Red-Robbo

I'd always assumed Dave and Ansel Collins were brothers until a few years ago when I realised Dave was called Dave Barker and wasn't related to Ansel. Their act was missing a comma. Should really be "Dave, and Ansel Collins".

Indeed. I had a bacterial infection from one of my wisdom teeth spread to my jawbone. I wasn't aware of anything until it started hurting by which time the infection had already spread. Fortunately, the bone damage was minimal and it was dealt with by ultra-strong antibiotics. I was told max-fax (orthodontical) surgery is sometimes required in cases like mine.

The fact that City are reducing their wage bill cannot be a surprise to Tomas. No issue with anyone seeking better terms, but it would've helped his cause if he'd done that weeks ago, rather than coming back after the season has started and a replacement has been bought and saying "Sorry, it appears I can't earn what my agent said I could".

Very sad indeed. My condolences to friends and family.

Bournemouth have been exploring moving from Dene Court from well before their rise to PL but to say the borough council has been unhelpful is the understatement of the century. Given that the Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole connurbation has a population of more than 400K it is an area that would well be able to support a PL club, but as it stands, it's a typical example of a club that's been expanded too fast for its infrastructure to cope.

Pring is a really good full-back when being given the space to go forward, but on the back foot for too long, there's a mistake or three in him. With Naismith I prefer him as a DM, allowing Williams a bit more freedom to make his mark further up. As you know I'd prefer a new advanced central midfielder altogether (as would you, I believe).

Yeah, it's a different world. I'd not be best chuffed that this potential approach to be taken back on the books came 4 games into the season. At least in Andi's case, it was resolved fairly rapidly. Given the time, I'd suggest Kalas's agent was actively touting his man around whereas perhaps with Weimann it was more of a bargaining position that didn't pay dividends - or perhaps did, we aren't privy to his pay discussions. Dickie is back soon, we also have Atkinson to return and younger defenders who can plug the gap. Naismith is not ideal in that role, but we know both he and King have played there as a stop-gap.

Personally, if one of my guys came to me and said "Boss, I'm going to leave. I can get more money elsewhere" then two months later came back and said "Can I have my old job back? No one wanted me" I'd not re-employ him.

Kudos to the chap in Dolman B who loudly pointed out on Saturday that the lino on our side of the pitch was a short-sighted, auburn-haired pleasurer of himself. Said in a nice loud voice, that led to a wave of laughter from multiple rows around him - perhaps the only thing we had to smile about during that match.

I always think when I read a not-entirely-football-focused interview with NP, that he'd be a great bloke to sit down and have a pint with. Really interesting, thoughtful and with a good outlook on life.

Roberts did give us a new dimension, albeit too late to impact the outcome of the game. His home debut and Yeboah's, were the two positives I took from that game.

Perhaps he'd just watched the Preston "highlights". Although, having watched them, what he did with the other 9 minutes 55 seconds he'd set aside for that, I don't know...

Who probably have also never set foot in a library in their life.

I think the lack of effectiveness came less from being sussed, but more from either running two paces too far, or wrong decision regarding crossing. There's where we are working no doubt on his game, but the result seems to be that rather than beat men, he now just runs into them - and loses possession. Of course, we could add that he was asked to do lots of tracking back and defensive tackling yesterday because our midfield was AWOL - but that's covered on other threads.

One of the worrying aspects is that yesterday Mehmeti looked a shadow of the promising wide player who could take on and beat defenders, terrify defences and win countless yards. That's what he was when he arrived, but he seems to have had the creativity coached out of him. I hope I'm wrong.

He didn't really display one iota of the attacking flair of Brownhill, nor would I say did he make much of a contribution to the defence. I haven't seen this impressive Knight who others have at pre-season (against lower league opposition) and I couldn't go to Oxford where he scored twice (against lower league opposition). Yesterday, he offered neither attacking threat nor defensive cover. Let's hope we find a way to use him better, but he isn't the link-man to the forward line I'd hoped for. Whoever we play up there needs to get decent deliveries and as others have said that needs either an out-and-out attacking midfielder who can carry the ball forwards or a midfield distributor a la Tinnion.

FW, AM for sure. Possibly a GK to bridge the gap between O'Leary and Wiles-Richards/Bajic. Cannot in all honestly see more than 3, and TBH it may just be one or two. Think Naismith will just be CD until Atko is fit, with King as back-up. Any ETA for him - or McCrorie?

Knight hasn't convinced me yet and goals v a League One defence don't either. He played 81 times at this level for Derby and got 5 goals in those seasons. That doesn't make him the attacking - support the forwards - midfielder we need. He played some short passes that found our front men yesterday and ran about a lot, but Alex Scott he ain't! I'm not writing him off after 2 home games, but what I've seen doesn't suggest to me that he's the answer to our midfield woes, which, as the OP states, have been a long-running issue.

I'm not "worried" but nor am I complacent. We've been relegated in seasons we've started better than this. We looked unorganised and poor in our draw, didn't create that many chances in our narrow win and - sadly - looked demoralised yesterday. Beating Sunderland says more about the state of Sunderland this season than it does about Preston. It can all turn good very quickly, but some exciting new blood is required IMO.

But we were lucky to get a point at home against Preston, who were nothing special. We aren't looking good. We aren't looking like we have a lot of shots in us. If there is no recruitment, I'll be concerned about the direction of this club.

Marv played in the spot exactly where I think we need a MF now. Right bang in the centre, rather than 5mm in front of the back line. Broke-up play, he was a big chap and few things got by him, but also helped out with goals.

I guess one of the reasons that the Brummie fans celebrated yesterday as though they'd won the league is that many of them will have memories of visiting in January and watching their side get humped. When Sykse's fourth went in, it was their fans streaming out. They're a very different proposition these days, that's for sure. What I'm wondering is how they could afford these 7 quality newcomers. The fee for Chong can't have been that much from Luton, so what was their Bellingham sell-on bonanza? They only averaged 16K crowds at St Andrews last season.

City have been very inconsistent over the past few seasons. We're better than we were before Pearson took over, when it looked like we might plunge to the third tier, but even under NP, we have had extended sterile periods - and then gone on runs where we've played some exquisite stuff. Hopefully, when you're in the UK, you'll catch some of that. We've just sold our most creative playmaker - for good money. Even if the club finances hadn't been trashed by the previous regimes here, it is very difficult for championship clubs to hold on to young players when PL clubs come a-knocking. And to be fair to them, they deserve their shot at the big time. The upshot is, we are hoping Nigel Pearson can use the cash to plug some of the more obvious holes in our team. We'll know in 12 days, as that's when the English transfer window closes. City v Hull on Dec 22nd sees us take on the club who narrowly beat us at Wembley in the 2008 play-off to go up to the Wembley. The heartache lives on, so that should be a decent watch. Alternatively, Millwall on New Years Day is always a lively watch and we recently beat them at ours. Avoid their more genetically challenged supporters however. When you come to the Gate don't be shy chatting to your fellow Reds. We're a friendly bunch, and we welcome new converts to the cause.

Sam Bell, for all his great attributes, is not an Antoine Semenyo who can hold off defenders and get a shot off. The question is, do we wait for the return of Conway, who is as near as we get to a forward who can do that, or do we splurge all our Scott cash on a tall, physically strong forward who, when everyone's fit, will be the 5th attacker in the team?

Well, no. As we barely tested the bloke.