The Rebuild

[Fynci]

If Sunderland finish above us, I'll eat my hat

If Sunderland finish above us, then we're 20th.

[Toddacelli]

Time to get the emergency credit card out.

[Fieldy618]

Need a couple of cm's in right now. If we have to overpay then so be it but we can't go into that first game looking like this

[Evertonian418]

I've not watched other teams pre seasons but is anyone else having a mare?

[TheRam]

Am I forgetting some amazing CM who left the club this summer that Moyes used week in week out?

All I can think of is Doucouré but he basically never played CM under Moyes.

Yes we should sign a CM and almost certainly will but we’re not as bad as people are making out.

Also, Xhaka would walk into our midfield but he cost Sunderland twenty mil and they’re paying him a hundred and fifty thousand a week for three years at age thirty two - we’d be crucifying the club had we done that

Moyes did a great job at papering over some massive gaps last season.

The league will be a lot stronger next season so it would be nice, for once, to go into it with a competitive squad.

It’s madness how people can look at our midfield options and think they’re fine.

I personally don’t want us having to rely on Tim or Armstrong for any point next season. Same with garner really but I just have to accept he’s playing a big part.

Need at least two. It’s mad how we don’t already have at least one in the door already.

[Kerryblueboy]

Armstrong is going to be a very good player needs another loan Tim is championship level runs around after the ball leaves huge gaps everywhere rash in the tackles and poor passer big changes needed in midfield luiz would be a massive upgrade

[The Doc]

Once Mangala got injured we stopped playing through the midfield. How can you build play with Garner and Gana, or Tim?

Genuinely it's a terrible CM for the PL. They can tackle and do the hard work, but there's nothing there to run a game.

[Blues Mahoney]

Moyes did a great job at papering over some massive gaps last season.

The league will be a lot stronger next season so it would be nice, for once, to go into it with a competitive squad.

It’s madness how people can look at our midfield options and think they’re fine.

I personally don’t want us having to rely on Tim or Armstrong for any point next season. Same with garner really but I just have to accept he’s playing a big part.

Need at least two. It’s mad how we don’t already have at least one in the door already.

100%

We quickly need at least 1 starting CM and obviously a starting RW to replace speed merchant, skill master McNeil. And a starting RB.

If we go into Leeds short of these players, we've badly failed. They all need to be in the squad for Roma.

[AjaxAndy]

His performances either way will tell us that.

Plenty of instances of players not getting as big of a move as they should and making all the teams that didn’t take them seriously look stupid.

His underlying numbers are excellent. Downside, he’s not that good and retains about 75% of his value. Upside, he’s legit and it doubles or triples.

I think it’s a no-brainer.

Apparently he's not great without the ball, so if you're looking for someone to come in and play ahead of Garner, which is what we absolutely have to be aiming for, maybe his lack of work rate off the ball would make him less worth pursuing.

For me he seems the profile we should be aiming for, but also maybe he's the 2nd midfielder we buy and not the main one to actually improve us this coming season. Which given his likely price tag of somewhere around £25m is possibly too high.

I'm still for it tbh, but also I think we need someone we can rely on immediately as well which I'm not sure our budget allows.

[Indiantoffee75]

I now think we'll bring in players but those that will be more than making up the numbers through loans/frees and modest fees as opposed to those which will take us up a level as initially targetted by the club.

Don't think we'll be bottom six, but I don't expect a top half finish either. 11-14th again if it pans out this way.

[Evertonian418]

How do the likes of Sunderland, Leeds and Burnley sign so many players. Are they just signing quantity rather than quality. Are we too choosey or do players see Sunderland a better gamble than us. I watched Moyes after the game and he looks already like a beaten man. Surely this negativity is transferring to the players. He looks like he's had enough already.

[Kerryblueboy]

On Sunderland both xhaka and diallo would get in our midfield so they are ok there they will struggle both in defence and attack Burnley will be gone by Xmas Leeds are big enough to survive but the manager is not proved at prem level

[brap2]

It was a worry how a second string west ham who looked like they could hardly pass a ball knocked it around us like traffic cones

[Trowel]

[TheRam]

Gone off Luiz now seeing some of the teams in for him and knowing our friend Kia is his agent.