The Prophet

Fair, we've certainly regressed and it's a matter of opinion whether Howe can turn it around. I'd argue until we see our wage bill and general ability to attract quality increase, we're always going to have a natural ceiling. With that will come the odd disappointing season, it's whether we can push the ceiling more often than not.

I get we live in an SCR world, but we fo get way too hung up on transfer fees (myself included). In today's market, the benchmark suggests Elanga was a £55 million pound player. Wissa due to age and contest length was not, but we grossly overpaid due to our desperation. While I still think the former could turn out to be a useful player, he's never going to be a world beater. As good as our talent spotting has been, we've been incredibly lucky not to have a dud until last summer. We've got plenty of flops and overpays to come, it's just the nature of the beast.

Come on City, belt to ass.

Two takeaway from this page. Anyone demanding season-on-season improvement on the pitch is going to be disappointed until we catch up off it. Linked to that, Ashley has set us back years by i) neglecting to grow our revenue in anyway shape or form, ensuring we'd always hit pretty low ceiling ii) neglecting the academy denying us a talent pool we could blood into the first team or (as grim as it is) sell.

Not particularly. The achievements on the initial list, dwarf the shorter term grumbles that you have listed, even if I do agree with some of them.

Surely we won't know this years wage bill until next year's accounts?

My position has always been Howe was delt an absolutely rotten hand in the summer, for the second summer in a row and given his list of sizeable achievements, he should be the man to lead any rebuild. I'm still there, but I had expected a reaction from the players, post-international break and while I've not watched much football of late, it sounds like we're playing with very little intensity. That is alarming, with parallels to his final months at Bournemouth, concern is understandable. If we were going to twist, it has to be for an upgrade. Any more towards Iraola or Glasner would feel like side ways steps to similar problems down the line. Ultimately though, until the wage bill and transfer spends consistently increase, it's marginal gains no matter the ability of the coach. I do fear for his future as we approach wheels off territory this campaign, but I would like to see the man who has dug us out of the mud, reinvented us and taken us to new heights so many times, given one last opportunity to so. He's earned it, no matter how ugly things get this month.

This tickled me more than it should have

I think you might have made this up.

Not read the last few pages, is he definitely staying on then?

If the rest of the season is an audition to be part of the rebuild, no harm in giving Woltamade and Wissa more minutes until May, granted its probably Osula'a shirt to lose at the moment (an issue in itself).

There aren't many managers who would, at least not in the English game.

Sounds familiar...

It wasn't a dig at you personally, I've just seem a lot of longing for Emery over the years. I think he's an excellent tournament manager, who rehabilitated his imagine of being "the Europa League guy" by doing a brilliant job at Villa. He's very good though and I'd certainly not turn my nose up at him, personally I just think he's a long way from being the best in the league.

If you're Emery, you want NO writing your CV for you.

I can live with him moving to Bayern. It isn't ideal, but I can live with it.

Anyone who thinks he's like Jenas or Anita can't have watched much Jenas or Anita.

To be fair, it was an aberration we didn't qualify for Europe after finishing 7th. Villa finished 7th and qualified for Europe, so it's a harsh stick to beat us with. Until this season we were both very like for like in terms of league finishes.

Fair, I'm just taking for granted they'll win the EL.

Hasn't Emery done with Villa what Howe has done with us though?

He's a cunt.

We're goinig to get our shit pushed in.

Annoying that Arsenal have the biggest push overs in the league coming in midweek.

You fancy West Ham, Forest and Spurs to get 42+ points?

Can't believe lines like these are still being peddled like. Unless "his own way" was the DoF walking out at a time he desperately needed rest, forcing him to step up as defacto Sporting Director whilst taking preseason. I can't imagine it was though. Same crack as the "he proved Mitchell right stuff". As though last summer was the norm and not an extraordinary set of circumstances.