Chez

if Hale, Vahid and Rice were the key to bringing in Dibling, Ballard and Jimmy-Jay Morgan, then maybe they know what they are doing and will be missed. Not sure of the timings though.

we did use him. Pretty much all last season, except when he got injured . The clause is a good one. It meant that if we changed our mind about him, which we did last summer, and then didn't play him, the last year of his contract is a lot less expensive - he's effectively earning reserve keeper money, nont first team. About the only smart decision we made related to keepers.

Yep. He signed a four year contract in the summer of 2018 having just been voted player of the season and as you say, he was on the cusp of an England call up, which he got in October and then played for his first and only game in November 2018. At that point in 2018, you'd expect him to get a pretty sizeable contract. Not many well-established Prem League and potential England players earn peanuts. You're talking £70k+ a week, easy. It's the three year contract, signed in the summer of 2021, that irks. The 18/19 season went `so well' that they brought Gunn in the following summer to replace him. The 19/20 season saw Gunn start the season, but McCarthy replaced Gunn after about ten games (cos he was shite) and did OK thereafter. McCarthy played most of 20/21. That season was the one when both keepers were given an opportunity towards the end of the season to stake a claim for the number spot. I think there was plenty of debate as to which was the better keeper, McCarthy/Forster. Neither was overly impressive in my eyes to be honest, but I am not sure there were many that felt McCarthy had done enough to earn the number 1 shirt and a new contract. Not just that season, but over the course of the three seasons. But that's exactly what Ralf decided and with only a year left of his contract, he got the new deal. I guess it is not beyond the realms to imagine the new contract in 2021 came with a slight wage rise, so let's say £80k+ a week... ...and here we are.

Terrible decision by Poch to go for an understrength side when the cup was there for the taking. We were a quality side that season and I truly felt we could beat anyone on our day - not just hope we could. On paper it was still a reasonable side, but he left out Fonte, Morgan and JRod, and played Hooiveld, JWP and Guly.

Burnley's record signing cost about £15m, so forking out £25m will be a major commitment.

Personally, I'd of taken Ely off, ages before as he obviously had cramp and was completely fucked. For me, their second goal came about because he was too fucked to track back properly. That said, Lavia was also knackered. He wasn't just blowing on 85 minutes, and certainly hadn't got second wind at that point, he was completely done and not doing the things he had for the first 70 minutes. If we had kept Lavia on and they had scored, Selles would have got stick (not least from me) for not making an obviously needed change. There is a some 20:20 hindsight being used here to criticise Selles. Going to five at the back did slow Arsenal down and negate their wingers. Selles should get some credit for that. Again, personally I'd of taken AA or Ely off instead of Alcaraz, but that yellow card may have worried him. You do need your midfielders to be able to take one for the team every now and then to stop their talent breaking away and exposing defenders.

If we go down, not sure we can pay him (I'd imagine a sizeable amount) to be a squad player. I wonder if he is good enough to be a starting CM in the Championship.

Says who? He certainly has a casual laid back style, which may not be to taste (I'm not keen), but that doesn't mean he has a bad attitude. He made it clear a few seasons ago that he preferred CM to fullback, but he seems to have been happy/willing to drop in there for us when the manager has requested it. That said, he's in a contract year, so perhaps it's not surprising that he wants to play and to impress. Our squad is large. Should KWP depart, we still have Bree, Tino and Payne at RB, so at least one of them would need to be depart before he could be signed to a new deal, unless he was being considered for a CM slot.

Yep, and that `saving' is only made next season. We are paying him in full this season - to effectively do nothing. If that has been the plan all along - not to play him, so we don't have to pay him in full next season, then you'd think we must have tried to offload him last summer. You have to wonder if we signed Lis as his replacement (as a back up keeper to Bazunu) last summer. Perhaps a deal was done for McCarthy with someone, but then fell through at the eleventh hour due to his injury? That said, I can't imagine we would have actually signed Lis until a McCarthy sales/loan deal was complete. That would be pretty dumb. I wonder how many Prem games he needs to play to ensure he gets `paid in full' next season? Could he play the last five games perhaps? It won't happen, but interesting to know.

you're right. woeful. another young keeper miles out of his depth.

none of them can have been at loftus road when Ian Andrews let one go through his legs Massimo Taibi style. What a fucking terrible keeper. The Michael Poke performance against Arsenal in the cup puts him in the shittest ever category I'd of thought. Harsh, but I don't see anyone else on here pulling punches. Bazunu is in the Bart, Gazzaniga and Gunn category.

its a one game ban for two yellows.

sounds great, but in reality you might be selling `earn £25k a week here or £50k week elsewhere'.

Depends how much we are paying him, and how much someone is willing to pay for him.

johnstone has only played a couple of prem games all season. Not sure how you can conclude that he has developed well.

just to move away from the Bazunu conversation for a second...what a great second goal that was. Lovely weight of pass and very well taken. Makes a change.

good post. Lavia had disappeared and was down to fumes. We needed an extra sub.

Nope, but I'll tell you what, at 3-3 with five minutes left, I'd of taken a point.

he honestly did nothing other chasing shadows. There were very few moments when he got the chance to do something with ball, but he looked as hesitant as ever. He's a busted flush

Another good reason for that sub then. hmm. Martinelli had done him. Bloody hell he was quick. Their wingers too both full backs apart. Saka waltzed past Perraud for the first goal. Thought Perraud had a decent game overall though. KWP really struggled.

Maybe. But did you see Pope let one straight through him the other day? Exactly the kind of goal we have been slating Bazunu for. Other keepers do fuck up too. We only give a fuck about our own. Not sure this draw was down to him.

good point. I forgot he had a yellow. Adding Lyanco did seem to fill some gaps and negate the two Arsenal wingers who were killing us.

I don't tend to get involved in the Ely hate on here, but I didn't think he did much other than track runners.

crumble under a bit of pressure? It was relentless for the whole game. In truth, Arsenal deserved a point. They could have scored a hatful on another day.

Arsenal ran us ragged from start to finish. The performance wasn't all that. Just fans expectations are much lower when we play the top teams.