Nine

Please please please

I get the feeling this guy is going to have a pretty solid breakout season as far as playing as an out and out striker. He said his desire was to play as one, and you’d have to assume we offered him more of a 10/SS role with maybe a view to playing up top in rotation or when/if Isak leaves which wasn’t quite what Pedro wanted. This guy clearly backs himself, so we will see.

Its awful

Get the feeling that he really struggled with being the fans whipping boy sometimes, reckon he was desperate to prove he was worthy of being in the side. I know there has been some rumours of a bit of a fall out with Eddie and if true I wouldnt be surprised if it came from a good place in that he just wanted to be playing..

I think the journos and the like just clicked onto the fact that linking us to players like these just isnt that believable now, we just dont seem to be in the market for them

It’s about the best fee we could expect to get, I do get the feeling Howe is probably reluctant and if it’s Longstaff or Willock to leave I thought it would more likely be Willock.. but perhaps there’s not as much interest in the latter. I think he’d fit in well at Leeds.

Willock is an issue I agree, but I'd just keep Longstaff rather than make more work for ourselves and attempt to replace him. Hes home grown and already integrated into the club/squad.

Silly considering the increased schedule we have coming up.

Helped us through some dark times, and was a big part of the transition from a joke of a club to a top 4 finish. All the best of course, hope he has a solid end to his career.

Am I the only one who does think that Elanga is worth 55-60m in today’s market then??

They’re making the exact sort of signings you might expect them to, very Burnley of last season. Good luck to them.

He knows exactly what he’s doing, and it works. Just read the last two pages of this thread back.

It’s not even that bad tbh, reoccurring muscle or tendon injury’s are the thing to be worried about. Up to the cruciate it’s all pretty much nothing.

Interested to know what wage he took there

Seriously though, Pedro would have been amazing as he’d have provided something we don’t have. A level of technical ability in an area we don’t have it in at #10 and would have been good at helping us unlock teams. I wasn’t totally sure on Elanga early in 24/25 but he absolutely won me over last season, he’s a bigger badder version of Murphy in a way that can and will unlock low blocks and such just in a different manner to the way Pedro possibly could have helped us do. Sheer pace and first time passing/crossing accuracy will be disrupt stubborn teams no end, as I said I feel it’s really doubling down on plan A which is everything for us. PL proven beyond doubt, young, great attitude and an assist machine that fits into our set up without even trying for under £60m. He ticks all the boxes and he’s Isaks mate, too.

Our plan A is about to get a whole lot better

This is accurate, Pedro would have given us options but he alone was by no means the key to unlocking a low block. Every side struggles against low blocks but you don’t need a Pep technical level Man City side to beat one, power and pace can disrupt a low block in transition as much as taking them apart with technical precision can. Elanga would be as effective as Murphy is if not more vs a low block.

Everyones reporting it now, sad indeed

Rodri injured again..

He will end up doing well somewhere but it won’t be with us.

A keeper, a CB and a RW to actually challenge and by challenge I mean be within 10 points. But depth is just as important as those 3, and without it you wont come close especially with the CL schedule now. Isak being somewhat regularly unavailable is a big hit to those aspirations as well. We are at least 3/4 seasons away from a squad with the ability to do that.

Honest question, what do you think of your chances of staying up next season? Do you feel like your squad is anywhere near?

Not Ekitike as well It’s like they cash in their money in the bank on us

I know we all take the piss about Chelsea’s transfer strategy, but man are they ruthlessly efficient time wise when it actually comes to signing the player. I guess it’s easier when you can chuck that amount of money and have the established elite club and London pull.

I believe so, still plenty of time. I expect Trafford will be here by then at the least.