Saint86

Are you for real??

This. I know it's been a shite season but some of the pessimism going on is crazy (or maybe I'm just too positive this summer 😅)... Our current squad will include the following: GK - Ramsdale (if he leaves it will be for a good wedge and we'll strengthen here compared to the backups), Baz and AM - good backups for the champ regardless. CB's - THB (promoted - very good at this level) / quarshie (very optimistic about him) / Edwards (very good champ season) / stephens (more than good enough for the champ 😅. Plus woods and sanda (who looks a good squad / young player). To me, this is honestly a great set of depth for the 2nd tier - and still is known for getting the most out of his defences to boot. FBs - wellington (uncertain how he'll fair), manning (promoted - solid player at this level), suga (should really be a boss at champ level with his pedigree), bree (solid player at this level). If we are going for 4 at the back it's unclear how much wing back play we will utilise, but the above are a good set of players for full back at champ. CM - Downes (promoted), Charles (very good champ season), smallbone (promoted). Pair the first 2 with Fernandes in a midfield 3 and that is categorically the best midfield 3 in the league - could be ridiculous if we can keep all of them in a 3man mid. Attacking mids / wingers - Fernandes (cheat code), dibling (good prem breakthrough season / cheat code), edozie (promoted), Fraser (promoted). Robinson will be a squad player here as well. And I think all we know this area will be strengthened. Forwards - AA (best attacked in the league in our promotion season), BBD (proven at champ lvl), archer (good record at champ level). Downes being linked as a CF - could certainly see downed playing central with AA/archer/dibling around him. its already a reasonable spine - and I've assumed the likes of aribo and bednarek are on their way out as well. I think people forget just what a shite standard the championship is. To say we have a squad ranking 6th - 10th is really pessimistic. We'll be top 1-3 end of the season if still lives up to his reputation.

Personally think you guys are more than a bit harsh here. There is a lot to like in his highlight reels. He's 20, had one season, will certainly offer us something different in the championship, and will only improve with game time. Its a low risk fee as well.

I know what you mean, but i just can't see any sides outside of the obvious ones being in with a serious chance of automatics (i.e., Ipswich, Leicester, Saints, Blades, Brum). I'm not concerning myself for playoffs as i consider something to have gone very wrong if we're worrying about scraping playoffs (famous last words? 😋). Of the others, I guess Coventry under Lampard were looking very decent at times, but they did fall away in the playoffs and I just don't think they have the squad depth for a sustained challenge. I see the risk factor for us will be how well Still adapts to the league and turning around the morale at the club, and whether he really is the mustard tactically. First 11 wise, i think we have the potential to have a very decent side. Similarly we really shouldn't be struggling for squad depth (as you allude to). The obvious risk factor for Ipswich is that its a different challenge for Mckenna this time around - i.e., can he turn around their squad morale and get back to winning ways, and also - does he have the drive to do it all again with them having already done it and when he's being linked with bigger jobs already? Leicester have Ipswich/our issues and then all their off field worries to sort out as well. Plus their squad is a bit of a mess and needs work - and they still have no manager, a disinterested owner, and financial constraints. As for other disrupters. Think there are some unfortunate Southampton specific tie ups in the league this season (Selles and Sheffield, Jones at Charlton, and obviously that lot down the road) - and its saints so i always expect us to fluff our lines in those types of situations.

I just can't agree with that. Leicester are in turmoil and won't challenge for the title/automatics imo. Regardless of whether they get a PSR sanction its hanging over them, and they still have PSR spend limits which are certainly limiting them based on the whole RVN sacking saga. Sheffield united are not a recently relegated team so they're squad is weaker already, and they're in a state of total flux in changing managers and style - all of which comes right after losing the playoff final to a team they finished well clear of in the league. Birmingham have the momentum, a decent team, and bags of money - I can see them being the biggest threat to ourselves and Ipswich for the automatics. Just can't see 4 teams running away with it with the competitiveness we saw in 23/24.

