30 Jun 2016 14:35:31
Knowing the club has signed Clint Hill and Lee Hodson as cover.

Is anyone else a little surprised that the bulk if not all of the signings so far have been midfielders?

Expecting a striker of course and hopefully another central defender, not Onyewu. Given that Clark has left along with Ball going back to Spurs.

Both have to be permanent. Couple of loans later in the window.

1.) 30 Jun 2016
30 Jun 2016 16:02:21
Not really, for me midfield was the area that needed to be strengthened and I'm happy that is now the case. People are quick to point the blame towards our defenders for looking shaky but the majority of situations we found ourselves leaking goals came from being exposed to counter attacks, losing possession in midfield or forward areas and our midfield doing next to no job in terms of protecting the defence.

We are looking much more solid in there with the new signings and I suggest the team will defend better now, wither we play the same back 4 or not.

And if you look at it this way, with the midfielders we released, we were left with Halliday and Holt. Halliday isn't even a natural DM so no, I am not surprised we signed Barton, Rossiter and Crooks, who are the natural Midfield players. Windass is more of an attacking player or winger, so I wouldn't class him as a midfielder.

Players like Burt, Thompson are not ready for first team football and will be lucky to get a couple of appearances this year.

2.) 30 Jun 2016
30 Jun 2016 15:55:12
Most sensibly minded people would suggest that without a quality striker that there is a lack of goals on the team.

We struggled for last third of season to score against championship level teams, seems fairly logical that it's going to be harder, not easier, for us to score at a higher level.

For me this is a real issue that should have been the priority not last thing we try to resolve. Football is about scoring and keeping balls out the net. Everything else doesn't count for anything.

3.) 30 Jun 2016
30 Jun 2016 16:55:05
It is a little surprising some are changing their tune on the defence.

While back it was this, Tavernier can't defend, Keirnan can't defend and Wilson can't defend.

Now because we see the alternatives are possibly Hill, Onyewu and Hodson. Sudden change of tune, now it's Wilson and Keirnan will be better with a more solid holding midfielder.

Don't know how the transfer window will turn out yet. That defence though in comparison to the improvements in midfield. Who knows.

4.) 30 Jun 2016
30 Jun 2016 19:33:14
Matt Crooks, seems to be missing in most posts team selection, watched him numerous times and think he will be a great signing, still young 6ft4 and the lad can read the game well, good passer of the ball, he will be a great addition .

5.) 30 Jun 2016
30 Jun 2016 20:37:00
Agreed Brian p. I think he could be the pick of the bunch and one day leave for big money.

6.) 30 Jun 2016
30 Jun 2016 21:15:29
Luigi, the market has scarcely opened, there will obviously be discussion going on with various strikers agent etc, these things take time, specially when people are on holiday or playing, they e done the job on the defensive side, now they will concentrate on goals, give it a break mate, strikers worth their salt ain't going to jump in and sign, anyway tge window hadn't opened yet.

7.) 01 Jul 2016
01 Jul 2016 09:05:42
Thorn if you are referring to me about people changing their tune on the defence, I held that opinion during last season and was glad when we started Ball as a DM in front of Wilson and Kiernan as we instantly looked more solid. Now it looks like we will be playing 2 sitting midfielders who can both defend and retain possession and this will help us dramatically in terms of our defence.

I was posting months back during the season complaining about how exposed we were to the counter attack due to Wallace and Tavernier constantly attacking and having nobody in midfield capable of covering. Yes, Wilson and Kiernan were both guilty of some howlers but this was only made possible by our lacklustre attacking play, which hopefully will be much more controlled now from the middle of the field.