CanadaSaint

Clear strategy at work. Build Serbian following, rig the F.A. Cup draw for a Pompey clash that would make its predecessors look like bun fights.

Unless the timing was forced by Gao's situation, I wouldn't buy a club at the opening of the window unless I would be able to make a positive splash by doing something in it. If that's not possible, for FFP reasons or because I donn't have the extra cash, I'd wait until the window closes. Or is that too simplistic?

I "think" this is good news, but does anyone else feel rather comforted by the fact that Katharina is sticking around? It seems that the new group would have preferred her to walk, but I really think she takes "protecting her Father's legacy" very seriously.

I wish we had a striker who's half as good at striking as we are at de-railing threads.

I think it’s probably 125 million plus take on the 75 million debt, so effectively 200 million. He’s still taken a big hit, though. But if he has somehow shit in his own bed with the CCP top brass, or maybe even if he hasn’t, what suits him may be immaterial.

All of the potential buyers will be looking for value and sustainability - not just to throw a ton of money at it, and certainly not to take on the millstone of big, long term contracts for crap players. It’s almost like this deal has been in the offing for some time, but we would have to clear out the dross before it could happen. Bob Ratcliffe is big on “making our own”, and so will most of the others be. While our academy production has slipped, we’ve continued to invest in the academy infrastructure. That’s unrealized value, which makes us attractive. To me, INEOS, Red Bull and Redball are realistic hopes, and they do their business the way it should be done - quietly. It could be someone else, of course, but I can’t see any Barry’s or briefcases being in this.

Hopefully the club is pitching a strong argument at the PL authorities rather than waiting for the chinless wonders to postpone the game without consultation.

What about the rest of us riffraff? “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche?” 😂

We also need to bear in mind that he played for almost an hour without our established left sided CD alongside him. With that, and us being stretched because we were a player short, the odds were very much against him playing well, but he did.

There are many companies that raise this kind of money, and a fair number are either venture capitalists or have them as investors. Venture capitalists are focused on two things - a significant (and ideally quick) return, and an (investment) exit strategy. That pretty much makes them “chancers” in my book. Granted, though, RedBall seem to have a longer term focus and a broader strategy.

Thinking back to the infamous “Where will we finish?” thread, and the even more depressing Everton post match reaction, there aren’t many of us who would have foreseen us being on twenty points on Boxing Day. But onwards and upwards we go! 😇

Yep, sad isn’t it? I remember the superb performance he put in for us at Chelsea, but - like they say - it can be a cruel game.

All credit to Ralph for rehabilitating him, but there’s still work to do. Given the standard of the other two keepers, I wish we’d made the same effort with Angus Gunn. There’s long term trauma attached to experiences like that Leicester game, and I think it speaks well of Ralph and the club that they didn’t just throw both of them on the scrap heap.

I thought he’d already had his suspension for five bookings.

Why was it bizarre? The goal was a cracker - that’s a compliment to MLT.

This has the feel of a corner-turning game. Utilizing squad depth, fighting off adversity, working for eachother. That kind of thing turns seasons around.

Superb effort. If Taylor had added thirty moe seconds Broja would have stolen it at the death.

We need to keep hitting clearances it at the centre circle because Broja is capable of handling it from there.

Forster needs to use his height and take the ball at its zenith, not wait for it to come down to chest height. Maybe it’ll turn out like that Arsenal game when he survived clangers and somehow saved everything they threw at him.

Edmonton. It’s a “Siberian high” - fucking Russians.

I’d go for a walk to avoid watching the second half but it’s -33 outside, so 9:04 am booze is the only option.

This is where the crowd needs to keep putting the pressure on him. And we need to keep winding Deli’s clock.

Unless you consider that Dawson didn’t get one for two fouls and a take down in the box two days ago. The inconsistency in the PL is an unfunny joke.

Offensively he lacked the courage and directness that made him such a good player, and sadly I think he’s a yesterday man. Like most on here, I wasn’t happy to see him starting. However, from about the 68th minute on, he put in a very good defensive shift protecting our left flank. That pretty much took the very dangerous Bowen out of the game and reduced the pressure on KWP. And Yarmalenko didn’t get a sniff either. Overall I’d give him a 6 or 7, instead of the 3-4 he’s been worthy of lately.

Fair do’s - I wanted him off too, but Walcott is doing a decent job helping to protect our left flank.