angelman

Now, I look at it differently. I can understand why people are under whelmed, but me, I'm just a season ticket holder and supporter. I have an opinion on what the club does, but in reality I have **** all idea how to run a football club. Therefore I put my trust in the club and their ability. Sure their decisions aren't always going to work, but that's the position we are in. We get cheaper players for a reason - they are unproven and therefore a higher risk. Having said that, given the amount clubs are dropping on minor players this window, it sure seems to have gone mad. St Marco, if you and/or I ran the club, we would likely bankrupt it within a few months. Put faith in those running the club. For all the bad things that have happened recently, there are more than enough good things that have happened (either by luck or by design) that they still should have our trust.

I look at all the madness going on and how excited other fans are of all these £20-30m signings that they have never heard of, and am very happy with our £7m signing of Armstrong.

I don't find it strange at all. I suspect, but of course this is pure conjecture, that LFC wanted to sell for £20m. No one was biting so it went to the last minute before they took what offer was out there, which was a loan for him. Whether it is too late remains to be seen.

Well put it this way, if we have Austin and Ings, then we are more likely to have one of them for the whole season. Of course, both could breakdown at the same time. Onwards...

Danny Ings has quite a similar record to Shane Long. Didn't Ings and Austin have a phenomenal partnership in the Championship?

If you put in a deal sheet pre 5pm you have an extra 2 hours.

talkSport said we are in discussion with Welbeck. Seemed a bit tenuous, but....

Seem to have dual threads running on this one!!!

Muse, I would tend to agree with you on both points. But hey, this is the PL, and strange things happen. As for the article, not sure I would agree that he competes with Lemina and Romeu. If anyone is to go from his position, I would think it would be Davis.

£15m to Burnley according to https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/2961460/burnley-close-to-agreeing-15m-transfer-for-southampton-star-james-ward-prowse-after-watford-bid-rejected/

My expectations of you were that I fully expected you to say that.

I agree tajjuk. To me, our season revolves around the manager's ability to get the squad playing as it should. We all know about last season and MP's inability to do that, and to a certain extent CP's the season before. I saw enough at the back end of last season to suggest that MH can. The new signings have addressed certain issues we had, and I hope most that the CM will actually score some goals, as we have lacked that since Lallana left. There is too much feeling that what we have isn't good enough and ALWAYS wanting something new. I look at some of the signings that other clubs have made for £15-25m from Spain, Portugal etc and wonder why people think that they are automatically going to be successful. Just because they cost a lot, does not mean that they are going to be good. We know that from our own experience. I mentioned on another thread, the point that Peter Coates raised about Bournemouth. They signed 2 players for £40m from smallish Spanish clubs, that 2 years before cost a combined £1.5m. Is that what people want us to do? Splash £20m on someone we have never heard about in the hope that he might be OK? Repeat the Carrillo exercise? It may be underwhelming for many, but I am far happier spending £7m on Armstrong than Wet Spams £40m on whoever, and think that it might turn out to be one of the best signings of the window. Nothing like a bit of optimism!

There are 2 ways of looking at this. We know why we signed him, so no point going over that, the only thing worth considering with the player is whether he might actually be of worth to us later on down the line. I don't think anyone is holding out any hope, but time will tell. So... 1) The £20m striker that has left us, means we are in a weaker position that we were last season. OK so I am being a little facetious! The club or manager felt it an absolute priority to sign a CF, so splashed out a club record on one. He didn't work, so the need is still there and has not been addressed. or 2) The CFs that we have, despite Carrillo going on loan, are adequate and with the right manager and system in place, will do the required job. While not their main CF, people seem to forget that Gabbi played in the Italian national squad. Seems he was good enough for them, but not us.

I expect this will be a good year for Long. Then again I have had this expectation every year!!! I look back to his purple patch... What was it - Pelle getting injured? He stepped up then, so he can do it!! Football is about unrealistic expectations. Long is one of those with me.

In all honesty, if I had overly worried about it, I would have seen a CB trying to leave and shafting us in the process. A CM/AM devoid of much charisma and a manager who was a huge risk given that his CV consisted of taking a small team in La Liga to 9th place. But I take a more pragmatic approach. I put my faith in the club, not least as my opinion and thoughts count for zip, as they are better qualified than me. They make some decisions that don't work out, but that happens all the time in all industries. If I was better at the job than them, then I suspect I would be working in the football industry. The difference between this season and last seems to be that we don't have van Dijk nor an untested manager. Also I tentatively say we now have an owner who wants to be here.

I almost threw mine away, but I'm going to offer them to my lad when he gets back from being away. Far better to save the few ££££ and give it to the cleaners at SMS instead.

Why are their managers more exciting than ours? If ours repeats what he did at Blackburn, City, Fulham and Stoke (first 3 seasons) would you be happy with that?

My thoughts? I have trust in the manager to get the team playing properly. The team will be the greater than the sum of its parts. You may well end up being right, but **** me, the season hasn't even started yet and you already trot out your overly negative ballocks. But ultimately, it's all rather pointless as we're not in it to win it. So I don't really mind so long as I am entertained. Probably my last year with a ST as I can't really see the point of being in a competition that you have little to no chance of winning.

Love this forum and threads like this. You get the inevitable replies from the likes of Batman, which sadly are far far too predictable. Well done Batman - right on cue. No doubt the usual lot will come trotting along with equally dour predictions.

You're being far too idealistic. I would love to keep our soul but the Premier League doesn't allow that. If you want to find your soul and be able to compete, then it is the lower leagues. No bad thing IMO.

League managers meeting in London

https://m.skybet.com/football/manager-specials/event/22544182 Puel, Maureen, Benitez, Garcia, Warnock, then Hughes....

One but can hope.

Tadic nets for Ajax vs Standard Liege in the CL 3rd qual round.

Interesting analysis on the radio today with Peter Coates. He pointed to this transfer and another of B'mouths and said that they have spent £40m on 2 players that cost minor Spanish clubs £1.5m two years ago. IE just because they spend big, doesn't mean that they are necessarily any good, just that the PL inflates prices to stooopid levels. Personally I am happier spending £7m on Armstrong.