Minhosa

Struggling with the idea we can't afford £70m when we spent £110m on Wissa and Elanga. We could've afforded it but it would have required the scouting department to have done a better job imho (that being having players like Rayan etc further down the list of good value options at less than we spent on others).

I see what you're getting at but 'Murphy effective' doesn't scream success to me given Elanga's price tag. We needed to develop that area of the pitch into a more effective point of contribution imho. Granted it would be a massive improvement on the useless bastard running it out of play every fucking match but surely Howe would've had higher hopes than being Murphy mk11 after spaffing £55m on him?

Said it for ages - I think it's impossible for him to be sustainably effective. His technique is woeful. His game is all about transition but so many teams play a low block against us rendering him a waste of a shirt. I also think it's impossible for Wissa to ever be a 'good buy' based on the price we paid for him. We one million percent need a competent right winger and forward to be signed this summer...

You see I loved the original Howe-Ball; high press, maximum intensity and plenty of shithousery. There's no reason we cannot return to that next season as we'll only be playing once per week. It's how we adapt that the following year as we'll be nailed on to finish in the European spots playing that way with a fit squad and few replacements for the clusterfucks of last summer. That's where Howe has to either change the approach or massively fill out the squad with 2 x 11's capable of pressing the shit out of the opposition. As it stands, we've got one capable 11 and maybe 2/3 that can slot in effectively to replace those being rested or injured. And that 2/3 is probably being generous.

If you think how light we've been at the back at times this season, I wouldn't be comfortable with Schar and Trippier leaving and only bringing two in. Personally, I'd give Schar another year and bring in cover for Hall and Tino AND a future centre half to integrate gently planning for Burn and Schar to be finished by the following year. So, that's three incomings for me already before we even get onto the other positions. I doubt I'll get my wish FWIW as I don't think Howe will want that level of change but it's absolutely the forward planning an effective sporting director SHOULD be doing. As for putting up with more of Elanga, I'd rather set fire to my eye lids. He would be nowhere near consistent enough to drive us to a CL spot. He simply cannot work here as he's got no football IQ. He'll absolutely have the odd good game but it'll be totally unsustainable because he's a pure athlete with very poor technique and no footballing intelligence. There's more than a bit of risk in your plan. It'd be career suicide to go into next season with Wissa and Wolte as your main two forwards. He might as well book the house removal company now. The only way that would work is if you sell Osula and bring in a proper, effective centre forward and use Wissa off the bench for the last ten mins every week whilst playing Wolte in the 10, which Howe has never entertained over any period of time.

You see, he's one I like. If we can keep him fit, I think he'll be a long term asset. We perhaps over paid for him but at least there's a footballer in there. It's most of the others tbh. How we scouted Elanga for years and made him our priority signing last summer, bringing him in first, utterly blows my mind.

And whatever 'model' or theory they used last summer, please set fire to the cunt and go back to how we did it previously please..... No more 'one season wonder' purples please lads.

Agreed. The drop off from our strongest 11 to their replacements is fucking stark. When we're having to rely on the likes of Willock, Wissa, Elanga, OAP Trippier etc it's no wonder we're struggling like fuck. Nobody below our strongest 11 has any real level of reliability tbh. We might get away with using them for the odd game here or there but when they have to come in and perform consistently, forget it.

The amount of our games I've watched recently where I've been left saying 'if only Bruno and Tino were fit.....'. It's a good number of points difference with them two fit and on form. We'd have won the last two home league games with them playing imho.

Totally agree that JP would've been much better fit than those we bought. For one thing, his legs work and for another he can press effectively. He'd have been miles more suited to Howe-Ball than the two we brought in. Mind, so would Ekitike, JSL and Sesko to be fair.

Four in would not be enough if we want to attack the CL places again. Before we even get to 'nice to haves', we've got some necessities: - New GK - New RW - LB Cover - RB Cover - An actual competent forward That's without the likely need to replace Tonali, Tino etc. There's no way four in would be sufficient. I cannot watch another season of Murphy or the Swedish Obertan on that right side.

Howe is an intelligent bloke and clearly learned from the last CL campaign which took it's toll on the squad in terms of their league performances, so he wanted to flood the squad with depth last summer. Unfortunately, we've spent £250m on a CL qualifying squad to go backwards. Yes, we didn't have the depth we needed but we could, and should, have done fuck load better with our spending.

He fucking better have a plan for this summer. We need a major overhaul at GK/Up top and extra bodies BEFORE we even consider the likely departures of Tonali, Tino etc. Howe strikes me as someone who won’t like large numbers in/out at one time but surely we’ve got to be looking to ship 8 out at a minimum. Elanga Willock Wissa Krafth Trippier Ramsdale Vlach Targett Thats before we’ll probably need to replace those who are coveted by clubs in Europe. That’s major surgery and in a World Cup year. He fucking better have a plan….

Everyone else’s fault then.

Cannot wait to see the back of this cunt.

That’s not an acceptable bar for a £55m signing after nearly 8 months here. He’s fucking rotten man. Utter dogshit.

He’d be miles better than the two we signed this summer. He can hold the ball up, run in behind and be a focal point/nuisance for defenders to cope with every single week. Wolte and Wissa can’t run nor hold the ball up. So he’s already miles more effective than them based on that alone.

Totally agree. Some people on here are so desperate to see him succeed here, they’re continuously lowering the bar of acceptability to accommodate it. Third highest signing of all time for us. Contributed the sum total of fuck all and hasn’t shown anything to indicate there is any cerebral activity going on upstairs. Be interested to know at what point those who continue to lower their expectations of him just accept he’s not good enough…

Aye. I can’t be arsed to look either but I’m sure I was pro signing DCL tbh. If not on here then certainly offline I was vocally supportive of it.

Another game and yet again ZERO contribution. Total waste of money when Jacob Murphy replaces you and does miles better. Fucking shite.

Looks like he’s shed some weight in the latest training photos.

100%. Woeful recruitment last summer. Major fuck ups on Elanga and Wissa in particular.

Our RW department needs serious surgery and we need a striker that can press. I’d put up with another year of Pope as number 1 to have a competent right winger tbh.

Elite level footballer this kid.

I have no doubt he might be capable of the odd good game and an occasional positive impact but he is all physicality and no football brain so it would be entirely unsustainable over any medium term period. He’s one we simply have to get shot of somehow. £110m for him and Wissa is an absolute sickener. Atrocious use of funds.