Dr Jinx

With the players they have brought in, I’d be delighted if we managed to get Soucek from them, I’m sure I read a few weeks ago he was told he could leave.. surely that could mean they’d accept a bid that would be within our budget. Rice tends to get all the plaudits in that midfield, but Soucek has at least an equal part in that. He’s an excellent player and still only 27.

There’s players that earn 100k+ a week and by the time they hit early 30’s, they’ll be set for life, for the ones who might have been on a meagre 30 grand a week, they will obviously be able to live a good life if they don’t spend foolishly, but if they want to continue keeping their wag in the life they are accustomed to, taking up coaching is probably the thing to do unless they are a personality that can do well on tv.

Dummett has been heading in that direction for a while, he regularly attends the youth games and joins in with training and aside from his injury problems is a model professional. He does an awful lot more for this club than his first team duties.

Diaby is a no go, he’s committed to staying put for this season. I don’t get why we’re seemingly not in for Paqueta, maybe it’s just as simple as he doesn’t want to come here but I don’t see why not, Bruno is loving it here and forming a Brazilian 3 man midfield partnership at the age they are could bring them massive success at international level too. But if he doesn’t want to move, I can understand Maddison being the other option, he’s got the experience and proven record at a high level. Transformative for where we are now but perhaps not for where we want to go? I mean, I can’t see him ever playing for City but I could see him being a Lallana type signing for the dippers, but certainly not a main man for them. But that’s what 50/60m costs now.

I agree he has the potential to, whether he’ll get the chance to is another story. I’m not sure who he starts ahead of.

How would you feel about Joe Willock going the opposite direction if they struck a deal like that?

It’s a recession after all.

Everyone suffered under Steve Bruce, we all did. Lascelles speed of thought is his biggest limitation though, he could well be far fitter and stronger than he’s been in previous seasons but his reading of what’s going on and making decisions for himself when we’re under pressure will always be an Achilles heel. Botman on the other hand reads everything wonderfully while also having the physical element. There’s such a gulf between them.

Ah I’ve nothing against Forest, a club with history who’ve done more than most other clubs out there, been out in the wilderness too long so great to have them back in the PL, every clubs fans has whoppers, ours included so wouldn’t pay much attention to their forums or twitter shite. As for the game itself, I’m more confident about us as a side than I’ve been in years but they’ve spent money and every game in this league is hard now so nothing is a given. That being said, I think the atmosphere and quick start might catch them like deer in the headlights.

Pound shop Saint-Maximin, some of the skill, some of the pace etc. Aside from making up numbers I can’t see how he would fit into the description of players who can come in and make a difference as Howe mentioned. Maddison of course fits that profile but not this lad though.

I don’t see Cornet as an upgrade on Almiron or Fraser, certainly not Wilson.

The process is, club speaks to agent - “what’s the story with <insert name>, would he be open to a move away?” Agent: “well he’s got x amount of time left on his contract but club aren’t prepared to meet his wage demands on a new deal” Club: “So if we opened contract negotiations at x amount, can we begin to try and negotiate a fee with his club?” Agent: “my client has indicated that he’d be interested” Anyone suggesting anything else is talking through their arse, remember, Hugo Ekitike had accepted the proposal in principal until it became known that PSG were interested. All those steps had happened beforehand.

Dubs is solid, but obviously may not want to play second fiddle to Pope, but.. that may not be the case as the season goes on. Pope is a great shot stopper but lacking in other areas.

I think we’ll properly go in for the players we really want. Perhaps an enquiry was made about Werner but the response may just have been “sorry, he’s off somewhere else” Assuming we can land Maddison, that gives us different options, he can play right side of a midfield 3 but he can also play that typical no.10 role if we went 4-2-3-1. Systems obviously matter, or at least being able to react to someone else’s by being able to change, but personnel will always be the most important thing.

It’ll be 55 plus 5 in add ons

Yes but that was a watershed moment, every club so desperate to get the next Van Dijk, Leicester just had to hold firm for a few weeks and then they massively overpaid. It was a free lesson to be learned by every other club.

Someone make a gif out of that

I think the pre match music, it’s about time Sam Fender got in on the act just before kick off. Aside from being great, he’s more relevant to what the players and probably most of those attending can relate to. That little drum fill they do with local hero just before kick off grinds my gears.

If those 3, I’d prefer Sarr, but he’s quite a serious bloke by all accounts and doesn’t mix with teammates at all.

it’s an international break man! What else would someone be doing other than having a break

? I ain’t jinxing anything, could be foolish words but I really think City have made themselves weaker over the summer despite bringing Haaland in. The guy already has been a monster but every player has a chink the armour, his I think will be the way they play, the pressure of the role he has and the potential for the first time in his career where he won’t just be banging them in just by showing up. He’s not really had any adversity yet.

I’m not calling him a flop, just reminds me of Andy Carroll a bit in his stature. I think Man Utd would have been a better fit, Spurs would be a good fit. Basically any team that plays that fast counter attack.. the slow build up Man City have will prove frustrating I think.

I don’t know who was slagging off Nunez but I was gutted when the dippers signed him. I thought he would have been perfect for us but we just aren’t there yet. Haaland on the other hand, it’s been a hype train but he’s been playing in a lesser league, his fee may well be cheap as am sure he will score goals but it might be a case of arriving at City at the wrong time. I think they’ve made some poor outgoings and not really ever replaced the leadership since Kompany retired.. they might need that this season.

Only seen a bit of the second half but seeing Haaland sort of prancing about, he reminds me of a faster, uglier Andy Carroll. He just doesn’t seem a City type player, unless they change a lot to make it work for him.