Crimson Cardigan

Was always going to drop Hall for a tough away game. He’s still got a long way to go defensively. He won’t feature away from much for a while yet

I seem to be in a minority but if it’s a choice between Guehi and a RW I’d choose Guehi. Getting back to the mean defence of the champions league placing season is a must. We scored more than enough goals last season. Think people’s at times brutal disdain for Almiron is swaying opinions, but we aren’t linked with a game changing RW (I’d take Madueke but he’s no great shakes so far). Guehi/Botman potentially sorts us for years and years to come.

Minteh, Isak, Bruno, Botman, and hopefully Tonali all been decent pickups from abroad.

I suppose the thinking is we scored a shitload of goals last season but our defence was often pretty poor.

It’s not about who’s better. We can’t go into the season with just one of them.

Imagine selling a serviceable squad member for peanuts and then failing to sign a replacement and being stuck with just Murphy. people would lose their minds. This isn’t as cut and dried as some are making out. everyone knows about the goals and assists thing but ASM has none of them either but people preferred him cos they’d rather watch stopovers than pressing. Fair enough, but that’s not what Eddie values.

But he isn’t “surplus to requirements”. Not in Howe’s view. We’re not talking about Jamal Lewis here. If shifting Almiron doesn’t make any meaningful difference to the replacement budget, it might be better to just hold on to him. Obviously that changes if a new RW comes in.

Because 8m is peanuts and Howe rates him?

Correct, this is just fantasist nonsense. He’s been useless two loans in a row for rubbish sides (with caveats). We’d all love him to come good, but it’s not looking likely.

I think the level of vitriol they get online is ridiculous. They have limitations but they give everything. Longstaff is clearly not shit, he’s a standard premier league midfielder and easily worth a squad place. Reckon some people need to realise we’re not going to have an Isak or a Bruno in every position for a long, long time, if ever.

Yes this entire two day saga really has become wearisome.