Memphis

13 hours ago, STM said:

So far their transfer strategy has been top notch. They aren't changing it FFS.

 

Funny how I saw Howe talking about FFP constraints again..... for the 4th window in a row.

Like it or not, we're going to hear about FFP until we get our commercial revenues up to a decent level. Our previous owner fucked us royally and our revenue streams are shit for the size and scope of our club. That's where FFP comes in.

Also, we'll still spend loads this summer. No point in us advertising to the world that we're flush with cash and are easy marks. 

It just depends on what Howe envisions for McTominay. If he sees him as a nailed-on starter, then he's nowhere near good enough for what we want to be. If he sees him as a nice piece of squad depth, then I'd be more likely to be OK with it. Howe has improved a lot of players but even in their improved forms, they're still nowhere near good enough for a CL side. I can't imagine McTominay as anything other than a depth signing and just one of many other signings. I suppose we'll see. 

You can see how far we have to go to reach that elite level. We've done so well to get so close but we didn't deserve to win today and we look like a team that's run out of steam. I hope we can find some more energy for the final weeks of the season.

I don't think we've been that bad. Probably been the better team overall. But we don't finish lately. Just don't have that final quality. They do. And got a bit of luck - and some poor goalkeeping - for the second. 

We're not out of this yet. But if we lose our heads, we will be.

We have been comfortably the better team 10 v 11. ASM has been doing incredible things. 

6 minutes ago, Novocastrian said:

You don’t rate him? Fair enough, but there’s no way you can pin the first half performance on him. 

That's fair enough. I don't rate him, no, and I'm exaggerating a bit out of frustration. He shouldn't be anywhere near our starting XI. 

As a club, we took a risk that we could survive without reinforcing our midfield in the transfer window and we got burned. Not Anderson's fault that happened, not his fault he's playing, but he's not of a standard required for what we want to do.

Been a good response, all in all. Unlucky not to have pulled one back. What an insanely bad 20 minutes that was for us...

Just now, Novocastrian said:

You made that assessment with him on the pitch for 20 mins? Incredible.

That your first time watching him play for us? 

4 minutes ago, Novocastrian said:

Anderson didn’t make Miggy miss his chance or Pope have a rush o blood to to the head or allow Nunez to slip between the lines for the goal. A baffling statement tbh.

With respect if you can't see how much better we are playing without him even on the pitch, I don't know what to tell you. He's certainly not the only one but his presence weakens our midfield hugely and allowed Liverpool to open us up with some clinical passing.

We've replaced Anderson with no one and improved.

First time in a long time I have legitimate questions about Howe and about the ownership. This is the flip side to his loyalty to current players and squad unity - starting Anderson in this match over Gordon, for example, was a tip of the hat to the squad but at the cost of playing a major liability. 

Obviously Pope's moment of madness was just that, he mentally collapsed. Nothing else to say. 

This hits too close to home. Happened like this over and over again.

Trippier has been awful. All the things people have said about Trent Alexander-Arnold this year apply to Trippier but even moreso...

Bringing back all the wrong memories here

Bruno's red card has proven to be a major turning point for us.

Wasn't handball. Off the chest. Uncharacteristic from us, bad defending, no one tracked Nuñez coming in from the left, big gap between the CBs

He is incredibly professional. Incredibly driven. Incredibly detail-oriented. Pivotal. Has been almost perfect.

That second goal was absolutely off the charts gorgeous. Prime Barcelona stuff. I just can't believe this is Newcastle United now. Amazing.

We're in a weird spot. I agree that it's risky not to replace Shelvey but I'd argue that it's equally risky to replace him just for the sake of doing it. If we can get one of our targets now, then we need to go ahead and do it, even if it was originally to be a summer move. Otherwise, given what should be a lighter fixture load for the last few months, it's not crazy to think we can handle it with our squad as is. We're not at Shefki Kuqi levels here.

This was from 2019. Look how far we've come. Soundtrack of a porn film, camera work of a glaucoma patient.

I think at this point you have to assume Gallagher will be sold, not loaned, sooner rather than later. His sale, sadly, can easily make up much of the insane Enzo fee since he's homegrown. And besides, when would he ever play for Chelsea again? He needs to leave for his career.

Enzo about to sign a 15 year contract with Chelsea for FFP purposes

I suppose this shows the power of good club media/presentations - and, to be fair, Gordon's personality...

...but I've never had this quick of a change of heart on a player. I'm so impressed with his demeanor and the way he handled himself with all the players. Fuck it, I'm all in.

I'd be pleased with Gallagher on a loan with an option to buy - but less pleased with an obligation to buy. In the summer, we'll have a better idea of our financial position and whether or not we'll be in Europe next season, and can plan accordingly. He may well prove to be worth something close to 40m compared with other options. Or perhaps not. We'd be able to decide.

I was watching the press conference and here is Howe's full quote on Gordon's best position: "On either wing, I see being his primary position but he can play as a number 10 or number 9. He's done that this season for Everton. So he gives us that flexibility with Chris's absence that we now feel we have strength in numbers in the forward positions."

He clearly sees him as a Wood replacement, not like-for-like, but in terms of his ability to play in that forward position.

I wish he would at least do rhyming couplets or some Nostradamus quatrains

A young man from the league of one with brother and father of note

Once thought himself too good for the club yet reality will strike soon

The truth is on the dotted line but the bald-headed scribe knows nowt

Follow the skies as the whirling metal bird carries the future