[Slick_Footwork]

Poor from Bilic and the players today.

I really don't think it's time to be experimenting with a new formation in a tough competitive game.

IMO it was a selection made with fear. Leicester were patched together at the back, so sacrificing a forward player for another defender made no sense.

It worked for a while in terms of keeping us 'steady' but as soon as they scored the game was over. We could've played all night and not scored.

We really need an athletic defensive minded midfielder on the books to enable us to play 2/3 creative players in a 5 man midfield (Krov, Grady, Pereira).

I never thought I'd say this, but if Livermore gets injured we will be absolutely screwed. If we have to go with Sawyers and Harper against 3 midfielders, we will get massacred as neither have any defensive awareness. Saywers is a good quarter back if he has options in front of him, but I just don't see what Harper adds. He doesn't tackle, doesn't track, doesn't create, doesn't score. I'd sooner have Field in there because at least he gets around the pitch and plugs the gaps. We really need new blood in this position though. Yet the player we are linked with - Gallager - is yet another attacking midfielder. I don't get it...

We're also desperate for a proper striker and some decent full backs. Not sure if Grant is the man as he was playing on the wing when I watched Huddersfield last season. We have an abundance of wing forwards, IMO we're crying out for a proper number 9 who has some presence but is also mobile (hence not Charlie Austin). Don't see the point in Deeney as he's just another Austin. Could barely run last season and while he takes a good penalty, we're not going to get into the opposition box to win one on this evidence.

I think we all maybe see the problems differently, Slick. For me, Gallagher is exactly the type of player we need - a midfielder who will run with the ball and inject some pace. I’m fine with Livermore playing the defensive tackling midfielder a la Yacob but I have no idea what Sawyers brings to the team. It’s interesting you seem him as a quarterback because I see none of that in him. For me, the quarterback controls the game and dictates the play but I see none of that in Sawyers, nor any desire in him to do so. I see a player with no pace, lethargic, unwilling to run with the ball - he’d rather play the simple, non threatening, non creative ball two yards to the back four. I cannot see Sawyers ever doing anything to change a game. It’s easy to get dispirited after a big home defeat and we have to keep things in perspective but I feel we have a huge two weeks coming up for transfers and, for me, that has to include a dynamic midfielder

I think Sawyers was excellent last season and the main reason we were able to convert from a counter attacking team under Darren Moore to a possession based team under Bilic. Always available, always wanting the ball, accurate with his passing. I think it's a disservice to him to say he always plays the simple ball, he played countless passes into the man in the hole last season. He was generally the pass before the assist.

That said, I don't think he's athletic enough to play in a midfield 2 at this level and hence my desire for an athletic defensive minded midfielder to play as a pivot with Livermore.

I see Sawyers role this season as either someone you bring on from the bench when winning to keep hold of the ball OR the 3rd man in a midfield 3 in the games where you need to leave out a number 10 to steady the ship. I think we need someone who really understands how to shield the defence alongside Livermore. For me this would be #1 priority and would've been all summer. You need to be robust in this division and protect the defence.

So all in all, I think Sawyers does have something to offer. That said, he wouldn't be first choice. Harper on the other hand wouldn't be anywhere near the team as he's equally as languid as Sawyers but without the ball playing ability.

As for Gallagher, I'm not against him coming, but for me he's another attacking midfielder who will play in the same position as Krovinovic (number 10 role). I don't see him as the Sawyers replacement. I don't understand the desire to sign both Krovinovic and Gallagher when we don't have a proper defensive minded midfielder at the club (for me this is priority). This is baring in mind we also have Pereira who can play as a number 10 and we have countless wingers (Phillips, Grady, Robinson, Grosicki, Edwards). It feels like Bilic has an obsession with attacking midfielders and is forgetting the fact you have to earn your right to play.

Now don't get me wrong, if Gallagher is an alternative to Krovinovic then that does make sense. But I absolutely don't think we need both. Seems like madness to me to have 8+ attacking midfielders and only 1 midfielder at the club who can sense danger and put a tackle in (Livermore). And I don't even feel Livermore is a defensive midfielder really, he isn't a sitter, he's more of a box to box player. He is the 'Mulumbu' of the 'Mulumbu and Yacob' partnership who hunts for the ball.