ponsaelius

Not sure there's a great deal between Krafth and Manquillo really. Manquillo can also cover left back - but we're well stocked there and with left footed CBs who could fill in. Krafth is a year younger and can also do a job of sorts at CB in an emergency or in a back 3.

No pyro no party

Surely that’s match tickets

Never a big fan of painting over stone or bricks. Looks good in the short term until it gets dirty then it looks more noticeably crap. Sets too high a standard for a finish that becomes a maintenance burden to keep up with. Would rather they just cleaned the existing materials and kept up on that. Hopefully it's just a short term thing anyway until we get a new stand...

James didn't play a single game for Everton when there was fans in the stadium. Therefore he never actually played for them.

It's the same reason why people find Spain boring. Strangling possession in a game to the point where the opposition can't even get a foothold in the match, and suffocate them to death, is dull. It's death by a thousand cuts. If you're a neutral what you like about football usually is that games have a natural to-and-fro. Yes one team may be better and will dominate but there will be transitions and weaknesses that give the other side a chance. And the better side will also hit them on the transitions too. I actually liked watching Barca under Guardiola but I realised later, particularly when watching the same players for Spain, is I actually just liked watching Messi get the ball all the time.

Definitely agents trying to drum up interest that one. Not the kind of profile we'd go for at all. Shame as he's basically wasted his career at PSG.

Would be great if we could do a loan for Broja with option/obligation to buy. Even have both - an option that turns into an obligation if certain targets are hit over the season. We've shown that is the type of deal we're happy to do with outgoings (Hayden)

There's no way any of those players are going for 25 million in the current market with the clubs not wanted to sell.

The commentator during the Mainz game called Botman 'lean as a cat'.

Far too many goals from our wide players. The club will likely keep their powder dry now.

Far too confusing, don't like it one bit. Worrying.

Don't even think the club have even actually publicised that it is happening, have they? It seems to me it'll be little more than a training ground kick about.

This is not a right winger

Saw Sinisterra went off with a hamstring injury today. Probably less likely Harrison is going anywhere.

It’s painfully quiet atm like. Just a vacuum being filled with nonsense.

https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/20296093.watford-man-gosling-ranieri-hodgson-changes-edwards/ Weirdly candid interview with Gosling here. Not very often you see a current player digging out recent teammates and managers so openly.

They won't be playing Germany in the semis. Will be one of Sweden/Belgium.

Yeah I was gonna say him as well but he probably benefitted more from the year at Blackpool.

Honestly we’ve had more success sending our academy kids to Scotland than the lower leagues. Krul, Forster and Dummett are some of the only ones who have made it and they cut their mustard with spells in the SPL. Don't think it’s a bad option - gives a variety of ability levels in terms of teams you’re up against.

Forest are the quintessential promoted via the play offs team. Weren’t really expecting to go up. Got there largely off the back of a youth player breaking through from nowhere and a right back who was on loan from another Champo club. On top of that they lost their goalie and had other loanes return. Basically they’re massively ill equipped for the top flight - so have needed to throw everything at it and get any king of signing where they could to build a side. It’s not ideal but it’s basically the only thing they could do. Will certainly be very interesting to see how it goes.

I don't even think it's as manic as people are making out, tbh. It's obviously exceeding current supply of 52k but to what degree is impossible to know until you actually expand. It will always seem insatiable until it ticks over the saturation point. The season ticket sales has warped things massively because you had the current matchday demand all going for 1k tickets. That obviously therefore seemed like a golden ticket situation and has sent people into hyperdrive. Actually anybody with a membership had no issue getting tickets for Man City today. This is a much fairer reflection of actual demand. There is definitely scope for expansion and it is worthwhile for sure. But demand is really not entirely bound to success or ambition or quality of team or the competition you're playing in. We didn't sell out many CL games back in the day - just like City get ridiculously mocked for now. Factors like ticket prices and cost of living will come into it massively. As will geography - it's far easier to tack on 10k worth of tourists at WHL or Olympic Stadium than it is in Newcastle (as much as footy tourism would be a huge boost for the city).

2 year deal is same as he's on here - so no benefit of a longer deal. Pretty much guarantees we're subsidising a decent chunk of his wages I reckon.

Exactly. Pepe will be exactly an example of why we won't go to 50-60 million for Diaby or anybody like that right now. That price point becomes really problematic if things go wrong. 30 million is the sweetspot of doubling in value if they excel, being value for money if they do OK, and making a manageable loss if they bomb. 60 million they basically have to be brilliant to be worthwhile - and could potentially be an enormous write-off if they end up like Pepe.

Demand is not endless though nor is it entirely based on the quality of side on the pitch. I'd make an argument that demand among matchgoing locally based fans is unlikely to ever significantly exceed the current demand levels. This is peak fever pitch at the moment. It's about momentum and the feeling of going somewhere, particularly after years of shit. Even if we became hyper successful there will become a point where it becomes boring and mundane. If we settle into steady but unspectacular improvement the hype absolutely will die down. Particularly when ticket prices go up. 60k is would be absolutely fine IMO. Increasing significantly beyond that is only really justifiable if you're looking to attract loads of tourists. Which is questionable whether or not it's even desirable from an atmosphere point of view - before you get onto potential demand on this front.