nick76

We need a balanced team, I was surprised the team that finished didn't start the game apart from from the kid. Play to your strengths RDM, players on form

80 mins crap, then 10 minutes with the right team and formation and then we looked like a team

I want him to not be happy, I want him to want more from us. So used to apathy at this club, it's good that the top dog wants more

Probably in China where some of these types of deals dont get into the Western press

Just read that Bham article and it doesnt sound good. Still looking chunky, not match fit and no influence on a game he should be looking to impose himself on both talent wise and also leadership wise as our former club captain.

I know wrong thread for what I'm about to say but it leads back to dropping Jack at the moment. Our attacking threat looks to be lethal once they have gelled but who starts is a problem. I even liked how Kodja and Gestede looked good upfront together which leaves Ayew on the right, Adomah on the left and McCormack behind them. That's incredibly top heavy though so in theory either Gestede or McCormack misses the starting team but definitely leaves Jack out

Cant believe he's still in our midfield. A lot of players left in the summer for their attitude, this guy should leave because of his ability is lacking. I know we didn't have Tish or Mile but we must have had another option somehow

This game summed him up for me. First half he was too selfish, second half as soon as he became a team player we scored two goals. He has to realise he's playing in a team. He's one of our best players but in his selfish mood I wouldn't start him, in his team player mood he would be one of the first on the team sheet.

Forest were lucky! We had 25 shots on goal with McCormack, Gestede and Kodja on the pitch who are 3 of the top scoring strikers in this league over the last couple of seasons, not to mention Ayew on the pitch. Not much else RDM could do in that. If RDM had taken off a striker for Mile and Forest scored you guys would've whinged that we were in the ascendancy and why disrupt that. He can't win. If by the way the game was going and we scored a third, you guys would be hailing him now. Such a fine line between being slaughtered or hailed. 25 shots with 4 of the best strikers in the league on the pitch should get you more than 2 goals. Added to that their first goal was a hit and hope. On another day that would've been 4-0. Yes we could've plugged midfield which is all good in hindsight.

We had so many chances and just didn't finish, they were lucky as well with 2 chances, 2 goals. We were the better team, our midfield with Westwood and Gardner is weak but I'm encouraged by our new players. More luck, better shooting, our new midfielders playing and we will be a playoff team.

While Ayew is one of better players he's not a team player so for me is dropped when Adomah comes in

Politicians?

I agree. I like Grealish as a player but he still has some work to do to prove himself for the first XI. Yes he is a first team player but he needs to earn that long term. I agree with an earlier post in that I hope it's incentive based rather than the fat guaranteed long contract like Gabby has got and now doesnt earn it.

Wow that's a negative way of looking at it. I can see a possibility of that but one of a number of ways of looking at it and hard for me to see it that way. If a trend starts happening like this then ok but first one I'm going to let it slide without a thought.

What a load of rubbish, of course he can do what he wants within the football rules. Yes we are the spirit of the club but the assets, direction and the future of the club is his to dictate. Whether he is here for 2 years, 10 years or passes it on after he dies to his family, that is his choice. With that he is entitled, whether we like it or not, to act however he pleases. Us fans are deluded sometimes, the only influence we have really is disgruntled fan pressure but that really doesn't have much influence because owners know on the whole we are loyal to the brand. Owners do what they want and only leave due to age or more likely boredom or it's costing them personally too much. The only rules he needs to play by are his rules and a couple of football governance rules. Your rules, my rules and every other Tom, Dick and Harry are just along for the ride with no say.

Right, decided to be positive after all the years of being down trodden. The owner has stood up to be counted, we have the players and now we just need them to deliver. I have picked Runners Up. We have a great chance now, settle the team over the coming weeks, gel them together and let's smash this league in the final three quarters of the season.

This maybe posted somewhere else in the forum but I can't see it. I saw it on Facebook and I chuckled.

I would say that Dr T has gained more credibility this transfer window with his tweets than you would've imagined. I'll take the good with the bad and in my mind this isn't bad. In some ways the last four or five years we have lambasted managers for not telling the truth or critizing the team following another inept performance yet here Dr T has, maybe more than you would like, has critized a player. I'm enjoying him, this was fine by me, it's the way of the modern world with social media and more honest reporting, more open discussion and more internet keyboard warriors. Our club has been taken for a ride for too long, too many players doing nothing and no comments made. Performance after performance we were woeful and these guys getting obscene amounts, partying during the season and not being fit and yet us the fans still turning up yet not being able to afford it. About time somebody stood up for us. You may say it's not right, not professional or anything else but it's the first bit of truth we've heard for a while and who knows this may embarrass Gabby enough to do something about it although I fear it's too late for any turnaround. "Free speech for Dr T"

My head is telling me to be realistic and to expect a transition time as the players gel, the tactics from management sink in and our new style of play forms. My heart is saying we have potentially one of the best teams in the league by some distance, that natural talent should show results from the outset. Just a shame a few mistakes early in the season has put added pressure on the team because we have less points than we should've but on the flip side we may have not brought as many players if we done so.

To be fair there is something in it. Individually as fans were are a bunch of idiots who argue/discuss/offend each other with extreme views but from 20,000 feet a person could get a general overall view of each footballer. Obviously there are players that split people straight down the middle ie Savo, but fans on forums do sway in the majority in favour or not in favour of players. Pundits scream that if you haven't played the game you don't understand it but I bet most of us have watched more games than most of them because of our obsession with the game. We know what our team needs, what flaws we need to plug or could allow a luxury player to get away with. We as fans will most likely not agree on who that player should be but when a name is touted our opinion on mass is valid but to be ignored on an individual basis.

How twelve months makes a change, I wonder if Benteke thinks that when he left us that twelve months later we would be playing in the championship and him playing for Palace

Remember all that Tony said before the De Laet deal that we had 4 or 5 deals on the go and we hope we get 2. This maybe one of those and not the CF he is talking about

Straight swop if you include Hutton as well

Them two bombing down the wings, Mile dropping back to support Elphick and Chester. Ross and Ayew spinning off Ronaldo to score the goals we need. Sounds quite good to me.

Imagine if they wanted Richards as part of the Hernandaz deal. Errmmmm 5.5m plus Richards release clause seems fair