kingxlnc

Given Howe said he was practically putting out a team for survival and not the way he actually wants us to play - maybe now is worth experimenting with his favoured system? I'd like to see Almiron as a 10 with Bruno?/Joelinton behind him and see how that goes.

bar Liverpool*

From page 4 of this thread: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dirtysouthsoccer.com/platform/amp/2018/8/13/17658490/why-cant-miguel-almiron-finish-chances-mvp-scoring-goals It seems as though output, in particular finishing has always been an issue for him. But I still think he's a good player and he can make things happen for sure.

Interesting if true, perhaps it was all a PR thing for the Qatar World Cup, makes sense the outrageous outlay on the best players in the world, Messi et al especially when Ligue Un is hardly a money spinner. Who could afford it though especially with the unsustainable nature of how it is currently run?

Targett IS a Bridge type. Both mid 20’s solid English left backs.

With that said, wouldn't mind Carr being one of the scouts under Dan Ashworth's watch - he was very good with no money, imagine what he could find with a blank cheque?

Roy Keane often says that the likes of Rob Lee and David Batty were 'proper' midfielders who were amongst the toughest competitors he ever faced in the PL. He also said that about Tim Sherwood.

One free transfer I was really looking forward to seeing due to his history as a mainstay (captain even, I think) in that dominant Lyon side of the noughties was Claudio Cacapa - needless to say it was a huge anticlimax

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-gullit-moves-for-rui-costa-1197413.html?amp Fee was accepted and he flew to the North East

I think John Obi Mikel was overrated, never understood the hype. Internationally, Pique and Casillas I think are good but not in GOAT territory as they're often put in. In the modern-day, Pickford is definitely overrated as is Henderson

The way Ashley acted was literally like a lottery winner would do with his wealth. Scarcity mindset, trying his best to conserve and consolidate. He's the kind who got lucky with the IPO of Sports Direct, got more money than he knows what to do with and now has an overinflated sense of his own ability. Whereas he was just in the right place, right time. Most entrepreneurs who make it big, to that kind of stature, if they lost everything, they'd be able to make it back because they have that kind of nous they've learned, in terms of how to get there. Ashley was a fraud, to be honest and him being a billionaire really does seem like a fluke, as I can't really see any sense the man had, about any of his decisions (not just NUFC ones but his strategy of purchasing failing retailers) - who has he actually revived?

For me, although I wasn't from the area (I'm from Nottingham), I 'chose' Newcastle as a kid (age 11) initially because of Andy Cole (who was a classmate of my cousin), and then being excited when Shearer joined (as he was my favourite UK-based player), then remember defending them at school in the Dalglish and Gullit years surrounded by Man U, Arsenal and Liverpool fans. But I have more clearer memories of the SBR era, when I was at uni. The highs were a good exciting fast young team, having trust in a classy, revered and wise manager and having a lot of great goals from Robert, Solano, Speed and of course Shearer. I was also very excited at Kluivert coming in. The FA Cup semi final where Rob Lee scored was a particular low as I was convinced we would have beaten Villa in the final, as opposed to us having the double winners and treble winners in the previous two years. Ditto Partizan. The Bowyer summer, too. But at the time, I felt our status as a top club was clear and after Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool and the new kids on the block, Chelsea, we were easily the best of the rest in terms of PL stature. I never thought NUFC would become an also-ran diminished yo-yo club like a West Brom or Sunderland at that point. Even when Souness or Allardyce came in, I still thought we're considered a big club and the types of signings being made (or linked with) reflected that (e.g. Emre, Owen, Luque, Martins, Duff etc). But it's amazing what neglect can do. I really enjoyed the 5th season, mostly because the players were really good to watch, Ba, Cisse and especially Ben Arfa. But even the likes of Santon, Cabaye, Tiote, Coloccini, Jonas - it was a cool squad and was a fun season. It was the first season after a while where I had hope, because we had just been promoted, done okay, the team was being built cleverly with Graham Carr's expertise and even who we were being linked with (Aubameyang, etc) were all top prospects. So that hope carried on for a season or two after. Carver was the beginning of the end, where I began to think there was some sort of self sabotage going on.

Forest... Wood, I see what you did there

The longer time goes on the more it looks he is the Killer Kilcline type of signing that was not necessarily the right quality but absolutely what was needed for this moment in time

4th or 5th I believe

I think because they have to be 'in the know' about football and all teams in general, they can't go into the nuances and depths of details that fans can, who only care and focus on their own team. They become a bit of a generalist and resort to stereotypes and general cliches instead of knowing the word on the street. That and also they are often in place due to their career as ex-footballers - they are not exactly blessed with intelligence or high level of education so that might be at play too

Every striker bar Drogba struggles at Chelsea man A striker like that is a beast, you play to his strengths and he will guarantee you goals. He's scored everywhere he's been. Even in the PL, at WBA and Everton. But I do get he might be Wood-esque in terms of style, whereas Howe might want the more nimble agile type of striker a la Wilson

I honestly think Bruce is exactly who Roy Keane had in mind when he was ranting to Gary Neville on the podcast about the same old managers getting jobs despite failing because they play the game and network, obviously he wouldn't call him out in public being an ex teammate but it probably frustrates the hell out of him as Keane probably could have done as good if not better job at each of his last jobs

He signed Solano and Hamann too, right?

Well Dembele a lot of Spurs players have said was key to their success and it all started to go downhill after he left. Trippier in fact said they would have won the CL final if Dembele was playing. So that all bodes well

I see what you're saying and it's a point well made but midfielders are made in different moulds. Could he be like a Jordan Henderson role for Liverpool? Or a Clarence Seedorf, he was a bit of both type of midfielder. Or even a Toni Kroos type. Not hugely attacking, nor hugely defensive either of them but very good midfielders who were integral to how their teams played. In terms of ex NUFC players is he similar to a Jenas (albeit a stronger version), someone mobile, athletic who can go from box to box without possessing huge speed or other attributes, a generalist?

Having Bruno and Joelinton as that Brazillian double pivot is as tantalising a prospect as what their initials spell

Even though we are impatient to see him start you can see the intelligence behind making him get used to the pace of the game firsr, he doesn't have as much time on the ball as he did in France so its about getting him acclimatised. Once he starts he'll stay imo

For me it's Dalglish, for what he did to Keegan's side as I used to care alot more back then. Souness also for Robson. But Carver and Bruce actively made me embarrassed to support the club, I lost interest completely. The last year to 18 months of Pardew tenure too.

Sorry the last 0 is the geordie or non geordie one - he got a 0 for talking us down constantly