Gloucester Saint

Gvir is a vile piece of humanity.

Linked with West Ham and Everton last I saw.

Les Reed and Ross Wilson are political football figures, I doubt very much their ability to really watch a player over an extended period of time. Look at the successful Koeman signings, they were clearly Ronald’s. Close friend of mine scouted for Tony Pulis and he would go there and watch the player, not even the match as a whole, he would focus on the player Pulis wanted him to watch and he would want a detailed report on all of the active moments, off ball behaviours and interactions with other players. The player would be watched over an extended period. Shields found Lavia and got a new job off the back of it but he doesn’t convince me - Baz, Edozie and Larios were never PL players in a million years and it was obvious immediately. Gavin chucked into a struggling side at that age and key position was harsh. He’d have needed to be a goalkeeping Luke Littler or Wayne Rooney. Tim Flowers struggled in Division 1 post-Shilton hence John Burridge came in a for a season, and Tim was very talented as a youngster. But Nicholl knew football clubs and knew player psychology. Wilcox and Paul Mitchell - they were more thorough and questioning of what the club would tell them.

He will have experienced a lot colder than Stoke playing in that league!

That will be a coup if that transfer comes off.

There’s others as well, basically there’s probably 50-100 keepers in our price range who be a huge improvement. Those two are only with us because literally no other club wants them. Celtic wanted Alex allegedly after Wembley and if so he should have gone, last season killed what was left in him as a keeper. Gavin only had Standard come in because his City academy coach was there, and he was apparently shocked at how bad he was. This was early 2025, one decent 45 minutes in a pre-season doesn’t wipe away two years of very unreliable displays.

If you’re suggesting buying a different first choice keeper, or loaning at a push, then I’m all ears. There are other keepers than Johannsson available of course who are better than those two already at the club. Not a high bar, or any bar admittedly.

Sticking with Gavin (statistically the worst in PL and Champ by a mile) and Alex (a year older than last time and struggled badly last year) - if Dragan wants to destroy what’s left of his investment/pull off his mask and reveal Milan Mandaric this is the way to do it.

Stoke lower mid Champ - £15k per week Saints - £20k per week, chunky promotion bonus to clear your mortgage, PL back/compete for place £30k per week. If he’s got a family, not really a choice if the clubs agree a fee and Saints get their act together for the first time in several years in a key position.

I’d go for Stansfield but if we actually use Archer properly then he could be good for 20+. AA has done it before but again, will he be used beneficially to his strengths and where’s his mindset at? Stewart won’t be fit enough to start any more than 20-25 games tops. A cameo aka David Connolly 11/12, that would be good.

I can see mid-table in the Championship and at least one defeat to the Skates. ‘Agent Gavin’.

That’s the difference when football and non-football people are making decisions. Data takes you so far but you’ve got to watch players live and make an objective judgement. The football people watched Trafford’s all round game over a long sample size as part of due diligence, the non-football people bought the hype, a couple of early international games and were focused on re-sale. Gunn is very iffy coming off his line and always has been. See Norwich at Elland play off semi for Exhibit A and he was like it for us as well. Baz - supposedly passes the ball well but post-Russell that’s not needed as much and he doesn’t have the core attributes or physique a modern keeper needs.

Players aren’t stupid, they know that’s what happens. Hence a good promotion bonus is built into the contract and he’d still be on a fair chunk more as #2 in the PL than in the Champ for Stoke, who barring a Mark Robins miracle won’t be going back up anytime soon (neither will we if the club are dickheads about sticking with the grim goalkeeping duo of doom). One flying boot or loss of form and he’s a PL keeper.

Promotion gone if so and we will be in the EFL for a long time.

Just forgot got the same alert from Sky. Acid test for Spors here - don’t fuck up like you did on Jack’s extension, and ensure a first choice keeper is brought into replace. No chance of the autos with the other two in goal.

Joe Aribo next I reckon. ABK won’t be until right at the end of the window for 2-4m Euro to help the buying club offset his wages.

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It’s odd because he’s only what 31? Unless he’s had a horrible injury I can’t recall, he shouldn’t have lost most of his pace. He’s had spells under Howe and last season not playing but not the same thing as wear and tear/physiological decline.

Source is Alan Nixon, take with a Scafell Pike sized pinch of salt.

12 months as that’s how long his previous and what should’ve been his final deal had to run. I think we could’ve lived with 12 months extra with the second 12 months focused on his coaching badges if the club felt the need to be generous. 3 years was moronic and totally unwarranted.

Most of us know our football on here but since SR came in, the club is run by people who quite simply don’t. We all hoped Spors and his team would be a departure from that, but the Stephens three years just drew bold and underline under the yawning chasm between the club and fans, on top of the arrogance shown by Semmens in our direction. If they’ve any hope of getting at least a segment of the fanbase onside, they have to be perfect in the next month in the window and wins and draws at the start of the season. The Stephens debacle has cut off any realistic prospect of patience at a poor start and God help them if we don’t beat Pompey… In the window, Ramsdale, Fernandes and Dibling, assuming one or all goes, MUST be replaced.

Swap Ramsdale for a new first choice keeper and I’d agree with that. I still think one of the strikers will leave - BBD or AA. Not ITK, just a feeling.

Very nice finish from Downs, Poch and Still alike will have enjoyed watching that. I agree with Still on the penalty, joke and seen people brushed past harder in the corridor at work. WTF Stephens to a greater extent, and Manning to a lesser, thought they were doing for the first goal is beyond comprehension. You’d think it was the first pre-season match they’d played together, not team-mates of 2 whole years. When Taylor is fit again, I reckon Manning is out on loan. Lack of movement and craft eg taking defenders on in forward areas and not hard to see why Still wants reinforcements in advanced positions. Hope he is quite loud about it over the next couple of weeks to force the club’s hand.

I don’t think the pitches have been relaid since we moved? Probably time to do it over the next couple of season, get some pace and bounce into it.

Not as if the Dukes are doing that much either, look at the Test series. As @stevegrant says, factor in baking weather killing most of the live grass and bat has beaten ball frequently. The lack of pace in most of the wickets is a concern though, whether or not there’s any sideways help on offer they should be picking up pace and more bounce as they harden, then some gradual deterioration through 4 days. A few pitches need relaying around the country over the winter, including some of the Test venues, as sluggish puddings don’t encourage the spinners either, and white ball cricket is better with bounce. The trueness I don’t mind, you don’t want Darren Stevens type bowlers getting 50-60 wickets a season, we want to see more point of difference bowlers emerging. Kookaburra is perhaps encouraging domestic bowlers to think a bit more.