TRon

Hopefully it's a ridiculously OTT amount which the PL is no longer confident of challenging following the rule changes recently.

Keep checking on this thread to see if this deal has gone through yet and we've actually confirmed the funds have reached our accounts.

Know exactly what you mean which is why I'm reluctant to see him as a permanent solution. He can look quite clumsy at times with the ball ricocheting off his feet a yard, but he has got a good right foot and he's capable of doing some damage. He will need upgrading at some point, hopefully his form will hold up for the rest of this season though.

This has always been one of the problems though, he's got the tools to be a much better player. But maybe we have been expecting too much. If you just take him for what he is and accept his football won't always be silky or super visionary, he can still do some damage allied to giving it 100% defensively as well.

I'm sure we did, but until you see someone in English football you can never be really sure how well they will adapt. Especially given the doubts expressed about Italian players coming over here.

Especially since he keeps scoring bangers against Liverpool as well.

Yes, I always felt that Shearer post-op was never quite the same player after Blackburn, but he was such a good player technically he was still a fantastic target man. Obviously Isak is nowhere near as good in that dept, but he provides so much more threat out wide and on the counter. A better comparison really would be Henry.

I wonder if we even realised he was this good? Could it be he's actually designed for the pace of the PL, and once he's got acclimatised he's actually relishing the pace and intensity? With his speed of thought and pace, it suits him down to the ground tbh.

Don't believe the hype.

Yeah there will be lots of caveats, there's now way they would pay £11m plus his wages, but either way, if it gets him off the books and puts some spending money in our coffers....fantastic. I'm not celebrating until the ink is dry though, been here too many times.

Being brushed off the ball is not really an issue for me, he was never the most physical player. But I am concerned how often he gives up possession just through a loose touch or not dealing with the press. He's been fit for a while now, should not look as rusty as he does.

This is me as well. I never wanted him out, he's just too obviously intelligent to be jettisoned that easily, but the balance of the side was off for the first dozen games or so. I feel like switching Tonali into the no 6 position transformed our midfield and our results. Still feel very pissed off that PSR has been set up as an obstacle to stop him building the side he really wants. Would love to see what he could put together if money was no object.

First time in a while I wasn't annoyed when the ball went wide right. He offered us some real balance and width, and he was playing in some pearler crosses from the right even if they didn't always find their man. He was a menace.

I got quite a lot of stick on here when I was a bit critical of Shearer at the time. I remember HTT nearly burst a blood vessel at the temerity. My argument was that a lot of his goals came from dead balls, but looking back, I was probably a bit overcritical as our supply back then was pretty woeful. I used to be envious of players who had the pace to really cause teams which wasn't one of Shearer's attributes. Think of Ian Wright or Henry. Isak is obviously less powerful than Shearer, and doesn't offer the same target man attributes, but that skill on the ball and sheer pace are something else.

It was slightly tongue in cheek, but he is up there.

Dare to dream.

All of them.

Time for a thread title change. CL-ometer.

Not really sure how we kept a clean sheet there but not complaining. Great result and done our goal difference no harm at all.

These low corners are really messing us up.

He's been good.

Dubs a bit lucky there, he should have done better with that cross.

No clean sheet. Disappointing.

Osula might get 10 mins to attack some space for a change.

Get in lad.