Capital One Cup first round - Burton (H) this tuesday

[ChrisC]

Enjoyable enough game just lacked that cutting edge/final ball.

Disagree with Chris re Holding. A very assured performance I thought. So much so, can we flog Ream if there's a genuine offer on the table and buy a striker?

Maybe I was mixing him up? Don't remember him winning a header all game. Also played a few dangerous balls across the back line which almost got intercepted.

Maybe I'm just being harsh

[NiceHotCuppaTea]

Thought Holding had a very good debut game, not sure why he's being singled-out...

[Vertigo]

Can't score AND conceding late goals? Worse than last season! Lenny out!

In all seriousness, unless Madine used up his best efforts during pre-season, I think we'll be fine. We will not miss so many chances every game, and there will be games where humiliate other teams on the scoreboard. With the defence looking more competent too, I can only look up from here.

[thebish]

I guess that's "exactly what we needed"

[BWFC_Insane]

I think there are a few questions for Lennon to answer. Why play with no wingers? Why did Heskey not come on earlier? Why is Dobbie a Bolton player? Why is Feeney playing up front and Clough in midfield?

There were some odd choices last night. For Derby I can understand the system. But last night I think trying to continuously go through the middle wasn't a great idea. Clough showed some nice touches but I think he'd be better higher up the pitch.

[CAPSLOCK]

maybe getting one in for long term aims would be better than our current loan short termism that's seen us miss out on jutkiewicz and le fondre.

Both of them scored goals that arguably kept us in the league

If you reckon you can find a couple of kids for peanuts who we can turn into the likes of them, you crack on, lad

Unfortunately, there's every chance we'll be in Division 4 before we see 'em play

[Enoch]

maybe getting one in for long term aims would be better than our current loan short termism that's seen us miss out on jutkiewicz and le fondre.

Both of them scored goals that arguably kept us in the league

If you reckon you can find a couple of kids for peanuts who we can turn into the likes of them, you crack on, lad

Unfortunately, there's every chance we'll be in Division 4 before we see 'em play

"We'd would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those pesky strikers."

[Mar]

maybe getting one in for long term aims would be better than our current loan short termism that's seen us miss out on jutkiewicz and le fondre.

Both of them scored goals that arguably kept us in the league

If you reckon you can find a couple of kids for peanuts who we can turn into the likes of them, you crack on, lad

Unfortunately, there's every chance we'll be in Division 4 before we see 'em play

Successful strikers are probably the easiest players to sell on for good money. Unfortunately for us we've got this policy of loaning in strikers instead of getting a good striker in permanently. It's almost as if the only way we'll be likely to keep hold of a loan striker is if their season is a bit hit and miss (see Joe Mason for example).

I'm not expecting us to be able to find them for peanuts but surely we can't keep expecting a loan striker to come in and keep us in the division every year. Sooner or later the loan striker we bring in won't do the job and we'll end up with a bigger problem to solve.

[BWFC_Insane]

maybe getting one in for long term aims would be better than our current loan short termism that's seen us miss out on jutkiewicz and le fondre.

Both of them scored goals that arguably kept us in the league

If you reckon you can find a couple of kids for peanuts who we can turn into the likes of them, you crack on, lad

Unfortunately, there's every chance we'll be in Division 4 before we see 'em play

Successful strikers are probably the easiest players to sell on for good money. Unfortunately for us we've got this policy of loaning in strikers instead of getting a good striker in permanently. It's almost as if the only way we'll be likely to keep hold of a loan striker is if their season is a bit hit and miss (see Joe Mason for example).

I'm not expecting us to be able to find them for peanuts but surely we can't keep expecting a loan striker to come in and keep us in the division every year. Sooner or later the loan striker we bring in won't do the job and we'll end up with a bigger problem to solve.

We're not going to be able to spend the sort of money needed to buy a proven goalscorer. Look at Gayle, hardly proven and a £6M fee. We might have the money to unearth a gem but that is back to whether there are any brilliant undiscovered strikers out there ready to come and score goals now. I'm sure Lennon will want Hooper and I'm also sure there would be zero chance of us getting him on anything other than a loan deal.

[CAPSLOCK]

We have Woolery

We have Eaves

We have Wilkinson

Its not that we don't want to buy/develop our own strikers

Its just we're up against 91 other clubs with the same idea

[Loyal White]

maybe getting one in for long term aims would be better than our current loan short termism that's seen us miss out on jutkiewicz and le fondre.

