Adam2003

8 hours ago, fightoffyour said:

Lino Sousa

I totally missed this signing! Off to do some reading.

36 minutes ago, fightoffyour said:

I think we've already signed our new RB and LB with Cash and Digne to be sold. The starting backline, as intended this year after phasing Pau in more slowly than he had to be, will be Moreno - Mings - Torres - Konsa. Lino will be sub or Mings can switch to LCB with Kosta the attacking full back in place of Konsa.

We should probably replace Carlos with a younger right-footed CB option, but otherwise we're done assuming everyone is fit at the same time ever.

Think I’m missing something obvious here but who’s the backup/rotation LB if we sell Digne and don’t sign anyone?

2 hours ago, MaVilla said:

the stadium was part of Everton's FFP issues.

The opposite actually. If they’d taken on debt around the stadium, they’d have been fine as it wouldn’t have counted towards FFP (or the PL equivalent at least). The owner instead decided to fund the stadium directly, and take the debt to support day-to-day operations - meaning it did count. Absolute financial incompetence.

17 hours ago, wishywashy said:

Neurodivergence is probably more common in elite sport than people think imo: some of the traits associated with neurodivergent conditions (like those above) feel like they can end up being very beneficial in that sort of environment. I know Gerrard and Beckham are two of the more high-profile players to have talked about having OCD, for example.

 

100%. You don’t get to the top of sport with a “normal” mentality - it has to be exceptional in some way. I don’t use either of those terms ‘normal/exceptional’ to mean good/bad and apologies if it comes across that way - I am agreeing with you entirely that you need a ‘different’ mental perspective. Same with people who set records like sailing round the world solo and so on.

On 17/02/2024 at 15:32, Pongo Waring said:

What error?
That was Emi Martinez's Error

Don’t really believe in blaming one player personally. Martinez could have claimed it. Lenglet could have got rid of it. I’ve played in defence and in goal - sometimes, whatever the shout, you use your judgment and deal with the situation. So I’m not really interested in whose “fault” it was - my point was, apart from that one (collective) error, Lenglet looked better on the right than he has on the left to me! I’d be fine with him and Pau next game - which is lucky, as I don’t think anyone else is fit…

28 minutes ago, PaulC said:

Another good game. He's fit and not an issue

Yeah better today than I’ve seen him in a good while 

I think he’s actually our most important player 

Came on here to say what everyone else is - error aside, I felt more comfortable with him on the right alongside Pau than I have with him on the left alongside anyone else. Which also speaks to how good Pau is.

I think it’s realistic that Man United overtake us (but we have a 5-point gap so that’s on us) and it’s realistic we don’t overhaul Spurs (but we easily could). But I think the idea of us falling behind Newcastle/Brighton/West Ham and not getting top 6 is a stretch for me.

Personally I thought 5th three months ago and I still think 5th today.

On 08/02/2024 at 17:36, burchy said:

Personally I think we need a new RB

Didn’t we just sign one like two weeks ago?

20 minutes ago, captain said:

I have a slight worry with Moreneo that he tires of towards the end of a match. Last season  he was playing so well yet he was usually subbed. Obviously this season he hasnt but I am wondering has he been saving his energy. So being able to sub him might lift his game.

I think they are such complementary swaps for each other as well. If Moreno’s on and running at a defence, they’d much rather back off… suddenly Digne is on and if they back off he’s dropping it on Watkins’ head 6 yards out. Or they are closing Digne down as quickly as possible, then Moreno comes on and is just waiting for that so he can go past them. Works so well - and we haven’t had it all season.

I don’t believe in “must win” games that often, but will say if we can avoid defeat vs United then that’s a top 5 nicely separated from the rest - and there’s a chance all 5 get CL. And even a draw puts us back above Spurs.

Lose and the gap is still 5 points to 6th but way less comfortable!

2 hours ago, onmeedson said:

Probably the mistake was to play Konsa here there and everywhere in games and the lad was bound to pick up an injury. To much football for one player to cope with and constant risk to that player but we are here now and the bare bones of a squad to deal with. 

