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12am ko is absolutely wank if you like/need a beer whilst watching it. I'm married to an Alcohol Specialist Nurse who's at graft on Sunday. Be great her walking into the living room at 5pm only to be confronted by her paralytic husband lying in a coma, in a pool of his own piss, covered in crisps

Take with a pinch of salt but I've been told Lee Kang-in from PSG is seriously considered as part of the short list for RW. Thats from someone connected at the club.

It obviously isn't

I don't want to go through this route, but draw Chelsea, draw Arsenal and beat Everton is probably OK.

I don't think he's worse than Miley. I reckon Miley's potential is clearly higher but I don't think there's much in it at the moment.

And I get your point 100% - all I have said is we don’t really have anyone at all in these positions to offer us anything of note currently At most we will made 3 big signings and possibly 2,squad signings for relative amounts

You’re probably right, in that we couldn’t or wouldn’t invest that much of available funds in one player. I just really rate him; could be a real difference maker, though obviously only if we had no weak links elsewhere.

Always come away thinking he'd have been the near perfect understudy for Big Joe though. Physical, gets about the pitch but can play without having devastating final product.

Samuele Ricci

Easier to stand out in a midfield featuring Ryan Yates rather than Bruno or Sandro. If Anderson was still here I still don't think he’d be a regular starter, he’s just missing a little something.

He's clearly got more tactical ability than both Nuno & Ang combined. Depends on Levy's patience and letting Glasner do his thing.

How? Why? Chelsea away form to top clubs: Liverpool (L) Arsenal (L) Man City (L) Villa (L) Newcastle home form to top clubs: Liverpool (D) Arsenal (W) Man City (D) Villa (W) Forest (W) Very happy to need to beat this Chelsea team at home to secure CL football. If we can't beat them we just aren't good enough and that's fine.

Keeper I think the most important and transformative signing for the first XI is a ball-playing keeper for several tactical reasons. After this comes the rest imo. Central midfield I think our depth at CM is worrying and that's where I'd put money next, 2 injuries to our 3 starters and we'd be struggling to control the middle and it throws our whole formation/game plan out the window. Fullbacks We need a long term plan for what's happening in both full back positions. Currently, Livramento is twice the player at LB as his at RB. Hall is just as good in a different way. What's the plan for RB? We play Livramento there until he comes good? If this is the case we're OK squad-wise for next season for the two positions presuming we're keeping Trippier and Krafth. If Howe see Livramento as starting LB and keeping Hall out, I think I'd really like to see Lewis Hall as the third man in the middle with Bruno and Tonali as we progress to a more possession-orientated, front-foot team. Probably Football Manager thinking but he's played there before in his youth, he's got great close control, passing and doesn't get flustered and hounded off the ball. Could he be the deep 6 we've been looking for - letting Tonali and Bruno be more dangerous near the opponent's box? Joelinton would be a great option when we're under the cosh or against strictly better players as his strength, ball carrying and engine is phenomenal. Not so good vs teams who sit back though, and I think this is where someone like Hall would be a net gain. Right wing Murphy is fantastic when he gets time on the ball, but in games where he doesn't, he's really only contributing defensive effort. We need someone who's good on the ball and can work hard defensively. This will be the hardest position to buy for I think. I have no suggestions, I'll see who turns up. It's unfortunate that it seems clear Gordon isn't going to be playing there, I think it plays to a lot of his strengths and would solve a £50m problem for nothing. Edit : Striker We need a body who can take minutes off Isak, anyone cheap, young or old but experienced and can do a job even if he won't uproot trees.

I think they should be exactly at the level Miley is at now. They should be either one of our academy players or a young players trying to break through. Anderson and Miley as 5th and 6th choice would've been the absolute ideal situation in a a perfect world.

You need players who can play multiple positions. We won't have 22 players of the required level. We won't have 4 top quality fullbacks. We can have 3, including one who can play both flanks and Krafth. That's fine. We won't have 6 top quality attackers for 3 roles. We should have 5 (including Murphy in that), with Gordon and a RW that can play uptop, then Osula as proper backup. We won't have 6 quality midfielders for 3 roles. But we need 4 or 5, including a couple that can play multiple roles in midfield like Bruno can. Unles we can land a proper bargain like a Minteh, Duran, Rogers you need to make this type of sacrifice.

As much as I hate to admit it, there's some truth in this. Big Joe is 29 in August. However, if it was up to me I'd keep big Joe at least one more season at least.

Burn doesn’t have the mobility to play LB If you look at our squad there’s 5 positions imo where we essentially don’t really have anyone to properly compete with others LB (Kelly loaned - Targett always crocked) CB - didn’t buy one last summer CM - Longstaff is offering nothing (sold Anderson) RW - Sold Miggy CF - Wilson is offering nothing

Disappointed the Adidas Trophy doesn't offer an 8 figure prize just for taking part.

Same here.

They are quoting 100m for Wharton. We can't afford him.

That's how I see it. A draw is a very likely outcome on Sunday no matter how much I would prefer to win it. But if we don't win I won't be assuming it's game over and assuming we are out of the running for CL football. Villa still have points to make up on us, and we only have to finish ahead of either them or Forest even if Chelsea finish higher.

This is pretty much where I'm at. I think we go into next season with some holes, I don't think we can get another players in of the level we need with our budget tbh.

I'd keep Dúbravka if he'd be happy to stay as #2 and there was a market for Pope. I'd definitely be keeping Trippier regardless. Lascelles probably should stay as a depth option and for his overall leadership. Targett would ideally be sold, but I'd be surprised if there were any takers. Longstaff or Willock have to go this summer, and based on how Longstaff's already been phased out, it's surely him first off the bus? Wilson can get in the sea. In addition to those, we have to try and shift Vlachodimos, one or both of Ruddy and Gillespie, Ashby, Alex Murphy, and Hayden.

GK RW CB ST At the very least, surely? Could easily see us doing something at CM and wouldn't be surprised if we signed yet another GK and shuffled a few of our existing ones out: GK: ?????, Pope/Dúbravka, ?????, Ruddy/Gillespie RB: Livramento, Trippier, Krafth CB(R): ?????, Schär, Lascelles CB(L): Burn, Botman LB: Hall CM(R): Guimarães, ????? CM: Tonali, Miley CM(L): Joelinton, Willock RW: ?????, Murphy ST: Isak, ?????, Osula LW: Gordon, Barnes Not sure we'd want to do too much more than that, really, and even six signings might be a bit ambitious. We'd have two gaps in the 25-man squad, given Hall and Miley are still classed as U21, and we'd only have one club-grown player for Europe. (I'll fight anyone advocating selling Joelinton btw) Moving this from Rumours to here, to try and avoid clogging that thread.