Both of them scored goals that arguably kept us in the league

If you reckon you can find a couple of kids for peanuts who we can turn into the likes of them, you crack on, lad

Unfortunately, there's every chance we'll be in Division 4 before we see 'em play

Successful strikers are probably the easiest players to sell on for good money. Unfortunately for us we've got this policy of loaning in strikers instead of getting a good striker in permanently. It's almost as if the only way we'll be likely to keep hold of a loan striker is if their season is a bit hit and miss (see Joe Mason for example).

I'm not expecting us to be able to find them for peanuts but surely we can't keep expecting a loan striker to come in and keep us in the division every year. Sooner or later the loan striker we bring in won't do the job and we'll end up with a bigger problem to solve.

We're not going to be able to spend the sort of money needed to buy a proven goalscorer. Look at Gayle, hardly proven and a £6M fee. We might have the money to unearth a gem but that is back to whether there are any brilliant undiscovered strikers out there ready to come and score goals now. I'm sure Lennon will want Hooper and I'm also sure there would be zero chance of us getting him on anything other than a loan deal.

Neither Juke or Le Fondre would have cost £8m.

Just saying.

[Enoch]

maybe getting one in for long term aims would be better than our current loan short termism that's seen us miss out on jutkiewicz and le fondre.

Both of them scored goals that arguably kept us in the league

If you reckon you can find a couple of kids for peanuts who we can turn into the likes of them, you crack on, lad

Unfortunately, there's every chance we'll be in Division 4 before we see 'em play

Successful strikers are probably the easiest players to sell on for good money. Unfortunately for us we've got this policy of loaning in strikers instead of getting a good striker in permanently. It's almost as if the only way we'll be likely to keep hold of a loan striker is if their season is a bit hit and miss (see Joe Mason for example).

I'm not expecting us to be able to find them for peanuts but surely we can't keep expecting a loan striker to come in and keep us in the division every year. Sooner or later the loan striker we bring in won't do the job and we'll end up with a bigger problem to solve.

We're not going to be able to spend the sort of money needed to buy a proven goalscorer. Look at Gayle, hardly proven and a £6M fee. We might have the money to unearth a gem but that is back to whether there are any brilliant undiscovered strikers out there ready to come and score goals now. I'm sure Lennon will want Hooper and I'm also sure there would be zero chance of us getting him on anything other than a loan deal.

Neither Juke or Le Fondre would have cost £8m.

Just saying.

...and we couldn't afford either of them.

Just saying.

[BWFC_Insane]

Neither Juke or Le Fondre would have cost £8m.

Just saying.

No. But we still couldn't afford them. Iles and Nixon both saying Lennon won't see the full fee for Ream. So a fee of £2M (if we get that). Lets say Lennon sees half (which might be generous here) plus Ream's wages. Lets say that leaves you with a budget of ~£2M to spend on any fee and wages. Lennon will want a left back out of that too.

Le Fondre and Juke still sit outside that budget.

[Worthy4England]

I'm still trying to work out how Madine managed to get that header onto the bar...

[Enoch]

I'm still trying to work out how Madine managed to get that header onto the bar...

With consummate ease it looked to me.

[Worthy4England]

I'm still trying to work out how Madine managed to get that header onto the bar...

With consummate ease it looked to me.

That was the worrying bit....think they've done too much crossbar challenge in training?

[Enoch]

I'm still trying to work out how Madine managed to get that header onto the bar...

With consummate ease it looked to me.

That was the worrying bit....think they've done too much crossbar challenge in training?

Whatever it was I hope it's not chronic. I've got him down for at least a dozen.

[Harry Genshaw]

Wasn't there talk of one of our strikers last year erm hitting the bar too often?

[Enoch]

Wasn't there talk of one of our strikers last year erm hitting the bar too often?

[danardif1]

I think there are a few questions for Lennon to answer. Why play with no wingers? Why did Heskey not come on earlier? Why is Dobbie a Bolton player? Why is Feeney playing up front and Clough in midfield?

There were some odd choices last night. For Derby I can understand the system. But last night I think trying to continuously go through the middle wasn't a great idea. Clough showed some nice touches but I think he'd be better higher up the pitch.

I can't really blame him for trying Feeney out up front after his performances pre-season, but Clough as an attacking mid does strike me as odd. As you say he's got some nice touches, but I think he's more of a "sit on the shoulder" striker.

I still wonder if he's waiting for Clayton to come back and then to form a front three with Clayton and Clough flanking Madine (not as wingers but as supporting strikers). Would make sense with the midfield setup we've used with Pratley, Danns and Vela/Spearing across the middle. With Clayton offering some width it could offer some flexibility but aiming to put out a 4-3-3 does offer an explanation as to why we've not attempted to source any wide players in the summer... If needs be in a match you could bring Feeney on the right and change it a 4-4-1-1 with Clayton moving further left as well.