Didn’t he collide with a post from a set piece? What does CB vs RB have to do with that?

1 hour ago, NeilS said:

I don't want to be harsh on Lenglet as it must be difficult coming into a team where the defence has had wholesale changes and no continuity, but he an Diego both seem to have a costly blunder in them

I mean the simple fact is he’s probably our fifth-choice centre back, and while I don’t think he’s very good I don’t remember us ever having a better fifth choice. The issue has been him having to play so much

5 hours ago, Follyfoot said:

Hypothetically if we go on a run from September to December, again, we could potentially be top of the league by seven or eight points.

Won’t help us mate, we need those points by May

59 minutes ago, TRO said:

There was a little moment in that game, where he went on a short run along the bye line......and his quick feet, were on show, it was encouraging...he's got it alright.

I don't think he has lost confidence in himself, I think its more to do, where he should be, in the pattern of the team, he looks a bit unsure to me, where he should be.

I think he will settle in, and when he does, we will be saying " where has he come from".......Personally, I am ignoring him in the sense of expectancy, and just letting him find his feet.....the fee of 50 mill, is not down to him, and it shouldn't be aimed at him, thats the clubs responsibility.

I feel he will be ok, but it might not be as quick as we would like.

 

Agree 100%. First season is always about settling - I am treating the good things we have seen (excellent at times) as a bonus during his adaptation

1 hour ago, Tomaszk said:

Kamara majestic.

Interesting to see you say that - I’m his biggest fan but I thought he was off the pace today (as much as anyone can be in a 5-0 win!).

Overall I’m disappointed not to have scored 5 more to go ahead of Arsenal but let’s hope they get pumped by Liverpool

We need a righ… huh… ok a new backup goalkee… huh. Ok, they changed the narrative!

Impossible to think too much now when we might have CL or might miss Europe completely, but my guess is one or two new signings per window from here unless we are replacing big departures.

1 hour ago, allani said:

Based on the up front fees that we have paid - I'm not quite sure how we would have found guys that could have come in and changed (for the better) what is happening right now for the same money.  It's hard to know the exact structure of any of the deals as they've been "undisclosed" but I can't imagine we've paid more than £15-20m up front for all 4 players and wages wise for the season they probably all add up to below Digne's hourly rate.

And yet (this is not disagreeing with you) when I looked before, Rogers was the second most expensive signing in the country and Kosta was fourth! (Sure that’ll move around today). Low-spending window for everyone.

20 hours ago, Hank Scorpio said:

He needs to sack his agent.

His agent’s negotiated an £18m move to the PL as a teenager and a year later has Chelsea, West Ham and AC Milan bidding for him. He’s probably pretty happy with the job he’s doing!

18 hours ago, GlobalVillan said:

That's fine. And your absolute right to do so.

I just don't see a player there that will ever make the grade. Time will tell, but I think he is a big, clumsy, ill disciplined and terribly overrated player who will end up at either a bottom half La Liga club or back in the MLS.

You might be right, but at this point he’s been signed for £18m, Emery says he thinks he can be one of the best players in the world, other Premier League clubs have tried to sign him and he’s broken into a Colombia side that’s unbeaten in absolutely ages, all as he turns 20. So if he’s overrated he’s being overrated by a lot of good managers. And as I say you might be right, and they might be wrong - it happens!

2 hours ago, Tom13 said:

Giroud was very good in the PL for a number of years though.

He’s a funny one isn’t he. Won loads, France’s record top scorer, but in the PL I wouldn’t say he was ever even first choice at his (any of his) club. 

14 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

It's his agent ain't it... Probably trying to manipulate for playing time

Glad to see Unai has rubbished this

His agent is obviously involved and will always be looking for moves/deals, I don’t think it’s “agent talk” - West Ham definitely put in a bid for one. We probably need to get used to people bidding for our players more!

4 hours ago, HanoiVillan said:

He ain't gonna start ahead of Nkunku, if he thinks he is he's delusional. 

We can all say this but the fact is you don’t make it as an elite athlete without an almost insane level of belief in your own ability.