KaKa

Just now, madras said:

But.....but......I want Paqueta there.

Yeah ... a lot of folks do, but I'm not sure that one happens.

I think Howe is going to be looking to get more of a support striker goal scorer, rather than a number 10 playmaker, because we need more goals in the team.

Plus Paqueta's price has been quoted as £50 million plus, which might be too high, in comparison to some of the other options we could explore.

16 minutes ago, Ikon said:

Very very talented. Came back recently from a serious injury I think.  Gouiri that is. 

 

 

 

I really like him. Been playing as a second striker this season, and has apparently said he prefers that to coming in from the left where he can also play as well.

Would be a nice addition as a second striker alongside Wilson, in a similar fashion to the way Josh King was used playing off Wilson. Gouiri plays with a lot more technique and flair though. Would be an exciting addition.

Think we're more likely to get someone like him instead of Nunez, as Nunez is attracting way too much attention now.

8 minutes ago, TheInfiniteOdyssey said:

I’ve mentioned this before, but I would grudgingly respect Tariq and Delaney’s views on sportswashing if they have been wholly consistent on the matter all the way through. But they haven’t, it doesn’t take a scrupulous search to see both we’re deafeningly quiet on Abramovich for years, even complimentary in some cases, until the prevailing political winds made that untenable.

 

Tariq in particular seems to have a personal vendetta against Staveley, and by extension Howe.

 

 

 

Really struggle with this sports washing thing. The furthest thing from my mind after the Arsenal game and all the scenes on the pitch was the kingdom of Saudia Arabia, or how nice they are because of some progress with the club. So strange man.

2 minutes ago, 54 said:

 

My goodness ... not surprised. The way they've kept insisting that the spend and improvement will be very gradual lets you know something was up.

Think we probably spent a bit more than originally planned in January to make sure we stayed up, and so that has to be taken into account too.

Still have faith in Eddie to pull off a blinder and find some great value out there that he'll get the very best out of. Bring it on.

1 minute ago, RodneyCisse said:

Feels like Man U are desperate to offload him for whatever reason. 

They're going to have to recoup some money from somewhere as I imagine they will be spending this summer. No point keeping Henderson on the bench when he wants to leave and they can get some money for him.

5 minutes ago, TheInfiniteOdyssey said:

I don’t see the fascination with Henderson whatsoever. An average keeper who hasn’t played for about a year and a half.

 

Unless something has happened with Dubravka i.e. he’s asked for a transfer. I cannot understand why this is being pursued, especially at the figures quoted for a permanent transfer.

Dubravka is 33 years old, and has his iffy moments.

Well worth getting in Henderson at 25 years old, who has shown a lot of promise when he has started games in the prem.

Could see this working out really well in the way the Ramsdale transfer ultimately did for Arsenal, despite a lot of scepticism at the time.

Would set us up with a long term home grown prospect between the sticks.

7 minutes ago, Tiresias said:

I haven't seen him enough but I dunno I'm not that unhappy with Dubravka, I would want a more technically accomplished keeper who can pass out form back, is he able to?

Yes, I believe he is quite good at it, as I recall him playing that way as part of Wilders setup, which if you recall did play some nice stuff starting out from the back with the goalkeeper.

1 minute ago, SUPERTOON said:

Be shocked if it isn’t a loan deal 

An initial loan with a delayed permanent fee would be good, as it has been mentioned as a work around for FFP.

6 minutes ago, nbthree3 said:

 

I know a few on here weren't keen on this move, but I like it. 

Hasn't played as much recently, but I do recall him keeping De Gea out at one point and doing well for Man United, and previously he did really well for Sheffield United on loan in their first season back in the prem.

Still really young too, especially for the goalkeeper position, and getting in young English players with a really good pedigree should still be done whenever possible I think.

Be interesting to see what the fee is, if this eventually gets confirmed.

1 minute ago, Rafalove said:

 

Benzena is better than everyone right now.

No he isn't. Never even heard of the guy!

3 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

Agree to a certain extent, but striker is our top priority, and any good striker will be 30 million minimum, that’s being conservative. I refuse to believe we aren’t going to massively strengthen the squad, and we aren’t doing that without a big window. As has been said before, Bruno hasn’t come here just to aim for top ten.

There's a chance we are going to be signing a number of free agents or players whose contracts are going into the last year, and so be able to get a lot more value out of the budget.

Then again, it might also be the case that, they are looking at this whole thing slightly differently. And the budget they are talking about is only taking into account how much is paid out this summer, rather than looking at the total sum. For example one of the articles in the Athletic reported that Bruno's fee is being paid out over his whole contract, and so we're paying £8 million a year. And so if we do a similar deal to that this summer, it may be that it  is considered as just £8 million from the summer budget.

1 hour ago, Flip said:

Not true though. Their biggest problem have been injuries late in the season to either Neymar or Mbappe. When they went to the CL final Neymar carried them there due to Kylians injury and then Kylian wasn’t really 100% for the final. But it all came down to small details like Kylian missing a one on one with Neuer and Neuer making two decent saves. Football is about details at the end of the day. PSG have shown again and again they can compete against the best in Europe. Or we should be applying a similar theory to Man City, but oh they play in the PL maintaining high intensity. And yet they’ve not won it...

Okay, well ... let's keep watching then. Messi is now off to America, and Neymar is just getting older and more disinterested.

Meanwhile Liverpool are adding the likes of Diaz and Man City are adding the likes of Haaland.

Pretty certain PSG, even with Mbappe staying, will not win it.

