Skills for a big man
We buy player from BMG.
BMG buy player from Nice
Nice can now afford to give us back our own money in exchange for Boufal.
OUCH…get back in the knife drawer. 
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Yeah but can he do it under pressure on a wet, cold Wednesday night in Huddersfield?
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Christ, on this basis I do a bit too…
The optimism on this thread didn’t last very long did it!
On the basis that I have not watched every game this season (for a number of reasons, but maintaining a measure of sanity being the main one) can somebody please answer me this - Is Vestergaard genuinely worse than Hoedt, Stephens and Yoshida?
From what I saw earlier in the season he was okay. Decent in the air but inevitably (for his size) a bit slow.
Hughes was waxing lyrical about this guy’s leadership qualities that we were lacking last year and needing a dominant aerial figure given the number of goals conceded from crosses and headers last season.
Yet here we are. Coming off the back of yet another headed goal conceded from a big strong player who is never going to run away from anybody. It is so obvious what Mitrovic’s strengths are, so why wasn’t the big lump (JV) played on Saturday?
I’m not confident that these defensive issues will be addressed in January so we will have to get better out of what we already have if we are going to even make a fight out of staying in the division.
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I said at the start of the season, we needed a mobile defender, with good positional awareness, to compliment Vestergaard. Hight isn’t important.
He is slow, but have we ever played him with Yoshida? That’d be my choice out of what’s available and Cedric desperately someone next to him who can dominate in the air. Any team facing us must look at Cedric as the weak point closely followed by Hoedt, who becomes Bambi on ice, when a balls played behind him.
When Bertrand is back, i’d give Targett the right back slot. He was quite impressive there during preseason and he puts a bit of variety into his crosses(which Cedric doesn’t).
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I find the situation quite baffling from the outside looking in. If the manager doesn’t think he is any better than what we already had then it was a complete waste of money. That £18m would have been better spent on higher transfer fees/wages for better players than we bought in other areas. i.e - spend £25m on a goal scoring winger rather than £16m on Elyounoussi, who has so far disappointed me. I don’t think I can ever forgive him for not squaring the ball to Charlie against Newcastle.
Ironically Vestergaard will probably get a shirt against Leicester in the cup and get rinsed for pace by Vardy.
Whilst he isn’t the answer for me, Bednarek doesn’t even get a game for the U23s yet is first choice for Poland. Bizarre state of affairs.
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A sack of spuds would have been more use than Hoedt on Saturday.
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Given that some of previous good players have become shit thanks to Mope and Hughes, I will reserve judgement on any of the summers signings until someone who can actually manage has a fair crack at them
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Bednarek had a good game, possibly the last time he played(was that with Vestergaard?). Still on a learning curve, but as you say, we don’t have a lot to lose by not playing him. He’s more mobile than all the rest apart from maybe Yoshida.
Give Elyounoussi a bit of time. He’s a fighter and took a while to settle at Basel. I think he’ll come good.
I do think that we’d be ok(not great, but safe at least), if we could sort out the fear at the back. Hoedt and Cedric are the main culprits, but get in the team every week. Baffling doesn’t even begin to describe it.
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Cedric has no competition. Why he persists with Hoedt is a complete fucking mystery. He’s left footed but if his left foot is shit it makes no difference.
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The only thing I can think of to explain it is that Hughes is dead set on playing a left-footed central defender and not two right-footed ones. Personally, I’m with SoS - we should play Vestergaard and Yoshida together. From what I saw of Vestergaard early in the season, I’d far rather have him in the team than Hoedt, and Yoshida is our most mobile central defender.
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I agree. Fonte and Alderweireld were both right footed, as were Fonte and VVD yet they seemed to be unfazed and were still able to defend a lead.
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I’m now concerned that Hughes will play them as a partnership for one game(MU or Spurs) and say it didn’t work, as we lost.
Then i’m going to buy a ticket behind the dugout and pay for @Barry-Sanchez to come down, get his vocal cords well oiled and let him lose on Hughes 
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I agree it is baffling, as is, until the last couple of games, Armstrong not featuring. I think he only got a start on Saturday due to injuries/ suspension. Someone on here, i forget who, posted a compilation of some of his goals in Scotland after he signed for us. There were some crackers, i commented at the time that a couple of them were almost worthy of Le Tiss in his pomp. Yet Hughes has, by and large ignored him. He wasn’t even in the squad for a few games. Makes no sense to me.
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Think it’s a fitness thing with Armstrong. Blowing out of his arse after 60 minutes.
That’s a club problem, as @Polski_Filip has mentioned. He’s been with us for about 6 months. I know he got a minor injury, but 6 fucking months. I reckon i could get fit if i had professional training for that long and i drink, smoke and will be 50 soon.
We don’t have anyone that plays like him, in such an important position, so that’s a major issue.
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