off on a holiday soon and would hate to miss the start of the doubting.
13 Oct 2026 10:45:52
jYou haven't missed it WD, it was 12 September against Fulham.
13 Oct 2026 11:47:55
Oh, WDW. It's already perculatting. People are already admitting that they will give him time (to keep failing, in their eyes) and then, let the slicing and dicing begin.
13 Oct 2026 11:53:26
WDW, I've got a note in my diary to start slagging off Barcola after the Arsenal game. Others may be different to me, obviously.
13 Oct 2026 11:58:22
Bradley never fit enough to play to get where he needs to be.
13 Oct 2026 15:21:50
After about 50-60 games.