Shak

8 clear of 5th with a win on Saturday.

Martin Tyler just out of nowhere going on about how right the decision on the offside for the Fernandes goal last weekend was. Really weird

Never wanted the old cunt anyway.

Is he likely to be first choice for them? Hard to see him getting five goals as a bit part player if not. Be class if he just became the striker version of Sam Allardyce. New team brings him in every January and he gets them to safety.

Aye, this is pretty much it. I'd love two signings this window. A CM and then a winger who can play up front in a pinch. Joelinton would be perfectly fine as a third choice CF too. Only thing is I think we lose something in CM with him out and with Wilson's issues our third striker is more likely to play than most clubs' third CF.

I mean, it's just a framework until we sign Osimhen in the summer.

I do wonder if ultimately we bring in a really offensively minded LB and our "wingers" in the 4-3-3 are more like Isak than true wide men. Isak - Wilson - Moukoko would be an hilarious front line, just full of goals

Double swoop for Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia.

Really disappointing the thread title doesn't say "Notts Forrest" just to annoy any of their fans coming over to see what we think.

I mean, I'd say Leeds fans could make a reasonable arguement. Lost the rag at the end against them and the whole thing calling one of their players "small" and doing the finger gesture would definitely make you think he was a wanker

Some save that.

Who are the players in our team that fans of other clubs want to punch in the face? Obviously we can't see it because they're on our team but we must have some? Maybe Trippier because he talks a lot at the ref? ASM constantly acting injured? Dunno. Do Man U fans see it with Antony and Fernandes? They must

Dokko putting out some ITK vibes

Seems utterly inconceivable that we'd let Wood go if we didn't have someone lined up. Unreasonably excited by this, just because I feel there must be something in the works.

Moukoko would be an absolute dream. Long term you'd assume he'll be seen as a Wilson replacement but short term I'd definitely love a left footed player who could play Almiron's spot too. Do feel if he gets injured we'll lose a lot of our balance. Imagine bringing on Moukoko instead of Murphy when we're chasing a goal late and Miggy has run out of gas. Would be ideal as at his age he'll likely be OK with playing off the bench for a while but he seems like if he was needed to play a lot he'd be dynamite too.

Page 540 is pretty good stuff, right when we'd lost to Cambridge in the cup. Obviously was a rough time but man some of the posts are funny now, looking back

If we sell ASM I'd hope we would get some money for him like. Maybe don't let Heron be part of the negotiations.

Hope when we sign a midfielder it's just someone there's been no real noise about recently. Someone like Haidara or Koné.

So somewhere between a week and seven weeks then, technically.

Would make a lot of sense tbh, much needed depth until the end of the season when there'll hopefully be some more money to get someone in more long term. Then blow our wad this January on a CM.

Gonna be very interesting to see if Howe tries to play him and Wilson together from the start at any point and what changes we'll make to the setup to accommodate that, if any.

Shame for him that he basically missed two key years of his professional development when Benitez left. Both Rafa and Howe have been able to get some really solid football out of him, had he not had cabbagehead in charge for two years he might have been able to develop his game on the ball a bit more. Think he'll be a valuable squad member for years to come.

Presumably both of them will be needed alongside Longstaff in midfield with Bruno out.

Thought it was one of the finest performances we've ever seen at SJP, personally.

I think it's fair for people to question Howe's choices. I'd say we got a bit lucky today, for as well as we did in stifling Fulham we struggled to create much more than a few half chances and had Mitro not slipped and we'd gone on to not win we'd likely have half the forum ranting and raving about setting up too negatively in home games coming off the back of this and the Leeds game. Personally find it a bit frustrating that we're not starting ASM in home games like this. We don't look like creating much when teams sit back against us and he's capable of things nobody else in our team is. However, I do get it. Firstly, he may not be where Howe wants him in terms of fitness. Secondly, it's clear that Howe's priority is to stop teams from being able to have the ball as much as possible and making us incredibly solid. Win the ball in dangerous positions and take advantage. He's turned us into an incredibly formidable side doing it, we can have no complaints. It's obviously going to be frustrating, at times. Had we drawn 0-0 today for the second consecutive PL home game then of course it'd be frustrating that we're starting 3 CBs and 4 CMs and wondering why we can't score. However, the trade off is that we get to go into every game for the rest of the season knowing we're going to give everybody we face an absolute battle. We've lost one game all season for a reason and I'm at the point where I'll be absolutely shocked if we have a game this year where we lose 3-0 and just never look to be at the races. It's a worthwhile trade off, for me. Give it a couple of windows and we'll have a left winger who's as dangerous as ASM going forward but can press like a fucking maniac too. A CM who gets around the pitch as much as Longstaff but is absolutely top class with the ball as his feet. A LB who is defensively solid as fuck but can bomb on and turn into an attacker when needed. Then we'll win the fucking league.