Surely we'd be better off playing one of the new centre backs and having jrc in midfield next to sondre

Same formation as Vs Wrexham?

Less whatever we paid him to be too unfit to get on the pitch in six months... Though to be fair at the time he signed I thought it was a relatively low risk move, either he did the job or we sell him for a small profit. In a year I will have fully forgotten he ever played for us.

If playing FM has taught me anything then loyalty bonuses are different from having a 10% of the next sale clause in a players contract, both of which do exist. If Wharton has a 10% clause (which at 1.8m on a 18m sale seems to be what twitter rando is suggesting) then it raises some questions - not least does he get the 1.8m in one go now whilst we get the 18m in installments? If so what are the installments? I suspect it's nonsense but it could be exactly the kind of haggling over the wording of the contract that holds up a deal. Imagine if palace are paying 3m every six months for three years, and we somehow agreed to it without realising that we're obliged to hand 1.8m of the first installment straight to Adam...

I've often thought that Pickering would be better as either a wide centre back in a 3 or a central defensive mid - uses his strengths and means his lack of pace (his biggest weakness imo) a bit less important - so I'd be happy with a back three and wingbacks, but I think if it was three at the back we'd play Carter - Hyam - Wharton. I'm also keen to see a Gallagher/Sammie strike partnership - classic big guy/small guy oldschool pairing, could work.

I don't think its likely, but to play devils advocate... Teams gamble big on promotion*, Ipswich are in the automatic spots - £x million to bring in the leagues top scorer looks like a bargain if they go up... The terrifying thing for me given all the swirling rumours is how much might the club actually accept for him. I suspect a lot of clubs would be interested in picking him up at a bargain price - in a way we should hope that he's holding out for a prem side to come in for him in this window, that way we might keep hold of him until the summer. *you know, teams that aren't us.

I have absolutely no proof to back it up, but if we'd known that Venkys were going to eviscerate the budget with a rusty machete in advance of the transfer window opening I'm sure that the Ennis and Telalovic money would have been spent on one player. Taking a punt on cheap strikers is a good thing, low risk and potentially high reward - when you already have strikers, and you can afford to write off the expenditure if they don't pan out long term (see Joe Nuttal etc.), issue being that we don't have strikers and we can't afford to write off the money. Honestly think we'd be ok with both signings if we had a Danny Graham type in the squad - you'd be bringing them on after 60 or 70 mins, maybe they bag a goal here or there... Careers change on such things. Also, in the face of all recent evidence, for whatever reason I still have a gut feeling that Wahlstedt will turn out OK. Probably wishful thinking.

Leonard and Hill are probably the most established first team players on the bench I'd think? But yes, four players at a stretch and then you're into the kids.

One thing JDT seems very consistent about is not playing players until they are absolutely fully fit and ready to go - I wonder whether the tail end of last season when Scott Wharton was arguably rushed back in and had a couple of absolute nightmare games may have played a part in it. Other managers would give players half an hour here or there to build match fitness, but Tomasson seems to avoid even that as much as possible - not sure if its a good or bad thing to be honest.

Sammie 'not a striker' Szmodics

Not able to watch today - has Trav really gone to RB when Brittain is on the pitch?? I thought we'd gone Brittain - Hill - Carter -Pickering at the back and Trav in mid

Those and the championships leading goal scorer

I honestly think Ennis was signed way before they found out that the budget was going to be slashed - if we had signed a first choice striker then Ennis spending six months in the reserves wouldn't be an issue. If we hadn't already signed Ennis once the money was cut then we might have pooled the Ennis and Telalovic money and signed one striker with it. Turning off the tap was bad but I think doing it with no warning long after the transfer window had already opened was the mallet that really rammed home the cactus enema.

Honestly if we had a senior starting striker and we signed Ennis and Telalovic I think they'd be seen as very acceptable gambles even if they didn't work out long term - much as Nuttall was a few years ago. If we had a Danny Graham now they'd be under a lot less pressure to perform immediately. I still think Ennis was signed with the assumption that we'd also sign a first choice forward, he was through the door before the budget was slashed - it's possible that if we'd known we would need that wage to go towards a first team regular they might have pulled the plug on the deal and we'd now have one striker on the combined wage of Ennis and Telalovic starting every week. Sadly we'll never know. Unfortunately in hindsight we both couldn't afford to sign a guaranteed striker and couldn't afford not to sign a guaranteed striker. Rock and a hard place.

Last January there were folks on here holding up the signing of one Sammie Szmodics as evidence that Broughton was clueless and wasting money on league one dollopers, just saying. Some players need a bit of time.

Pull Tronstad into defence and get Trav on for one of the forwards? What's the play?

I was having a conversation with someone who had watched Leo play in Norway quite regularly and he was raving about him - 'best keeper in the division', 'how did you get him so cheap?', 'top, top keeper, will be a first choice international' etc. Seemed quite surprised when I said he hadn't had a very good start, but it does give me hope he's worth persevering with.

Scott has looked better last couple of games he's had, I genuinely think a lot of the back 5 problems last year came from him being brought back from injury too soon. JRC on will help energise the midfield.

Starting 11 a bit questionable but it'll be nice to be able to bring attacking players off the bench - I fancy the new lad for a 30 minute cameo against tired defenders.

Bellingham has been stitched up in this game to shoehorn in Henderson.

Southgate has definitely entered the 'in the job too long' period of his tenure - odd selections, picking favourites, the players don't look like they understand their instructions. We'll still qualify but it's only going downhill from here.

Atcheson on, whoever he is Get a goal lad

BBC has Markanday - Buckley -Moran right to left, but I suspect it's academic

Welp he's a starting first team right back now, sink or swim time.

BBC have it down at the usual formation with Pickering at RB and Wharton LB, here's hoping the opposition wingers are rubbish. Edit - bbc have changed their mind and now have Pickering left and gamble right.