The College Dropout

You think some bad luck with injuries, good CL run, we are simply too good to finish below Villa, Chelsea and Spurs?

If he stays and gets 2000+ minutes that’s great. But another season under 1000 minutes and his career is being mismanaged. The ends justify the means. If he gets loaned out. Comes back and is relied upon for minutes and performances. Great. But staying and wasting his career is not it.

Aye. I’d take 7th too. I think people are a little quick to discount Spurs. A good manager, keep Kane, get Son, Maddison and Kulu performing with no European football. That’s a top 6 team. Even if they sold Kane. An attack of Richarlison, Son, Kulu and Maddison should finish top 6 without European football. But splitting the old top 6 again + Europe would be a good season. 4th is another miracle imo. Above target. 5th absolutely tremendous. Above target. 6th excellent. Just above target. 7th good. On target. 8th with a good CL run is still arguably par. Only criticism is that it would mean a Villa or someone finished above us. But they haven’t had to play CL football. 9th I would be disappointed. bur I can see how that happens. 10th or worse and Eddie’s job May be on the line. Unfortunately.

We’ve not attacked the transfer market like we need to 4 again - so far.

I’d be delighted with 75 points. With CL football I’d be delighted with 70 points.

Glad. I didn’t think he could be relied upon to be Trips understudy and clearly the club agree.

Ashby needs regular football for his development.

They can field the B team until the last 16. Salah and VVD won’t start many games until Feb. CL you have to play your strongest team from GW1 until the end in most cases.

Fergie era they would’ve picked up the lad at Brighton instead.

Pep aims to dominate possession based on positional play. dominating possession is not even our MO. Their midfields USP is technique and passing, ball control. They bought Kova to continue that style. Ours is running. We bought Tonali to continue our style. In build up Peps instructs his wingers to stay wide and provide width. We get our width from fullbacks and overlapping 8s. peps preferred wingers (Grealish, Bernardo, Mahrez) are not quick but excellent dribblers, that retain possession. Ours are rapid but fairly poor dribblers. Until Haaland, City played the slowest football the PL has ever seen. We play at breakneck speeds. Until Haaland Pep would say his team lacks ‘verticality’. We are extremely vertical.

Their whole team is setup to do that. Ours is not. It’s built the opposite.

I think he’s doubling down on intensity. The signings indicate that to me imo. But with a bigger squad that can rotate more.

Liverpool had an awful season + champions league football and finished on 68 points.

They also had champions league football and other issues. We had no European football. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chelsea got 70+ points and Liverpool got 80+ points. We’ll need to be better than last season to qualify for the CL again. We’l be tested in many different ways.

Liverpool and Chelsea have better squads and are not in the CL. They along with Man U, Arsenal and City should be the top 5 if performing to their level. If any falter. We should be right there. But we’d also do well to stay ahead of Spurs, Villa and Brighton. Our back 5 basically had no injuries for the whole season. I doubt we’ll be so lucky again on that front.

Aye. *whispers* I’ve not loved our business so far this summer. If we get Tino + CB we’ve done solid business. But I wouldn’t expect 5th. 6th would be good if the traditional top 6 turn up.

Some of these will get extensions.

Aye. Anderson has a lot of development to do to become a PL player. Technically, physically and mentally. And he won’t develop to his potential playing for 10 minutes 20 times next season. As an 8, Willocks athleticism is at an elite level. That’s something most teams won’t have in that area of the pitch.

Where are you reading that ? Hard working is one of our biggest strengths tbf.

Aye they are hard balling on JWP, Lavia and Tino. You assume they need to sell. But they may want to keep as much as possible and come straight back up. JWP aside their best players are young. A year in the championship and winning wouldn’t be bad for their development at all. Also a lot of their best players have high sell-on fees to other clubs. The incentive to sell isn’t as high in that scenario.

Aye they are hard balling on JWP, Lavia and Tino. You assume they need to sell. But they may want to keep as much as possible and come straight back up. JWP aside their best players are young. A year in the championship and winning wouldn’t be bad for their development at all.

Aye. It’s pretty much we paid for him right ? €40mwould invite a fair amount of scrutiny but could be justified. But we would need to expand the effort to justify it. €35m is similar but much easier to justify. €30m doesn’t really need any justification. One thing it shows is that we want to be seen to be playing by the rules. And don’t want to go to court like City are willing to do. Big picture - PIF won’t use NUFC to try and defeat PL or UEFA. We’ll play by all the rules as best we can get away with without massive issues. Any pressure to change rules will come from KSA league and a threat of other non uefa or pl competitions.

Low price to avoid scrutiny. But enough for us to do the business we think we need this summer.

Southampton haven’t actually sold anyone yet have they?

I was going to say - men and women are built different anatomically. But everything about football training and equipment is built for men. Including scientific research.