AyeDubbleYoo

And he’s good enough to be considered Germany’s number 9.

I wouldn’t say the team is suffering because Woltemade is playing, that’s a particular spin on it. The team hasn’t always played well but I’m not sure we can conclude he’s actively hurting the team. Even Isak wouldn’t be involved in a game for 70 minutes or whatever.

It’s not hospitality.

Do they take you to SJP in a car or something?

Offsite hospitality is absolute nonsense like. Although I hope people buy it for PSR purposes.

These days there is, amirite.

Think he's been class since he came back in.

I think we'd grumble about almost anything unless it worked out very well and very quickly. I think it's way too early to be saying Woltemade was the wrong signing. There's a fair point about the club being more creative or taking more risks with transfers and the loan market etc. But I understand why they value squad cohesion and people committed to the project rather than just any footballer they can get in for a few months. Not to mention the high wages. I mean, Villa gambled big on the CL and didn't make it, so they had to sell players. IMO they're quite lucky that they have Emery and Rodgers or they would be fucked.

He's so unique that I really want to build around him. Playing the wingers more narrow seems to be the answer, as people have said. Wissa has been very average so far and missed a few big chances, so I don't think it's nailed-on that Wissa should start.

Not sure you can really call it a day in the market and go into a PL season with no striker.

Introducing a Spanish speaker could be volatile.

Shame it didn't work, we might've got him here.

The Man City tactic of throwing their whole team forward and then stopping every counter with a foul is awful TBH. Should have received at least an extra 3 or 4 yellow cards last night.

Al Fayed.

Have they all failed? Have you counted the non-PL signings in that time?

Basically the same as Murphy.

Very unfair categorisation. Also people have criticised nearly every signing we've made and just keep quiet when they turn out to be mint.

We don't have a failing prem approach, we have a mixed approach where people fixate on Elanga.

I’d say it was just as much expecting defeat TBH.

I can’t use my phone from when I approach SJP to when I get back down to the quayside after - I don’t know what network these people are on.

I love watching that part of his game, overall he still annoys me for most of the time he's on the pitch

Murphy has been clever because he has developed something he's good at that offsets the amount of mistakes he makes. The team also has been set up to get him freedom to cross the ball.

If we've made a bad signing, it happens. Our hit rate has been pretty much perfect so far given the unfair competition and the fact we can't match wages of richer clubs. We couldn't get the likes of Mbuemo and Semenyo because they had their sights on 'bigger' clubs and presumably double or triple the wages. Elanga has much more to his game than he's shown so far (obviously) but it's starting to look like we won't be able to run with him as our starting RW next season. So we either need to offload him or sell Murphy and sign someone who will work out instantly. Or make Gordon play RW and sign someone else for the left.

Man City fans were deafening in the Leazes, we tried our best to counter. Obviously not comparable to an away end but not too bad considering.

I feel like our general lack of technical quality is really compounding at the moment. One player will play a pass bouncing at knee height, the receiver won't be able to control it first time, they'll have to help it on aimlessly or head it, the next person will have a much more difficult time controlling it etc. Of course Man City pressed us well. If you compare how Man City keep the ball glued to the carpet it's silly. Not that this excuses Elanga's shite play but it's making it harder for everyone to play neat and tidy. Only exceptional technicians like Hall can rise above it.