egg

Lube on the line probably.

Ditto. My point was more that people are judging Armstrong who made it in the championship, but hasn't made the jump to the PL, but are judging Tella on struggling to jump straight from kids football to the PL. The lads had half a season of education and confidence boosting in the championship and he deserves a chance to try to transfer that the the PL.

Whether it's tight or not, I'd have preferred to see the £7m spent on Larios added to the striker budget. That's a difference between a half decent player and a decent one. A goal scoring striker could keep us up. Larios won't.

Armstrong gained confidence and experience in the championship but couldn't transfer it to the premier league. Tella should have the same opportunity imo.

Hopefully! He's going to have be a superb footballer to compensate for the lack of size. Let's see how he goes. Even so, I don't think that a left back project was a priority if money is tight for where there's greeter need.

He didn't say that there was no economic case though. There is. There will inevitably be calls for closer ties, and he seemed to spark that.

I had no expectations of Larios as I'd never heard of him. When I saw him, I saw a 5ft 7 full back who'll never have the physicality to be competitive at this level. As for Aribo, I expected more than the untidy lazy sod that we've got. Wasted millions that could have been added to whatever budget we have for a striker to allow us to buy someone proper.

It wouldn't have been if we hadn't been so wasteful. The millions we spent on a tiny youth team left back could have been added to a striker budget, ditto Aribo. That's £15m down the tubes.

I'll rephrase. Why should we adopt a hybrid system if we can remodel the NHS and make it workable as a state operated model? The rail system is a hybrid system and it's appalling. The BoE does operate autonomously. It sets rates which influence government policy, not vice versa.

Yeah, they're not line leaders at all, but do play through the middle. Jones system would really have suited Broja. It's someone like that I'd like - pace, power, size, and able to finish. It's looking like we'll get another wide player though, and some people will persuade themselves that goals only need to come from wingers, and that Che is suddenly some kind of creative genius and his shit finishing doesn't matter.

I don't follow that we don't have someone. We have Adams and Armstrong, but neither are good enough. I'm with you on the point that people seem to be talking themselves into feeling that we can make do with wingers cutting in and rely on them for goals. Bollox to that - even if our wide men score goals, we still need someone through the middle who won't waste the chances he gets.

You'll never get a successful hybrid system imo. Private or public, don't do a mash a la dentists. On the accountability point, the BOE works. It's decisions impact all of us. It makes it decisions as required. It will stand on the governments toes as required. There is no reason why something remote from the government and private sector can't work with health.

Surprised by the fee. He's a superb player. Not sure where he'll fit at Arsenal, but he gives them some depth.

The point was about Mane and Salah. They were at Liverpool. Firminho played (mostly) as a striker alongside them.

Multitude of issues Whelk. It's the amount of cash filtering down, then what's done with it. Housing benefit, social services (child side) is a huge burden, and social care seems to come low down in the priority stakes. Definitely getting worse sadly.

Personally, I think it needs to have zero political allegiance and sit independently from both government and the public sector, something like how the BOE operates. Let them sort it out properly, and fund it accordingly.

Absolutely. It's a an absolute mess. Nobody on either side are willing, yet, to point to the brexit/lack of staff issue.

Shit, that is sad. No age. RIP.

Understandable

They had Firminho hitting the net if they didn't. It's a bizarre notion that we can carry on with a shit striker if the wide players are decent. It seems obvious that we need all of them to be decent and capable of scoring.

Jones plays with a centre forward/striker. We need someone to play that role, bring others into the game, and not waste the chances created for them. Having the ability to create something for themselves and others would be nice too. That's the proper striker that we need. Sure, you need the wide players to do their bit and score goals, but we can't carry on with Che missing chances that a proper striker would bury, and with no credible alternative or replacement.

I've never suggested it doesn't need reform Duck. It does. It's fucked. It also needs more cash, and tax revenue is needed to provide that cash.

Trying to cut tax and solve the NHS crisis is like trying to reduce your calorie intake but bulk up. Ridiculous notion and anyone calling for it needs to give their heads a wobble.

Absolutely. Tax cuts is the last thing the country needs. It's a mess out there. The fairies don't pay for services, and borrowing has to reduce rather than increase.

I get all that. However, Jackson doesn't seem to be the goal scorer we desperately need. He also doesn't look the centre forward type that seems integral to Jones style. He looks like a winger who sometimes plays through the middle. I'm the first to have a pop at people feeling entitled and having unrealistic expectations, but we've been desperate for a proper striker for ages and expecting one is entirely reasonable.