The College Dropout

It's lazy. But hiring people is often about relationships.

Glad he's confirmed he's been playing with pain. He's never been the best. But he's been super bad recently and many of us expected something was at play and now Howe has confirmed.

Agreed. He doesn't even offer top-level athleticism either. I agree. But I can't see it happening. I think £10m is more realistic. I'd take that. In the Hull-Bruce, Stoke-Pulis, Wigan-Jewell era aye. But most Championship teams coming up try to play proper football and want footballers in their side. Like - he could go to a Luton but they would offer half what you're suggesting and think he'd be good value in the Champ. With everything we've seen this season, are you genuinely puzzled?

The end of April at that. Any issues and it's next season. I imagine Joelinton will be on similar timelines. Might be for the best if we are cut off the European race and out the FA Cup.

We cursed him when we were talking about "well at least he can stay fit".

When I think about an international squad, I always think about potential pen takers. We have: Kane Palmer Toney Saka -- al main PK takers fro their club. Gordon Foden Maguire (? seem to remember him scoring a few) Maddison Rashford All pretty lethal from the spot. Although I feel like Rashford takes the same penalty every time. He opens his body so wide to indicate he's going to his right, then he turns his foot sharply to aim for that unstoppable bottom left corner.

I agree with this. Also - that season West Ham was in the running for CL up until Jan/Feb iirc. Whenever the Europa got serious fell off but as you say, the top half was weak so it didn't really matter. Going out of Europe makes Brighton more competitive in the race for 7th. They don't have the squad for a deep European run. I'm not so worried for Spurs. You have the FFP headroom to get the 2-4 players you need to be able to better cope with CL football. It's just about Levy wanting to invest. A good run CL and some bad luck can reduce your points total 5-10 but that's always likely for how Levy runs the club/the finances. Similar to us, I thought if the top 6 got their act together, Villa do well and we fall off 5-10% due to injuries we could easily finish 8th or similar without much going wrong based on our squad. We've had bad injuries and a lot more has gone wrong than I expected so we've done even worse than I thought was likely. Still time to salvage it.

Howe saying they are targeting the end of April for Pope to return to first team action. Back on grass but "not necessarily diving". I assume he means - but not diving.

I like the Conference League. And yes any PL club in it has a great chance of winning it. For the likes of Villa and West Ham, it’s the only competition they are ever likely to be in where they will be favourites. Same for us - this decade at least. We’d have a bus parade if we won it. Of course it’s a serious cup.

Might have been super painful + swelling. I remember when Walcott did his ACL. He was smiling and joking as he went off the pitch (on a stretcher tbf but he was sitting up).

Think Cole was under rated. He’s much closer to shearer in the all time rankings when you exclude penalties. Pippo wasn’t an all rounder which is what I liked about him. Just a goal hanger.

That’s where the financial disparity is most stark. Below that elite level. I would assume Liverpool’s wage budget is 2x the size of the nearest non PL club remaining in the competition. West Ham would be top 4. Villa would be #1 by a crazy distance too.

Well aye but that was yonks ago. Simone Inzaghi did win a Serie A as a player and he’ll win Serie A as a manager. but as a player he wasn’t half the player Pippo was. They don’t make strikers like Pippo anymore.

All good shouts. Funny I remember Enrique, Blanc and Conte. Always thought Conte was an Ambrosini type. Typical Italian CM, hard working and technically sound but not masses of ability. The type you put real quality around. Spends their whole career in Italy. I pegged Marchisio and DeRossi in that bracket. Having never seen him much I assumed Tonali was that type too.

Rumours he had a falling out with someone on Southgate's coaching staff and generally fed up with being a bench player. It is interesting how we haven't heard strong rumours about the reasons.

No chance of getting him. Signed a Harry Kane type Deathrow Contract last year. Would cost twice the fee of Barnes.

No I don't. You called him an important player at the Euros. He wasn't.

Think he's a little unlucky to miss out this time. But seeing Gordon there should give him some inspo.

Got to the semi's of the Europa last year and qualified for the Europa again. In the Europa last 16 again with Bayer top of the Bundesliga and undefeated this season. Being a club legend and an overall football legend also helps Alonso. Totally unrelated. In terms of top players turned top coaches over recent years - how we would we rank them as players? Criteria is winning a top 5 league as a player and a manager. Zidane. Alonso. Then it gets hard. I don't remember Pep as a player much but I know he was top. He's younger than Simeone or Deschamps but I remember those two more. Too young for Carlo but his honours list is impressive.

The same reason he was disregarded last time is still true. He has no experience of managing in Europe successfully. If they couldn't land Alonso they would consider Howe probably. But then go for a Nagelsmann type or someone with more experience at the highest level.

Exactly. Declan Rice is 25 years old with almost 50 caps. He's experiened.

Henderson didn't even start games. He came off the bench in crucial games late. Philips and Rice played 90% of minutes at the Euros. Again, Henderson has never been impressive for England. He's had more stinkers in important moments than good games.

Say he left in the summer. Where do people think he would end up next? Just assuming every job was available to him. West Ham would be in for him for sure. Maybe Chelsea. Brighton potentially. I think he's a season away from being recognised as more of a top top manager.

Worst thing about Henderson is that he's never impressed for England.

Gomez has played RB,CB,LB for Liverpool. Looked solid. It should be Southgate calling White not the other way around.