tom1988

Have thought about this a bit through playing FM over the years but I'd go with a 2-3-2-2-1 or basically a fancy 4-3-3 GK CB1 - - - - - - CB2 RWB - - - DM - - - - RWB CM1- - - - CM2 RW - - - - - - - - - - - LW ST The idea is that groups of players working in groups/pods are responsible for certain areas of the pitch at certain times so that overloads can be gained in attack and a tight press in defence. GK needs to be commanding and a bit of a prick (eg. Kahn, Donnarumma, Dida) CBs ideally would be on the prickish side too as well as physically strong and athletic (eg. Ramos, Puyol or Cannavaro) I'd want the WBs to be able to cross really well and chip in with goals too as well as have the stamina to get up and down all the time (eg. Dani Alves, Marcelo, Ashley Cole or Cafu) A DM like Cambiasso, Pirlo or Kimmich, someone that could read the situation, make interceptions and then ping a pass from back to front to kick off a quick attack. The 2 CM would be constantly rotating going forward or covering with an emphasis on arriving on the edge of the box for the pull back, guys like Iniesta, Ballack, Nedved or Sneijder RW and LW are the flair players, the ones that the other team shit themselves about facing and who have a pretty free reign to terrorize as they see fit - grew up watching Ronaldinho so him and someone like prime Robben. ST has to be an all rounder, good in the air and with decent pace, if he has a bit of devilment in him then all the better. Henry, Drogba, Raul or Batistuta. My bench would be full of pace so that they can be brought on for the last 15-20 minutes to shred the oppo defence to bits.

Personally hope that Howe is just trying to get a song out of him for the next few months as that is what we need. Bollocks to his long term usefulness, we need results now and if pushing Shelvey gets better performances for a few months then great. Still needs to be binned as soon as we can get a half decent replacement. He's a throwback to our former era of adequacy rather than ambition. Onwards and upwards and I'm sure we'll see Shelvey at Turf Moor next season.

I think early part of the window we have to be looking to bring players in from abroad, no way any team in the PL deals with us until the end of the window. If they can keep us weak for another month of games then they will especially if we're still in the drop zone then.

Anyone seen the BT Sport advert for the game against Brighton on Saturday? Has this playing when we're on screen. So good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeXatquVqAc

From what I have heard McParland and Owen Brown are doing a lot of the work behind the scenes on behalf of the consortium so reckon Hope might have a line to them for his info.

I think that the speed at which the takeover went through after such a delay is why we now have such a large list of options. It's obvious that Rafa was their guy from the start and everything was set for him to stay/come back as manager and build the club as he saw fit with full backing from the Saudis. Obviously the delay has resulted in him going to Everton which now leaves him (supposedly) unavailable and the consortium a bit stuck/ on the back foot. They want someone that will handle the football side, Rafa would have done both the roles of DoF and Manager so I think the 'delay' now is figuring out whether they need one guy or two and whether said guy or guys have the right type of vision and plan for the development of the club as a whole - as Rafa did. This is why I can't see Fonseca coming unless they have a DoF lined up too who specifically wants him. We're either going to get a Rafa type that will do both jobs or a package a la Overmars and Ten Hag. Either way, I'm happy for them to take their time and who knows, if Everton get spanked again this weekend they might just be a bit more willing to answer the phone.

This needs to happen. Fonseca, whilst a different echelon to Bruce, is still a bit meh for me - Spurs decided against him after all. Ten Hag for me like.

Would love us to go in for Henk ten Hag, my boss is Dutch (Ajax fan) and says he is too good for them and that he learned a lot from Pep at Bayern

Striped/hooped socks all the way

van Bronckhorst tshabalala James Rodriguez and possibly Ronaldinho (definite world cup theme going on there)

Shaqiri would be class like plus I'd take ward-prowse and cedric from southampton.

Woah! A friend of mine works here.. I'll do some digging.

Should play over christmas and then have the break in January. Have the break when the transfer window is open, then shut the window and bring back the footy.

So good. Love a bit of Mick.

We should make a concerted effort to get a journo to ask him about this stat in his next presser

The media may want to write more about their plight, but that would require readers/viewers to have an interest... which they don't. They'll disappear with a whimper and 95% of the football world won't even notice. But, you know, 6 in a row marra

Not that tall 189cm isn't "that tall" 5'10" to 6'2" normal. Anything above/below that tall/short IMO Average height of a man in the UK is 175.3cm. Even in Serbia he's higher than the average, which is 182cm. So many short people dragging the average down! I'm 193cm and don't feel particularly tall - where are all the midgets hiding?

I did this one: http://www.worldfootball.net/table_calculator/eng-premier-league/ Went with 1-0 0-1 or 0-0, didn't bother guessing scores. Got us to finish 12th with 36 points.. Think I may have been a but optimistic with some results but Swansea, Southampton and Stoke going down would make me a happy boy. Think it's a toss up between Saints and Watford imo.

Was at the west brom game today with my uncle and they looked shite. Solid enough but that was more to do with Everton being terrible - they missed Rooney massively. West brom just kept pumping crosses in and Rondon / Rodriguez / Robson-kanu were useless. Unless they reinforce up front they ain't gonna win many games.

Did we say we'd pay in bitcoin?

Schadenfreude. Their entire existence is this it seems.

Completely unrealistic but I would absolutely love to get Luiz, one of my favourite players (not on ability or reliability but just because I think he's class). Not sure he's exactly what we need but still, what a statement of intent.

Happy birthday Mike Ashley. Let's just hope when he was opening his cards this morning there was one with a cheque in it for £300m and a note saying 'Happy birthday Mike, wishing you the best for the year to come - now fuck off out of my club. Lots of love, Amanda'

This reminds me of a few years ago when some sports shop or another was doing a promotion of free shirt printing when you bought a new shirt... myself and my Arsenal supporting brother took advantage of the offer. I got Coloccini and he got Mertesacker. The lad on the counter could definitely tell we were just taking the piss.

Anyone think (hope) that with Spurs signing that keeper from Saints we could be in for Vorm?