qwertyell

Out of contract in June. Had a strong season in Portugal in a poor team. Competition for his signature will be fierce, though - think I read the other day around 30 clubs have registered an interest.

Who could have predicted our policy of signing Palace, City and Newcastle's (before he went to Scotland's semi-retirement league) third choice keepers would result in a collection of shite? I read we're now being linked with Lazio's reserve keeper...

Lot of huff and puff but shite in the final third. Found ourselves with someone running at the heart of their defence several times but lacked the composure and quality to play the right pass. Probably shot our bolt now. Maybe put Djenepo and Walcott on in the second half... What have we done to deserve another game of Efan Ekoku and his weird grievance against all things Saints related on commentary?

Passing's gone to shit. Plenty of endeavour, but dubious quality. Leeds getting on top now.

Guehi's a Chelsea player, incidentally. Doubt they'll sell cheap - if at all. Potential loan option.

Poor game management at 2-0. Instead of bossing the game we suddenly let Fulham in behind us four times in a row - they finally scored on the fourth occasion. Midfield stopped pressing and the defensive line didn't adapt. A bit like Spurs at the start of the season. Fortunately the goal woke us back up again and we got on the front foot and went after the third - which we should've been doing all along. Nice moment for Tella and you could see the confidence boost it gave to his whole game. Needs more minutes. Back to back wins. Heady days.

You're right - that is funny. Didn't know that. The mind boggles. He's not a player that makes any sense for us. (Guaranteed man of the match performance this afternoon in a Fulham stroll now...)

This rumour popped up last summer too, and amounted to nothing - as it most likely will this summer. I can't believe for one minute that our recruitment team haven't noted his absolute unsuitability to Hasenhuttl's playing style. Loftus-Cheek is a good player on the ball, but he simply cannot press out of possession. It's not that the lad doesn't try, but he's just got no engine, never has had. He's a stroller. If you make him run, he's out on his feet in less than an hour. I'd be amazed if there's anything in this. We've only got room for two PL loans - we're not wasting one on this guy.

Timeline's all wrong. News of Jankewitz (or his agent) asking for a transfer didn't break until right after the FA Cup game with Shrewsbury where the manager gave starts to two academy teenagers in midfield ahead of him (who have also barely been seen since). The reported reason for the request was that he didn't see a pathway into the team any more and with interest from the Eredivise it would be better for his development to be there rather than stagnating in Academy football. His agent has said nothing in public since the United game. Jankewitz himself hasn't spoken at all on the subject. At no point has anyone "given it large about how he should be playing" outside of your own imagination. And especially not in your timeline. "...he's part of a catalyst for the whole season going to shit." We lost one game. Either side of it we lost a further 12-13 games. If you're placing any responsibility for that on the shoulders of a teenager's 2 minute cameo, I think you're looking for a scapegoat rather than answers.

Wasn't even as good as that. Ten-a-penny left back. That being said, Efan Ekoku's been getting our games lately - and I don't know what historical crimes we've done to upset the lad, but he seems to really have a gnawing dislike for us. Any praise is through gritted teeth. He gave Danny Ings man of the match the other night whilst simultaneously claiming he could've given it to Benteke. A guy scores two goals in a 3-1 win - and he wants to give MotM to a bloke on the losing team who barely had a kick after the first 10 minutes.

He was loaned to Hoffenheim by Mourinho with the brief to learn how to play left back week in week out. No idea how he's gone, but he's at least been getting games. Looked miles out of his depth at Spurs. Too feeble defensively to play left back; too timid on the ball to play left wing. But, you know, he's only 20 so it's not like he's a write off. A loan is probably the only serious option available to us.

Nigeria. Thanks for the update - some interesting snippets.

There were (weak) rumours last summer of Chelsea being interested - which seems hilarious in retrospect. They must've been impressed with that "interception" stat that so excites people who play football on spreadsheets.

The right footed right back Brandon Williams? I would hope our club knows he only got some minutes at left back last season for United because they were desperate and had no back up - much like Stephens is getting a run out on the left at the moment for us. And no-one would possibly argue he's a left back either. Or would they? Since Luke Shaw got fit and they signed Alex Telles, Williams hasn't featured at left back. Because he's not a left back. He's got his minutes this season at right back. His actual position. It would be bizarre for the club to go all out to sign as a left back replacement a guy who's main position isn't left back. Not that I'd put it past us. His versatility makes him a handy squad player - and an attractive loan option - but he'd be a poor full time left back replacement. What with him not being a left back and all. Call me old fashioned, but I think a left back should a) be a left back and b) able to cross the ball on the run with his left foot.