Fair points, well made - have updated. Will regret starting this thread ahead of a busy summer 🤣🙈

Thought it may be interesting to keep track of this in a separate thread (figures are based on rumours/assumptions): Incomings: Josh Quarshie - £3M (wage unknown - will assume 750k per year, young player aligned with someone like Onuachu on a 50% wage cut) Outgoings: Sulemana - initial £15M, which could rise to £18M and apparently has a 15% sell on clause. (Rumoured annual wage £2M, 40k per week) Onuachu - £7M (rumoured wage of £1.5M per year, 30k per week). SAA - £8.5M (rumoured annual wage of 0.25M per year) Lallana - free (rumoured wages of £2.35m per year, 48k per week) Lumley - free (rumoured wages of 0.5M per year) KWP - free (estimated at £1M annually, £20k per week) Current balance: +27.5M in transfer fees, an estimated £6.85M off the annual wage bill.

Not a fan on first viewing... P&O logo, the weird red shoulder triangles and stipes down the arms, and the two shades of red - all combine to make it pretty garish tbh. Stripes also the wrong width compared to the original. Maybe it will look a lot better as a full kit or I'll just generally warm to it. Either way, it's £65 so no loss really 😂

I can't remember now, although i think it was the away game. You only have to see this video to see it though - 1 on 1 as an 18year old, first time playing at this level, and he's just outright bullying defenders with power and skill... all in one of the worst teams to ever grace the premier league. Kids got the potential to be absolute class.

Unravelling is probably their heaviest to date in truth - picks up on the back of kill or be killed and won't stand down. I am ofc just messing around re the whole radiohead/thom yorke thing (it was ever so slightly before my time) - although i can't listen to radiohead, just puts me to sleep.

Current top 10.... Stockholm Syndrome (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3a5dt3d1JA&list=RDr3a5dt3d1JA&start_radio=1&ab_channel=shadyslady911) Bliss (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dmZt4Q2jpo&ab_channel=GuitarCenter) Assassin (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaIY_8k284I&ab_channel=killsyourpast) Citizen erased https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DJ_a_N3Nqo&ab_channel=SpencerC) Hysteria (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqCOzgYQsKI&list=RDZqCOzgYQsKI&start_radio=1&ab_channel=stairway23) Reapers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHH4XWAD9pw&ab_channel=Muse) Unravelling (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXmUJvNSSm0&list=RDjXmUJvNSSm0&start_radio=1&ab_channel=Muse) Plug in baby (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCUZSS54drI&list=RDXCUZSS54drI&start_radio=1&ab_channel=Muse) Kill or be killed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgyQufB1Yic&list=RDGgyQufB1Yic&start_radio=1&ab_channel=Muse) Starlight (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6f_7G71p_w&list=RDR6f_7G71p_w&start_radio=1&ab_channel=Muse) On a side note, Radiohead are shit and Thom Yorke is a fraud 🤪

I think its good business for him tbh. I like the look at him from what i've seen in the clips, and he is being bought to suit Still's tactical style. Its 10M euros which includes add ons - and its reasonable to assume those will be related to number of goals scored and promotion. So assuming he's a success it will be a good price for him and we'll be able to afford the add on's fairly easily, and if he's merely a bit meh he's a low risk signing. I also think people forget just how bad the general standard is in the championship - unless he gets injured he'll get goals. And if he gets regular playing time and a decent season under his belt then he'll likely develop quite nicely.

My take on Dibling is that he had some of the world's top defenders scared last season. Watch back the highlights vs city as an example - Gvardiol doesn't know whether to close him down or stand off him, and either way Dibling completely does him a couple of times. That was the standout point for me - top class defenders didn't know how to defend against him and were scared... and it was repeated on multiple occasions last season. To be having that impact as a fresh faced 18year old in his first few months of senior football should be enough to set off the "this kid is good" klaxon in most fans' heads - it certainly did for a lot of pundits and other clubs.

Reading about him and thinking about it the context of how we're likely to play, I think we're signing him with the hope he'll be the starting CF for the team by the 2nd half of the season - which ties in with why he may be tempted to move here.

You won't know how good new signings are by the end of the window 🙃... Remember when people were happy with BBD and Sugawara 😄