Tiresias

Player who has been on our radar for a while is still on our radar which means little anywhere. I still think there should be a transfer news blackout, then the start of the season the new squads should be unveiled all at once by them jumping out of dry ice as a surprise.

Guess that's with money saved from not bribing refs anymore

It's not an unreasonable point but interesting not including cost of the respective benchs, what with Sancho on there... :P

Hmmm if his injury record was better would be happy with him as an option to thicken out the squad. With his injury record I would be very dubious

Considering he is facing a substantial long term ban for betting on games it is questionable he should be being given a shot to be honest. I guess there is confidence he will get like a 10 game ban or something and basically won't affect his internationals? If I were say Ollie Watkins who is seems to be quietly building a run of form for Villa right now and i havent bet on hundreds of matches i may be a little annoyed

don't think so, you can google it you know

i say all that nice stuff about saka and he makes that shot lol

I think if willocks carries on improving as he has been certainly could look to an england spot, however he very much continues the problem with england midfields, we produce midfielders who like to burst forward, create overloads, eat up the yards with the ball, we do not create ones who can slow down the game, keep the ball or are particularly creative. People want England to play like Man City but we can't with the players we have.

I think the +1 in the centre is an issue, I am not 100% convinced by rice, I have definitely seen him play like the real deal and has been solid for england, but I don't know if he is really 'world class'. Bellingham I have not seen enough of but has really impressed me, and if all the raving is true then he should be there. Then after that who is there? Henderson is too old tbh, Philips may have fucked his career with man city move, may get it back but we'll see. After that? You need some depth but in midfield i don't think we have any. People are critical of Southgate, including me but we do not have a midfield who can play possession based football. Tomori by all acounts had a worldie of a seaosn when milan won league and has been rubbish ever since so doubt that.

Disagree to be honest, I think he is fouled a lot and one of his most appealing qualities is how much he rides the challenges, something oldschool in him running with chunks being taken out of him

I mean it's just a bit of bollocks to add emphasis, but there are hundreds of talents, a generational talent would be one who be one of the best players 'of a generation' so when we look back on 2020s as a decade in the future we will think Saka as an outstanding player. Could still be wrong, he could drop off, but the way he controlls the ball and dribbles with it, rides tackles, he can put in crosses, he can cut inside and score, he isn't too selfish...i could go on

Saka is an absolutely brilliant player, genuine generational talent. I hope he carries on playing with joy on the pitch. Like a Hazard who works hard.

I think Caulkin is a very good writer but less impressive in terms of having a lot of sources that aren't just the club itself, hence why he was led up the garden path by staverley's optimism originally when should have been a bit more skeptical even though she was proven right in the end. Equally he can't churn out spine tingling prose every week, it quickly becomes somewhat contrived. I do think him and the lot are too close to the club, which results in good in depth articles close up but equally leads to them being essentially symbiotic with the club's own pr. I remember the 'controversy' last season when the press corps clapped Howe, that bit was nonsense and quite natural nothing wrong there, but then howe said he saw the press as "part of the team". Hmmmm no the press shouldn't be part of the team. They should be the publics eyes and ears as close to the club as possible, yes there is a mutal beneficial nature to a close working relationship but there is definitely a feel with the athletic it is churning out puff pieces and everyone is happy. From the journos I would like 1) some soul stirring stuff getting a feel of the club as is and wants to be 2) knowledgeable analysis of what the goals of the club are i.e. transfer targets, ground changes etc 3) analysis of squad and tactics 4) holding club to account as to are they doing what is promised? 5) explanations of the business side as well as sponsorships etc. 6) A reasonable look at all attitudes and opinions about the ethical side of ownership, including yes criticism where warranted What the journos shouldn't be doing is uncritically regurgitating the clubs own marketing. The Athletic does 1 2 and 3, there isn't a great deal to hold the club to account for that is not around the ethical side which they do cover, but caulkin himself basically only does 1. They have done some excellent interviews too.

Old Who is the best who <3 (albeit there are also a lot of rubbish ones lol been rewatching recently)

You'd be surprised some people really don't travel outside their home town, I remember someone in their 40s who lived in Stockton her whole life and had never once gone into Middlesbrough. I remember getting worried looks of some people I know when I said I was going down to London, they asked wasn't I scared of being stabbed. I suspect it's these never leave home types who do treat away days like some kind of foreign war tour.

Manic Street Preachers???

Staverley said from the start they wouldn't be here forever, though they seem to be having so much fun that i doubt they'll be off anytime soon, they can probably sell half their stake for as much as they put in at this point and retain seats on board etc. But as said that doesnt look super credible but wouldnt shock me to see Staverley sell some at some point

In fairness Toney may not be available again for a long time, but yes I doubt there's a road back for Wilson tbh there will likely be a new generation in place by next Euros, and Wilson can hardly complain based on current form

If he can turn in that performance every week I will be delighted. He is still young but getting to the point where if he is to become a regular for a side like us he needs consistency of performance. He can sometimes be a bit careless in possession, but he is always excellent out of possession work.

bought by venture capitalists weren't they? smells fshy

thought was good today, needs some luck to come his way to get a goal and hopefully they will start flowing

Thank god! Needed to sweat that one out of us, hopefully confidence will come back

Botman so close to a worldie ffs

Miggy's eyes practically bulged right out his head