Chewy

Relegation is worth an awful lot more than 20 million plus whatever in wages. It’s rubbish that we are desperate, but we are desperate all the same. I can’t think of anyone else, in this sort of price bracket, who would actually want to come, who would probably score premier league goals for us immediately.

And yet he’s already scored 6 pl goals this season, more than all of our current strikers combined. He’s not perfect but he’s significantly better than anything we currently have. I simply don’t understand people turning their nose up at him. We need premier league goals and he scores them.

Innocent until proven guilty … although there’s over 200 cases they’re investigating. By the time they realized they’d be charging Harold Shipman with at least 25, I don’t think they let him carry on working, did they? 😉 In all seriousness it does strike me as odd - it looks like a slam dunk so why the delay?? Brilliant Bonkers. In all seriousness I know Howard Webb has just taken over and wants VAR used less, only for clear and obvious. I support this - it made the euros much better which was run like this. Unfortunately as it’s the first week they’ve gone way too far - the Brentford penalty was a foul to Bournemouth and this offside was ludicrous. Even worse, the VAR ref here was Oliver, our best ref??!! If he thinks that’s the correct interpretation of the offside rule it just goes to show how insane the new rule is. Why have they tried to be so clever with both this and the handball rule? They worked for years, what happened yesterday is insane. Defenders may as well not bother ever playing for offside, which is a skill they’ve developed over their entire careers. Of course, they d1cked around with the rules to try and remove grey areas which got interpreted badly by refs to favour the big teams. We now don’t have grey areas but clearly mental rules which basically say nothing is offside and everything is handball and it’s simply a rubbish set of rules. Agreed, and while I’d love to see all of Spurs, Chelsea and especially Liverpool starved of their champions league cash, the only club I wouldn’t want to benefit is Newcastle. Bugger. To be fair, on points they annihilated Villa. Rather like us in the Ralph era, though - if you can’t score and ship goals it will see you hovering around the relegation zone, however we’ll you play. I think they’ll be ok, I reckon Bournemouth, hopefully Everton, hopefully not us so AN Other. Forest were SOOO bad against us I’d say them but that’s 6 points v us and Leicester so maybe not? In which case I’d enjoy it if it was the Hammers

Well … to be fair we’re virtually halfway through the window and still don’t have a striker. I know it’s not easy but we’ve needed one since we knew Broja wasn’t returning which I reckon is about 10 months. Whatever todays result and whoever is manager, not having this sorted is by now is a complete failure. Hopefully we don’t suffer directly today and get the long overdue win at Goodson. Hated them since 84 and god knows we need the points!!! COYS

Believe confirmed as Saturday 3pm now

There was a rumour he was in town earlier this week meeting with a number of official looking people but I took that to be rubbish. Maybe some people believed it and laid money on the back of it? If by any chance it is true, I wonder if Villa want it left until after we play them? Totally straw clutching I know 😂 Given Jones’ comments about not necessarily needing a number 9 I think it’s all starting to look very unlikely. Unfortunately.

Please no. That said, maybe the delay in getting this completed is because we’re refusing to match his current salary and he’s got to accept a pay cut to extend, reflecting the fact he’s nowhere near as good as we’re paying him. He’s got no chance of getting this salary elsewhere, that’s for sure. As an averagely paid squad player I still don’t want him but can see that some would.

Exactly this. From literally the worst part be ever seen us to one of the best. Thoroughly deserved, every single player at least an 8 out of 10, barely an error, great attitude. I have no idea where that came from but am happy to give loads of credit for that to Nathan. Something’s clearly changed behind the scenes - whatever it is I’m delighted

Anyone think we should get a 3rd centre back on to tighten things up? 😉

I’ve really seen some weird sh1t this season amongst the most woeful collection of performances I can ever recall: Eli turns into the world’s greatest fullback for 2 whole minutes against Arsenal with THAT tackle and THAT assist. Lyanco with that read and assist and Mara with that finish And while I start typing this, Djenepo with that. It even had some composure in it. He’s never been composed in his life!!! WTF

Looks interesting and promising. However, our success really would depend on whether the striker is “Adams” or “Pending”. Assuming “Pending” is any good. If it stays at Adams I fear we may as well give up.

