Anag Ram

Both with Malone and Holmes out wide

Last post before our big run. Very nervous and suffering phantom pains in both knees. Just need to get on and do it now. Hope this hot weather doesn't hit London next week! https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/neil-thompson40

Just hope Matt Smith doesn't play. We'd probably put Holmes on him!

Sometimes it's not the quality of the players but the way they play together. If you have a back five who know their roles and instinctively when to cover for each other that's good enough at this level. Both Keogh and Tomori are 'mavericks' who run, block and tackle but as a pairing don't complement each other. I'd like to see us bring in an old-fashioned number 5 who can head it and hoof it when called upon. Someone his fellow centre back doesn't feel compelled to pass to all frickin afternoon. There's enough talent elsewhere in the squad to do the fancy things. A keeper who commands his area and shouts to his team would help those in front of him.

Bet Rammie gets paid more than Ewie. # genderpaygap

Our defence is poorly organised and weak in the air. That has nothing to do with the midfield. It has everything to do with having one starey-eyed panic merchant and (until Cole) a young, naive three alongside him. It says it all when week after week our central defenders don't want to mark a big centre forward. Until we rebuild our defence we will win nothing.

Defenders who can't head the ball and a reserve keeper.

Yes you might be right. He could learn a lot from playing for us though. Even if it is how to deal with a hostile and critical home crowd!

If they don't pick Hudson-Odoi they won't be picking Reece James!

Reece James - Chelsea player on loan at Wigan. Young, strong, clever midfield player. Just what we need. Frank and Jody get on to your Chelsea chums and make it happen.

We don't have anyone who looks remotely like scoring a header from a direct corner so we need a different tactic. Shame it's taken 40 games to work that out.

In the last few games he has played, Marriott has been well off the pace. I put that down to his injury but it may just be that he’s not putting the fitness work in. Whatever the truth of the matter, I hope he’s back soon because he’s the best forward we have. The difficulty is trying to find how to incorporate him and Waghorn in the same side. They don’t seem a natural pairing and neither seem comfortable out wide. At present, with Lawrence and Wilson being largely out of form, it would be difficult for any forward. Sadly, Bennett and Nugent are league one forwards and we don’t have the strength in depth when either Marriott or Waghorn is unavailable.

TBF he's been pretty good at getting out of the championship. You can build a team on strength as long as your strikers take their chances. ATM our strikers don't get a look-in because we are so easily outmuscled and dispossessed elsewhere. Rotherham was a freak performance that papered over the cracks. We have become a soft touch and our recruitment needs to recognise the fact.

You make good points. There isn't a single player who I would say is a 'must keep' from the current first team line-up. I would like to see us recruiting men, not reedy lightweights. This is a physical division and we have been pushed around for years. Two centre halves who can head a ball, a goalkeeper who commands his area and full-backs who know their role. We need a leader in the back four who organises. Keogh is a good player at this level but he's not the man to drive us forward. I agree that we need a busy midfield that works hard and supports those behind and in front of them. Upfront we need a taller forward to supplement the current crop. We have stopped passing and started flicks which have a low success rate. Pass to your teammates and you tend to do quite well. There was an unassuming manager in the seventies who had that ethos. All of this requires a complete overhaul of the squad. Recent seasons have shown our players are not popular. We have become associated with being a bottler club. It won't be easy, especially with FFP, and we might have to take a punt on a few from lower divisions, where industry and energy abound.

But how do you get the ball forward quickly in a team with no aerial threat at all (surely the worst in the league?) and no close control?