qwertyell

The Italian Brentford have too much aggression for City. They can't handle it.

It was responding to a post that claimed "by all accounts" he'd had a good season at Stoke by providing some dissenting opinions for context. I assumed that was obvious and didn't need spelling out.

Not by the accounts on Stoke forums. "I assume Southampton have just watched him prove that he can't play to the required standard in the championship over 46 games. Very sensible decision for them to offload him before other people notice he couldn't do it regularly in the championship and lose value." "I know he’s young and that was his first proper season in professional football but he’d have to improve at a remarkable rate to warrant any sort of money being thrown at Southampton to buy him." "I really hope we don't, offers very little apart from a couple of games where he suddenly looked like a footballer." "This would be a massive gamble. He had 40 odd games to make an impression. He did not improve the team in any way, in fact, there is a strong argument to suggest he made us worse, and he only was effective in a handful of those games. He showed he is capable but doing that in half a dozen games in a season is not going to help us at all. He would have to improve dramatically. Not surprised at all if Southampton want get rid. We gave them the opportunity to gauge his capability at this level. We put way too much faith in him last season which was contributed to our failings." "My main issue with this, is how much Neil loved him, despite him being generally just ordinary. He'd be fine as a squad option, but you know Neil would have him as one of his first picks, and he just isn't that good. That wouldn't bode well for a good season, in my opinion. We need someone with running power or proper creativity to play in that position and he has neither. " "William Smallbone, he just ambles about the pitch, yes he can pick the odd pass but he's a football player, it's the least he can do. I just always seem to be screaming for him to get fucking stuck in, and he shirks the big tackles, ducks out of fucking headers, and he always seems just a bit too late to get a foot in.... most underwhelming if it happens."

He's broken into the Belgian senior squad. There's not a chance in hell he slums it for a season in the championship when there's an international tournament next summer.

Maybe they can throw in a couple of their youngsters to sweeten the deal. I hear Jimmy Jay Morgan is quite promising.

The championship might turn out to be his level. Good dribbler, but lacks acceleration and body strength - and literally has no end product. Not sure his raw attributes are all that special, to be honest.

He stopped getting away with it. In his heyday at Chelsea, they always said Hazard was by far the worst trainer, never looked after himself with his diet or lifestyle, and was basically coasting through his career purely on his incredible talent. It's kind of remarkable how good he was able to become given his total lack of drive. But he wasn't a young man anymore when he joined Madrid. The body was starting to creak with all the accumulated injuries over the years, and he just couldn't be motivated to get properly fit. He was on a huge contract, in a place he always wanted to live, and pretty much checked out.

Tielemans is leaving on a free, as is Soyuncu. Castagne, Perreira, Ndidi, Justin, Daka, Dewsbury-Hall, Amartey, Souttar, and Faes will all find decent new clubs pretty easily if they want to. Leicester might have to subsidise part of their wages, but they'll be moved on without too much fuss. That Leicester squad should've never been in the relegation fight. They're a top 10 team. (I'd wouldn't mind Hamza Choudhury coming here. Think he's out of contract. 25 year old holding midfielder who likes a tackle/assault. We've lacked some nastiness for a long time. He can play a bit too.)

Not named in the Ghana squad for the upcoming African Nations qualifiers. Got to admire everyone's commitment to the cover up.

Well, he definitely left the Ghana squad after being called up at the last international break (March), and injury was cited as the reason. Chris Hughton, the Ghana manager, said he'd "suffered some recent injuries at his club". In mid-April, Ruben Selles talked about Salisu: "He went with the national team and had some problems in the past with us like in the game against Chelsea." "Then when he went with the national team, he felt it again. So when he came back we needed to put him into the injury process. He was expected to play today with the B team to try and get the problem solved, but he didn't feel great so he is not available. The injury is related with his hip abductor, there's been problems there during the season but it's got worse." What else is there to say? His two managers have confirmed he's injured. Unless you think they're both lying as part of some unspecified wider conspiracy which everyone is apparently in on except internet lemons.

Stoke forums I've read were thoroughly underwhelmed with Smallbone. The consensus was that he had barely a handful of good games and was otherwise an anonymous backwards and sideways passer who drifts through long runs of fixtures without making any impression at all. Apparently took all their free kicks and corners - and they were nothing special either. Maybe a decent squad option for us, but shouldn't be starting. Seems like he at least wants to play for us, though. Which is something unique, I guess.

I can certainly believe there'll be walking involved.

Unbeaten against Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool. Yet barely anything against the absolute dregs. A very strange few months.

Come on, Bournemouth. Everton'll shithouse a goal from somewhere, unfortunately. Bournemouth are putting in an honest shift, but they've not got a threat going forward. Everton are diving and rolling around every time they get in the box. They'll wear the ref down eventually.

If this is the standard of the top six in the championship, I think we'll do all right. Probably confirm survival with a couple of games to spare...

Is Nathan Wood worth a punt?

Swap deals never happen, but he's actually a decent young player. Not like for like with Lavia, but has what I consider the "modern" midfielder requires, which is to be comfortable taking the ball under pressure and move it progressively. He can twist and carry the ball well. I can see him appealing to Martin's supposed ethos. I'd like someone with a bit more physicality alongside him, though. Not that any of this is happening.

Sent off after 31 mins tonight. Second red card in half a season with St Mirren, when he hasn't even been a regular starter. I guess he's developing: he's gone from being a defensive liability to a disciplinary liability. Who also can't defend.

I think he'll probably carve out a good career for himself in time. Seems a very decent chap. But this wasn't the club, the situation, or the stakes to be learning on the job. That's on the board for giving him a hospital pass. No experience, not able to bring in any players or even any support staff - what were they expecting him to achieve with a squad that two experienced managers (a Bundesliga runner up, and, with respect, one of the best managers in Europe) couldn't squeeze a fucking thing out of? It didn't work. Obviously. It was never likely to. Good luck to him.

He turned down Ajax a few months ago. Linked with PSG recently - who he played for. Seems to be waiting around for the right job, not just any old offer. I suspect a Championship basket case run by a spreadsheet wanker is probably not the one.

Bella-Kotchap out, another 20 year old unit in. Why not? Wood's got a bit of a Chris Smalling vibe about him, I think. Not sure about Piroe or Grimes, but beggars can't be choosers - who knows what dregs we'll be left with after our summer fire sale?

Imagine how much higher they'd be if they just hoofed the ball away like a live hand grenade. Arteta's young. He'll learn.

The modern midfielder has to be press resistant, and Ward-Prowse just isn't. He doesn't have any pace and can't dribble, so when receiving the ball under any amount of pressure all he can really do is play the way he's facing - which is usually backwards, as he's never on the half turn. Any attempt to turn and wriggle away from challenges usually results in him losing the ball. He's not alone: former partner in crime Hojbjerg has been driving Spurs fans nuts with his backwards and sideways passing, as he's another that just can't move the ball progressively under stress. These are a still good players, but probably too limited for sides that aspire to be among the best. I'd be very surprised if Prowse moved to a top 6-8 side. Even more so if he's successful there. But good luck to him regardless. He's done his absolute best for us, and you can't ask for much more than that.

Aribo had worse numbers in Scotland than Elyounoussi. Let that sink in.

Ended the season playing a back 4 for the last 10 or so games - Swansea's best run of form of the campaign. So he seems flexible. Which is probably a bonus.