Kanj

I don’t want to be Brentford or Brighton. I assume most dont want it either. Our owners don’t want that either. I don’t want to be a team who signs a million regens and funds more regens to sell off. And when life is good keep selling off. When the fans clap off a 7th or 15th season the same. When the manager is made to be poached. Good biz model. Not my pref. I do not give a single fuck about the fee or wages. I want the players to perform. If they do the rest will work itself out. On pitch success will help yield the business returns. And no, it’s not that. It has never been about that. It’s still a revenue issue. And it’s beyond our control now. Should we sell better yes. But this whole notion of selling of selling isak to fund a squad rebuild is so fucking insane to me. It’s so easier said than done. Everyone here arm chairing player trading. It’s an issue for every club. People tend to trade their youth or middling middle ground players who they either acquired for cheap or free. Big money signings don’t generally get big money moves becuase they are pins for the growth of the internal ambitions. Coutinho at 8.5m to Liverpool to what he left for was once in generation stuff. Caciedo same. Enzo same.

In hockey there’s a whole concept called puck luck. In the NBA there are legit calls that go towards superstars at the big teams. In NFL there are calls that go towards the big teams and their quarterbacks. So when anyone tries to tell me that doesn’t happen in football, and “I don’t blame refs” we don’t get half the same shit the favored clubs get. It’s fucking bang on true. Liverpool get penalties weekly. How about us? So at the same time I really want to point out that we’ve had mostly fuck all luck this season. Nee bounce. Nee ref. Nee shite.

Hold on. If you haven’t seen the full 90 but have developed a hot take after said negative result that’s absolutely ridiculous. Abstain, please. Thanks.

Apart from Brighton and Benfica capitalizing on Chelsea dropping insane fees for players, clubs don’t generally just flip their best player these days if they have aspirations to move up the table and keep building. Sure Liverpool did it yonks ago but they sold those players at insane prices when those respective buyers were dropping silly fees. Again, those buyers are anomalies and not normal each window. It’s far different now the PSR world. and I’m speaking about this from the POV from my career (applying my M&A exp) as well so those of you who do know me in real life should at least understand where I’m coming from in this analysis.

If only all of this were so simple!

Isak just hasn’t been finishing the chances he usually does for us. Just a temporary thing imo. If this was last season he scores that chest volley.

Think that’s the same for nearly all managers; your plan a variation or plan b is brining in subs who offer something different to what started. It’s a different style player. Our subs have won us points this season many times. It just didn’t work at all Monday.

Easier said than done to time the market like that

Could easily simplify football discussion about our fortunes this season in one very simple comment: our finishing has been poor, we’ve underperformed our xG. Take our chances and it’s a different story here.

Ya isak on 4 goals in the league? Gordon with what 1-2? That’s a problem!

second goal killed us off like. Willock going off for Tonali and I’d venture to say we crawl back into the game and get a point at least.

Little Joe was in training photos yesterday so I assume he’s good to go

Howe’s plan A has worked far more often than not, hence his incredible record here despite PSR constraints that have limited our ability to continue improve the starting 11 and squad depth. No manager is perfect, all of them make mistakes, it’s football. Not many top end managers chop and change systems and tactics every week unless they are playing for survival.

I have very similar thoughts and questions

How often do we see a successful plan B from managers?

Mate, I do think Barnes was opportunistic. But my view on the whole matter is below: I truly think they saw AG as a RW and eventually the Miguel Almiron replacement. But Barnes signed late and Howe often takes time to beds new signings in. Gordon came to preseason after the youth Euros flying and he started LW as Willock was hurt from the season prior and they moved JL back to LCM and wanted to persist with Miggy at RW. I assume they were going to eventually move Gordon there but Barnes was taking time to get up to speed, then got hurt. I think if Willock was fit we'd have kept the Big + Little Joe left side with Isak CF, Gordon RW and a midfield with Tonali over Longstaff.

I think we would have signed him if not for Liverpool + Klopp. But I agree. Szob would have been a perfect RW/10 hybrid cutting in and creating.

I am a fan of Ajax going back very old school with that. The current badge didn’t need changing mind you.

it has absolutely nothng to do with value and most ppl won’t want to hear this but Jamaal and Krafth are absolutley fine squad players and actually quite good when needed in their roles. They’ve actually kept their levels. But rightfully are not first choice. It’s what Longstaff essentially is, fine as a squad player but has to be displaced long term. Those three shouldn’t be first choice and they are massively underrated by our fanbase. Jamaal and Krafth especially. Burn in that category too.

I'd also go all out for Marcin Bulka as our eventual Pope replacement. https://breakingthelines.com/player-analysis/marcin-bulka-nices-penalty-specialist/

Sandro, Sandro, Sandro. Just play Sandro there.

Edin Terzić would be my my choice if they ever do the unthinkable and have to move on from Eddie.

@KaKa @Ikon Kang-In Lee would be ideal imho. Rw/attacking mid. Takes set pieces. Left foot is great. Brilliant passer of the ball and close control. Could be the right wing player we’d need most or could drift in and play as an attacking mid.

I’m perfectly fine with him on the bench. It’d be nice if he could reinvent himself as a withdrawn striker or play right side or something. You almost feel Barnes running in behind thru balls or playing off of Isak or Wilson would be good for him. He has really good close control, a decent short passing game and the ability to pop off shots.

^ yep. i think he should play at the base, with Bruno dropping into a 2 defensively and in the first phase of build up. When we progress up the pitch Bruno should cover that RCM/free role he likes to get where he covers left and right of the pitch. Willock should be the other LCM and be overlapping/underlapping that LW side.