Hank Scorpio

I'm not even sure why this thread even exists. Lock this shit up!

Barcelona are a joke. Once Messi leaves or retires they are going to implode.

From everything the club have said Watkins is still quite deservedly number 1 up front. So whoever his backup is realistically isn't going to be a £40m striker is he. I suspect they may go with Wesley and Davis and that's it. To me that is a huge risk but maybe we have other priorities to strengthen first.

To me the problem is they all have defined strengths and weaknesses so whichever 3 you play you are leaving a big deficiency on the pitch. Nakamba - Distribution lets him down. But can will the ball back very well and press well McGinn - Distribution again (Based on Last Season). He otherwise can press well and tries to get forwards Luiz - Tackling/Pressing let's him down. Passing is generally his biggest asset from deep Sanson - Can't actually judge as seen too little of him. I think the key to the team is a defensive minded destroyer who can win the ball but then be trusted to distribute well. That would free up Luiz/McGinn to show their best qualities. Basically we need Kante 2.0 then. Simple.

Remember the days of Leon Hickman in the evening mail where they actually broke transfers and for the most part were not a bullshitting rag? Those days are never coming back.

Ethan Moore we know it's you. Come on home son.

Not shopped. He's not lying on a pallet

Sadly not in most cases it seems

The issue with our Central midfield is that all the players we have are good at a few things but are equally poor in others so when we are playing just two of them invariably that leaves an issue on the pitch wether it be inability to pass, press, create or run. I guess that's why players such as Kante are so rare and sought after as he can do all equally well.

I won't disagree about previous managers or owners but again if a player wants to leave he will and we can't stop it. That's the same for any team. No owner or manager will change that.

Who would be powerless to stop a player who wants to leave for a team playing in Europe. And again I am relaxed. Stop telling me that I am not. Do you not think I have seen this numerous times before? Yorke, Milner, Young etc etc. It's just a matter of historical fact. The only way we avoid it happening again is to qualify. McNeill in my eyes won't help that next season. I better go have a chamomile tea now, you know, to relax

I'm not freaking out. Again just being aware of our place in the food chain so to speak. We will have to show progress to keep our best players, Arsenal Everton and Leeds are no different. All I am saying is, that whoever club identify this summer needs ideally to come in and start instantly we don't really have time to develop a player that cost £40m to buy in the first place.

I cannot imagine Man City will take him back, not necessarily because he didn't have a great season for us, more so they can and now will probably buy the finished player after last night in their continued push to win the chumps league. I hope Luiz stays and can continue to develop and improve as I hope he has alot more to give.

How is that doom mongering. So you honestly believe if we finish say midtable again next season we won't lose our better players? I hate it as much as anyone, you can call me a depressing realist if you want, because that's probably what that statement is. No doom.

While i think he has talent I am not sure he is the profile of player we need going into this next season. It's pretty much a vital season in which it is accepted we need to push for European qualification. If we don't get it, players may leave. So with that in mind McNeill appears to be a development project, where he could be very good but that may take another year or two to realise fully. Therefore I cannot see the logic on supposedly spending £40m on a development project of a player. This season for the first time we need 2/3 players that can slot in and produce from the start, and make the first 11 immediately better. A worrying transfer in my mind.

What's our friend Arlind the Journalist saying

Oh I must have misunderstood the data. Seriously it's like I am at work!

That's quite possible!

I saw an article on the athletic about it at the opposite end of the scale were man city, chelsea and Liverpool if i recall correctly. I think that may well demonstrate speed can be somewhat correlated to success. Maybe?

One thing I think we need more than anything is more pace across the team..we statistically have the slowest team in the league last season.

I don't think I would ever leave

I think it's a risk going into next season with Davis and Wesley as backup for Watkins. Neither of them for various reasons can be fully trusted to be the main striker in the event of Watkins being seriously injured. Question is can we fund a replacement to the level of Watkins again.

The AC Milan keeper is a free agent now..decent backup to the Argentinan glove god.

Can't say anything bad about him.Hope he is fully recovered from this injury now. Steer is a.capable number 2 I think. More concerning is how we get Kalinic off the books.

Pure. Sex.