The College Dropout

Bruno invites actual contact and players bite. He has skill on the ball. Longstaff just gets closed down and falls over.

We would probably go backwards for awhile as we throw money at mercenaries. I think if you have a lot of money and you can spend it - you have to go through that pain and realise it doesn't work. Or don't realise like PSG.

To their credit Arsenal have won league titles in 7 different decades. And several different managers.

Arsenal fans seem to think he lacks the athleticism to play Arteta's system. Or at least that's why Arteta doesn't start him.

Thanks. Seems to have played LW equally for Leeds as RW. Most of his time in Holland and youth setups has been on the right. https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/crysencio-summerville/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/474701/saison//verein/0/liga/0/wettbewerb//trainer_id/0/pos/11 As right footer in a 4-3-3 with inverted forwards you would want him on the left, no? For RW I've been thinking of a left-footer for the last 18 months. Olise, Raphinha, Neto, Kudus, Palmer.

I was thinking about Liverpool. Didn’t even notice Villa.

Justice is the wrong way to look at Xg imo. Better quality players overperform Xg and vice versa. Team with best Goalie over performs Xga is not a shocker.

Not according to who scored

Kagawa and Sahin rejoined at 25 btw. 2 years after being sold. It’s very similar tbf.

How come so many managers fail then? Edit: at the highest level I think respect is hard earned and easily lost. And then the game moves on. Jose Mourinho is a top 10 manager of the last 30 years. Multiple successful jobs at the elite level. Yet he’s firmly outside the elite now. Can only get a job at a non-elite Serie A club. Benitez done at the top level. Only lasted 4 months at his last elite gig.

Conte has also won league titles with 3 different clubs relatively recently. Even at Spurs, he qualified for CL when most thought he couldn't. And the form over his first 12 months was excellent. When he realised they couldn't win the league - he tried to get himself fired. I don't think Pep Guardiola could get as many promotions into the PL as Steve Bruce. Genuinely I don't. That's a national job for a national-level manager. You judge elite performances, at the elite level IMO. I agree - most of them couldn't do what Eddie has done for us. But you become world-class at a world-class level, not the level below IMO.

I've been one of Almiron's biggest critics but I don't think there's enough value in selling him. (1) I think we would struggle for a buyer over £10m. I think we could just about justify £10m from Saudi. He doesn't have the track record of Chris Wood nor is there another Forest around. Financially there's just not much to gain. (2) I think whoever replaces him, needs to watch him play the role as a Newcastle player. Just to learn what he should aim for off the ball. We could have a new signing, Almiron & Minteh in the squad. I believe Minteh won't need to be registered anyway. With 2 senior players ahead of him, we can introduce him gently without masses of pressure for a season.

You don't think Ancelotti, Klopp, Tuchel, Conte, Simeone - managers that have won multiple league titles and other Cups aren't world class? Below that you have your De Zerbi's, Xabi Alonso's who seem destined to get an opportunity at one of the mega clubs sooner or later. Alonso might even do the Rafa, Mourinho, Simeone & Klopp thing of winning major titles against the establishment.

I don’t agree. People in football are stupid but not that stupid. This is funny.

What would be a short term signing? Phillips and a GK? Sommerville is a right footed LW. I don’t get that.

£30m to Saudi for Almiron is not passing the fair value metrics from the PL. We got less for someone who was considered our star player for 3 seasons. Like these things do matter in the real world.

I'm talking about players leaving Dortmund and then coming back and succeeding.

And Forest sold Brennan their crown jewel. And will probably need to sell MGW next season. You don't get serious money for Almiron or Murphy to help out with FFP significantly. You sell one to clear a squad place. At the start of last season - I don't think we get a fee for either Murphy or Almiron. Given their ages and wages - you don't get much over £10m either unless Forest come calling.

Summer 2023 Wilson had £5m worth of FFP cost (based on a 4-year contract and £20m fee from Bournemouth) remaining and let's say £4m in wages p/a. Sell him for £20m that's (20-5) + 4. £19m FFP on the books. Sign his replacement for £32m on a 4-year deal. Probably not a proven 10-15 goal PL striker to boot. Another 4m in wages p/a. That's £12m FFP on the books for 4 years. We only save £7m in FFP for a year. As it stands we extended his contract by 2 years. So he's now booking £2.5m +£4m in wages p/a. That's 6.5m for 2 years rather than the £12m for 4 years for what is likely an unknown quantity with not the highest repute. Keeping him and extending him was the right thing to do unless we could've got £30m+ for him. Obviously I'm guessing his wages. Can't imagine he's earning much more than a million more or less per year.

IMO this would've been CRAZY. You get no more than £20m for Wilson or Almiron. It would cost £30m just to replace as squad members each. I think that sends the wrong message too. Almiron needed to be upgraded though.

Did it work out for the like of Sahin, Kagawa and Hummels? Genuinely asking. I don't know. In my mind, a fair few Dortmund players leave for big money then come back. Can add Goetze to that.

Tbh the hit rate for 70m+ euro transfers post Neymar to PSG is low. A lot more flops than hits. Like A LOT of flops.

I agree with this. But we've kept some dead wood on for seemingly no footballing reason.

Yes you have read it wrong. There's an element of vanity to all marquee signings. If we consider marquee signings a real thing in football - let's define the term: "A marquee player is an athlete who is considered exceptionally popular, skilled, or otherwise outstanding, especially in professional sports.[1] Its name comes from theater marquees, on which the names of the stars of productions in said theater are often emblazoned in order to draw spectators." - wiki (I know) Just found this article which I think is interesting: https://thesetpieces.com/latest-posts/pieces-of-hate-marquee-signings/ "Before continuing it is perhaps worth exploring the three stipulations that might make a new signing marquee: 1 – The exchanging of a large amount of money for a prime asset; upwards of £30million in old money but now likely to exceed £50m. Not, however, the defining feature of a marquee signing. 2 – The context and significance of the signing; a wider acceptance that this signing will raise the club’s appeal and ability to compete to another level. 3 – The bandwagon that develops around the new signing from within the club and its supporters; an intrinsic belief that this new signing is a game changer for the club." I think Tonali fits that description perfectly. A large amount of money for a prime asset. It was meant to indicate we could compete at a higher level of football and the signing was meant to be significant and a bit of a gamechanger. Doku was also signed for a lot of money but he wasn't a marquee signing because it lacked the other features. A marquee signing has an element of vanity about it. But it doesn't mean it's a vanity purchase or not signed for footballing reasons/needs. But there's an element of pride, achievement and "look at what we've done" about all marquee signings. "Signing the best young player in the world" most definitely has an element of vanity to it. But it doesn't make it a vanity signing. The Tonali signing was definitely us flexing our muscles in the transfer market. With FFP being so tight, that was a lot of eggs in one Italian basket.

It's just a lot of money for a big name. It's definitely a bit of a marquee signing and all marquee signings are a bit of a vanity exploit IMO. Isak was the same. Rice, Bellingham, Caicedo.