Alexander Isak

[KaKa]

1 minute ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

Yeah fair enough, but that is the position that’s the clearest weakness in the first time. Apart from that everybody in the first team is a quality player. When Botman returns anyway. 
 

I don’t have high expectations for Jan anyway. 

 

 

 

 

A fair chunk of that should certainly be on the RW.

 

Think we can upgrade that spot with around £35 to £40 million and use the rest on other areas.

 

Think January will be really tough too. Anything that we can pull off then will be a nice surprise tbh.

[KaKa]

1 minute ago, 80 said:

It's a valid question, and if Eddie was seriously staking his career on those two, then you'd have to think about moving on from him instead. 

 

But I don't think it's most likely that that's his position, given who he's signed and attempted to sign in his time here and at Bournemouth e.g. he tried to sign a cheap, unproven foreigner from abroad like Fabian Schar before Rafa brought him here.

 

On balance it seems more likely that Mitchell chose to back the Guehi and Elanga moves in August, given he had full executive authority, and then wash his hands of the situation once it was all messed up.

 

If we were back in for them, do you think you'd hold Howe or Mitchell responsible?

 

If we went back in for them, it would be more likely Howe was being appeased I imagine.

 

From what I've been seeing regarding fees, we'd be looking at around £90 million for the pair, which is pretty alarming.

[80]

Just now, KaKa said:

 

If we went back in for them, it would be more likely Howe was being appeased I imagine.

 

From what I've been seeing regarding fees, we'd be looking at around £90 million for the pair, which is pretty alarming.

See, if we were, it would tell me either Mitchell backs the moves - at whatever eventual fee, and regardless of what he said or implied in earlier interviews - or he's a stunningly weak director and we've got bigger problems than just Eddie Howe.

[80]

To be up front, I don't think we'll be back in for Elanga, and Guehi would only be on substantially lower terms if at all, by the way.

[KaKa]

20 minutes ago, 80 said:

See, if we were, it would tell me either Mitchell backs the moves - at whatever eventual fee, and regardless of what he said or implied in earlier interviews - or he's a stunningly weak director and we've got bigger problems than just Eddie Howe.

 

Yeah, it wouldn't be good.

 

Be interesting to see how it plays out. If agreements can't be made over targets, it might ultimately mean a change in manager.

 

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I think Guehi is on a different level to Elanga TBF. 

[TRon]

2 hours ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

I can’t see it at all. 

 

Well by all reports, we've made two separate bids for him in the summer, someone at the club clearly rates him.

[80]

7 hours ago, KaKa said:

 

Yeah, it wouldn't be good.

 

Be interesting to see how it plays out. If agreements can't be made over targets, it might ultimately mean a change in manager.

 

 

Hopefully it all works out alright. Cards on the table, my prediction is we limit any signings to those Mitchell actively wants to bequeath to Howe's successor next summer, which may well mean none at all in January. That would give the new structure a big wodge to play with, probably heavily aided by income from outgoing purples. We restructure ourselves along the lines of more Pedros and Whartons and less Isaks and Brunos.

 

I'm ok ultimately accepting Howe is/was at fault for much of our situation, but I take issue with assuming it's the case, given various bits of evidence to the contrary and the overall credit he has in the bank as a man and manager. If we do end up pursuing players other than Guehi and Elanga in January, I've got no reason to expect it's because Eddie's been talked down out of a tree.

 

Conversely, I don't like the assumption that Mitchell (and co.) is somehow blameless and a hostage to fortune regarding things that have happened since he's arrived. I remain perplexed at the idea he sincerely spent weeks trying to sign a player he thought should not be signed for a damagingly high amount of money that would cost him the opportunity to shape the club's future. Either he believed in it, or he was trying to con us, or con Howe or he's a dummy (too, if need be). So one way or another he needs to be watched.

 

We - as supporters - are just having navigate blind on what's currently going on at the club. We've only really got track records and historic personal conduct to go on, which is why I'm highly reluctant to turn on anyone who's done well by us based on conjecture. My hope remains that they do work well together, are in simpatico on targets (including Guehi, because it turns out they were both dead right to highly desire him) and Eddie cracks our offensive problems, giving us a good finish to the season, with a view to him partaking in revolutionising things next summer. That's the ideal.

