Leicester Ram

What?!

If you're disappointed with tonight's performance, just remember that it serves you right for watching a pre-season game against Northampton on a Tuesday night.

I only appreciate how bad that went now. We finally had Martin, Thorne, Hughes, Bryson, Ince, Keogh, Shackell and co playing well together, only for it all to go massively tits up in the space of two games, Ipswich (H) and Hull (H).

No, once he gets to play in front of the Pride Park faithful and get booed off at half-time, then he'll be glad he came.

I'd be over the moon with this. 7 million might seem steep but if he keeps producing like he did last season, which I think he will in a better team, he'll be worth twice that by January.

Every time there's a set back there's always a couple on here saying he'll never play again. People have been saying it since the summer of 2014. Same people who think having your leg broken by some clogger from Ipswich is being 'injury prone'. Also the same people who'd ruin their briefs if we were linked with Alan Judge despite him being out for the year with the same injury. What's the logic here, seriously? He's recovered from his broken leg and was fit to train, but now he's tweaked his hamstrings and that's going to be the one that pushes him over the edge? Give me a break.

Russell became productive at the end of the season under Rowett, actually scored a goal and got two assists against Wolves at the end of the season. Looked better under Rowett because he basically got hung out to dry under Mac, where we clearly didn't have a cohesive attacking plan outside of 'give it to Ince, cross it to Bent' and he got out on the left where he's not as good. Couldn't link up with a striker when we all know playing a 4-3-3 you really need a striker the wingers can play off. You can't peddle the 'trust Rowett' narrative and want Russell out. He's clearly a player he rates, he tried to bring him to Birmingham what felt like every transfer window and played him consistently in different positions when he came in at the end of the season. He's the closest thing we have to a Rowett player out of the squad we already had here. It's the same situation as Keogh, he's been in the team consistently under multiple managers and we've never improved on him, so fans get bored and want him out. It's change for changes sake because people are bored of him. There's also this weird resentment of him because he's a 'nice guy' that some fans blindly adore. I'm not saying he should be a starter, I'd prefer if we brought in a couple new wingers but he clearly has a role to play in the larger context of the squad.

Do Chelsea send players out on loan?

They're a product of our time and they've got it tough, that's for sure. Doesn't mean it isn't complete garbage though.

Christ, I love pre-season, threads about nets and shirt sponsors. This is what football's all about.

Kent would offer something different, really fantastic dribbling ability. Ability to go direct at players we won't have now Ince has gone. I'd rather Lawrence on a permanent but he'd give us something different to the current crop. Russell and Weimann are grafters, Anya's an old school winger and Blackman's a sort of second striker stuck out on the wing. Need someone good on the ball.

How has that useless lump gone and scored again?

I genuinely think people have got their Olsson's confused there, Marcus is weirdly expensive and has been picked by loads of people. Mugs, I'll take Fozzy at 2.4 million everyday. I've pinned my hopes on us having a great defence though, gone with Fozzy, Curtis and Carson.

I largely concur. It would leave us with not much quality on the wings and relying on Nugent/Martin and Vydra all having good seasons. We've also taken the average age of our squad up from last season, I'm fairly sure. The promise of energy and youth has basically been a lie so far. We've continued to do what we did when we signed Bradley Johnson. We've picked up plug and play championship veterans for prices we consider to be good. Mel said at the time that the main reason we signed Johnson was because they thought 6 million was a good price and they couldn't believe he was available. Nothing to do with the long term health of the squad or financial health of the club. While I think Huddlestone and Davies are good signings, they strike me as win now signings rather than the rebuild we were sold on when Rowett was appointed. That could change of we bring in some young wingers and maybe swapped out Bryson/Johnson for a younger model (which I think is highly unlikely).

Not one member of 16 thinks Jota's coming to Derby. Interesting.