benali-shorts

Plus Romeu was only 23 when he joined, so is another successful young signing. That's a much more successful route for us. More experienced big 6 player signings makes me think of Perry Groves and David Howells.

In this 2021 interview, Kraft talks about investing in three companies in professional football, citing transfers, scouting and physical performance. The latter seems to be Sportlight. He was I/c the 2013 KKR deal to buy United from Solak, so has worked with him for a while.

I wonder about JWP there - has a great engine to cover the full-backs so they have licence to attack and provide width, and he would have more time on the ball to develop his long-passing game (which he shows fleetingly, but seems to have all the technical attributes to develop); Oriel and Diallo should then dovetail effectively as CMs.

This link a useful source to forecast finishing points/positions. Has us to finish 15th on 44 points. Investments can go up as well as down etc etc. https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/soccer-predictions/premier-league/

Does anyone understand how the referees/VAR/PGMOL are accountable, or to whom? JWP's decision aside (which was 50/50 imo), how are the referees/VAR assessed (by PGMOL?). And how is PGMOL - as the body responsible for overall refereeing/VAR standards - measured? Why have PGMOL got a seeming right to provide officials for the PL? Who decides PGMOL are the correct body to provide officials, and for what period, and on what basis? It seems weird that there isn't open dialogue about refereeing/VAR performance, given the gain that these individuals potentially have in influencing outcomes. If I was a betting syndicate, the first person I'd turn to would be the VAR official, given their seemingly non-existent profile vs their ability to influence game-defining moments.

Odd comment by Ralph about not shouting on the pitch at the end of that article: Hasenhuttl, who added: “If you know me you would know I’m not a big fan of big shouting on the pitch. “Taking, I don’t know, leaderships on the pitch or whatever. “Run, play football and do what we ask you to do and do a good job for a player we have for running and not shouting.”

Dexter Blackstock 100% clean sheet record.

Tella excellent in the build up to the 4th

tella creating, adams scoring in fact

good feet from adams to create the third.

good finish djenepo

We don't know the money he's on vs. what Villa may offer, but that could be a significant pull given it's likely to be the most lucrative contract he signs. We do know that Villa are willing spenders, and they're likely to have money available from Grealish sale this summer.

I suppose there's an argument that he's currently at peak value - age/contract; fringes of Eng squad; decent season last season. I would think our model makes it likely that we would have to consider any offer at what we perceive to be the player's peak value, and based on our trading history to date I suspect we would have our head turned regardless of the bidding club. Similarly for JWP, it's likely to be a sizeable financial package, and he may well consider that this is his best moment to secure that type of package - he's unlikely to get a top 6 squad place in the current financial climate (£30m+ plus package pricey for squad player), and so next level down is his most realistic target of securing that. Outside of the traditional big 6 and Leics, there aren't a huge number of teams capable of funding this type of transfer, but Villa (assuming Grealish goes for £80m+) are definitely one of them, so it seems plausible.

Quite a decent array of finishes on his YouTube collection - left and right foot; one on ones; sharp finishes etc. Hard to know if he would have the movement and mentality for Prem, but looks an instinctive finisher, and could potentially compliment Che well.

Whatever the kit is, and I’m going out on a limb here, I bet the ones that don’t like it are more vociferous than those that do.

I completely agree. It baffles me we have seen a pairing of JV as right-sided centre back and MS as left-sided centre back, which potentially seems our strongest pairing.

Hmmm, the shared game time thing is reminiscent of Terry Gennoe and Peter Wells.....neither of whom were very good either.

I suspect Lopez's contribution to Lille can only be fairly judged once the impact of the debt repayments eventuates - God knows how they'll repay the remaining £120m debt with deflated player values and French football in a disastrous financial crisis, and how Lille will look in a couple of seasons' time after JP Morgan and Elliott Mgt have reviewed budgets . Campos did v well with lower-value player recruitment, but post Covid, that's going much more competitive in the Premier league, and particularly where traditionally richer / bigger clubs will be fishing in cheaper ponds (where Santos has traditionally excelled), with greater competition for lower priced players (who may previously have moved to eg French league by way of stepping stone). Santos would be an interesting consideration for the recruitment role, but no doubt his Lille role was linked to profits on player trading, which I'm not sure Gao would be quite so keen to share! I'm not a big fan of the rolling dice of player trading profit to fund a club (pretty much what we've had for the last few seasons, only now with deflated player values, but player wages failing to decline accordingly), and Lopez's model seems to be that. Sadly, I'm not sure there will be any significantly different alternatives out there, despite how they'll market themselves. They'll all be gambling on increased TV revenues, with player trading to plug the shortfall.

Yes. Low net worth individual who ‘stepped down’ as CEO of Lille when JP Morgan lost faith that he’d be able to manage the repayment of their £200m loan.

It's reasonable to claim that the higher frequency of games this season has had a particularly adverse affect on us, having one of the smallest squads in the Prem. I think the consensus would be that our first XI with a normal 1 game/week schedule is decent (top half arguably), and that Ralph prepares the team well when given sufficient time between matches. Our 2nd XI quality is very poor comparatively, which has led to overusing the first team players, with inevitable higher rate of injuries mid season. It'll be interesting to see how we go next season, with a normal frequency of games, and presumably resolving the obvious squad weaknesses which have been apparent this season (full backs). Hard to have a definitive position on Ralph from the extreme fluctuations during the season, but overall I would very much back him for next season to prepare the team competently when given sufficient time. I'm much more worried about the prospects of squad ability minus Ings and Jannik, than I am the quality of coaching under Ralph.

About £20m more than we'd be willing to pay?

Quite surprised he hasn't been linked with a move away. Probably our most valuable asset given contract length? £30m+? Not implausible that any of the top 6 would see him as a viable squad option, albeit not first XI.

He'll be a big loss, our best defender, a threat from set pieces; and his diagonal passing was a vital tool during our good run. I'm sure they'll want to cash in with only a year left (£15m?). Leicester will come in again you'd think? I'd imagine we need to recoup £20m to cover loan and operating losses, so he and Danny (also £15m?) might give us a £10m budget. very difficult summer ahead....

loses concentration, caught on the wrong side, desperate chase and lunge, big protest about it not being his fault. All strangely familiar.....

The issue for PL being that if they deem Bednarek not to have made a foul, it also would mean Martial dived / cheated (there having been no contact), a complication which won't help our cause. Do they then have to cite Martial? I suspect they'll back Dean's interpretation, because....well, it's just easier that way.