TRon

Was just about to say that. You DO need athletes in today's game, but you also need skill and composure, that's what you pay the big money for. Usually.

Agree on the conference league snobbery. It's not CL but at least we keep some kind of profile in Europe. I would think the hierarchy want it just for that.

Joelinton is a great example of that. I love him as a player, but this season he looks slower and clumsier than he has in the past. He's a depreciating asset that we would probably have sold if Ashworth had had his way, instead he got a new contract on big wages. Tough one because this is the same player who was instrumental in us winning our first cup for 70 years. Unfortunately the SCR bullshit has stitched us up so we actually need to sell players to compete.

That's an indictment in itself. It means the players just aren't that good. Although I'd like to see Howe try a 4-4-2 for a change with Wolt as a number 10.

Reminds me of Rafa's description of a short blanket. Doesn't cover your feet or your head depending on which way it's pulled.

One thing I'll be looking for tomorrow is a team full of players that want to be here next season. If the likes of Gordon, Tonali and Livramento have their heart set elsewhere, Howe should be able to field a team that will give 100%. If that's genuinely them then fair enough, but tbh, they haven't looked like it in the last few games. There's been moments in a few games where they look like they've switched off.

I get what he's trying to say there, but sometimes if you have to pass sideways just to keep possession it's not the worst thing. I hope if he's here next season he will try and evolve to a more possession based game, I really think that's how you beat the shit teams like sunderland.

Maybe he is, but his team gave Arsenal a football lesson last week, and that's after losing his best players in last 12 months.

Personally can't be arsed thinking too hard about Iraola. I think he'll have at least one of the cartel clubs chasing him if he stays in English football.

Ironically it was probably oven ready players that Maresca needed to take them to the next level.

Le Bris didn't just win the derby once in his head to head with Howe, he won both. With a team which cost less than two of our summer signings. It wasn't just the results though, it was more you couldn't really tell which team had just come up from the championship. I'm not confident we'd beat them next season either if Howe's still here.

Exactly. If there were any owners out there who would build a new stadium, they would have bought us when Ashley was trying to sell up for 5 years. All this costs money, there are no potential owners who want to invest their own billions to make us better. We are probably as close as we'll ever get, we've even got a local interest in the Rueben family invested.

Whatever you think about their intentions, there's no getting around the fact that it is a big project with a lot of hurdles. I can remember John Hall eventually just giving up with the amount of hurdles that were put in the way of expanding on the town moor. Or maybe he just couldn't be arsed and lost interest somewhere along the line.

I went to a few games during these times but mostly when we were shit. One of the games which always sticks in my mind was a European game where a Johnny Rep thunderblast was smashed in from about 25 yards. Partly because I was behind the goal and it felt like it was going to put a hole in the net, and partly because Johnny Rep was such a cool name.

Or just hold players to their contracts. If we really want these players to stay, then we only really need to sell Tino as he is out of contract in 2028. If we want to sell players who aren't sold on the project any more, then we should do so on our terms. I think we bottled it with Isak because Jamie Rueben bent over by going to his house to beg him to stay.

Gordon's not exactly Lamine Yamal, but he will give you pace, some goals and win you some pens. To get better, you really have to spend a lot of money, or have very good scouts. Otherwise you end up blowing your wad on Anthony Elanga and wondering where the money went.

Isn't Poch just more of the same? Fabulous front foot football which is grand when it's working, but not much of a B Plan when teams suss you out.

His technical ability is that he can strike a good ball, that's it. He can't carry it effectively, he hasn't got the pace to beat a man, so what he brings is a great cross if he's allowed space, and an attitude of happy to be here with no ambition. He was wearing the captain's armband against Palace and getting a rollicking from Thiaw for not standing up for his players. He's a great lad, but there are loads of them throughout football in the lower levels. Gordon is a cunt, but like Isak, he's a winning cunt. That's why teams want them.

Gordon's one of our best players, regardless of what people think of him. The market always tells the real story, and that's why he's in demand. Jacob Murphy is a perennial mid team player. No one wanted to pay good money for him regardless of his one season wonder form. He's just not a good footballer, and he's not got a winner's attitude. Hence Thiaw having to shout at him to get over to the referee to protest the penalty decision.

Change top class to more expensive players then. Point is, we were trying to upgrade.

It's a nice thought but a player who can go to Liverpool and double their money is going to do that.

It's easier to do that with lesser players though. I'm sure you could tell Jacob Murphy to put the goalies gloves on and he'd do it. We'd still be a shit side with 11 Jacob Murphys.

Agree, and I think the club has already reached the same conclusion. We need to move on unhappy players and replace while we can get peak value. I really rate Gordon as well, he's got a top players mentality. But once we have a failed season, players will take that opportunity to move up and onwards. We just have to deal with it better than we did last summer.

I was just watching some of the Loaded Mags podcast where they had a Bournemouth podcaster on. What he said was eerily familiar. Basically under Howe their rise was meteoric, then after 4-5 years ( similar period to us) the more money he spent, the worse they got. It's like he's really good at getting the best out of lesser players, but once you start bringing in top class players with egos, it gets exponentially harder. I do worry he's reached his level here and managing a different type of player, and a different method of football might not be for him.

It's not ideal I agree. I just don't see any better options out there.