I also like the non-stripe variations. Xerox, the sash, the Denmark and also the 70s admiral - not traditional stripes on that one either. That said, the all/mostly red versions (Liverpool copy and mid 80s one … I think @86) are definite no’s for me. Nothing wrong with stripes when done nicely, but there’s been some abominations and it doesn’t set us apart from half a dozen or so other sides. As for away kits, I feel it’s a long time since we tried a navy/sky combination. Loved it in the 80s (Danny Wallace at Anfield?) but the pony effort was horrible. Could go either way 😂

I don’t think he’s particularly special, but he’s the only member of the entire squad with any creativity and an attacking football brain, other than possibly KWP and Tino. The rest have nothing between them aside Edozie dribbling with little effect so far, and JWP on direct free kicks. I honestly can’t think of any other scenarios where we create anything for ourselves. We get the odd chance through pressing and opposition mistakes (Palace case in point); we used to offer bits out wide and KWP still does very occasionally. I don’t think Stuart is our saviour and in the same league as de Bruyne … but at least he does something, or at least tries. Maybe he is managing pain, but if he can barely manage 10 minutes (forest) his injury needs sorting properly. It’s pointless otherwise

Disappointed Jones is even higher 😂

Was thinking the same. Make it a proper mauling and they might have to pull the trigger. Give Pitter a month off to sort his pay-off and Jones a month of proving the Palace result was down to 2 gifts not his tactical genius … Maybe, just maybe.

El sackico with Dyche as the booby prize. How far have we fallen 🤣🤣🤣 As much as I think he’s far better than Jones, I still don’t see how his football style and ethos matches with our club’s recruitment strategy of late. Same issue as Jones - long ball with short passing players. Still, he’d organise us and scare some of the flaky players so maybe it’d somehow work to save us? I can’t help but think that Saints and Graham Potter are destined to be together- matched perfectly imho. Does look like the timing will be slightly out this time around and after his big pay-off and our likely relegation I doubt we’d be his choice for a next job but I live in hope.

Well a few of the squad spent Thursday afternoon playing golf so hopefully we haven’t worked on any sort of plan for this game. Which of course means more of the same from Wednesday night 😉

Welcome, looks a really promising signing. Shame it’s under the current cloud and with the current boss but looks a quality player all the same. Of course, we still haven’t got the striker we’ve desperately needed for 10 months but that’s another story

Should have been striker first, middle and last for the last 2, possibly 3 transfer windows. Whether you measure us as a football team, an entertainment provider with light shows and everything or a multi million pound business trying to make money, getting a striker should be our number one priority for every single employee. This should have been done on January 1st (I.e. sorted in October/November) - we’ve known about it for months and after the summer debacle I can’t believe they’d have left this to chance. I know it’s difficult and everyone wants a striker, always. But this is literally the only thing we’ve needed to focus on in months. We needed to throw cash and the kitchen sink at this and so far nothing. It’s almost as astounding as not sacking NJ after Wednesday night. Utterly, utterly clueless people running the club.

5 if you count Edozie 😉 6 when he plays Orsic there too …

Other than the undroppable Lyanco and Elyonoussi of course

I think you might be right, but if we lose heavily in the two cup games (a very real possibility) things could happen sooner. Rasmus won’t want to admit he’s f•cked up but the owners aren’t entirely stupid. Stubborn and unduly hopeful, yes. Completely stupid, no. I do think any chants at the next games (like when City’s b team score their 4th before half an hour) should be aimed at the board, though. They didn’t sort Ralph sooner, they failed to sign the one player we needed, and they chose Jones. Jones can’t help being sun-standard - everyone has a level. This is entirely on the board.

Well that was a fun. Missed the light show … and that was easily the best part of my evening. Every couple of weeks I seem to be saying this, but that was honestly the worst I’ve ever seen. Utterly dreadful. Ralph was done but we’re now MUCH worse. I could write ten pages on things he got wrong, but will restrict it to agreeing with the guy above questioning the sanity of appointing a long ball manager for a squad full of slight, young players schooled by Pep’s coaches. That’ll work about as well as … well, a team losing every game. Forest are dreadful and we are far worse. Which brings me to my second observation. On bbc radio driving back I heard Jones suggest we had enough opportunities and “there was nothing structurally wrong with our game”. I beg pardon??? What structure was that, cos I didn’t see any and the players didn’t seem to know about one either. We created nothing and didn’t ever look close to creating anything (Che’s laughable miss aside). There was nothing. I’m done, the fans in the stadium all look done, the players are very clearly done. We are utterly done. Change manager and it probably wont save us plus Rasmus will look an utter tool. Don’t change it and we’ll struggle to get another point and Rasmus will still look an utter tool. Either way, we are done.

Is hyperbole any good? A striker?

I barely remember us having a goal threat from a striker tbf