 

 

Edited October 21 by 80

[McDog]

1 hour ago, 80 said:

Hopefully it all works out alright. Cards on the table, my prediction is we limit any signings to those Mitchell actively wants to bequeath to Howe's successor next summer, which may well mean none at all in January. That would give the new structure a big wodge to play with, probably heavily aided by income from outgoing purples. We restructure ourselves along the lines of more Pedros and Whartons and less Isaks and Brunos.

 

I'm ok ultimately accepting Howe is/was at fault for much of our situation, but I take issue with assuming it's the case, given various bits of evidence to the contrary and the overall credit he has in the bank as a man and manager. If we do end up pursuing players other than Guehi and Elanga in January, I've got no reason to expect it's because Eddie's been talked down out of a tree.

 

Conversely, I don't like the assumption that Mitchell (and co.) is somehow blameless and a hostage to fortune regarding things that have happened since he's arrived. I remain perplexed at the idea he sincerely spent weeks trying to sign a player he thought should not be signed for a damagingly high amount of money that would cost him the opportunity to shape the club's future. Either he believed in it, or he was trying to con us, or con Howe or he's a dummy (too, if need be). So one way or another he needs to be watched.

 

We - as supporters - are just having navigate blind on what's currently going on at the club. We've only really got track records and historic personal conduct to go on, which is why I'm highly reluctant to turn on anyone who's done well by us based on conjecture. My hope remains that they do work well together, are in simpatico on targets (including Guehi, because it turns out they were both dead right to highly desire him) and Eddie cracks our offensive problems, giving us a good finish to the season, with a view to him partaking in revolutionising things next summer. That's the ideal.

 

 

 

 

 

I have no idea why I found this so damn funny. 

 

I do agree with your last part, and pretty much the post in general.

[Guest]

Wants to leave, apparently 

[duo]

4 minutes ago, Jack27 said:

Wants to leave, apparently 

[OverThere]

4 minutes ago, Jack27 said:

Wants to leave, apparently 

Not surprised. The project has stalled and the only way around that as things stand is to sell Isak, buy a number of prospects and hope they improve the squad as a whole so we are challenging for "something".

[cubaricho]

6 minutes ago, Jack27 said:

Wants to leave, apparently 

I would too if I were him, to be honest. Our system just leaves him all alone up top fighting for scraps. I’d want to be somewhere that was built around me which a lot of teams will do and Eddie won’t. 

[TBG]

Surely he knows someone who could have gotten him tickets for Sam Fender? There's no need to react this way.

[timeEd32]

This is obviously not going to land well, but worth noting Hope's story mentions how neither side is particularly interested in discussions at the moment given that Isak is already one of the top earners and contracted for three more seasons after this one. I obviously don't want him to leave, but also pretty calm about a situation where the worst case scenario is selling a player for over £100m.

[Wallace]

And there was Mark Douglas in his article today saying he wanted to extend his contract like Gordon.

 

Always confusing messaging around Isak because of the Arsenal ITKs who have been convinced he their  player as soon as they say the word..

[Holloway]

Hope he doesn't end up at the Arse 

[TRC]

This is his third season and hes still playing alongside Jacob Murphy, the project isn't exactly what he expected.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

13 minutes ago, Jack27 said:

Wants to leave, apparently 

Who says? 

[duo]

10 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

Who says? 

DM

 

 

Edited Thursday at 16:59 by duo

[Decky]

 

 

 

[duo]

I mean - it's obvious if we don't qualify for CL our top players will be off.

[PauloGeordio]

The guy has another 3 years on his contract. It’s Craig No Fecking Hope. IF we don’t get Europe? Nothing new there really. If we don’t get Europe there will be a few big changes no doubt. We’ll make a shit load of cash, reinvest and move on. The club won’t die. Unfortunately neither will the Daily Mail! 

[Kanji]

Nice thing to read a few days before we play Chelsea away, Chelsea home and Arsenal home. Prick can fuck off writing this BREAKING EXCLUSIVE NEWS

[Pixelphish]

Top players in wanting CL shocker.

 

Thanks Craig.