SteV

There’s definitely a question mark in relation to the potential price, albeit we don’t actually know what that is/would be. But putting that to one side, we do have to refresh the entire squad to a degree with the likelihood of Europe next year. We’re not going to replace the likes of Dummett and Fraser with the quality of Bruno and Botman, so there will be a need for a signing or two below that level.

And - it’s more a point about how the view that Fred (and more pertinently McTominay) are viewed as some kind of joke players, ‘Championship standard’, or whatever people want to trot out to support the argument. It’s a perfectly acceptable opinion to hold that McTominay isn’t worth the investment at the rumoured prices, that he isn’t much/any better than what we have already. But let’s not be silly, he can’t have got to where he’s got in his career if he was useless.

Whilst playing for Manchester United and Brazil…

If he’s passing sideways and backwards, he must be getting the ball and not hiding from it…. Someone not contributing much/anything in possession is significantly different to actively not making yourself available to receive it. Anyway, we’re veering away from the topic here as we won’t be signing Jack Colback (again) thankfully.

He doesn’t, we just like to make out that he does because we don’t like him. And not doing anything substantial with it is a different argument (I’d actually probably agree with you on that in terms of Colback). He’s also spent his entire PL career in the mid to lower reaches where the majority of the time there’s less chance/expectation to get on the ball and be progressive, as opposed to a team challenging towards the top end.

The theory that a footballer with substantial appearances in the PL and at International level (even if it is Scotland) actively ‘hides from the ball’ on any kind of regular basis is total madness. I can’t say of watched anything like enough of McTominay to be offering a considered opinion on him personally, and it might be that his positioning to receive the ball is frequently poor, but to think that he’s consistently deliberately doing it to avoid getting the ball is laughable.

How? Surely people just have less individual room?

Has there been any chat about the clubs already trialling looking to change the ratio and increase capacity?

It only takes one person down there to stand up, then the person behind has to stand, then the one behind them, and so on. And they can’t be told to sit down now…

As others say, it’s a start. From the discussions we knew they were never going to open with 10k straight away. Maybe it won’t make much difference but we’re getting there.

Ward-Prowse was completely anonymous in the three games against us this season (set piece delivery aside). Not necessarily fair to make any kind of judgement solely off that like, but it doesn’t really fill you with confidence.

Got Obafemi’s birth certificate as well if he’s supposed to have just turned 17…

I seem to remember him doing an interview with that Soccer AM character (Tubes??) where he said something along the lines of he wasn’t interested in money as it only caused problems, so he more or less let other people run his finances. Obviously chose the wrong people… edit: here it is from 11:45 onwards. Quite sad really https://youtu.be/6x5RSkaGywE

Did he develop his “affinity” round about the time Bayern sacked him?

Reminds me of this ? Terry’s World View

Whether we like it or not, they definitely have to give consideration to getting more home grown players into the squad for the long term. You need a minimum of 8. At present I think we only have two who I would say are already at the required level and would feel confident of them being at that level or (hopefully) better in the long term (4+ years): Willock Gordon There’s another handful who could be, but for differing reasons I’m not as confident as I am with the above two: Longstaff Murphy Anderson Targett Ashby Then we have older players who clearly are of the required level, but age would dictate it’s unlikely they will be in the long term: Pope Trippier Wilson Burn Leaving the rest that aren’t at that level and very likely won’t get there: Lascelles Dummett Ritchie Darlow Gillespie Fraser Lewis Now this doesn’t need to rectified in the next window, or even the next two or three windows, but it’s got to be a gradual process starting away really. *In hindsight, this would have been far better in the Squad thread, but fuck it, I’ve typed it all out now.

I don’t think being runner-up in the league cup has ever qualified you, has it?

Millwall got knocked out in the first round and Wigan came bottom of the group when they qualified. Having said that I do take your point about variety. Something the Conference League seems to have been good for providing.

Not sure about that like. Millwall’s route to the final (and therefore Europe) in 2004 was: Walsall Telford Burnley Tranmere Sunderland

Does he? Didn’t know that. Definitely something that would be extremely helpful to us. Also adds increased justification to the rumoured price tag like.

We’ll have 5 teams in the CL. Still slightly unsure as to whether West Ham winning the Conference League would have any impact on places outside of the CL?

If Man Utd were playing Sunderland, and the result had no obvious impact on us, it would be very strange to hope for anything other than a resounding Man Utd win.

What about if we sign Mbappe?

Bit weird that Palace are going back to Hodgson really. His MO is to come in and make teams organised, hard to breakdown etc. which is exactly what Palace already are. Not sure anyone has ever thought ‘we’ve got serious problems with our attacking play, let’s turn to Roy Hodgson’.