With so many uncertainties in terms of incomings and outgoings we feel a good deal behind the curve, making any change in style or formation increasingly unlikely.
For us, getting players in early is crucial but with the restrictions we face doing so is almost impossible, particularly when we are chasing players others can easily outbid us on.
Getting the Gray Defour situation settled is critical and recruiting that centre back imperative the rest I fancy will have to wait.

At present the trajectory certainly isn't upwards in fact it has the feel of the Tory Party, on a distinct slide

Todmorden curve?

'Round the bend.

Behind the curve ? What a nerve !

I fancy sausages for tea

Curved Air

Thought SD might like to use it as his reason for a slow start, a mantra I fancy he would be more than happy to adopt.

That's the spirit, ablue, write us off before the season even starts.

Don't you feel we"re struggling a little in the recruitment department, hardly surprising given our wage structure, which I believe to be a very sensible one, it just means you really have to look elsewhere than the Championship.
Not writing us off as there is still a good side there if Gray and Defour stay, but lose them or have them hanging on against their will and I fancy we will be struggling

How do you know the Gray and Detour situation isn't sorted?

I don't but neither do you.

The problem for me is we play the same system away at Chelsea as we do at home against Lincoln. Surely the system/tactics should change depending on the other sides weaknesses/strengths.

I'm behind the sofa.

Nowt wrong with being behind the curve , and giving it the odd smack, when you're tapping it.

ablueclaret wrote:I don't but neither do you.

Correct, but you appear to be assuming that it isnt and making conclusions based on that assumption.

So how are we struggling in the transfer department ? Do you know for sure who we are trying yet failing to bring to the Turf ? Or is it your wishful thinking again ?

Just had sausages and chips for tea

I used to post on here quite frequently until the ratio of Cock-wombles to normal folk became an issue.

It's a shame really.

I'm more than happy at present with the players we have brought in. I feel the team as a whole is starting to look much stronger than last year, which hopefully bodes well for the upcoming season. In regards to uncertainties with players coming in, if they are like BA and wanting stupid wages with little experience, then I'd rather we do what we did and let Middlesborough have them.

We are not the only side struggling to recruit,Benitez talked about the crazy market http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football ... tez-Latest" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, and even last season's champions aren't finding the transfer window easy.

ablueclaret wrote:Don't you feel we"re struggling a little in the recruitment department, hardly surprising given our wage structure, which I believe to be a very sensible one, it just means you really have to look elsewhere than the Championship.
Not writing us off as there is still a good side there if Gray and Defour stay, but lose them or have them hanging on against their will and I fancy we will be struggling

It all depends on what you expect, doesn't it?

We will always find it difficult to compete for top players, we pay (probably) the lowest wages, and have a low transfer budget. This isn't going to change.
As it goes I'm fairly pleased with our business so far.

Marlonspants wrote:I used to post on here quite frequently until the ratio of Cock-wombles to normal folk became an issue.

It's a shame really.

Ha ha and two of the biggest already on this thread.

Did we just not miss out on some Spaniard called Escallops or something, who I'am guessing we did not bid for anyway as we did not want him so I led to believe by my next door neighbour who is Boro fan.

randomclaret2 wrote:Curved Air

Remember them from 1971 with a big hit called Back Street Love. Remember them more though for lead singer Sonja Christensen. What are we supposed to be talking about again?

Silkyskills1 wrote:Remember them from 1971 with a big hit called Back Street Love. Remember them more though for lead singer Sonja Christensen. What are we supposed to be talking about again?

I believe she still plays. Curved Air were great live!
BTW it's Sonja Kristina, she is on facebook

For me the Gray/Defour situation needs to end with both of them staying now, unless we can somehow find a creative mid with the same quality that Defour has for a price we're willing to pay. With Assombalonga at Boro I think that's potential Gray replacements finished.

To think that once you used to like me Marlon, things move on , curves never stand still, most tend to sag with time.

SGr wrote:For me the Gray/Defour situation needs to end with both of them staying now, unless we can somehow find a creative mid with the same quality that Defour has for a price we're willing to pay. With Assombalonga at Boro I think that's potential Gray replacements finished.

Has football suddenly run out of strikers?

Please don't use the phrase 'we' abc because it makes me feel funny being lumped in with your uber negative/stupid rants. Thanks

SGr wrote:For me the Gray/Defour situation needs to end with both of them staying now, unless we can somehow find a creative mid with the same quality that Defour has for a price we're willing to pay. With Assombalonga at Boro I think that's potential Gray replacements finished.

If Gray left and Snodgrass was to come to us, it would be interesting to see if SD would try a midfield 5 that included both Snodgrass and Walters. I don't think it would reduce our attacking potential, but it may help us get a bit more control in the middle of the park, something we need to improve on anyhow.

Sidney1st wrote:Has football suddenly run out of strikers?

