Lush Vlad

Not had many assets to sell to recoup money and make the net spend look better, mind.

So fuck if other fans and talking heads don’t rate Howe? I couldn’t tell you all the strengths and weaknesses of Ten Hag or Glasner, as a couple of random examples. Fans are partisan as fuck and like to get stuck into other club’s managers, players, fans, chairman etc. Howe has flaws. So did Rafa, who I loved. They could be stubborn and make head scratching decisions. All managers do. Liverpool fans were almost unanimous with their gripes about Klopp and the way he used his subs and his plan A and plan A only. Yet they worshipped him and rightly so. I suppose at times Howe thought the ends justify the means and plenty of us didn’t. At least he has a philosophy and style and tries to stick to it. Again, the same as Rafa. Albeit in a very different way. After watching so many chancers rip up the tactics and team sheets on a whim off a bad result, week to week. Give me the frustrations of Howeball any day of the week. Not sure who we’re getting in his place who is a better fit.

We’ve never started a season under Howe where everything has clicked. Performances and results have often been up and down. I’m going to go and look at the Bournemouth seasons when I can be arsed. As I keep seeing this slow start mentioned and feels like it’s a bit early to be making a snap judgement.

Hahahahahahahaha Absolute melt.

Do some people prefer the excitement (disappointment in this case) of a transfer window more than the actual game of football itself? Didn’t know so many fans have such extensive scouting dossiers and know who we should have signed. All those other clubs in Europe are so dumb. Like real life FM on here.

I missed 3 days ago when we didn’t have so many Simakan experts telling us what a great deal €45m is. He’s gained a massive following on here this week.

If the stuff about Howe wanting Guehi or nobody in is true, then that’s ridiculous and can easily see a power struggle coming. One I doubt Howe wins again. Like it seemed he did with Ashworth. Would be cutting off your nose to spite your face. If it is just incompetence on the club’s part and we have failed to sign any one of note at CB or RW. Then that’s equally as worrying and isn’t putting Howe in a position to succeed. Which could be by design and not mistake, if you want to be cynical. The truth could be somewhere in between or far more nuanced than that. But whatever the situation is. It doesn’t really bode well for the season ahead and Howe’s future. Which is a massive shitter IMO. As I think Howe is almost as important as the takeover itself and I’d be gutted if he were to leave. Despite 3 fairly average to poor performances. Where we’ve avoided defeat all 3 times, I might add. He seems to have more and more detractors on here and in general of late. Which I find mind boggling, TBH.

Craig Hope is a shit stirring prick and has dined out long enough on the Steve Bruce stuff. Fuck him and the Nazi paper he writes for. Smarmy and arrogant whenever he is on podcasts or TV. Writes for a sensationalist shit rag. Always focuses on the negative slant and his angle is almost always the glass half empty way of looking at things. Revels in being a joy vacuum. Not even read past the headlines on his latest piece. Might even be telling the truth on this occasion TBF to him Either way. My point still stands. The block heeded cunt.

Great way of looking at it. I think as I get older, I don't get quite so up and down about it all. If we don't get anyone else in. It will have been a 2/10 window, really. It's annoying and a bit shit. But I'll just move onto enjoying my weekend and hopefully watching a good performance on Sunday.

Oh aye, for sure. I would play him there personally at the minute with Burn. But I do think EH is wedded to this right footer at RCB, lefty on the left. Meaning Kelly and Burn won't play together.

Yeah, I guess everyone heals at different speeds. But I thought it was always sort of 7 months as a minimum. But not back to anywhere near 100%, minutes managed etc. But normally more like 9-12 months.

I said similar regarding what we did with Botman. Problem is, Guehi may well have better options next year and clubs offering more money or Europe. Also, if we have another injury crisis or if even Schar is missing for a while. Krafth at CB is hardly ideal for a team with designs on Europe. No idea on when they expect Botman and Lascelles back. But they'll take a good while to get up to speed, you would have thought?

Not to be all tin hat, conspiracy theorist. But could that have all been a load of bollocks? As in they were never going to sell for the price we were willing to go to. Posturing from Parrish to look like he's great for not selling another one of the crown jewels. Then us looking like 'we tried'..... Sorry. I know you hate that line

Is it possible we don't have any money because of PSR? I don't really delve into that, as I don't understand it and I don't want to. It's depressing and boring as fuck, TBH. Everything I've read seemed to suggest we had a decent enough budget to get a top player or a couple of decent ones. Even without outgoings. But the fact we've pissed about so long, seemingly don't even want to consider loans when we're desperate in certain positions and there have been no concrete links to anyone bar Guehi..... It is certainly worrying™.

Yeah. Unless they suddenly pull something out the bag (doubtful). The ratings for this transfer window are going to make for grim reading

Aye. Probably true. Tough one, as all signs point to him being our number one target. The same way Botman was. So we were happy to wait. But I think if we wait here we'll end up in a mess at the back with our current CB options and we'll miss out on him next year, anyway.

I mean, I feel like we are a bit more desperate than before for a decent CB. But we went back in for Botman after missing out the first time. I wonder if that is the plan here. Don't go in at a ridiculous price and chance your arm in January or next summer at a much more sensible fee. Of course that significantly opens the door to a lot of other clubs when the price is more reasonable. Clubs who could offer better terms, a better league position, Europe etc.

I mean, it really wouldn't surprise me the way this has all played out. But when has that Graeme Bailey ever been right about anything? In fact, during this whole drawn out, boring as fuck saga. When has a journo been right on anything?!

Would love him to start against Spurs. With how open they play and them being rife for a counter. It would be massive to have some more mobility and incisive passing in there. Just a shame Willock isn’t available as an option, too.

Not really. He was crap on Sunday and by all accounts not good last night. Little Joe had a great cameo against Bournemouth, comes back with a start and shows us what we’re missing and then everyone feels sorry for him with the injury. It’s the other way round. Different players for different games/scenarios. Also, I know it’s just a figure of speech ‘but twice the footballer’ is a laughably shit take and demeans all the good work Joelinton does for us. We forgotten Southampton already?

Twice the footballer Big Joe is Can’t beat the internet for a big slice of hyperbole. I’m a fully paid up member of the Willock fan club, TBF. Need him fit as an option. More direct and pacey than any of our midfielders. Seems like his body isn’t holding up too well in this system, though.

Not seen the game tonight. But not sure we’ve ever had a fast, out the blocks start to a season under him, have we? No idea what he was like at Bournemouth. So not a big sample size of 3 for NUFC, granted. But I Can’t say it’s ‘worrying’ me yet.

Didn’t know we had so many Bundesliga/Wolfsburg fans on here

I think there are actually different definitions between 'addict' and 'problem gambler'. Like I think the former is clinical and the second is based on things like harm markers and patterns of play and not deemed as serious. But either way. Where the fuck does she get off asking that, why the fuck does it matter, is she even clued up enough to know the difference or understand it? Like what is she going to do with that information. Just shit stirring and trying to continue the negativity around the whole Tonali episode.

Seems I have the same view to quite a few in here. Assuming he is staying and his head's right. Then I'd 100% start Trippier. Hall, Willock, Barnes and all. Could keep a very strong looking team even making say 4-5 changes from the one that started at the weekend. Arguably a better XI, even. I can't see Tonali starting. But it would be great if he could get half an hour or more.