Upthemags

Need the big dogs to perform today. Isak and Gordon especially.

Keep waiting for age/wear and tear to start to rear its head with Son and it just doesnt seem to happen.

Mercifully, this is at an end. Time to back what we have and smash the table. I've offered plenty of conjecture, which I think is fair mind. But at the end of the day, we all support the same club, and we have serious serious talent on the pitch, and we might just be surprised by what they show us once we settle in. While CL seems highly unlikely, is it out of the realm of possibility? Absolutely not.

Don't disagree here. Long season ahead and some good football will go a long way for all involved.

The horror!

Well and good, but we weren't placing 60m offers in the january window leading up to those issues, either

Young and able bodied. Do it yesterday. At this stage, can't let perfect be the enemy of the good.

Haven't seen your theory reported anywhere - ie, that bringing in Guehi might involve the requirement of selling AG (or an Isak, Bruno, etc.) next summer. Sources?

Agree to disagree

Get it done!

It's not that serious, mate. We plunked down offer after offer for Marc Guehi. That suggests some significant chunk of money was available.

There's a wealth of evidence, mate. Most obviously, that we've just sat on 60m all summer without bringing anyone in, with Miggy Almiron and Jacob Murphy platooning at RW, and Emil Krafth starting at CB. If you don't think that spells disagreement and dysfunctionality behind the scenes, not much else to say.

Hey, maybe I'm wrong and a third elite DoF will sort out our very obvious behind-the-scenes tension.

Mitchell has a boss, mate. They're called PIF. He doesn't get to snap his fingers and effect his will if the boss says that's not how we are operating.

Key phrasing - "in effect". Ashworth was not happy here. Mitchell is already briefing reporters on the power dynamic... Maybe there's a common denominator some aren't seeing?

Which, in effect, is what happened with our last world class DoF, yea?

Do you seriously think, in the process of trying to attract a world class DoF, that we would be telling them, hey, by the way, you'll be playing second fiddle to the manager while you're here

I don't really understand what this means? If PIF say Howe is head honcho on transfers, what do you want Mitchell to do? Hypnotize Howe to force him to accept the moves he desires?

I guess I don't understand what else would be required for people to accept the fact that Mitchell is dancing to Howe's tune? Howe has a track record for being controlling on transfers, our last world class director did not get along with him after having no problems at Brighton, and Howe has explicitly stated he was not going to bring anyone in unless they were an upgrade on our starting XI. Mitchell's talent, at which he's literally the best in the world, is identifying bargain deals. Do we honestly think he staked the entire summer on a player that, I. we know was top of Eddie's wish list; II. Fits Eddie's desired criteria to a tee (English, prem proven); III., was, on the back of the Euros, maybe the most overvalued player in world football, and would be effectively un-sellable if he were brought in? On top of all of this, we know at the very least Mitchell, or someone adjacent to him, briefed Hope yesterday in what was likely a response to the criticism of our bizarrely sparse window. Or, on the other hand, would it be more logical to assume that Eddie is pulling the transfer strings with the permission of Eales/PIF? I mean, do we honestly think Mitchell believed the only player capable of improving the strength of our side was Marc Guehi? I don't want to pillory Howe, and who knows, we might turn it around and have a cracking season, get CL or Europa, and this will all be a moot point. He's a great manager, but it just seems many are covering their eyes with respect to the massive amount of influence he wields behind the scenes.

Gnonto and Chalobah before closing tomorrow who says no

If this is calm, I'd be curious to see moderately un-calm

Heard we're laying our sights early on Luke Shaw for 140m

Hope repeatedly backed Eddie last season when things were shaky. Could he be making it up out of whole cloth? Sure. Does that seem the likeliest explanation? No.

The gymnastics here are astounding. I guess that would be the first time Eddie's ever said X, while Y was the case? What do you want Mitchell to do if Eddie wields the power? Tie him up and break his knees if he doesn't agree to Mitchell's targets?