sparrow1988

Eric Dier being picked is mind boggling. Has Southgate not noticed that Spurs upturn in form has coincided with Dier being out of the team?

To be fair Leicester are way ahead of us in terms of development and I would argue they didn't start selling some of their best players until they were well established in this league. In fact, they probably didn't start until they had won the league, were playing in Europe and could potentially attract better than what they were selling. We need to build the quality in our squad before we start to move our best players on otherwise we'll dick around in mid-table forever before we have a bad season and slip into relegation as with all perennial mid-table teams. We sell Mings now and we won't attract another CB who starts for one of the top 5 international sides in the world. How you can say that Mings is the weak link in the back 5 when the others haven't got one international cap to share between them baffles me. Although that's a bit harsh on Martinez as Argentina is just a shitshow of a national team. He should maybe have one or two. We should be clever enough to move the players on that have reached their ceilings, however, I don't think that we are in a place yet to do that nor do I think that any of our players have reached their ceilings.

Seems Harry always found quite naive owners then that just let him spend what he wanted, apart from Levy that is.

Yes, but they were managed by Harry Redknapp. That usually leads to crippling debts and threat of administration.

Look, I'm all for selling a Coutinho that doesn't really fit into an insanely intense pressing system because his little lungs don't let him for 120 million, adding 30 million to that and buying the world class CB and GK to transform a decent team in to a title winning team. But, let's not start doing that until we are in a place to sell a 'star' without it completely f***ing up the rest of the team.

Why are we discussing selling our best players again?

Full backs make top teams these days. Whether it's tucking in to add an extra man in the DM line or bombing forward to provide width, they are one of the most important players on the pitch.

Proper order.

He's still there anyway unless I've missed something.

But Romero is probably cheap enough, right?

Although looking at the other English keepers, I'm struggling to think of 3 better than him that are getting regular game time. He's probably worth looking at considering there is a tournament in the summer.

Good that he won't make it. No need to be going away with them and aggrivating any injury that he has. Although sky were reporting that he'll be fit for Sunday and involved with England. Hopefully the truth is exactly in the middle. He's fit for Sunday and not involved with England.

If they go down, he might be cheaper though. On the first choice issue, there is a LB here and it's his job to dislodge him.

Like when Brendan Rodgers says a player has got a bit of arrogance about him.

Here's a video on hamstring injuries from Tifo which let's face it is a fairly relevant to Ross. Skip to about 3.30 where it describes how hamstring injuries can affect careers in the long term.

Is that true? There is more of a case for leaving a fully fit Grealish out of the squad than there is for calling up Sam Johnstone.

In fairness, I don't see Hourihane winning the Ballon D'Or.

Going by the results of the federal elections state at the weekend, the right wingers are fading over here. Although later in the year, a few of the east German federal states are voting so that could change.

Sounds like you caught McTominay on a good day. He's as likely to be as bad as he was good on Sunday.

It is conjecture. As are all the opinions expressed on this forum. However there are elements of it which are true. Some of our players had COVID. I heard reports of 10 - who had it, I don't know. However, the WHOLE squad did not train for two weeks apart from whatever that they could do at home. The standard of this training would in no way been the same standard as training at Bodymoor. I know some footballers have big gardens but kicking the ball around the back garden is not the same as rigorous repetitive training drills competing with other individuals. If you think a two week break from training (not considering potentially being infected with covid), while all other teams trained as normal has had no effect on the players then I don't know what to say.

I think it is a bit of both. We have hit a bad spell. However I would attribute a portion of an horrendous pass to the virus. If your fitness is affected which regardless of having the virus or not, the two weeks of no training will affect your fitness negatively and therefore the player will not get to whatever position on the pitch as quickly as before leaving him less time to make the pass. Arriving half a second later will let your opponent get a couple of meters closer than he normally would leading to a rushed pass under pressure which can affect the quality of the pass.

Purslow

Whereas we just threw ours back in. Did Newcastle stop training for two weeks? I can't remember.