The College Dropout

I was almost offended by that remark It’s like saying Paul Pogba was power and pace. Probably worse, James was at least a consistent performer.

FMV will still exist with these rules. You think we can close the gap with sponsorships by £200-500m per year?

That’s why I say we need to be aggressive and push the boundaries. There’s no ‘organic way’ to compete at the top of the game consistently. These rules might help us get halfway to spurs. but imo long term we need an elite academy, stadium and a multi club model that benefits us. Not Saudi teams.

Professional athletes shouldn't get vomit drunk during the season - if ever. But Tripps issue is way deeper than professionalism so it doesn't really matter. Truthfully - professional athletes probably shouldn't drink at all during the season. The scientific literature on alcohol and athletic performance is clear. It's a negative. Any amount. Impacts recovery But as mentioned. This isn't a professionalism issue, athletic optimisation issue, representing the club issue. It's deeper. Lads life is spiralling downwards. Seemingly lost his family. Leaning into alcohol and women to fill the void. He needs support

Sounds like a roof-raiser for sponsorships - not removing the roof entirely? We are 200m revenue per year short of Spurs. 500m short of Man U.

Too far. This is it. Need to support the lad. Aye it's a symptom of an active personal issue. Need to get him some help and support him. Football will be a low priority unfortunately. He'll know he's letting himself down - we need to build him up.

yeh I think Klopp tried to move to a more technical team, without m significant change in tactics. think playing under Klopp is tough physically and mentally (rings a bell). At the moment Slots more patient approach is reaping dividends.

He chose them!

Interesting how well Slot has done with fairly little initial fanfare. Slot has taken the same squad as ‘the great Jurgen Klopp’ and made them better - straight away. Feel like him, Iraola and Maresca are the best evolution in managament in some ways. Don’t have a cult of personality. Coaches not managers. But able to get it to work. There’s something about getting a squad with proper professionals and good characters and a competent coach and tactician can get you a long way. When players were less professional, maybe you needed a bigger character to get the most out of them. Not saying any are elite btw - especially Maresca. Just with Klopp the media focuses a lot on Klopp as a character and how that impacted the team and its character. With Slot, it seems to focus other elements, maybe more technical coaching/tactics - potentially inheriting the mentality monster mentality anyway.

So 40% not at LB? the point I’m making is that he might not only be a LB. Due to his age and development in other positions and pure ability.

Bad finish from Brahim. Worse from Vini and Militao.

Real will land in the play offs. They won’t finish top 8.

Could’ve been 5–4. Madrid have missed some chances too. Vini and Brahim missed 2 sitters

As good as Gordon has been, he doesn’t have great relationships with other players. I think Burn suffered without both Joe’s. That’s partly why people are more keen to move Gordon around because wherever he plays - he’s bringing himself. Where Joe’s are best together. Bruno plays best alongside Longstaff etc.

We didn’t really sign personnel to do that. Take Tonali. I don’t think he offers a different way of play. It’s still hard running. The RW we sign could be a game changer. If it’s an Mbeumo type - it’s more of the same but better style wise. think what we’ve learnt is the 22/23 relationships on the field was truly special and not something that is easily coached or replicated with different (and more talented) personnel. We do need to find new recipes. As good as Tino, Hall and Gordon have been at times, they don’t have the relationships others in the team do. As great as Hall can be on the ball. He doesn’t have the Schar to Joelinton move, Schar to ISAK’s feet move. That Joe combination play. Trippier, Almiron, Longstaff triangle and movement. I’ve heard Neville and Cole talk about that Man U side they were both in. Different era obviously- they always said the relationships came naturally. Cole and Yorke didn’t talk on the pitch they just knew how to play instinctively. I think modern coaching is more detailed than that but humans will always human.

If Arsenal aren’t going to play it through the lines all the time, they should’ve got a Toney type to hold it up and bounce off. Havertz offered none of that.

Meant Villa. and Leicester, Everton tbf. Brighton and Brentford are nowhere near their FFP ceiling. They are among the lowest as of last years accounts. Villa and Everton in particular have the fanbase to bridge the gap to the big 6 with the right investment. Or at least get close to Spurs. The red tops have another level of fandom. The red tops and their American ownership want to take home that additional revenue - not use it to stay ahead of us.

Forest seem to have ambitious owners. As do Forest. It's Brighton and Brentford that seem happy to be on the gravy train. They are FFP Champions with low wages.

It's not 35m net spend. It's 35m accounting loss on football.

Under Rafa we stay up if he’s hired 3 games earlier. It took him awhile to get in the groove but by then it was too late. Did we lose 1-0 to Man City by an Aguero goal where Aguero was offside the entire time? I hated the SMC reign from early. You can tell we did lots of silly passing in training but that was it. That smile was a bluff. He never got a tune out of the players. Couldn’t motivate them. Bruce and Pardew were definitely worse coaches but as managers, their emphasis on morale, team work and just being affable with the players meant they never truly lost the dressing room (until the end for Bruce) and could get a tune out of them with a bit of confidence. SMC could never generate any team spirit and momentum into a run of results. Players never bought his bullshit.

Read somewhere Liverpool didn’t like how he had exclusively played a back 5. Arne Slot looks a great modern coach. Likes youth. Doesn’t mind focussing on coaching and tactics and leaving transfers up to others without complaint. Tactically flexible.

Good moves. I tend to wait u too late in the week to make transfers even if it’s the same ones I want to make earlier. I do think Salah, Palmer & Haaland is achievable for many. Not me though. I also want Cunha and Salah. Actually not so hot on Salah but Haaland isn’t worth the money atm and tricky fixtures coming up.

It’s v. viable. I got a number of other issues to deal with. TAA, DCL & Foden and only 2FT. Solanke is a rank killer too. Massive haul. Glad it’s this week as ownership must have declined a lot. I’ve had 3 consecutive top 10 finishes in the NO league (did I mention I won last season?) but not been able to get it right.

Aye he’s absolutely world class imo. And Hall was excellent. I just wanted to point out that Livra had less support and gave his winger absolutely nothing. Which is why I give him the edge in the MOTM stakes. The commentator gave it to Hall because Saka is better which is absolutely fair too.

I like this 424 attack. Only issue is the front 4 don’t combine a lot. Our play is heavily Bruno dependent. It all goes through him. I wonder how we would look with Tonali in his position and he in Longstaff. IMO he might have to sit more alongside Tonali. Team is built to hit Bruno all the time. Willock off the ball and high does so much good for the press and allows Isak to amble around more and save his delicate legs. Compounds my thought that Martinelli vs Livra was a key battle that Arsenal lost. Arteta said ‘get em Gab!’ And he absolutely did not.