thabucks

Great player on his day and he is out of rhythm currently. Won’t judge him just yet as we don’t know if he is recovering from Covid or something .... Do feel we can get better or as good prospects for less though ... Let’s see how the next 10 games pan out .

We will always have these ups and downs but I’m now more confident we will bounce back. Smith proved the end of last season he can adapt as a coach (Though couldn’t see or appreciate it at the time) he is still fresh to top level football and will continue to evolve as a coach I’m sure of it.

Sinking ship who do you save - Costa or Sturridge ?

We now only have 23 players in our squad (excluding youth) 2 of those haven’t played in a year and one is Steer. Not a slight but meant as 3rd choice keeper. Trust Lange, Mackenzie, Purslow & Smith completely. One more would be nice though...

I’d love us to get a striker but it’s pretty certain our first choices will be unobtainable mid season. With the Euros coming up a striker not getting enough mins, for his squad place to be in jeopardy in on loan would be our best bet. Any ideas ? The mental idea of Costa for 6 months is also starting to look like a tempting prospect ...

I’m advocating or calling for change but in reality Smith will need replacing for us to take the next step up IMO. The club should forever be evolving with little time for misplaced sentiment. He has saved us and given us an identity and hope it continues. There will come a difficult time in seasons to come when it will be a case of stick or twist ... Ps : this is not based on tonight’s result BTW . As @KentVillan points out below, many factors were at play for tonight’s result and performance. I hope Smith stays around for a long time. I was doubting him last season - this season he has really shown what a good manger he is. He will be replaced sometime - when he has taken us as far as he can and I think our next manager will be a great one and take us to the next level, at the time and build upon the foundations and hopeful successes of Smith.

It will be our undoing if we are not careful. If Watkins snaps his ACL next game we have Davis as back up ... Trarore can obviously also do a job but it’s a risky move relying on what we have. That said buying a striker in January was never going to be easy or likely.

It’s going to be interesting what direction Chelsea will now take under Tuchel in terms of youth development. Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Gilmore, Gallagher, Anjorin, Barkley & Loftus-Cheek would all improve our midfield options IMO and will be vying for places and not all will make it. cheeky bid for mount in the summer rather than Barkley?

@Villan4Life what do make of Kyle Joseph @ Wigan ? Can he make the step up or a jump too far.

Cheeky bid in the summer for fat Franks & teachers pet fav player? ... Obvs highly unrealistic.

WTF with talk of Benteke. He is a spent up has been on £120k a week for his paltry goal and assists is a big fat NO.

Matthew Sorinola @ MK Dons has had an impressive breakthrough season so far and destined for bigger things if he continues as is. Both great shouts for long term Targett competition.

Demerai Gray is reported to have a poor attitude to training hence Leicester’s apparently Will to let a highly talented player leave for free... It is weird how some players get and rep for their lifestyle choices and other don’t. It’s a fact Berkeley lived & loved the west London nightclub scene and isn’t the greatest mate in many ways for Jack. But yet. So many seem against Dele Ali for his poor attitude to training, based on a very edited documentary. He was fine under Poch who is a know hard taskmaster at training. My point is NO to Grey as I’ve heard he is a bad egg.

Exactly. Luiz pushes forward & replaces McGinn who is replaced as DM by Nakamba. Makes perfect sense to me as we cannot afford any slip ups tonight. Must win game ! We can then bring fresh legs in Ramsey to alter the game positively which he is more capable of than Nakamba attacking wise.

It won’t be them as they’ve just brought Dominik Szoboszlai and also have Frosberg & Kluivert. Could be different financials involved which may bring us back to it or we’ve permanently moved on...

Why do you think that is ?

Triple post

Double post

But @Kiwivillan said this was A junk link and we were wasting our time discussing and @villalad21 said no one good can be signed from Marseille... I’m calling BS

Posted this in the transfermarkt thread but more relevant here... (I’m also Desperate to get to 2000 likes so...) I don’t think it will be for anything close to €22mill. The deal must make sense £££ now more so than before. Incremental increases in quality of players is what it’s all about now. More competition for places will obvs raise the quality of the whole squad as this grows. I’m v.intrigued to see how McGinn reacts to real competition for his place and see if he can elevate his game to the next level. A CM pool of Luiz, Ramsey, Sanson, McGinn, Barkley, would be a healthy position to be in for the second half of the season and beyond. OT Remember the Nightmare(s) of Whelan & Jedinak ... Now a distant haunting... Loan Hourihane & Nakamba and release Lansbury. Simples.

All for Sanson as he is a v.good player who IF true I don’t think it will be for anything close to €22mill. The deal must make sense now more so than before. Incremental increases in quality of players is what it’s all about now. More competition for places will obvs raise the quality of the whole squad as this grows. I’m v.intrigued to see how McGinn reacts to real competition for his place and see if he can elevate his game to the next level. A CM pool of Luiz, Ramsey, Sanson, McGinn, Barkley, would be a healthy position to be in for the second half of the season and beyond. OT Remember the Nightmare(s) of Whelan & Jedinak ... Now a distant haunting... Loan Hourihane & Poss Nakamba and release Lansbury. Simples.

Just been released but was on £170k pw...

Mentioned him as a player we should look to target last week when heard he may be available. Any issue is I believe Bayern want a buy back clause ...

I’d go for Ali ... today but would probs choose Barkley tomorrow as I dined it hard to separate them and depends n. My mood . Both are quality players and better than what we have. Both clubs are shrewd negotiators. Pointless response really

Offer Celtic £££ plus there choice of Lansbury & Hourihane, or Heaton or Steer, Engels for Edouard. Lets not be in a position if Watkins gets injured as having a winger as only forward. It’s not worth the risk relying on him staying fit.