From which games is that Magloire stat from? Stats are only of limited value in isolation, especially from friendlies.

Not at all, a change of scenario may suit him although I dont think he would fill the void left by Adarabioyo. All being said, I read that Stoke want their 2m investment back should they sell so we wouldnt be able to afford him and I wouldnt want him on loan.

He has had a dismal time at Stoke where he has tumbled down the pecking order, so probably not.

Noticed that Lindsay wasnt even in the extended squad in their latest friendly, he is so far out of the picture. Would guess maybe he is in talks with someone but obviously with no new deals in the pipeline, that may well be someone else. Not saying that I would sign him but of course he has been linked through the Lancashire Telegraph.

Brooks made a return to fitness today for Wales, if he plays on Saturday he will be a massive danger, I can only imagine what he will do if we play Bell against him! https://bournemouth-forum.vitalfootball.co.uk/threads/team-v-blackburn.12374/page-2 Looking at their side compared to last year, they definitely miss King and Wilson in terms of attack. Plenty to cause our defence problems I would suggest though, Solanke is a 20m flop really but he started scoring towards the end of last season, Surridge did ok at Swansea, Stanislas was always an irritant when at Burnley and Danjuma is a fast winger that they paid decent money for. Their midfield is very strong, Lerma, Cook, Billing, Gosling are all very good options. They also have plenty of good defenders at this level, Kelly signed from Bristol City last summer and Liverpool were linked with him before signing that Greek left back, Adam Smith, Rico and Stacey are all good full backs, and Cook is a very experienced CB. And Mepham is regularly involved with Wales. Ramsdale is a loss but Travers looked good when he got a chance in the Premier League. Will be a tough game on the opening day, we will have to keep it as tight as we can, hopefully with the aid of some new defenders between now and then, and hope that Armstrong can do something on the counter attack.

Of which 2 started.

Haha I think that it is is a big if to see him get 10 goals but I would love to see you be right because it would be in both of our best interests! Fingers crossed.

The fact of the matter is that if you start poorly, you have to accumulate more points in the remaining games to meet your objective. Say it takes 75 points to get into the play offs. Basic maths, get 15 from your first 6 and you need 60 from the remaining 40 games, only get 5 and you need 70. A bad start is not terminal and a good start wont guarantee that you achieve your objectives. But it is important in the main because we already fail to achieve our objectives in terms of accumulating the amount of points we need, so getting plenty on the board early on is a big boost. There will always be exceptions but Charlton got relegated despite that fast start, not because of it. Would anyone have been happy going into the season with the defenders we have? No.

"Encouraging signs of a player beginning to show the form that would justify his transfer fee" is the phrase that I would take issue with and suggest an element of hyperbole in. Would love for him to justify his fee but he will need to start scoring a few goals in competitive games for him to even show signs of starting to justify any fee. I dont think messages on here involve encouraging or discouraging the players, I just personally thing that whilst I totally appreciate having also seen slithers of positive shoots, a couple of goals in a friendly, the goal v Reading and much more positive running with the ball, he will have to start doing something constructive in front of goal in competitive games before he even begins to ask the question of whether he is indeed starting to threaten to justify the fee, or even play a considerable part in a team chasing promotion. We were 7 points and 5 teams off last season, conceded far too many goals and have a weaker squad as things stand. Of course though and as you touch on, a few real quality defensive recruits and the picture starts to change, we have 2 natural goalscorers which gives you half a chance. But I cant say that I have that the current manager can bring those in and fix this area of the team, for all of the goodwill I have towards him overall, and I also am not comfortable with the consistent dilly dallying that we always do in the transfer window.

I think it is about fair and would presumably lead to the managers job being incredibly difficult to justify? Hopefully, an unexpected few bits of real quality will come in and the picture will change.

In friendlies though. I am basing my selection of Wharton on the fact that he has played 80+ successful games in League 1, and he was decent in the competitive game v Doncaster alongside a shaky Lenihan, last time Magloire played for the first team he looked all at sea, he then had an unsuccessful loan spell at Rochdale, he was decent enough yesterday but it is just a friendly and not enough in my opinion. Ultimately, neither should be starting. The only reason I picked Wharton is because the admittedly not much better Derrick Williams is IMO needed at left back as we cant have Amarii Bell playing. If we had a competent left back, Williams would play next to Lenihan. The Nat Phillips rumour seems to be agent talk linking him to numerous clubs, not sure a player with so few senior appearances himself is the answer to getting a "man" next to Lenihan. He definitely should play, but I dont think he has earnt that title from his first team appearances to date. Competent short term at left back when clearly out of position and let no one down. Lets hope he can kick on this season in a more attacking role.

