The College Dropout

Need to do something to encourage goals.

If they keep it at 24 teams. They should do 3rd place teams going through on goals scored not points. 4 3rd place teams with the most goals go through. Or just go to 32 and hope for some spankings.

We still don’t have central midfield passers/controllers. Rice plays for Arsenal but Arsenal peaked with Jorginho/Partey deepest and utilising their ability to play it through the lines and allowing Rice to run everywhere and physically dominate. Jude plays for RM but he’s tasked with scoring, there’s 5 players ahead of him to put their foot on the ball and control it. Ancelotti is a master at getting players where their skills are maximised and that’s close to goal.

Mainoo could get there but he’s far too young atm. Game needs developing. They need to let him concentrate on being a baller and not fall into this ‘he needs to score goals and assist’ trap that’s so prevalent in this country. Luka Modric, Xavi, Kroos never scored loads or had crazy assists. Put their foot on the ball in pressure, get their teams into advantageous positions for others to score and create.

Agreed. Aye but running around is what they are good at. Nobody we played at CM main skills are getting it and playing it forward with a pass. Mainoo is press resistant, Rice is a mega athlete, Jude is both. TAA isn’t a central midfielder. Ruiz could control any ball given to him. Insanely press resistant and he’ll pop balls through the lines time and again. Even Morata would come deep and hold it up well. We don’t develop Ruiz types. We don’t develop Rodri types. The amount of difficult to play balls through the lines and difficult to control balls Spain played was insane. Even the GK was at it. I thought he was shanking them but he was drilling. 20 yard low balls into Morata and Yamal all night. They would control it and Spain would be on the attack. In contrast Pickford kept hoofing it. I blame Southgate for that. I don’t think we won a single first ball from a hoof. Should’ve started Toney if that was the plan. Foden is a fantastic player but he’s not a playmaker. He’s more of a second striker, he’ll get goals and assists but he’s not a linky player. Palmer and Saka needed to play together a lot more. Both enjoy combination player and get more involved. Foden needed to be dropped - not to become the primary AM. He has no relationships with any other England players. Walker is Man City’s counter attack defence and 1v1 dribblers. He’s not that good at any other element of the job. His immediate understudy at the tournament is an even worse defender. Players is over rated.

Tournament was boring. Saved by the right winners.

Can see Messi being pressured into staying on

Think English players are overrated but the manager didn't get the best out of them.

A team that got to the last 16 of the CL. Also the only player of that group to start each of their 6 CL wins. But Kid Icarus thinks he’s shit.

Fair. I always thought Luiz was more the passer and Kamara more the legs. They’ve replaced the legs but not the passer was my thinking.

Transfer doesn’t entirely make sense to me. Ok Kamara is injured probably until 2025 and he’s that replacement. Ok cool. But that’s an expensive replacemsnt. £15-17.5m for amortisation. Thats surely all the profit from the Diaby deal gone. Kamara will cost 7.5m. Meanwhile they still need to replace Diaby and Luiz. Maybe I’m hating. It’s a good signing.

Agreed. I suspect we’ll hear more from Eales and Yasir going forward.

That Ajex team really didn't go on to do a lot as individuals. Compared to that Monaco team at least (Mbappe, Bernardo, Fabinho etc.).

Didn't really produce going forward either.

Bailey? Think he was less. Think he missed a lot through injury. Was better the next season but not incredibly so which was why they signed Diaby. Then really kicked on last season. Bailey, Diaby etc. all clearly talented footballers but sometimes things don't gel together for a player, or takes a little time or is a bad fit.

55m euro winger though. That's ok for a first season. Bailey got 19 G/A in the PL.

Was ok. Lost his place in the team for periods to Bailey. It's taken Bailey 2-3 years to really show his ability in the PL and I suspect it may take Diaby the same time. Diaby had interest from Saudi last season but chose Villa. Vila's PSR issues mean they have to make tough decisions. £50m would put them in a amortisation profit but not significantly so. Probably another 6-8m on wages too though.

I was trying to say that point at the end there. Europe impacts 24/25. It's no coincidence Eales started talking about trading once we were out of the CL last season. Our summer activity would've predicated a longer European run that season imo.

Eales said the aim was any European comp in Jan/Feb. That didn't seem aspirational. Considering the flurry of transfer activity in Jan and June - I don't think we had long catered for the worst with PSR for this season. Europe impacts this seasons PSR. I don't think that would be the primary reason anyway. But a contributory factor.

I assume it's a bit of everything. Amanda needs the money. Amanda was always going to transition out. The club needs the investment for infrastructure. We didn't achieve our playing goals this season for the men's team (I don't think we budgeted for being out of Europe in 2024 AND not qualifying for Europe in 24/25). PSR & transfers situation. "Thanks Amanda for getting us here."

Yeh the way this has come around doesn't sit right with me. At least not in terms of this being a culmination of medium/long-term planning. It might be for the very best.

I remember reading they led on contract extensions for a few players in the last 6 months. If the plan was for them to leave in the summer - they shouldn't have been involved imo.

We don't? Isn't that how major shareholders who are actively invested should act? Not sacking Howe obviously but the ultimate shot-caller?

Hate off to him. Good subs at a good time today. Found a system that suits the players. Another final.

That Shaw sub was pre-planned. He’s only fit enough for so many minutes. NO PROACTIVE CREDIT GIVEN