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Yeah lack of control of playing time/needing a replacement etc. are certainly fair points. But I think the Championship gets underrated for developing players, just looking at recent England players, loads were developing in the Championship at his age: Maddison, Kalvin Phillips, Grealish spend 3 years there in his early twenties, Eze, Conor Gallacher spend a year on loan there before he was loaned to premiership teams. Bowen, Watkins, Toney etc all spent years developing their game in lower divisions until they were older than Anderson is. It's not ideal having him on loan, but my feeling is at his age (21/22) he's not going to reach his potential without consistent first team football (i.e. regularly starting in a settled position) and I don't think he's ready for that yet here. Not at the level we want to be at. You might find a bottom half premier league team for him, but as an attacking midfield I'd rather have him in a good championship team personally, and knowing he's going to be one to their better players is going to help ensure minutes. Even if it's maybe a loan till Jan with the option to extend. Alternatively he can be a useful squad player here. Ideally he absolutely tears it up in the final games and shows himself to be first team ready. I suspect he'll be a squad player next season as well though, which is fine. But he's in a very formative part of his development - he won't be seen as a young prospect for much longer, and I just think he really needs a year of being a consistent first team starter.

In fairness he showed he could score pre-season in USA. Still can’t make my mind up on him but I’m leaning towards not good enough for where we are aiming to be. Still giving myself another season to make mind up on him and that in reality is probably all he has with EH too.

Feel like we'd end up deeply regretting letting him go. Just need lots of patience with this one, and it'll come together for him.

Seat next to me was empty, which was infuriating

I was in the Milburn Paddock (gallowgate side). I didn’t think the atmosphere was rank, nor good. From where I was the atmosphere was obviously carried by the Strawberry Corner.

Had some whiners a few rows behind me. Told them all to support the team or fcuk off. Took great delight as every goal went in turning around flicking the V’s and cupping my ears asking if our team was still embarrassing them. You all need to start calling these “fans” out. Don’t put up with it.

"jury's out" though. Considering the time out he had for injury he's contributing nicely and you can tell Eddie is managing his minutes and getting him back up to speed in a staggered fashion. Full pre-season behind him and I think he'll post similar numbers to Gordon next season if he gets the minutes.

Aye, you were next to an old bloke.

Nah, 1995-96 burgundy, black and white jacket. Brown Ale logo and Adidas on the back. But I was row T, stood almost all of the match as a pillar was behind me and the lad who I'm assuming is/was you was also stood. You're right that that part of the East Stand has got the atmosphere of a morgue. My old ST seat in block L was night and day as it's close to the corner so most join in with the singing.

How does promotion between NL D1 and D2 work? Looking on wiki, admittedly not the best source, D1 currently has 20 teams, with seemingly only Sunderland RCA dropping, and in D2 Blyth promoted and then one of 4 to join them from the playoffs - will there be 21 teams in D1 next year, or will Marske be going straight into that league to make it 22 and an even number meaning every team can play each game week? I forgot about the 2 teams getting promoted, so surely it can't be a 19 team league next year?

No chance we spend that much money on a player that turns 28 this year.

Think that might depend if they start sliding down the table in the next season or two. They finish out of the top 8 this season and then next season I'm sure he'd consider moving on and the club will have to sell before he goes for free.

Ashworth's fee + replacement's fee = problem man u?

I love Minteh. Had no clue he could be played at striker though. Would be interested to see what we do with him this summer

I will say that if he has another barn storming season next season but we don’t make champions league (and I think we will though) then I think its likely he’ll go.

Can't see him ever leaving West Ham to be honest what with the Danny Dyer connection etc.

We have 3 midfielders that have enough quality to be playing regularly for a team aiming to be in the top 4 mix every season. We’re a team that plays a midfield three. Imo you can talk all you want about us having enough bodies in there but it’s not enough imo as I see the midfield as such an important part of the team. It’s the heartbeat offensively as well as defensively imo. You can get away with playing one “lesser” player there every now and then. However, over a season it’s gonna affect us quite a bit. Never mind if we have a long term injury to one of them, or a suspension along with a player injured. Then we look extremely weak in there all of a sudden. It won’t matter how good our defence or attack is if we don’t have control of the midfield. Both in and out of possession. One key point imo is that we lack technical quality and quality depth in midfield. It looks a little bit one dimensional overall so I would like to both strengthen the area in depth as well as signing players that can offer something slightly different to what we currently have. Im very well aware that we have other positions to strengthen so we can’t sign 2 finished articles of high quality for obvious reasons. Here’s What I would do I would go for two quality young players that aren’t expected to be key players straight away, but players that have 1st team experience and good to great technical ability and won’t cost a bomb. just to name two. Désiré Doué an attacking midfielder with great versatility and technical ability. And Ezequiel Fernández a DM that is a good playmaker from a deeper position. I obviously wouldn’t know for sure but I reckon we might get both of these for 45m. They have quality but most of all undeniable potential. Players that can grow from squad players to become key players. They would offer us something different and give us plenty of options. i would sell/loan out a couple of the other midfielders that we have but keep one of them. I personally think many of our other players are either very young or overrated or just poor in general. I think the 45-50m for these two would be a great “investment” and still leave money for other positions.

Black Castore Hoodie? I can only apologise for moving about like a cunt due to that shitty little step if that’s the case. I’ll be honest, that thought did cross my mind after seeing 2 seats come up at exactly the same time yesterday morning.

At least when he's here we're in control of his game time and training schedule etc. It's always a risk sending players out on loan to the Championship in the summer, because obviously you'd want him to go to a club challenging at the top of the table and playing a similar style to us and that's hard to predict at the best of times. If Leeds don't go up, that would be a decent loan for him next year. But if he does go and potentially then Miley would as well then we'd definitely need another CM in.

I was thinking Kane is probably a better striker ATM (not player mind you)

Aye, that was probably me.

Attended an EFL relegation shit-off yesterday, as Huddersfield and Birmingham all but demoted one another. Was a remarkable sight seeing both teams crestfallen on the pitch at full time, but by God was there a dearth in quality; barely distinguishable from some of the more competitive contests I've observed at York City. Our seats were among the rowdier of the home support, which I have to say was quality because everyone spent the whole match standing. That was my first experience of that at a big game and I would say - without question - that it would be my preferred way to watch football. In true football tourist fashion I missed Hudds' equaliser as I was stood on the concourses with an inch of bad lager in a cracked plastic cup. Mrs' missed both goals for the same reason. Scum, sub-human scum.

We’d be totally screwed trying to find a new striker too, they’re impossible to find. Plus the points you’ve made. Isak would have to force a move through and I don’t see that all.

Theres just no way we’ll sell him this summer. Arsenal will almost certainly go for Toney.

I think you might be right but I still think they’ll bring in another striker. No way they can do into next season with the same situation as this season.