SWLondon Saint

It certainly felt like it the way we played, particularly against pressing sides like Brentford...

Anyone else wondering what the actual was going on last season?!? 😑

I did a job with a guy who'd studied and worked in Russia back in the 80's, and he said the key to understanding them is that nobody ever means anything they say, and they'll just deny it all anyway. Like being at the airport shop and asking for a bar of chocolate he could see and being told they don't sell chocolate, but when he just pointed and said 'That thing' they'd sell it to him. Basically they're probably looking for some kind of sneaky backhander and it'll either get sorted and there will no problem and they'll all be sweetness and light, or it won't and they'll say there was no offer, it was all just fake news. Or something like that.

Well that's the thing, they're literally just wasting everyone's time if they're just saying 'he's not as good as you think he is so here's what we think he's worth', so why bother?

Well exactly, and that was without him playing a minute in the Prem. £50m completely reasonable expectation, so spuds probably offered £25m as usual.

The West Ham fans I know just think this is typical of their owners who they can't stand - lowball pissing around wasting everyone's time basically. I mean 2 years ago with Moyes you could see why JWP would want to go - stable, he has a clear role in a Moyes team, got a ton of assists from his set pieces. Now? If they came up with the cash and let him have a relegation release clause, I guess Fernandes would probably go, but given he said it was a very difficult season last year when interviewed after euro U21, I do wonder if he'd really want to walk into another relegation battle with manager instability.

Agree on it being bloody annoying but not sure I feel much sympathy for Sportswashing United in any case! If they and the entitled Scousers could both lose that would be perfect but not sure how...

I'd go with that. Reckon the GK and one of the attacking signings would be a loan though and also I think Sesay could make the step up to back up CM.

I honestly don't give a monkey's what he gets up to as long as he stays far away from any position here - but as I mentioned on another thread, it does make me think he actually broke BBD and Archer and badly damaged the spirit and confidence, not to mention the fitness, of the vast majority of our players. Will Still mentioned some players need to remember they're good - watching some of the Rangers players just looking lost and ragged reminded me of our players last season.

I said it last year a few games in, but he is just so painfully out of his depth it's unbelievable. Hope the players of ours that he broke - BBD and Archer in particular - are watching and realising that he was the problem, not them.

I just remember thinking with the whole Man city 'link ups' with Shields and Wilcox thinking it was all pretty dodgy regardless of 'gardening leave'. Bloody hell, I want to forget!

Fair enough, I thought he had 'input' on Jan 23 but guess I was wrong!

You mean like those great Wilcox signings Larios, Small, Mara, Orsic, Sulemana, Tall Paul, and Bazunu? 🤔

Well, one point to consider is Everton and West Ham look like they're gonna be struggling this season. Not sure that's gonna be appealing to Dibling or Fernandes, serial relegation battles isn't much fun...

I think there's a high chance he'd have got another season just like Farke did if we'd lost closely in the playoff final, and Rasmus would probably still be in charge unless we failed to get promoted again - which to be fair would have been quite likely, so now we'd be out of parachute payments and up shit creek.

If we'd stayed down and got promoted last season instead, Russell Martin would still be manager and we'd be about to experience Martin-ball in the PL which, however well we planned or bought, I am 100% sure would end in complete disaster as it did.

Looks like he'd be handy, and importantly he's a bit older and more experienced. I think if he comes in, surely at least one of Archer or BBD has to go? Problem is I just can't see where to...

I don't think this is a question of us not offering enough money to either club or player, the main issue here is the player obviously wants a bigger club in a top league and is using us as a back up plan. The question is at what point do we say, OK, we can't deal with this uncertainty and need to switch to a less good target. If the plan B is decent but not as sure-fire a PL level talent, then I can see the argument for waiting a bit longer at least.

Sure, but selling unfortunately requires there to be a buyer, which is the big problem for the majority of this list....

Fair play to him, sounds like he really took the Leicester game - which was terrible - personally. Really like the way he talks about the whole squad being on it now and actually I think Manning said the same last week, sounds very different to RM who clearly had his favourites.

He actually looked OK passing it out and even bringing it out in pre-season, but I think the speed and intensity of the pressing in real games has taken him by surprise. No disgrace there, Matusiwa for Ipswich has looked exactly the same in both games he's played for them, getting caught on the ball and hurried into mistakes both against us and Brum. And he's meant to be a finished product.

Quarshie has looked about how you would expect a 21 year old CB who has never played in England or at this level before to look - raw. But given our other CBs are all slow as hell it makes sense to have at least one player you'd back in a footrace. He should develop a huge amount this season, not sure pre-season+ 2 champ game is really a fair sample to judge on...

Yeah, this one has always had that smell about it, when it's that much in the press the player and agent are clearly fishing for a better 11th hour option and I always thought this one would be hijacked. He looks easily good enough for a top 5 league and the price being out there is just a 'come get me'. I just hope the club has our back up options lined up. That could be that Brazilian lad in Germany.

Thought both sides were poor in the second half, only way Ipswich were going to score was from a mistake by us, which to be fair there were quite a few of. Definitely take the result though. Big match next week too since Stoke are top at the moment!

Yeah, I'm also confused what everyone else is watching. After the complete balls up for the goal we were all over them until the equaliser, then we sat off a bit and it's more even. Dunno what others are on but absolutely nothing has come through the centre of midfield so that's working fine. Down our left is the danger zone. Welington has been good pressing up on Clarke but committed stupid fouls and got booked for nothing. Manning should come on but I think that works better if Fraser or Armstrong is in front of him so that would be a reshuffle. Armstrong has actually done alright up front, he managed to bring down a couple of high balls and made their CBs look uncomfortable.