S-Clarke

Had a look on their clients list the other day, only other notable people were Koeman and Danny and Daly Blind. VVD is easily their most valuable client. Not sure how extensive the list I saw was though..

It always will be if they continue to sell their centre backs, and play left backs at centre back, right backs at left back and wingers at right back. what the actual ****. It's so surreal it's like Wenger is purposely sabotaging the club.

I'd love us to find another Mane. We announced that one out of the blue, day before deadline day - no previous speculation. He came in with Toby iirc, both not expected 48 hrs before. I don't think Mane even officially came here until September, he had his medical done in germany by the former Bayern physio as a favour. Lots can happen in a short space as long as we have our ducks lined up.....

Ozil is a ****ing disgrace.

How many CB's do Stoke want? They're stockpiling them. Shawcross, Zouma, Martins-Indi and now Wimmer. All deserved first choice players at a club like stoke. Good luck keeping those guys happy!

I would think we're making him unavailable, it was MP's call to push him away from the first team training. I personally don't think VVD has ever refused to train or play, but his mind has never been on it - so a joint decision for the best interests of the club has been made I think.

Wenger does himself no favours. Stubborn old fool.

I don't think we ever fined him for refusing to play, I think this is more of a joint decision to pull him away from the first team setup. The supposed fine we issued was when he failed to do his contracted duties i.e the start of season photoshoots/sky sports bits etc.

He was pretty good, he did run out of steam a little though. We switched him and Davis in the 2nd half, so Lemina played part of the attacking 3 and he was quite a presence up there. He is a lot quicker than I thought he was to be honest. It doesn't usually take too long to tell if you have a 'player', he looks like the business to me.

They seem to think they're at the stage now where they should be competing with the likes of Chelsea and City. They'll never get satisfaction up there. Maybe they need to invent some new dugouts.

You're living in the past if you think new signings are solely down to a manager these days. It's something which was derided in the early-mid 00's, but it's crept in to the point where every single club now has a 'