Tiresias

Clubs in leagues that can't compete with premier league trying to do so by scouting younger and scouting better to bring in future talent they can then sell back to the premier league for massive profits so they can be at all competitive with them when it comes to european competition is the answer :/

i mean i think Romeu is good like but not sure he's the new Busquets...

So close to the Mane Sane and Kane lineup too

I guess need to get new signings in to work our ffp and all that but give him everything. Still can't quite believe this guy plays for us somehow

Yep absolutely right profile of club for him could really rebuild his reputation.

i feel a little for maguire, got the phil jones hex of becoming a figure of national ridicule because when he makes errors they tend to be on the calamitous. But he is simply never going to be a defender for a technical high defensive line side that they want to do. He may well think he has a decent chance of outlasting Ten Hag I guess, and when the high press stops working he can play deep and everyone will comment on maguire has done well there. Still think best for him is to go, don't get any clearer sign you aren't getting minutes than having captaincy stripped.

Worring.

Well he is also alleged to have loaned money to said people, said invest in this, and then got loan back i'm guessing with some interest so probably does count as personally using it

In fairness as I understand it isn't a Pirlo style documentary it is more of a all action Gattuso style doc

Liverpool seem to replace their team in waves, they replaced the front line over last season or two with gakpo, nunez and diaz, now they are replacing the whole midfield in one window, next window i guess they replace teh defence? doesn't half mean you end up with a whole bit of your squad leaving at the same time as contracts run down...

I agree would love a technical playmaker for that but there is something to be said for knowing what you are good at and focusing on that, it's all very well signing such a player and expecting the whole team to be able to switch to a more possession style game for particular matches it won't happen. I saw a piece on how Howe did adapt the height of the press based on opposition, so to not press so high on teams he wanted to draw out before hitting in transition. The other thing though, when you look at how Guardiola used to do it with City before Haaland is stretch teams horizontally as much as possible with overloads, keeping wingers wide (Sterling used to do this why he seemed to assist loads with cut backs) creates space for players like Isak to run into.

Trialling it aren't they, maybe it adds delay but not going to be clear if it is good or not without trying it at a proper event. I am still conflicted but minded that var probably ought to be reduced in scope

And the amount of sell on in his contract i guess means southampton wont see the funds they want to if they sell him low. Works out quite well for them if it keeps him being prized away. (Doesnt if he is crocked permanently and they could have made loads on him)

fair enough if they don't need the money. May be worth waiting till closer to end of window, don't think he's worth spending more than we're offering at the present, he may kick up an internal fuss and they may come back.

need to use a comma there big difference between "being positive always is stupid", "being positive, always is stupid" and "being positive always, is stupid"

Where is this incredible site I keep hearing about? Also feel bad man hope he's genuine and doesn't get put off by the pile on, but still livramento could be a great signing so no idea why you;d get so negative on it

Is that the same Frimpong who used to be at Arsenal?

Can I sit somewhere in the middle of this argument? I hope Anderson comes good, I think a loan last season may have been better than him staying but with shortness in midfield he probably had to stay. I think realistically though I am not sure he is going to make it, we need home grown players coming in but is he really going to come close to Bruno and Tonoli's level that he can even adequately deputise? Hope so but it is a high bar, and unless he improves he's not going to avoid players being brought in to play ahead of him.

We are still clearly short in midfield. If Bruno has a season ending injury we are in crisis even now. Things are better with Tonoli of course but that would still have a massive impact on us, we couldn't brush that aside and say we are going to compete on all fronts for rest of season

I think the challenge is going to be a lot more teams are going to drop deep against us this season. The majority of the time I think the starting 11 will stay 4-3-3 as before, but now he has more options accross forward line (and maybe more to come) so that may get varied. I do think we are going to see Isak more than Wilson, I don't think Isak will return to being shunted out wide, but if Wilson keeps up his form who knows, the competition seems to bring out the best in both of them. Against teams that will sit deep I wonder if Howe will ever feel he can give up the security of a 3 man midfield and play isak and wilson together or something? Will be interesting.

I don't think for a second they will go as bad as Southampton, I just think they're more likely to tick on around where they are, probably dip a bit lower this season due to Europe commitments (like I expect us to as well tbh). I am sure they have 3 or 4 players I've never heard of who will prove to be great (and that ferguson looks ace too), but I just think it will probably be too much churn to sustain a real champions league push every year. Honestly though, I am just delighted that we will be trying still. I mean that. I don't think we are in a position yet to be 'expecting' a top 4 finish, particularly this season coming when Liverpool will be better, Spurs and Chelsea both may be better. We will have a lot of games. I just want to enjoy it and I want to enjoy competitive games against other good teams and to hell with 'worrying' about it. I am going to save my nerves for getting deep in cups and maybe getting close to a top 4 finish but I think we'll finish 5th or 6th, and I am sure I will be pissed about when it comes to it but I will try not to be, what will annoy mostly is if we are beaten by chelsea somehow being rewarded for their stupidity which does tend to happen now and then in football. I'd love to finish above liverpool again too.

Villa could be very good next season and could end up ahead of us but i doubt it. They seem to have recruited well and have good manager. Honestly it's good for the league to have us villa and Brighton competing for the champions League places, I'd be a lot more pissed if somehow boehlyball pays off. I think villa will be there it there abouts but Brighton do fear for a bit they're brilliant at changing but i think there may be a glass ceiling to it. Liverpool will be much better too but are still in transition

In fairness ineffective forwards becoming defensive mids is becoming more of a thing now lol

Excellent business this imo