Sidney1st wrote:Has football suddenly run out of strikers?

If you can think of a domestic (yes, I am acting on the assumption we won't be looking abroad, as is our MO) adequate/better replacement for Andre Gray, who we would be willing to pay fee and wages for, then I'm open to suggestions.

For me there were three:

Assombalonga: Taken
Abraham: Taken
Gayle: Fee/Wages

Just us you or I to distinguish yourself Holty, everyone will understand you're in no way affiliated to me.

SGr wrote:If you can think of a domestic (yes, I am acting on the assumption we won't be looking abroad, as is our MO) adequate/better replacement for Andre Gray, who we would be willing to pay fee and wages for, then I'm open to suggestions.

For me there were three:

Assombalonga: Taken
Abraham: Taken
Gayle: Fee/Wages

Well done for writing off lots of potential lads...

You limited yourself to 3 when you don't even have a clue if Gray is leaving.
There's been NOTHING apart from paper talk to suggest he's off.

Besides, Vokes scored more.

AB, do you ever get bored of posting the same old shite written in a slightly different way every single day ?

Vegas Claret wrote:AB, do you ever get bored of posting the same old shite written in a slightly different way every single day ?

Vegas --you're not supposed to notice that!

ablueclaret wrote:With so many uncertainties in terms of incomings and outgoings we feel a good deal behind the curve, making any change in style or formation increasingly unlikely.
For us, getting players in early is crucial but with the restrictions we face doing so is almost impossible, particularly when we are chasing players others can easily outbid us on.
Getting the Gray Defour situation settled is critical and recruiting that centre back imperative the rest I fancy will have to wait.

At present the trajectory certainly isn't upwards in fact it has the feel of the Tory Party, on a distinct slide

What are we behind the curve with? We don't know if a change in formation is part of the plan, nor whether the training so far has been focussing on anything other than fitness.

If we are to play another formation or adapt, I'd expect signs of it in upcoming friendlies (perhaps the later ones where it's not just about fitness).

You've already admitted that it's difficult to get the right players, so sometimes it takes longer. It doesn't put us behind the curve it just means we are wherever we are and we have to deal with it.

If we could be ahead of the curve, don't you think we would be, or do you think that evil Dyche and The Board are doing it on purpose?

Not quite sure what the curve is referring to but if we end up getting Eibar
and McArthur in then we will be beyond the curve in respect to midfielders.
If so it may well suggest Dyche is looking to be much more flexible
next season and open up more options to play or switch to either 3-5-2 or 4-3-3.

No bad option in my view and certainly give the option of playing Defour
more often than last season.
I think with Boyd leaving and Arfield not necessarily first choice Dyche may feel
he has to vary it and not revert to the tried and tested 4-4-2.

[quote="randomclaret2"]Curved Air[/quot

I used to drink with Sonja Kristina's ex-manager in Tokyo. He was a card.

ablueclaret wrote:To think that once you used to like me Marlon, things move on , curves never stand still, most tend to sag with time.

I'm not sure where you got the feeling I liked you from. I've pretty much been consistent in thinking you are a dick for quite a number of years.

You are a troll. That is being polite.

Marlonspants wrote:I'm not sure where you got the feeling I liked you from. I've pretty much been consistent in thinking you are a dick for quite a number of years.

You are a troll. That is being polite.

I'm loving this new method of sabotaging ABC's threads btw.

5 posts on complete tangents before he had to respond to his own post.

I feel like chicken tonight.

Negative post headlines. Over and over again. Week after week, year after year!

Always written with your superior understanding of football. Endless advice for the manager, board and owners.

I'm happy with the 3 recent signings and we've got 4 weeks to bring in more talent. Seriously ablueclaret, please go back on holiday.

Sidney1st wrote:Well done for writing off lots of potential lads...

You limited yourself to 3 when you don't even have a clue if Gray is leaving.
There's been NOTHING apart from paper talk to suggest he's off.

Besides, Vokes scored more.

The OP mentioned a "Gray and Defour situation" which is what I was referring to. I'm saying we should keep Gray as I don't think we'd find an adequate replacement. This isn't hard to understand, dear

[quote="Sidney1st"{
Besides, Vokes scored more.[/quote]

I'm talking about strikers in the same mould as Gray. I.e. with pace. Pace being something that in my opinion still needs addressing in this side

Pace and skill.

ablueclaret wrote:Pace and skill.

And in your case abc, silence

I remember Curved Air

SGr wrote:The OP mentioned a "Gray and Defour situation" which is what I was referring to. I'm saying we should keep Gray as I don't think we'd find an adequate replacement. This isn't hard to understand, dear

You said it needs resolving now and limited the potential replacements to just 3 strikers.

It isn't hard to keep up with that guff.

Ings is ready for action, get him in on loan.