Oh, I brought that on meself. Trust me, nobody requested it...

It's quite rare to see someone change regular first team number like 8 to big number like 22.

Strange to see No.22 without Jussi's name above it.

Did Youri switch from 6 to 13 (his lucky number), or have I completely made that up? Not quite the same thing, I suppose, but we might see more of it now that an entire generation has grown up with squad numbers rather than the 1-11.

You've got it backwards, mon capitan. He got the #13 when we first signed, switched to the #6 the season after the epic relegation battle with West Ham - #6 was his lucky number, having worn it at the World Cup, the Euros and with Inter Milan, among others...

Close but no caviar. Cheers.

Wasn't quite sure where to put this but...

We've played 4-5-1 for most (all?) of pre-season, partly through front-line injuries. As Kevin Davies said in the BN, “We’re not sure what system we’re going to play because the gaffer hasn’t had a chance to try us out in any different positions. It’s been a case of me up front with a Chris Eagles or a Darren Pratley in behind, but once everyone gets fit you’ll see what he wants to play."

It's true that we've struggled for numbers up top, with Ngog's niggle, Sordell's absence and Eaves apparently not ready (yet?). And Coyle has shown he wants more forwards with the interest in Benik Afobe - a well-regarded England Youth striker who scored two in three at this summer's U19 Euros, making it 7 in 11 games for the U19s (after 11 in 23 for the U17s and four in three for the U16s).

However, I suspect 4-5-1 may not be just needs-must, judging by the ongoing interest in Ryo Miyaichi. We already have four wingers – the returning CYL and three Coyle signings (Petrov, Wylde, Eagles) who have all impressed in pre-season – and despite Coyle's natural tendency to collect attacking players, I don't think he'd be borrowing another one for a laugh.

Playing 4-2-3-1 allows him to field three 'wingers' (attacking midfielders) in a more fluid formation; Eagles played centrally in April and May, and Coyle has tried CYL there pre-season with encouraging results:



Mind you, even then we'd have the choice of Eagles, CYL, Pratley, MDavies... options...?!

Put down the 4-2-3-1 and walk away slowly.

I'm still worried about how we're going about this. Not in a losing sleep sense, but one thing we do know is you need sh*tloads of goals (generally) to get out of the division. There have been some exceptions to that, but generally goals is the thang.

Last season Reading 69, Southampton 85, West Ham 81.

Season before QPR 71, Norwich 83, Swansea 69

Newcastle 90, West Brom 89, Notts Forest 65

My worry is that we don't have anyone prolific, (possible exception of Sordell who I've not seen enough of yet), but that's some serious goalscoring we need to do. That's really two/three/four players getting over 10, not sure we have them.

Hmmm interesting.

I think I could see Sordell based on previous form getting 15. NGog and Davies maybe 10 each (depending upon how many games they get).

Andrews around 10. Pratley 10 if he plays, possibly more. Mark Davies a handful? Eagles 10 plus. LCY 8 or so. Petrov 8 or 9. Wylde?

I think we've got quite a few players capable of scoring at this level.

I get what you're saying though, in that we don't necessarily (Sordell possibly aside) have anyone who looks like a naturally prolific goalscorer.

Be interesting to see how we do early doors. Cos I do think for this level, assuming we get a fourth striker our attacking options are excellent in general.....

My worry is actually that defensively our midfield still looks light and our defence on the whole still looks a bit less than average even for this level IMO.

We do have plenty of players capable of scoring at this level, but it's about consistently scoring at this level. It's the consistently bit that concerns me.

And yes there's still the defence to worry about.

I'd definitely love to have someone like Rickie Lambert, who you know will get you well over 20 goals in the season, but the team who won the Championship last year didn't have anyone prolific. Adam Le Fondre was their most reliable scorer and he only got 12 from 32 games.

I think the important thing is not who you have up front but the service that the strikers are given, and how much the rest of the team can chip in with goals. A team with Petrov, Davies, Andrews, Chungy, Wylde, Holden and more, will get plenty of goals between them and there is also plenty of creative ability there to create chances for whoever the striker is.

I think we have enough quality within the team to get over 70 goals, even if whoever we play up front isn't exactly prolific.

It would make a pleasant change from conceding 70...

No good trying to create chances for a stump up front, who when the wingers have the ball will be jogging in a straight line to the penalty spot before diving.

You who I mean.. His wife's the gobby one

Come on Tango Dancer, you know you want to say something

a false dichotomy surely!

Winning 4-3 is surely more exciting than winning 4-0?! Coyle IN!

what about drawing 70-70?

Depends, were we 70-0 up or 70-0 down to start?

it was 0-0 at the start..

I'd like a wise head goalscorer type from the bench...y'know a klasnic type. Cos we'll ship goals. Of that I'm sure.