Ghandis Flip-Flop

For the millionth time he did keep training after a very short strop, he was available for selection but their manager decided not to play him given his state of mind. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/czer1kd043yo

Wissa refused to play in a pre-season game but had backtracked before the season kicked off proper, their manager decided not to use him due to his head not being in the right place. So again the situations had some similarities, but are not as analogous as the usual online lack of detail merchants like to make out

Wouldn’t be surprised if we see him in a double pivot with either Bruno or Tonali alongside him as the season progresses, especially once Wissa is back fit and firing. Don’t think we'll be as strongly wedded to the 433 by the end of this season IMO

Surely Wissa is only out for another few matches

FYP

Honest question do you think Howe is to blame for Isak fucking the club over? is Howe to blame for no striker being brought in until the very end of the window? And lastly is Howe responsible for Wissa getting injured on international duty? If you answered no to those questions, all of which have massively impacted our start to the season, then I’m questioning why you think our indifferent form so far is fully within the gift of Howe to fix

Think it’s affected us even more this season given "he who shalt be named" and Wissa's injury. Woltemade has done great, but I think ideally he'd be being gently eased in over a period of time, rather than effectively relied upon. The fact that we got those attacking replacements in so late, has killed our early season form and something I seriously hope the club has learned from and won’t repeat.

Don’t try being reasonable, this is a NO match thread, maximum nihilism is required here

We thought the same of Madueke last summer who's now at Arsenal, thinking Chelsea have any kind of plan is madness in itself

Can see him being too much of a pussy to adapt to PL football

Nah he definitely lacks the capacity to deliver pleasure, unlike a cunt

FYP

Im less convinced on the pen, given it came of his foot, but there’s no explanation for Gabriel being any where near Woltemade in that phase of play other than wanting to hit him. In the same way as VVD got away Scot free for forearm smashing Gordon off the ball last season, I am at a loss as to what the purpose of VAR is if not to look at those kind of incidents when the ref misses them?

Nah it was more for the time wasting element, if I recall correctly. Which is odd as the post goal celebrations (if VAR haven't stuck their oar in) take just as long since that rule was introduced.

I do sometimes wonder if people suffer collective amnesia every summer, given that we've started every season slowly under Eddie. Add in the significant turnover and turmoil in the striker department is it any wonder? We'll come good man, the fact that we haven’t really seen Gordon, Woltemade and Elanga on the pitch together yet makes me excited for what’s to come. Never mind when Wissa and Ramsey are back to bolster things further

Thought similar with Ricky Hatton today too, turns out he's even a few months younger than me too 🥲

Not if he's being assessed by a specialist

Very solid debut from the big lad there 👏

You’re misremembering there tbh, they’re all equally massive cunts, dripping in entitlement

I’m hoping they’ve put the wrong Murphy in there too

You’re not paying attention to the market in general, if you think they’re "premium prices" IMHO

He proven, but has spent most of his time in the PL as a wide forward and has hardly been prolific. It looks like he's managing the move to Chelsea and to CF well currently, but there were lots of people on here not convinced when we were linked. Especially if he was going to be an Isak replacement.

Both Ekitike and Sesko cost more, Ekitike only really had last season as a regular first team starter and everyone is still waiting for Sesko to really have a breakout year too. It kinda bewilders me those in the media balking at the fee; as apart from Delap who had the really low release clause, every other striker we went for was at similar ball park cost and they all had similar risk attached.

No we all accept he was terrible, he's just not as bad as Pardew and Bruce because they were cunts and also terrible

Which is something Howe has done, so elevates him above Keegan