Nine

Always feels like early momentum can get an average side a long way in that league, that being said I think they will finish mid table somewhere.

Probably the exception rather than the rule there mind

Werner improves our squad, a loan with an optional fee is a good move.

Maddison also has big upsides over Paqueta - PL proven with very good numbers, homegrown and already settled in England.

Would be at the top end of the best signings that we could realistically pull off this summer

He’s a beast. Don’t read to much into todays training practise, that player should have been in the PL years ago hes ready made for it

He was no Rory Delap mind

Going from Bruce to Howe communication wise is like comparing a cup and string to a satellite phone.

Is it from Richarlison to McNeil then? The one club from the PL Id love to see relegated

Oguchi Onyewu? Man he was shite

I’m not saying be content with the business we’ve already done, I’m saying have some faith that we will get what we need come the end of the window.

It’s boring right now but we need to chill out a bit, some expected to much to fast. Not as simple as ‘just pay it’ or ‘push the wage structure now’.

That’s half of NOs hearts broken

Didn’t Howe say something about how useful he’d be from set pieces and how we’d need to be getting goals from them last season? I’m sure he said something along those lines, makes sense to because our general attacking phase play was dogshit up until Wilson came back. Wood really was a stop gap desperate buy that we made because we had to and probably aimed to get best out of him at set plays goal wise, make no mistake though he played his part with his all round play. Just can’t believe how weak he looks with his head, when he joined I pictured bullet headers from this lad and he just looks nowhere near. He’ll have a part to play again this season but I’m not sure how he fits into this side now and the direction Howe seems to be taking our attacking play.

They needed quality but the way they have gone about it is massively risky imo, a huge ask to get all those new players/egos on big wages to gel and harmonise with the squad that grinded out promotion.. can’t see it ending well. Not to mention the gamble they are taking finance wise.

It’s not to play Lyon, it’s to hide our real interest from other clubs. Most links are straight up made bullshit from the press but some bullshit links are deliberately leaked for a reason. Either way, while I think we probably have a slight interest in Paqueta he’s not enough of a priority for it to be relevant right now. If we really wanted him we’d be hearing about it from more solid sources by now.

We were being linked with him right up until the Bruno deal came out of the blue were we not?

Also the ‘Shelvey is crocked so let’s sign Paqueta’ arguement is ridiculous. I get that everyone wants him but that’s a massive reach, Paqueta does nothing for depth at #6 it’s Bruno > Shelvey and still is.

No, we never bid for Paqueta It’s a pretty common practise. Fake links are leaked while we work on the deal for the player we actually want.

Il say it again, I think the Paqueta links were a smokescreen for Bruno. If we really wanted him then we’d be hearing more about him now, it’s not happening.

All the links lately have so been so shit, no substance in them at all

FIGHT AND WIN

Have a feeling the Miggy haters will be quiet come the end of this season

We saw a similar pace transfer wise in January, obviously we were hearing that because it’s January it’s more difficult but what we’ve seen so far this window matches up pretty much. Luckily the situation isn’t as desperate as it was 6 months ago so we won’t be activating another Woods release clause and paying over the odds for someone just yet, it’s boring and people won’t want to hear this but there is a long way to go still. I still think we’ll see 3 more, ST/RW/CM. The quality is what concerns me a bit now, the later it goes on the less likely that we get our more priority targets at the top end of the shortlist, I think we’ll have to make compromises as we did with Targett/Burn/Wood.

Absolutely would not move Trippier from RB, strongest player in the position should stay there. Depending on how Lewis looks this season Id slot him in at LB, Dummett otherwise.