Pilko

Wherever he goes he'll have a good year or 18 months and then realise outside of the occasional CL games or Clasicos that he's bored not being on the telly playing against Augsburg or Leganes and want to go somewhere else.

Higlights?

Suppose we sold Barnes and got someone in from Europe, younger with potential of a higher ceiling. Almost all of the younger signings we've made under Howe have taken time to settle in and spent 6-12 months on the bench barely featuring whilst they get up to speed with the style and system. Who's going to play and score the goals whilst that happens? We're quite goal shy in open play as it is at the moment, Barnes accounts for about 20% of our open play goals in the season just gone (fag packet maths so may be a % or two out) - I'm stunned so many people are keen to sell. If we had other wingers or strikers producing consistent outputs then I could understand it a lot more but I'd not want to sell him in this window, particularly not to Villa where he'd continue scoring 1 in 3 for the next two or three years. It would hurt us and strengthen a direct rival.

yours is better, but I was thinking of:

Elanga has had "ups and downs" The downs: The accountants say that since you've definitely not got a second series at the BBC you're going to have to sack everyone at Pear Tree Productions and close the office down. Otherwise they're going to declare you bankrupt on Friday. The ups: Still... good news about the chocolate oranges

Whilst it makes sense from an age and contract POV to sell Barnes if there's good money being thrown around, I'd be extremely nervous selling one of our best sources of non-penalty goals. The guy is 1-in-3 consistently and handing that over to a rival in Villa with no guarantee we'll replace effectively is scary. £30-£40m recouped for Barnes would be good but if we go and spend it on another dickhead pace merchant who can't cross or shoot it's a terrible deal.

Cordero played 90 mins and scored the third in a 3-0 win for Cadiz today that kept them in the division. Seems he finished the loan spell better than he started.

When he talks about limited selection options today... wasn't it the exact same pool of available players as West Ham, minus Tonali who dropped out last minute?

Looks absolutely finished. Need to move him and Elanga on and sign some wingers who can actually contribute.

You're the most condescending bloke on the planet.

He might fancy playing in his favoured position with a couple of decent footballers to pass to next season. Get the feeling there may be some truth in him wanting away, it can't be fun at the minute playing in our back line.

Add to "when Wissa comes back" and "Eddie's teams always click and go on a run from January" as things we were condescendingly told every week by the Eddie In Come What May brigade that didn't happen.

Made more intelligent signings, have players with much more passion and pride in the shirt and can nick results even when not playing well. Deserved over a full season. Our entire playing squad and staff should be absolutely fucking embarrassed to lose to them twice and finish below them. An utter disgrace and I don't want to hear about any "mitigating circumstances".

3/10 Absolutely miserable apart from a handful of games.

1 clean sheet in 24 games stretching back to mid January fucking abject.

Yet another manager who's fucking off in the summer taking the piss out of us.

Just wait til he gets some confidence and the crowd sing his name, he'll suddenly be class.

Fat useless cunt. Couldn't even foul his man properly.

A fittingly pathetic end to a disgusting season. Well done to players and manager.

Says all you need to know about his mentality that he ripped up last week's encouraging showing to incorporate Murphy and Burn and shunt Hall out of position again. Shit scared of our opponents and will never, ever get away from this obsession over height and running, with no interest in trying to play good football. Got an awful feeling we'll spend big money on more runners, jumpers and shot putters in the summer and get off to our traditional limp start while we wait for the new signings to "click" or "get used to all the running", while other teams sign players who immediately play and contribute positively to their stronger starts. Been on the fence for a while but limp dick showings like today really signals making a change as the right thing. We look bereft of ideas, completely lacking in footballing ability and totally shit at the back. Sick of hearing all the excuses and the "mitigating circumstances", we've been fucking crap for ages and he doesn't look like he knows what to do about it. Bang average sides taking the piss out of us on the reg, many with managers who are leaving in the summer. I'd rather we shook hands now and wished him well as one of our greatest than see it turn nasty which I've a feeling it will by October/November if he continues without making massive changes to style, staff and playing squad. I don't think he wants to make those big changes and if it continues the way it's going I worry for us.

Finds system where team looks good and plays well, immediately abandons it to restore runners and jumpers to the side.

The manager couldn't wait to reinstate two of the poorest players we have with the ball and shunt one of our best ones out of position again, and as a result we can't keep hold of it and have put together one decent move all half. I for one am surprised and shocked at this turn of events. After we looked so fluid and promising last week I don't understand why he's decided to fuck that off again. Bet when he's asked about it after the game it'll be cos he was scared we didn't have enough height in the team.

Another side with the manager leaving in the summer looking much more motivated and up for it than our lot.

Of course, if there's something we don't want to happen this fucking season it inevitably happens.

But Dan Burn is taller so he needs to go back in.