Holmes_and_Watson

Four digits please, so we can be sure of century and millennium. 🙂

I think the post was a bit tongue in cheek. It is when I use it anyway. 🙂

SR are focused on keeping the individual wages as low as possible. I think a 30-40m player, makes keeping within that difficult. SR are also keen on the sell on. Others like Brighton have moved on to the level of buying in more expensive players destined for big things. I don't think we're going to be near that for a while. So, that 15-20 level might be as far as we can go. And imagine that's after scouring for talent running down their contracts, or on frees that would also fit their plans. I much prefer your fantasy football way though.

I thought that after David Hirst. Hate to think what the premiums are like now. 🙂

He'll stay or go, based on that single-mindedness. Unless it goes fundamentally wrong, he's pursuing a career around it (see Kompany last season?) The theoretical pluses are that we know who to recruit for, as SR are aligned to it. He does adapt within it, but within levels the scouting can look for. SR can focus their resources along those lines. Having half an eye on how the likes of Man City use it, helps by parading pound signs across their eyes too. There are positives in having a very versatile squad, and a system that changes based on opponents/ circumstances. It seems that SR are keen to focus on a certain style. An issue is that there have now been a few, and we have surplus to requirements players as a result. Some of their economies have been false ones. I keep thinking of Nathan saying that now it was going to be his way. Or Ralph being demoralised with the changes that came into his system, with the resources he had. I guess I'd prefer Martin's approach to rapidly changing managers or those not buying into changes. If it doesn't work, we're more likely to know why, and learn from it.

No chance of a pay nothing now, but help their psr next season by obligation to buy deal if we stay up? Assuming they'd fit our system of course. 🙂

The deal is perhaps structured in a way our insurers like. After Stewart they might be looking at the risks we take in signing players, hence the 20 games.

This is what Martin and the team will be looking at. Individual errors preventing us getting a point in each game. High possession stats will please them too. They will be frustrated at the lack of movement and tempo, which rendered us a bit toothless. But they will look to various things like bedding in new players at a higher level, as well as the plan a tweaks taking a little time. A lot of that is the same as last season. It would have been nice to have gone into this season, without having to go through it again. Narrow defeats might give Martin confidence to build on. But we've had years of single minded tactics, with the same results. It's not new for us. It didn't save us from the drop last time either. Martin is single minded, passionate and committed to his style. So, perhaps doesn't see where some of the frustration comes from. Not to mention, that when it doesn't click we get location maps like the above. We get games where we've failed to move a team, or break them down at all. It's a frustrating watch, seeing them play a system that doesn't look remotely likely to get a goal. Martin, of course, is looking at the risk of attacking, only to get punished. It can work, and I'm thinking of the PL games last season, where I saw teams go end to end. But neither had any real control or movement, in the way Martin's side had. Just have to see if it works for the PL.

Appliance

Just the sort of report that makes Rasmus all the more certain in his left field data analysis results. 🙂

Although it looks as though a few (of the no doubt many) targets have gone elsewhere, it could still be busy. Not fitting into Martin's system/ plans, the club and the agents of a few will be trying to find a new home. ABK, Onuachu, Charlie, Sule and Lis (if he hasn't already gone on loan) top that list. Bree/Manning, if KWP stays, fall down the pecking order with the arrival of Sugawara and Taylor. Meghoma might also be on the move, with a year left and not much chance of breaking into the squad. Charles could do with a season on loan at a decent club, to really develop. At the start of the window, it looked like we needed to replace McCarthy, Downes, Stu, Che, Fraser, Brooks/Tella and get DM cover. Of those 7 we've arguably signed 3/4. If Fernandes is more of a Lavia/Livramento standard, and if Les is similar then, along with Downes, we've a versatile midfield. If they are Charles and Charlie replacements needing a bit of development, then we still need a Stu replacement. We've brought in 2 forwards, but still have a Che shaped hole in the squad. As was very evident against Forest. Stewart can't be relied upon to be that replacement. Martin may want BBD and AA in the wider attacking positions of a 3. If they are a more central 2, then the need for wide attackers is lessened. Even so, someone lke Fraser would be still useful. We need a direct, versatile player to give us depth there. Perhaps that's where Martin sees BBD. None of Sule, Edozie, SAA or Dibling are there yet.

Home

Back home... Partner: What did you do this afternoon dear? Fan: Went down the station. Partner: Booking some tickets for us? Fan: No. Got there an hour early to get the best position to shout obscenities at grown men! Partner: I don't see any blood. Didn't they just punch you in the face? Fan: No! They have to walk past and take it! Because we're fans, and they would get charged and sacked for retaliating. Partner: You realise I'm fictional, as no one as pathetic as you could ever have a partner? Fan: They aren't fit to sit in our amazing dug outs! Grrrrrrr!

Telephone

Sargent has definitely developed. Norwich aren't great at providing service to their forwards, with occasional boosts from the likes of Buendia, Hernandez and a fit Rowe. So, they have to make the best from what they get. When he arrived and had to work off scraps, I wasn't convinced. He's improved, and would fill a few of the Adams' shaped gaps in the team.

This. The players that drive a game and push us forward individually, offer something different, and often increase the noise are the ones on the periphery. That's in part because to have those skills, they aren't the something-of-everything players better suited for Martin's system. It's early for Archer, but others don't look as though they will fit. All managers have their preferred players and targets. This was the same last season. With the same players mostly too. SR are backing Martin, who is focused on his plan-a only system. The risk is that if it doesn't work, we'll have moved on a lot of players that could have changed our approach. It worked out last season. And there's an argument for any funds being used to improve Martin's line up. Dibling has replaced Alcaraz, it seems. He could be the only one left offered a direct role, until it's trained out of him. It's just not part of Martin's possession based game management. Structured passing is preferred to individual runs to reduce risk. We went down with a number of narrow defeats and managers saying how close we were to it clicking. Martin's first 2 games were built on a similar approach.

He's cup tied for Cardiff too. What a waste!

I think...hang on there's a sign here... "Do not cross the threads!" Not Ghostbusters, but a warning that the summer window combined with the Brexit thread spells doom for the forum. 🙂

Just don't hire the ground floor, left hand side of any building to host it. 🙂

You might throw it. But would he catch it? 🙂

Funnily enough, 15 years from now "Immaterial: My Shot Stopping Moments" is the title of Baz's autobiography. 🙂

Tator in indulgent tone: Alex Arnold is coming off to be replaced at right back. That's if you could call him only a right back. 🤮

Yup. I had Archer in to begin with, but wanted at least someone in there with more physical presence. Archer is going to be getting plenty of PL minutes, and can be a sub in the second half here.

Alex Bree Wood Taylor Manning Les Dibling Fernandes SAA TP Edozie

Early days. He has to be given time to get it up to 200. 🙂