Johnnyp

Interesting point. Do u think Suso has identified players this season, more so than Smith ? If Suso stays, he needs to take a back seat in recruitment and as you say just get them over the line. Fan groups should be grilling Purslow also at Q and A's about this much vaunted scouting department of ours. I'd want to know everything.

Agreed. And to be fair Dyche has leverage, his reputation precedes him and i think he needs to be respected and listened to intently by any new potential employers. Not arrogance but Dyche would speak with Villa even if we went down. 100 %

Just to touch on Dyche again, interesting to note he is manager at Burnley. Not a head coach. If we want to continue with our current sporting director structure i don't think he'd be comfortable working within a structure like that. I'm not saying he has total autonomy on the incomings and outgoings at Burnley but his job title, to me suggests that he has much more say than Smith has here. I think Bruce ran the rule over who we signed when he came in, got some bloody decent ones in to his credit, he just can't work with them thereafter. Our recruitment policy has been a complete failure. You'd hope we are revaluating it and our structure as we go forward. Getting another well credentialed sporting director in may not be the answer either. Might be time to return to the old fashioned " manager ".

Care to enlighten me as to what way that is ? We've no style. It's made up as we go along. Don't be silly. You totally dismiss all the intangibles, what we can't see, that's got them to 54 points. He doesn't suffer fools. Nobody in their team that is above work. They are without ego. Doesn't seem to get too close to any of his players - which i like. He's a bloody good manager and we'd be lucky to have him. Don't get too hung up on his style. It's horses for courses. He has a limited budget and knows what he has to do with it. I've watched Burnley play and win games and play much better than Villa. You don't get to 54 points with a football style alone without all the other things i mentioned .

How do you mean ?

Pearson and Shakespeare been shafted here. Them Pozzo's are unconventional to put it mildly.

The football was boring but they kept them in the league, which was their remit. From what im reading they wanted much more control and to be able to make more sweeping changes and were at loggerheads with the owner over it. Only one winner then.

That's a fair point. Rose was at Salzburg, obviously is the real deal and done wonders now at Monchengladbach.

Even berhalter looked and sounded very impressive when he got the USMNT gig in the beginning. Lot of rumblings of discontent with him and his ability to get the best from them. I totally agree. The Austrian league is very weak. Marsch's name has grown because of the famous team talk he gave in the CL game against Liverpool and they nearly came back. Well, guess what - Samatta scored against Liverpool in the CL and he looks rubbish.

Marsch probably is gettable. I don't think he's gonna get much credit in the bank winning trophies with RB Salzburg in a one horse league with their wealth, players etc. Just iffy with American managers, call it the snob in me. Rose ? Not a hope of getting him. Leeds are proof of the importance of acquiring a world class coach.

Cowley's get sacked after keeping Huddersfield in the league. If people think our highly ambitious owners will have an " oh well " attitude about relegation, you might be very wrong.

Hard to know. They've never looked upon it as their derby as such and it isn't. Not at all as spiteful a fixture as when they play pompey.

I don't think Brentford have signed a player in the last 5 or 6 years who has been a dud for them . Dunno how they do it, but they do it well.

I remember Norwich on the first Friday night game against Liverpool, tried sticking to their championship philosophies, playing out from the back. They got tore a new one. Leeds don't have a style as such. Very much a horses for courses team. Far more likely to Sheffield United it than Norwich it. Was very impressed with them against Arsenal in the cup and Arsenal put out a strong team that night. He'll pay for it though if he doesn't upgrade on Bamford. Leaves a tonne of chances behind. Won't cut it in the PL. Will see how ruthless Bielsa is. Top flight club football has been mixed for him thus far .

Surely though in the 3 month lock down they would of prepared for this eventuality coming to pass, and it has.

I've watched Bournemouth. Billing looks very lazy and slow. He's big and physical in the middle of the part but teams cut right through them. Lewis Cook be a good signing i think.

If we go down, we'd be crazy not to make a punt for kieron dowell. He's absolutely bossing it. Everton will buy big and he won't be part of their plans.

Heaton will do just fine next season.

Ramsey hasn't gone anywhere.

City could hammer Watford. 34 might do. Didn't think it would but this is a crazy finish.

Genuinely had forgotten about them

To be fair, if Watford get beaten tonight and hammered against City, it's incomprehensible that we can go into the last day with 31 points ( worst case scenario ) and still have a chance of staying up. If we go down after that we have no grounds whatsoever of crying foul of VAR or being hard done by etc etc. In a normal season, you'd be dead and buried with 31 points with 3 or 4 games to go even.

This is nuts. Relegation gods shining on us.

They've a very settled squad who know each other inside out. Bielsa would be incredibly naive to think though they won't need to add. I don't think he'll tear the whole thing up though. I think they'll add 3 to 4 new players to their starting 11.

Mate, i know the story. Was meant in jest. The fact you have the sense of humour of a piece of cardboard is not my problem.