Toussaint

Maybe he’s not 100% match fit? Maybe he’s being used sparingly because he is still seen as important?

I can’t see the point in Bournemouth

Silly as in we wouldn’t get him or you don’t rate him? I’d have him, Good gutsy, energetic player, I could definitely see Ralph liking the cut of his jib.

If that’s what actually happened, sometimes I think things get lost in translation with Ralph

I don’t

That’d shake up our “son in law” recruitment policy, just need to get Suarez and Diego Costa in. I’m also wondering what sort of condition joey Barton is in if hcdajfu?

6’1 according to wiki

Is that what you believe to be the case?

I heard City didn't want to loan him to us as they see us as too much of a threat.

I think it was a bit different in Chelsea's situation, given the heightened tensions around that time and some of the hyperbole being spouted it looked at one stage Chelsea were doomed. It is his parent club, been there since he was a child, probably harboured ambitions to be a star for them and then it all suddenly looked really shaky. As I said, pure speculation on my part.

Only speculation, but there were two factors I had considered at the time, one was he may have been shaken by the whole Abramovich / sanctions issues which coincided with his dip, also the team were became woeful around the same time, (Villa awy 0- 4) the service was non existent, that would demoralise any striker.

Needs its own forum section really

I'll be "gutted" if we don't get him, he is the best player I had never heard of until yesterday, ever. If we don't make this happen I want everyone sacked, even Sammy Saint.

No "could be" about it, i feel I have had 1 minute of my life stolen from me.

I wonder if he still drives the Pontiac Firebird, always envied his lifestyle?

Good, he needs that. I sat behind him a few times last season and he looked completely lost and forlorn when things were going horribly wrong.

PTSD! I still think Chelsea last season was worse in many ways.

Because he is not the manager of those sides? Maybe those coaches have applied it properly and adapt it as required? Maybe Ralph ball cannot cut it in the premier league?

I’d definitely be ok with only one source of income in Ralph’s position. In fact a month or two of Ralph’s income would give most of us a comfortable life.

He’d never get through our goody two shoes, Boy Scout, mother Theresa screening process

I don't see it that way, what I am saying is he would have far more credibility if the wins and losses were spread out more evenly. There are always going to be good runs and bad runs, but his are far too extreme. In one sense the points gained kept us up, yes. But my view its Russian roulette.

I agree that tomorrows result tells us nothing at all, but i disagree there is still credit in the bank for something that happened 6 months ago, when you look at what has happened in the period since. I believe he should have been shown the door before the end, or at the end of last season, but right now I am completely unsure what is best. But we are file, a good performance tomorrow will change the mood drastically.

I don't think he's done a respectable job, I'd feel differently if he'd amassed the points regularly and consistently over a season, we didn't have horror runs and absolute tonkings from time to time. Not to mention formations and substitutions and the rest that has been discussed to death. Alos last season's horror run is still ongoing.

Next in line will be the next clutch of players we bought in who had potential, that we are hoping to flip, that don't reach their potential or regress.