ponsaelius

He's more of a number 10/midfielder TBH, and they've let go Bonaventura and Castrovilli on frees.

I am at peace with whatever happens with Trippier. Think he'd be useful to keep for experience and quality and reckon he still has another season in him. Also worry slightly with relying on Krafth as a back up. But equally if we can get a solid fee, big wages off, then it actually makes perfect sense to let him go now. He's shown physical decline which is only going to accelerate.

Even if he doesn't go I struggle to buy the new contract. He only got one 12 months ago, and still has two years left.

I think Fiorentina accepted the offer last year. It was Gonzalez who didn't want to go to Brentford.

He was a complete non event last season, after a fair bit of hype. Didn't even make their Euros squad.

I think it's reasonable tbh given the prices touted for other strikers.

Third kit is a great idea badly executed I'd say. If they tweaked the size of the badge and it was embroidered (maybe changed the colour...) and fixed the alignment of the Noon logo it would be fine. But because of these issues its a swing and a miss for me. That being said it's probably the best of the three of looking like an item of everyday clothing.

It's fake man That's the contract he'd already signed.

I have no issue with the club if they have some reservations long term. Clubs should always back their managers but they also shouldn't do it to the extent where it places all power in one individual and makes continuity difficult when said manager goes (which they are always at risk of). The structures in place at a football club should be able to continue when an individual leaves. It seems to me that's what is trying to be put in place this summer. Love Eddie but he must surely realise this is how all big football clubs operate.

While I don't think he's the right long term option if the finances go low enough it would be worth a punt.

If true it's madness. No way we could reasonably carry all of new RW, Miggy and Murphy.

I'm absolutely gasping like. It feels particularly barren this year.

This time it actually makes sense to go with an experienced head rather than an expensive investment if they genuinely think Camarda has what it takes in a couple of years.

Feels like a decent fee considering he's off the back of probably best goalscoring season of his career.

They won't get a group as it's a league format now.

Gnonto should have been in Italy's squad this summer I thought. I don't really know why he's faded out of the NT picture after breaking through so young - given the quality of the top 3 in the Championship is certainly comparable to Serie A sides outside the top 7. I think he'd be underwhelming though if he was our main RW signing. I also don't think he's a legitimate option upfront - so doesn't fulfil that 'versatile forward' profile we keep hearing is on the radar to replace Wilson. He could probably do a job as a second striker but not a CF.

Yeah that would pretty much go without saying. Basically how the Rugby World Cup qualifying works. Or - and I think this would possibly be even better - you do it how Asian qualifying works where they have a joint system for both Asian Cup and World Cup Qualifying. Phase 1 would wittle down the teams to 32 (who qualify for the Euros), and then phase 2 narrows it down to the now 16 that will go to the 46 team World Cup. That could reduce the amount of qualifying games teams play overall. It does basically mean that smaller teams can be fucked straight away and effectively lose an entire cycle of qualifying opportunity though. That's a big issue with Asian/Concacaf in that smaller nations can go 4 years without meaningful footy. You'd probably need to set up a secondary Euros or Nations League style competition for minnows.

He'd already left Napoli when the Italy job came up though (after Mancini went to Saudi). It wasn't like he left the job for the Italy one directly. I think the point that managers very rarely leave club jobs following an international approach. I can't even think of any examples tbh.

Thing is they had stumbled on a kind of solution to the lack of a left hand side with the 3-4-3. That did allow Bellingham and Foden to both have influence particularly against Netherlands. I don't really understand why we got rid of that just because Shaw was back. Unless we didn't and they were trying badly to do both systems, which did kind of seem to be the case.

I take back my comment about swapping them, but only because these Basque lads love getting homesick straight away so would be far too much of a gamble. All being equal and just looking at them as players Williams is another level IMO.

Btw I think Southgate was genuinely a good manager for England 2018-2022. Personally never agreed with any of the criticism previously, both in terms of performances and results considering the relative personnel available each time. However I think we were actually terrible throughout this tournament and think it would have been more befitting if we had gone out against Slovakia.

Some truth to the first, but not the latter. I'd swap Gordon for Williams in a heartbeat.

I don't rate Cucurella but I genuinely reckon he's been good all tournament.

Yeah Spain in 2010

Spain 2008 were fun btw, to give credit where it's due to the owld racist they had in charge.