The College Dropout

Away from home? Fulham and Everton away in the league Sun - Weds. I like Arsenal and I hope they win the league.

Conference league might even be better for them than EL.

No just need City to win the FA Cup. we have 4 CL places in the league, 5th is Europa, FA Cup is Europa, League Cup is Conference. Liverpool won league cup so 6th is conf. If City win Fa cup Conf will be done to 7th with extra Europa in the league.

Happy to be proven wrong by this lad. Top top player.

He’s improved in this regard so much this season. Looks so much stronger and faster and quicker of thought this season. He was brilliant. Again.

Brilliant from Howe. Got everything decision right. Tactically outclassed Ange. I loved the approach. I loved the font three. It reminded me of the old us. We were aggressive. That extra cover and sitting deeper allowed us to be super aggressive. We should consider keeping this approach. Thank you Eddie.

Chelsea were the last club to post accounts for a reason. It’s a mess.

We sold £25m. We spent £150m. I expect us to be right up against that 70% threshold again. Im certain we won’t have the buffer to spend on more than 1 big transfer without significant sales.

You don't understand. According to last years accounting but next year (or two) rules - we can't spend anything. We have to sell to be compliant.

Isn't that bar being better at running a football club than half the elite clubs?

You can't do that consistently until your revenue is close to Spurs, Arsenal. At a minimum we'll need a new stadium and a productive youth academy to do that. Or gauge revenue other ways.

Rocafella is right. Unless the club has some trick up their sleeve. A legal battle. Confident other rules an be changed. Then yes - the ambition doesn't match the actions. Time will tell. I keep thinking Saudi create some kind of hack. A summer 4 team tournament with Real Madrid, Man City, Newcastle & Juventus. £70m for every participating club.. If Man City can collect that £70m why can't we? But we haven't seemingly done any major hacks so far.

Away from home? Fulham and Everton away in the league Sun - Weds.

I think not being in the CL has helped them be in the title race. Klopp ending his final season with only a League Cup would be delightful tbf. 7th will qualify for conference league if Man City win the FA Cup.

But he also intercepts and presses a lot. I think he does that in the middle third a lot. the pressing forces poor passes from the opposition and turnovers.

Not sure I agree with this. He presses really well and he intercepts a lot of balls. He forces the opposition to play backwards or sideways and can win it either in the tackle or interceptions. He's a real presence and a force. And in the middle third he can just run and run with the ball. That's how he (and Willock) progress with the ball... just run with it. I know the opposition was weak but the Sunderland game sums up Joelinton's strengths. When he was on they just couldn't build anything meaningful in midfield. Every contested loose ball was his, the Sunderland midfield could never do what they wanted to do when he was around. And when he got on the ball he drove us forward with his running. As soon as he want off. Sunderland started finding pockets to play. They had that bit more time on the ball and we were that bit poorer on the transition. He's a big part of the type of side Howe wants to build IMO. Top teams might be able to out football us but with Tonali-Bruno-Joelinton-Gordon-Miggy you can't outrun, out strength or out battle us. We'll beat a number of teams through sheer midfield physicality. We need to get more of that physicality in defence.

Agreed - we have to cut him some slack as he's playing through injury.

Apparently, the agent has been hawking him around quoting that number. Think he'll go for double.

Gilmour seems to lack a bit of physicality and bite. A good player technically sure. But not sure he's so good at it that it negates his weaknesses. Especially in a Howe team.

https://x.com/kieranmaguire/status/1778182432942137616?s=46&t=XBqcNDJ8Au1NwcsCT_X7Yg Leeds Leeds Leeds They spent so much money to still be playing Kilch and co. in defence.

Is Donnarumma shit?

Kovacic/Gundogan. He would be excellent alongside Rodri and behind Foden/KDB. So would Bruno so that's fantastic. I haven't loved any of their transfers in a long time. Talent/excitement wise they are a long way from the Sane, Sterling, Mahrez type wingers. It can take years to master Pep ball though. Gundogan for example got better and better every season damn near. Same with Rodri. He as pretty poor in his first 18 months or so. Rodri-Gundo didn't work properly for some time. Not like the Fernandinho-Silva axis at least. Then it clicked.

Agreed. The only way to make it a science is to own the loaning club or have some other type of major influence. Chelsea almost had it down to a science. Roman Abramovic financed Vitesse and they played the Chelsea kids. After a successful spell the likes of Broja and Mount got loans to good Champ sides or poor PL sides. I think that would be a good move for Minteh too. A season in the Champ - 10+ goals at 20/21 would indicate he's going to be some player.

I believe UEFA have confirmed the max number of teams allowed to compete in the CL from 1 association is 5. With priority given to: CL winner then Europa League winner then League finish

Some on here have Howe as a father figure too tbf.