S-Clarke

What's the problem out of interest?

Whilst spending big amounts does largely correlate with success for some clubs, it brings much more jeopardy for the likes of us and requires the scouting to be absolutley faultless. I'm not too fussed personally about how much a player costs, if you look at our most fulfilling signings in recent years then they're all in the 5-11m mark. Stu Armstrong, Romeu, Bednarek, KWP etc. When we've started to spend big on Sulemana, Boufal, Lemina, Hoedt, Onuachu, Vestergaard, Carrillo etc it's been truly awful without exception - so the amount a player costs certainly doesn't correlate to how successful they will be.

Let's hope so, really hard to tell the level of quality from the youtube videos. But he does look of a higher level than Diallo just based on those. He does look more combative and physical than Diallo, looks to me like someone who could do the Armstrong/Rothwell roles and drive from CM into the attacking areas. Certainly not an alternative to Downes based on what I've seen.

They have missed out on Philogene tbf.

Every single one, we are way too slow! We should have 20 new signings by now.

Why can't we sign this many FFS Morecambe have announced the signing of 15 players, following the removal of the transfer embargo the club had been placed under. Jordan Slew and Yann Songo’o begin their third spells at the club, having both signed one-year contracts, with David Tutonda having returned to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium for a second spell, also on a one-year deal. Callum Jones has returned on loan from Hull. Luke Hendrie, Ross Millen, Max Taylor, Jamie Stott, Adam Lewis, George Ray, Harry Burgoyne, Tom White, Paul Lewis, Hallam Hope and Ben Tollitt have also all signed. While under the embargo, Derek Adams’ Shrimps had only five players under contract.

I don't disagree, I think it's easy to be blinded by his obvious physical attributes , pace/power etc - in a defender that's like top level stuff, but he's actually crap at basic defending, very naive in his approach (But maybe a little of slack there as he's quite young). That sort of thing can be improved with coaching and experience to a point, but he never struck me as someone with much of a football brain. His reputation seems to be born from his physical attributes rather than what he can do defensively. I don't believe he ever feigned injury or wimped out of games, far from it, but he's clearly pretty injury prone on top of all that. I think he played less than 10 times in the Dutch league last year. I know he was one of the players last summer who Martin referred to as those who 'think they have a PL market' - as he was pushing to get out no matter what. His attitude was questioned a fair bit in the summer by those in the club. Compare him to someone like KWP who played a lot for us in our relegation season, and previously set a reputation for himself. Not once did he start shouting and demanding a PL move, he stuck to it and played with us in the Champ to help us back - those are the sorts of characters you need, not those who think they're already too good when they've never actually achieved anything.

Pleased that he's not joined another English club, good experience for him over there. Lyon aren't scared to blood young players. He'll have his mate DCC

No squad number I can see.

Look who's back, certainly didn't expect to see him back around the place.

Pretty terrible character if you speak to Burnley fans, and their players if Connor Roberts is anything to go by. Has an ego which certainly isn't backed up by any form of decent footballing ability.

Odd signing for Leeds, if he's replacing an exiting Gruev or Kamara then they are a bit screwed. He was a funny addition for us, scored some big goals and had some big 'moments', but his overall contribution to our general play was awful I thought. He couldn't pass for toffee to start with.

England U21 Champs in the 2023 U21 Euros too.....won the final against Spain. Feels somewhat full circle. Cole Palmer and Antony Gordon were part of that winning team. Some of the current Spain squad were in their U21 team too.

I genuinely think our best signings will come at the back end of august, predominately loans. I think we'll make really good use of the loan market, like we did last year - but we'll need to wait until well towards the end as that's when the good loans become available. I'm sure we've put our hat in the ring on a few already, but we've just got to bide our time on those.

Atalanta are a class team, if I was a player I'd love to play for them. Us or Atalanta isn't really a hard decision to make if we're really honest. When you go after good players, good clubs will also want them - so at least we're identifying high end targets that better/bigger teams want.