If Fulham lose tonight, we should start planning for next season immediately. No point investing any more time in players that aren't going to be with us moving forward. Get Salisu into his proper position and have a good look at Jankewitz and Ferry; see if Obafemi still has a future here. Keeper; KWP, Bednarek, Salisu, Ferry; Jankewitz, Ward-Prowse; Armstrong, Tella; Adams, Obafemi.

One dimensional player whose entire game was dependent on outrageous acceleration that just isn't there any more. He's not even our fastest player - and our team is slow as shit. Pointless giving him a contract. His peak passed years ago. It'd be Shane Long all over again - who, incidentally, we're also going to be stuck with next season.

Not our worst half of football, to be fair. Just got vibes of the Spurs game about it: play pretty well against a half-asleep opponent for a half, but don't take our chances. Then fall away once they wake up and go through the gears. Hopefully not - hopefully we'll keep up the pressure in the second half. But I wouldn't be confident. Redmond's having one of his more positive days out. He's trying to make things happen, which is all anyone really asks. Walcott continues to offer nothing beyond anonymity. Tella might get a few more fouls if he wasn't such a persistent diver. Hey ho.

Pretty disappointing that everybody hid behind the stock excuse of "injuries and bad luck" as the predominant reason why we have been record-breakingly appalling in 2021 - as though no other side has faced any adversity this season without utterly capitulating. What they say in public and behind the scenes may differ, but on the face of it it doesn't suggest much self reflection has gone on. Which doesn't bode well.

I don't really understand what's in it for Stoke to retain him for another season. They have a number one keeper, and a current England u21 keeper coming through. Why on earth are they shelling out what I imagine is a decent Championship wage on another back up keeper? We should be sending Norwich a favourably edited video compilation of Gunny's best moments when he was on loan there a few years back. They still love him up there, and they're a PL club again with extra TV money to spend. Tim Krul must be getting on a bit now.

16th or 17th after the weekend.

To replace Ings on the physio's slab? Nice kid, good player on his day, but he had a poor fitness record before his most recent serious knee injury, and that ACL injury was described by (I think) the surgeon who rebuilt his knee as horrendous and about as bad as it gets. It's no surprise he hasn't returned to anywhere near the right level. There's got to be major doubts that he ever will.

Not surprised. Release clause rumoured to be as low as £7m (or as high as £11m). Creative teenage attacker - it's almost a free hit for a club like ours. If he's remotely decent, he'll be sold on at a huge profit (he's got Home Grown status, which is going to become increasingly valuable in the post-Brexit PL). And if he's only so-so, well, it hasn't broken the bank and we can probably recoup most of the outlay. Suspect we're already out of the running, though. Olise will have plenty of admirers.

It'd be interesting to hear Semmens and Crocker's defence of the frankly pitiful state our youth setup has fallen into on their watch - and what they're going to do about it. And whether they still believe imprinting Hasenhuttl's one, basic tactic right across the age groups has been a resounding success. Developing young players is the only thing we've historically been good at, and now it's a joke.

It has little to do with the result - we wouldn't expect to beat a top 4 team very often if at all. But what we should expect - especially with substantially more rest and preparation time under our belt - is a far better level of performance than we've been throwing in lately. And, perhaps more importantly, one that can be sustained over the majority of a game. If we can't play for 90 minutes with 11 days rest, if we can't get properly organised into less of shambles with 11 days preparation, then what's the flipping point? How is this manager going to turn things around? How much more time does he need? But thanks for adding a few more excuses to the list: confidence and luck are also against us. And the referees, of course...

No hiding place for the manager and his apologists with this one. Not saying we should expect to beat a team in the top 4, but with 11 days rest compared to their 3 days, the old excuse of our players being tired, of the schedule being against us, of not having enough time to prepare, is off the table. If we still can't turn up to a second half and put in a proper shift over the whole 90 minutes, the jig's up.