Kid Icarus

Literally 2 points from safety with a game in hand. I'll give you this, if for whatever reason Bruno doesn't sign, I'll be right there with you singing Everybody Hurts.

I don't have the midset of 'if we don't do what we set out to do then it's underwhelming' though. I have the mindset of having gone through 14 years of Mike Ashley and experiencing all of this by comparison. The bar is low and I'll take as much enjoyment out of it as I can, it just so happens that in signing the likes of Kieran Trippier, and (hopefully) Bruno Guimaraes we've cleared that bar by a mile. We've been close with Sven Botman, Diego Carlos, Bakker, could still sign Jesse Lingard, are supposedly trying to sign Zapata, are linked with Darwin Nunez, and others. And I hate to do this because it's often bullshit, but if Dan Burn was coming from abroad and performing well in a team with the best defensive record in the league (ie Diego Carlos) the reaction would be completely different to what it is. Chris Wood has a habit of going on goal scoring runs at the end of the season and I still maintain that we've weakened Burnley at this point in time. He's a 1 in 3 striker, as is Callum Wilson. It's only Friday as well. I'm not going to be underwhelmed because of one of the 150+ players that we've been linked with this window isn't amazing, there's still plenty of time and we've already potentially massively improved the midfield with one signing, and definitely massively improved right back.

I'm not saying it's not honest, but I disagree about it being fair. Really not sure what you were expecting in our situation. If you're underwhelmed that's fine, but I'm one of the most miserable cunts going and even I think it's goth as fuck to be like that considering who we're (hopefully) about to sign like.

Give over man Mixed!? It might be mixed in terms of comparing them to each other, but step outside of this window and remember where we are and where we've been and (providing Bruno definitely signs) this should already be a window of dreams for anyone that's had Ashley signing dross or no one for their club for 14 years. I get that that doesn't mean you can't be critical, but are we really taking it for granted this quickly like? Christ. Burn's a starting defender for the best defence in the league. Nketiah is only linked as well, I don't rate him at this point either, but there are plenty of other strikers we're obviously keen on getting.

Literally about the sign a midfielder that would walk into 3 of the top 6 and already some are sticking on Atmosphere by Joy Division because we've been linked with Nketiah

The last time I read Kulusevski's name feels like 6 months ago now. We must have been linked with 200+ players, comfortably.

Not convinced we'll be in for him tbh.

Or a positive outlook when everyone's being negative.

SSN reiterating that we still haven't given up on Diego Carlos.

Stranger things have happened like. Sevilla playing hard to get then want the deal when we've moved on. I really doubt it, but you never know.

I'd take Origi as an impact sub but I'm not convinced he's the same player when he starts. I'm on the fence about Minamino, what I've seen of him has been sometimes good sometimesa shit.

I'm very confident that we'll sign at least one centre back that's an upgrade on what we have, mainly because there are so many that'll be available who'll be an upgrade that even if it comes down to the final hours, we should get someone.

No one likes a correct foreign pronunciation nonce, just say Gee-mah-righ-ez.

Cucurella's the one we'd need

<=Carroll on tour 2k22=> tagged in every major bus terminus by December

Can I just shock you? I like Alvaro Morata.

If they're insisting on a survival bonus and Howe is dead set on Lingard rather than anyone else, I'd tie the survival bonus to a set number of goals and assists from Lingard and keep that part of the arrangement between the clubs.

It's not about you being a good or bad person and it's not about all of the things you've brought up as an aside from what I'm saying. It's a widespread problem of fanbases complaining about misrepresentation then doing exactly the same to every single other fans base, all while football on the whole's being ruined because of these things we're laughing about and waving away until it's us. That's not taking the high road, football being ruined is something that's been pointed out countless times by our fans and fans across the world. We can see the problem happening in front of us and we're experts on the problem when it's our own club, but when it happens to other clubs we're wilfully ignorant and think it's funny. I just think it's mad.

We have the guage of thinking 'if the media and these other fans think this about our fanbase and I know it's not representative maybe the same isn't representative of other fanbases too' - along with knowing fans of other clubs who are just like we are and love the game. I scoff at you saying it's 'taking the high road on every single topic' as well. It's hardly taking the high road or a secret to point to one of the reasons football's being ruined while we're all busy laughing at each others fans. There's schadenfreude and tribalism and taking the piss and then there's not caring about a club or clubs going into administration or wasting hundreds of millions. That's exactly what I'm saying about how fans are all 'lol fuck you' not realising or caring that every club's potentially going to be in the same position, including those at the top when the infinite growth model hits a brick wall.

There's tribalism and piss taking and then there's what you're saying there, which is the part that I think is OTT and what I'm getting at. I've said this so many times, but we complain about how we're misrepresented by other fans and the media then go and do exactly the same thing about other clubs and their fans because we've decided they're all gross because of RTG or that they're getting what they deserve because you've seen it on Reddit. I just think it's very hypocritical and is getting more and more widespread across the fanbases. Fans resort to that sort of tribalism, or resort to arguing amongst themselves while these owners are ruining the game we all love.

I agree that the situations are different, but I think they're just a variation on the same theme of clubs being ruined in a variety of ways. I'd argue Man United is being ruined as well, in a completely different way again. We were ruined in a completely different way to all of those clubs and had the same 'but Leeds/Portsmouth/Bury!' thrown at us as a reason why our complaints were somehow illegitimate, so I completely support the Everton fans for being pissed off over their club's version of mismanagement. I also wouldn't take those banners or their forum as a fan litmus test in the same way I wouldn't want other fans to do the same with Steve Wraith or the 'buoycott' protesters. I might be a bit bias though, my grandad was a proper salt of the earth scouser

'First they came for Leeds and I did nothing, because I don't like Leeds' You could say the same about here, or RTG, or any forum. OTT Tribalism's killing any fan solidarity, in the same way it's happening in wider society. Clubs being ruined left right and centre, with fans of other clubs going 'lol, fuck you' either not realising or not caring that they're on the same menu.

This transfer window has made me realise that I don't pay any attention to central defenders when I watch matches. I must have watched 3 or 4 Brighton matches this season yet didn't even know he existed.

I've always thought of him as a better, final third James Milner in that sense. Everything about his personality and output overrides the aesthetics for me, he's been a fantastic player.