I could understand us sniffing if we were still lower league, but what is the hype around Miosvki for EPL level? I'd need to see him hitting crazy 30+ goals numbers to be interested at PL level, he's middling around 15 goals at SPL level which isn't hard to do for any competent non-league striker. Adam Idah even managed 10 goals, and he was only in the SPL for 6 months. For a PL club to take an SPL player they need to be playing way, way above SPL level on a multitude of stats for their position (like O'Riley, or when we signed VVD), they need to have so much to their game. One striker up there I quite like is Kyogo for Celtic, he has a real rounded game and looks quality - he pushed 30 goals in his first season there, he's 29 years old now though.

That's almost certainly not going to happen, a top end CL level player. Nice to see links just for the romance of it though, just not realistic in the slightest.

That was so much better, there has been warranted criticism of the team up until now (albeit Switzerland was a slight improvement over what went before). It felt like we were playing with straight jackets for months, but tonight - first half in particular - we were just free, our best players were playing with their instincts which is exactly what we've been crying out for. That's the best I've ever seen Foden play for England, it was like he was let off his leach and allowed to follow his own instincts. It was such an impressive first half, the control of the midfield, the way we used the ball to stretch the game and the speed at which we moved between the lines. It was like a different side to what we saw before. Light and day. Note on that Penalty though, wtf? That should never have even been sent to review, if that was against us that ref would have been strung up on cardboard cut-outs and burnt at the stake. That level of decision, with VAR to assist, was an absolutley disgrace to the game. It's nice when it happens in your favour for sure, but that sort of ineptness can easily happen against you too. The Dutch were always going to change it though, we had too much in CM - they brought on a CM and it certainly made the game tighter, I still wouldn't say they bossed it or ever looked like they were going to score in the 2nd half, but they took the fluidity out of our players in the 10's. So Credit Koeman for that, he saw the problem and filled the hole. It looked for all that it was going to ET again, but take a moment to appreciate the 2 bits of play prior to the goal - Palmers movement and pass was absolutley sublime, and the movement Watkins made to drag their CB wide was on point. At that stage of the game, it was the perfect assist and goal combo you could get. The finish was off the scale at that late stage. I thought Kane and Trippier were still our weakest - Kane is playing like he has lead boots, must be carrying a knock. Trippier is just past it, so that sub at HT was spot on. Spain are a different level, so Sunday will be interesting. There's something weird happening though, last min goals, penalty shoot out wins, penalties given which weren't penalties etc - things like this don't usually happen for England in tournaments.

Yeah, he's been high on our list - one of our main targets supposedly, but then it went cool as they wanted £18m. Maybe they've softened? Who knows, but silly season is about to start!

It's a tough one, WHU hold all the cards here. Downes is tied to a long contract with them, had a standout season with us last year. KWP is into his final year with us, we have no bargaining power. He was a very good player at the same level as Downes last year. As much as we'd like him as part of any deal for KWP for 'free', we're not getting that - we're going to have to pay some money for him.

Downes and Sugawara coming in will severely soften the KWP leaving blow. KWP will always be one of my favourite players, gave us everything and I didn't really want him to go - but if he really wants to go and won't commit then we're doing it the right way here, losing a top player but getting stronger from it. Exactly what we did in Koemans first window.

Back to the Slovakia formation, Guehi back in for Konza - back to a back 4, with Trippier left, Walker right. Saka right wing, Foden left wing. Basically, all wrong.

From everything I've read on Sugawara, he is very highly rated. Regular International for Japan, played European football last year. Inter Milan's first choice to replace Denzil Dumfries should he move (but he hasn't yet, so they've waited too long). Youtube video for him for those who haven't seen him - He's like a Japanese version of KWP really in where he plays, how he plays, the threat he provides etc. I can't help but feel that the club have pulled off an absolute masterstroke with this.

He must get complete freedom on the bench tbf. The 'leak' today, which is pretty much nailed to happen I think, is that Shaw misses out again and Trippier once again plays left back.

Enjoyed that one, great game. Spain fully deserved though, they have been the best team by a country mile in this tournament. Fully deserved finalists, wonderful team to watch. They have a bit of everything.