Theregulars

Sounds awful, perhaps time for a new hobby?

Or Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United really. Maybe they sometimes fall to target 2 or 3, but not 6/7 like us.

Masterclass really

This is egregious from Aston Villa, should be 10 mins added on.

Been unlucky, world class goal and saves, referee not helping, but still clear second best

I’ve also seen Ryan giggs

Tune in 7 mins before kick off and I see idris Elba in an Arsenal shirt being coached to take a penalty by eze. Sure

He’s most assuredly not off

Fuck off back to your brainport

Yeh cheers I am capable of the “nuance” of seeing both sides of her tenure, my post was in response to sibierski’s statement that we’d been amateur since she left (ie well she arguably did something quite amateur that very arguably cost us Isak in some ways and def cost us Anderson and minteh) and almost 2 years of no incoming players, which to me is arguably amateur. We got away with it because Howe played a blinder and players stepped up.

Didn’t Staveley leave us in a PSR bind?

I think it’s what Ashworth and (thankfully) Wilson have said; it’s a role overseeing all the different sporting aspects of the operation and making sure they all work as well as possible. A big part of that in my view is participating in scouting and getting player deals done, but you’re right that there seems to be no agreed formula or specific remit and it’s usually quite a shadowy role.

Right? Strikes me that the best DOF understands that part of their role is to avoid the limelight and to forge effective working relationships. I was soured on Mitchell from his first gaffe interview because it struck me that he wanted attention and wanted to disrupt (not necessarily a bad thing given the PSR pit we were I ) and make a show of it. If you forge a good relationship with the manager by helping them get what they want, to my mind they’ll be much more likely to e.g. actually listen when you suggest a player they’ve not heard of for purchase. Strikes me as a very interpersonal role that requires emotional intelligence and the ability to successfully navigate and bring together different personalities and objectives; I thought it was clear quickly that Mitchell lacked the intelligence required to recognise that and carry it out.

Why does a DOF have to be an “alpha”? They have that at manure, Chelsea, forest and doesn’t go well for any of them really.

But what this analysis misses is that, if you take a small peek at reality, we HAVE “mixed it up”. The following players have been purchased since the takeover with no experience whatsoever of English football: Bruno, Botman, Isak, Tonali, Thiaw, Woltemade. 3 of those were for circa £35m, which isn’t comparatively a massive outlay. Thats arguably 1/3 of the squad over Eddie’s time. Yes, it would be nice to spend say £10-15m on someone nobody other than serious obsessive have heard about who then turns into a regular starter or top-level contributor, that would certainly help from a PSR and competition perspective. Surely that’s the idea of hiring and developing a data-driven scouting team which for whatever reason we’ve not got right yet. so I think you can certainly make the point that those signings aren’t yet there, but this relentless refrain about “PL proven or nothing” / putting all our eggs in one basket is incorrect (that’s before we get on to what seems like the fairly obvious comment that buying PL-proven for a PL club does have, at least, some merit as an approach). I would also add that we did take that approach to some extent in Howe’s first window, when targett, wood, trippier and Burn were all acquired for those kinds of prices (targett a loan obviously). The club also did identify and purchase Minteh for a pittance and as we can see now he would have been at least a decent PL RW option, which would have been whatever we spent on him (£6m? Can’t remember) instead of £55m on elanga. So again the club is trying to do what you suggest it isn’t, but then gets PSRaped.

Just the current target, elanga will be back soon to be the misery magnet.

Personally what I find frustrating is your relentless misery and over reaction. Just try sticking with them for a change and see what happens, I promise you it’s infinitely more enjoyable and healthy. The club is doubtless aware that our injuries mean that we could use some help; it’s inconceivable that they won’t act just to be obstinate or upset you. If they don’t do anything it’s because they will have decided, on balance, it isn’t worth taking the risk PSR-wise to do so now. The manager and players are also doubtless aware of when they aren’t playing well (your favourite point to make), and they are always trying their best to do something about it.

Name them

Lots of toys on the floor like

you’ll need to pick the toys and put them back in the pram later, so you may as well stop throwing them.

Thought he answered some pretty shitty questions largely quite well tbh. I don’t think it will work out for him because it’s a dysfunctional club.

Only teasing mate

We kinda want you to leave

If you don’t like that I got two words for ya Ed Ward

The most keeganesque win on the day of that bad news