alexf

I think we can spend this summer now, but what seems clear, is if we don't over achieve and get maybe top 4 again or get some really good sponsorship deals to add in, we likely need to sell someone important next summer. However, if we don't get Europe, we likely will have Bruno, Isak and even Gordon agitating for a move away anyways.

So is it likely true we were £60m or thereabouts short before these sales? Seems crazy that and now makes sense that they were trying to get takers for Gordon, Isak, Bruno potentially if we were that deep. On one hand they have seemingly done well to sell two less established players for the amounts they needed, on the other, it feels a little like something must have gone seriously wrong in their forecasting of last season to be that far off. Even the most optimistic fan would probably have predicted a bit of a drop off last season compared to the one previous. So if they didn't plan for the worst case scenario to cover themselves then someone has messed up.

Assume this deal is off now or was perhaps never on. But I agree I think Elanga looks a limited player. Pace and not much else. His finishing looked very erratic and should have had more goals for the opportunities his pace enabled him. If we are just signing people because they had a good game against us and Dan Burn then Luton's Ogbene is probably another that looked like a world beater. Would be fine as a cheap squad player but not a game changer to take us forward. We need to be going all out for a top quality RW if finance permits moving forward.

Me neither. But just in the context. When you look to football sometimes as a light escape even that feels doom and gloom.

I feel the same. I know you are spurs but for me it's the lack of enjoyment of anything England, then the constant stream of Newcastle potentially selling one of their crown jewels. Everything football just feels so negative at the mo.

Gonna be some banging matchups on the left side of the draw. Our side looks dull as hell. Plenty of opportunity I suppose for Southgate to try and stumble upon a formula. But I'd fancy, Italy or Austria to knock us out.

Everything's coming up Southgate.

Don't know why there hasn't been more focus on his non effort. Well I do cus he's out new golden boy but he's walking around for a game and half now looking injured. Great talent but we shouldn't be setting our whole team up for him if he's this anonymous.

This is awful. Gallagher is way out of his depth. Bellingham strolling around doing nothing again like he did last game. If we are sacrificing Foden playing central for Bellingham in this form then it's a joke.

Big Lewis Hall 😊

Defensively Tripps was fine last night, in fact better than most. But he's not helped by having no winger ahead of him to make up for his lack of attacking.

Yeah personally I wouldn't be using Trent either. I was trying to pick something with one personnel change but a different system if Gareth wants most of his first choices in there. Personally I think the main change needs to be Wharton in, Foden central and potentially Gordon wide left if were not changing system. But then Gareth would have to bench one of Rice, Bellingham or Foden and I can't see him doing it.

Even if he doesn't want to change the personnel, he could try a different system at least. The only square peg that would suffer here is by putting Saka in at left wingback. But sometimes you need to make sacrifices for the team and there is no other fit left footer that would be suited to that role and he has done it earlier in his career. But this is the bed Southgate has made for himself with the squad he has picked. Just to try it in the last group game, if it doesn't work switch Saka back and get people like Gordon and Palmer an opportunity to show what they can do. But at least in this system you would have natural width, a designated holding player, Rice and Bellingham as 8's driving forward, Foden linking everything in the middle and playing triangles, Trent and Saka able to whip crosses in early for Kane etc.

How the fuck Bellingham stayed on for the 90 last night is beyond me. Looked off it from minute 1. Was watching close, he was sauntering around not putting any effort in off the ball and did nothing on it. Genuinely thought maybe he's injured but then Gareth keeps him on. Made worse but the fact every time Foden moved inside he actually looked good and dangerous on the ball. Really odd Gordon has got 0 minutes so far. He's the one player in the squad that can give width and pace on the left side and I felt sure he was a Gareth sort of player with his attitude and work rate. Gareth as usual can't even do basics by playing best players in their best positions. That midfield is a mess and is causing all sorts of issues through the whole team.

Nothing like a tournament to remind you how fucking irritating it is listening to Clive Tyldesley. Grew up hating watching football on ITV mainly because of him. Grated more than the fact they had adverts compared to BBC.

Then he does that 😂

Doku is so much fun to watch. Just electric acceleration.

That brought an audible gasp. What a strike.

Never rated Ferran Torres that highly. Has moments but flatters to deceive.

Probably been discussed before but where would associated party fair value fall with regards release clauses? Is it a potential loophole? Say no one values Bruno as £100m this summer and can only afford £80m or something but a saudi team came in and offered the release clause? Could the premier leagues say shit about it if we value the player £20m higher than other teams in europe were willing to pay and a saudi team wanted to secure his transfer? Not that I would want that to happen in anyway of course but if you apply the same logic to other players. Depending if they would be willing to move but say we could argue Wilson or Almiron for example are more valuable to us than their market value of say £10m and therefore we have a release clause put in their contracts of say £20m and Saudi teams decide to trigger it. Could the premier league really block that? Short answer im sure is yes but would be interesting to stress test.

Agreed. If we hang on to Isak + Bruno and add a little bit more quality. With no distractions, expectations have now risen to attack the top 4 again and go far in the cups. There's no reason we can't either if we avoid the injury crisis we had this year. Add a few signings and Tonali and we should be looking much stronger than the squad that finished 4th in 22/23.

Just feels more difficult. What did we have this year? Man city home, man utd away and Chelsea away? Add in the potential to need to beat maybe an arsenal or Liverpool or whoever if u reach a final etc. It feels alot more unlikely than beating whoever we would have to face in conference league.

I'm only upset because it felt like conference league would be a good opportunity to win something next year. I guess we can put even more focus on domestic cups and the league but it's still gutting to miss out to those cunts.

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This is infuriating to watch. Everything has gone perfect for those jammy cunts so far.