Yes, and we are very much behind the average, and we had plenty of gaps that needed filling. We saw both of our senior goalkeepers go, we had none. We saw one of only 2 competent centre backs we had leave the club. We had constant issues at left back last season after Cunningham got injured and had to put a right footed winger there for quite a few games. We saw possibly our best midfielder from last season leave the club. We saw a striker who was always involved in our squads leave, as well as one who was very average. Yet, signings seem to be a want, rather than a need. Preston have little money and their fans are not happy either at the lack of recruitment. Warnock has been constantly moaning at the fact that Boro arent getting deals over the line. And Bournemouth are reliant on big money sales although they have plenty of Championship standard players (and higher) and indeed even assuming Wilson and King remain unavailable until sold, they have a striker they spent 20m on who they will use. Most teams that you would expect to be up aiming for the same part of the table than us have improved more than us. Ultimately, I dont think we will ever be proactive under Venkys in terms of recruitment, we will ever appreciate the benefit of a good start, and will always be unnecessarily handicapping ourselves. The crux of the matter is that not one person would have been happy going into this season with the same defence (bar Adarabioyo of course) that we finished last season with, and the one that let in 63 goals, yet there is now a lot of revisionism and a lot of excuses. Ultimately, we always seem to be behind the curve and susceptible to these reasons more than most.

"if Brereton continues with his excellent post-lockdown and pre-season form then we might just have a very good player on our books." Surely this is as hyperbolic a statement as anyone could possibly make?! Or a demonstration how low the benchmark is, to describe his recent form as excellent. Or to suggest that if he continues and not massively improves, then we have a very good player on our books. There is undoubtedly more energy, more enthusiasm and more involvement, and a tidy goal in the dead rubber v Reading. Otherwise, there was him trying to round the keeper v Bristol City and falling over his own feet when gifted a chance. Then he didnt threaten v Wigan. Then he got petulantly sent off at Barnsley. Then pre season, not that it is the best indicator as he scored 2 last pre season, but he scored 2 nice goals v Blackpools second string, either side of which he missed a penalty in one friendly that he spent all half offside, and in the competitive match, he missed an open net. Until he starts scoring a couple of goals in meaningful fixtures and making a proper contribution, it is impossible IMO to start getting overly excited. We need him to contribute regularly for a team chasing promotion. Mowbray has done a good job overall but there is constantly this if statement, if he fixes the defence, we can do this and that. And it never happens and is never prioritised. I dont feel like, although id love to be wrong, that we are anything close to a promotion chasing squad, which has become the expectation. We cant afford to underestimate the priority of a good start too, we already struggle to keep the pace with the top 6 without chasing a deficit as we always have to. He made the same mistake in previous jobs. Including his last one where he had to walk away for not fixing the defence. I fear that whilst I appreciate the job he has done so far, there will constantly be the same ifs and buts and it will become stagnant. If we dont go up this season, I suspect that due to contractual reasons, a few of our key players may push to move on.

To be fair, with our porous defence and against a good side away from home, I think the additional solidity that Evans brings would be necessary.

I would agree that it is Adarabioyo's on ball ability that sets him apart but he is still a very competent defender at this level, and a better one than Williams and co. We will do well to get someone even solely based on his defensive ability on a limited budget. That is a big but regarding Holtby's fitness. Downing is a big loss based on last season although we have possibly dithered too long to get him back because he will be well off fitness wise. I also wonder how we fit Dack back in. With Brereton, it is all promise compared against terribly low standards, although I agree that there was a slight improvement. I am not convinced that he offers a goal threat. Neat finish in the Reading dead rubber, but he missed an open net last weekend, he slipped on his arse after getting the ball stuck under his feet when given a one on one v Bristol City, I know he got a couple of nice finishes v a second string Blackpool in a friendly, and I know that his running with the ball has shown a bit of promise, but we need a player who is contributing towards a side chasing the top 6 and until there is an end product he will always be judged unfavourably. We also lack that option of bringing Graham into the mix. I think our squad is weaker at the moment but we will I am sure sign some new players. But I am unconvinced in Mowbrays ability to fix the defence, and also I just wish we could appreciate the worth of a good start, alas it shall never be the case it seems under Venkys.

There have been 89 transfers so far, so quite a few transfers. It was true a month ago when people were demanding calm as the market hadnt really got going but now many teams have been busy before the season begins. Birmingham have signed 6, including a couple from Spain and a couple of players Karanka has worked with before, Brentford have signed Toney and Goode, Bristol City have signed Chris Martin and Joe Williams, (and are close to Mawson on loan) Cardiff have a couple including Kieffer Moore, Coventry have got 8 using their very technical scouting network, Derby have signed Groningens captain and re-loaned Clarke, and got Marshall in net, Norwich have signed some interesting signings, Forest have brought in some real experience in Lyle Taylor, Luke Freeman, Jack Colback and Tyler Blackett, as have Stoke with Steven Fletcher, Morgan Fox, Jon Obi Mikel and James Chester, QPR and Sheffield Wednesday have been busy, Swansea have done some good business, and Wycombe have bought in a few including Tafazoli and Horgan, very much scraping the barrel. No one is suggesting risking our financial structure but we certainly need to fix certain positions.