1 minute ago, 1964 said:

We didn't sign the likes of Bruno and Trippier with promises of tight budgets and creative transfer policies.  I think it's just being clever with the comms

Well it's not Mike Ashley so it won't be a completely paltry budget.

Still likely to be around the £60 million mark, with any money from sales added to that, at the very minimum, as I think that is what has been reported most often.

9 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

He ain’t going to come out and say yeah we are going to spend 200 million though is he ?

He keeps saying we aren't going to be spending a lot of money and we have to progress gradually, time and time again, and it's continually being dismissed as a negotiating tactic. It's been said so often now, that I think he's letting us all know exactly how it's going to be. There was a bit mentioned in one of the articles that we will eventually be able to spend more once commercial deals have been put in place.

I think they're all being very transparent about things, and people need to not get carried away expecting something different.

1 hour ago, Flip said:

 

I mean, they reached the finals and semi-finals despite injury problems to their two best players. Of course they have a chance of winning the CL. I mean, they outplayed Real Madrid this year who actually got to the final. Also beat Man City in the group stages. There are about 6-8 clubs in Europe that can beat anyone at any given night and PSG is part of that group. 

They can beat whoever in the group, outplay whoever in the odd game, but I just don't see them winning that trophy. I don't ever see them rising to the occasion to beat the level of teams they will ultimately face in a semi and then final, if they get to that stage. They can never seemingly sustain a high level of intensity through a full game in the Champions League late round matches, and I think it's because they spend the whole season never having to do so in their league.

21 minutes ago, joeyt said:

Be interesting to see how good Origi actually is when he's not coming off the bench every few games for one of the best teams in the world

I don't like the move for him. Think he ends up coming off the bench for them as well eventually.

1 hour ago, Flip said:

 

They do, you are right. But Mbappé is actually playing and living in his hometown. Who says quality of life will be better in Madrid? Would people really find it odd if he decided he wanted to stay and try and become a hero in Paris and then maybe move in 2-3 years time? He has another 10 years of career at the very least, unless something happens. Money does play a big role as well, because at 23 while he has probably made an absurd amount of money, he could very well have his career ended tomorrow so a signing on bonus of €100m would set him and his family for life no matter what happens tomorrow. Obviously, we have no idea what Real Madrid is offering. Just saying that I wouldn't think it's ridiculous if he stays. 

A hero in his hometown? What by walking the league and getting knocked out of the Champions League every year? He's done enough of that already. Wasn't someone even saying on here that that they are even getting booed by the home fans of late? The whole PSG approach isn't even being appreciated by their own fans. It's increasingly just becoming a collection of divas.

As far as the being set for life argument if he stays at PSG, I'm pretty certain that wherever he chooses to go he will find himself in the same situation of being set for life at this point. Anyone looking to sign him on a free is going to be offering him ridiculously lucrative terms, even if they aren't as crass as the PSG offer.

What a penalty to win it!

Such a let down from Ramsey. Bloody awful.

32 minutes ago, Fantail Breeze said:

@Bethis so beautifully miserable. The woman of my dreams.

1 hour ago, The College Dropout said:

PSG have a decent chance of winning the CL though. And their finances are stronger than Real's to continue and build on their success. 

 

 

 

They will never win the Champions League as currently constructed. 

The switch from the level of challenge they face in their league to what they encounter in the latter stages of the Champions league is too stark.

And they are overloaded with a bunch of players that are way too comfortable and quite frankly all think they are above being coached or managed, and so will continue running off any manager that goes there.

1 hour ago, Kid Icarus said:

People take pay cuts for quality of life reasons all the time. 

 

 

 

Exactly

2 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

This is without taking into account the massively inflated sponsorships as well. Too bad the genuineness at the premier league thought  it would be a good idea to tilt the rules the in the European elites favour. 

The funny thing is, I think PSG has suffered for it, as they've just completely overdone things with the types of players they've brought in, and with them all being on high wages, it's seems to have affected their motivation and desire, also not helped by the league not really being that challenging.

I'd have been sick if after the takeover Newcastle went down a route even a little bit like what they've done. I think it's the absolute worst. 

1 hour ago, joeyt said:

Just listening to The Football Ramble for the first time in years and they're discussing whether it was a Bruce or Howe decision to move Joelinton to centre mid because Pete Donaldson can't remember how it came about 

Okay, now that is unacceptable.

Trying to give Bruce any kind of credit for Joelinton's turnaround is a criminal offence. He almost ruined the guy's life, never mind career. Joelinton would likely be on his way back to a mid level club back in Brazil, such had his reputation been destroyed playing for that buffoon.

Infuriating stuff.

7 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Nah. 

 

It's an insane offer.

 

Would rather he moved but you can't begrudge that kind of offer.

 

It also might force Real into paying wages they'll struggle to sustain.

He can get an incredible offer elsewhere still and actually go and challenge himself a bit.

My God man, he's hardly going to end up eating out of bins elsewhere.

It would be pathetic to stay in that league and continue to fart about with Neymar and whichever ridiculous person they bring in next, probably Pogba. Awful.

Just now, Cronky said:

It feels like we're back.

 

I've never completely lost faith in Longstaff. With the pressure off, he looked a lot more like the player that we thought he was two years ago. I'd like him to stay.

Longstaff has to stay man, absolutely. You can see his fitness is right up there now and it improves him so much. He's just not one that can be out on the pitch without being in top physical condition, it drops his levels too much, as he isn't naturally a top athlete necessarily.