Mazzy

The Tranmere shirt looks so much like a rugby league top, what are they playing at.

I'm assuming that woman asking the questions to Howe was told not to say anything about Isak/transfers. Can't see why she wouldn't have snuck in a question about it at the end otherwise.

Tripper aside, the great thing about that list of players is their ability to have longevity in our squad, they could all be in our starting 11 in 3 years time and you'd not be all that surprised.

Surprises he wouldn't want to stay for at least this season. Pope isn't immune to injuries, he would get a reasonable (15 maybe) amount of game time still. The big thing would be if someone has recently come in for him and offered him guaranteed football every week, if that's the case then I can understand him wanting to go. Especially if it's a club in Europe (Europa Leage most likely), would be hard to turn that down in favour of being a 2nd choice keeper here.

Exactly this! The only point at which we should care is if they are putting the club status in jeopardy with frivolous and continuous overspending. Players cost money, the good players cost alot of money and the great ones cost more than what we have ever spent. Times are changing and thank fuck we have the opportunity now as a club to change with them.

Looks good to me! Make more sense to see why Dummett was kept on for another season when they obviously see him as CB cover as well. Surprised to see Willock starting though.

Could well have Isak and Pedro on the bench for Wolves and almost certainly for Liverpool. And who know who else at this rate.

I think this is more the way to look at it. Yes it's £60m, but he's worth that more so than Gordon or Fofana or Cucurella or DCL or Antony (€94m quoted recently which Man Utd are willing to pay). In that respect someone who has proven they can score goals and still is young enough to improve and adapt make absolute sense. Especially in the exact position we've been desperately trying to sign someone for the last however many seasons.

Trying to cover his back by saying it was £50m budget but now they are getting Isak the budget for January (whatever that was) goes down instead. It's just horseshit in reality, he knows nothing and then tries to cover that up when he's outed.

I'd be more sad for Bruno, I'm sure he wouldve been desperate for him to come here. But atleast he'd be in the same country again.

Read my post again, I use the exact word overpaying. We are overpaying but it's reasonable to do so considering the position we are in with such a lack of attacking options and Wilsons injury record.

I'd be shocked if he didn't play 433. I think you've got the right players but in the wrong formation. If Howe wants us to play 433 in the league and that's how he sees us moving forward then these games in whixh we use our "2nd string team" need to follow the exact same formation and tactical usage as we would in a league game

Judging from his performance against Leeds he is much better as an 8 or 10. He's not a 6 I wouldn't say. But in all honesty if we're getting a midfield player as well as Pedro (who can play 10) it needs to be a deeper Shelvey/Bruno position player. If Bruno gets injured before Shelvery comes back we are seriously lacking in that area.

I'd argue £60m for Isak is reasonable value, it's certainly overpaying but the fact there are so few players like him actually available and we needed a ST desperately

Depay? Pjanic? That's assuming it's an attacking player ofcourse, could easily be on of 20 odd players. Vague as vague can be.

I was just about to say in the other thread how I thought it would be unlikely for him to be signing tonight what with him being in Spain and us having a game tonight. Him hopping on a plane and being here within an hour or so didn't ever cross my mind! I'm living in the past

Botman starting would surprise me. With Targett being out (who knows for how much longer) and Burn being ruled out for this game, I don't know if Botman should be risked. We don't have huge depth at CB really, especially now Burn has to cover LB. If Fede is fit he needs to play alongside Lascelles. If not, then I'm not sure, maybe Dummett at CB or a youngster?

Glorious!

Why am I yet to see a photoshop of him in a Newcastle shirt. Absolute slackers!

A strange take on us, that's if Google Translate has done its job "A soccer nobody, a team that already signed Guimaraes and Trippier stealing them from teams bigger than him in order to save himself, will now take Isak"

Are players really that enticed by the Conference League though? I understand the pull of the Europa Leage as that's a genuine pathway to Champions League but Conference League can't be that much of a pull surely.

You'd think this Isak signing is just another reason for him to come here over Everton, not that he really needed more reasons.

Only one of them at the World Cup though unfortunately. Or perhaps that's a good thing, the fewer players we have there the better our 2nd half of season may be.

Eddie Howe is going to get SO many questions about this tonight. Will be interesting to see how he handles them.