West Ham. To clarify, my comment about the difficulty of the game next week is in no way related to them winning a friendly! Just an update.

I think most people have raised doubts not about our opponents strength but about our weaknesses. @Ewood Ace was bang on about his analysis about our defence and if you asked people at the end of last season if they would be happy starting the season without any new defenders, no one would have said yes so the worries and criticism are fair. Bournemouth are a good side and obviously will be expected to finish higher than us but ultimately we cant do anything about their squad. It will be interesting to see if any of King, Wilson or Brooks play, hopefully not but they have quite a few players outside of that of very good quality at this level. Archer is not a Championship standard goalkeeper and I presume they will play Travers who is currently with the Irish squad. Pointing out examples of other teams who have struggled to strengthen too doesnt justify our inability to do so. We need to improve quite a bit on last season to finish in the top 6 and seriously threaten promotion. Thats the aim. Even if Kaminski is an upgrade on Walton, which wont be hard but we dont know for sure until he plays, the losses of Adarabioyo, Downing and to a lesser extent Graham and 7 games worth of Greg Cunningham make us much weaker than a team who finished quite a bit away from the play offs having conceded 63 games.

I have no doubt that Mowbray is respected in the footballing world, but Rodgers is hardly going to say "I am really disapointed not to win because I have little respect for Mowbray and they will be struggling with him as manager." And ultimately I think we did pretty well today and indeed even if I have various doubts about us and our current squad, I also am happy with quite a few players and indeed if Mowbray left tonight I would consider him to have done a good job. But managers will always support one another.

Bournemouth won 5-3 in a friendly v today. Not the ideal opening fixture in terms of difficulty. With Mowbray pulling his finger out and getting some defenders in prior seemingly an impossibility, would personally go with this: Kaminski Nyambe Lenihan Wharton Williams Travis Evans Holtby Brereton Armstrong Rankin Costello Subs: Eastham, Gallagher, Chapman, Rothwell, Buckley, Davenport, Johnson Obviously Dolan very unlucky to miss out on a weak looking bench and am happy for him to be sub over either Chapman or Rothwell really. Dont want to see Bell hence the choice on the left hand side of defence. Rankin Costello is back up to step back into defence should we get an injury. Cant say that I have any confidence on opening day, even with Bournemouth in some sort of limbo and with a rookie manager. Only goal threat comes from Armstrong and defence is hardly a strudy one. Would love to be proven wrong and see us get a good result.

Ward Prowse and Rice are not good enough, thats for sure. Or Dier at CB! Pickford shouldnt be near the squad either, although Southgate could have gone in net today.

The problem is that the situation isnt as straightforward as your hypothetical scenario. Its an immeasurable difference. What if that 2 place gap was 6th and 8th? There needs to be a balance in the squad and at the moment im not sure there is. Signing a couple of extra players doesnt cause a total block on the younger lads either. Take the front line, across 3 places we have 2 proven goalscorers in Armstrong and Dack. We have a couple of players with reasonable experience in Gallagher and Rothwell who have convinced very few then beyond that, kids with promise and potential but none of which have proven capable of starting regularly for a Championship side in the upper regions of the table. You chuck 1 more first team quality player in there, and theres still plenty of scope for the younger lads to break through and establish themselves beyond that, for 3 positions, where subs are most common and necessary across 46 games. Indeed, you look at a couple beyond the (slightly) more established ones such as Rankin Costello and Brereton, and maybe one or two could do with a loan as its unlikely that 5 or 6 will all break in at once.

Watford also have a couple of players who were out on loan who had been playing in La Liga to come back in. Bournemouth have to wait to receive the money from selling Wilson and co as a result of relegation. An excuse we do not have.

If ever you wanted a summary as to why the continuous wait to fix the defence has infuriated most and left few thinking that it will be fixed, please see above. I do find it baffling that anyone can genuinely have faith (rather than hope) that we are going to fix the defensive issues based on what we have seen so far. Personally next week, assuming that our incompetence to fix these issues continues, I would go with a back 4 of Nyambe, Lenihan, Wharton and Williams. No way can we play Bell. I also don't really understand any particular confidence in a team with a front 3 of Armstrong, Rankin Costello and Brereton scoring enough goals to compete for promotion. Even if we havent got the resources to strengthen, you've got to chuck Dack in the mix. We have 2 goalscorers and beyond that, lots of promise but ultimately lots of question marks too. Yes, just as much as before todays friendly started.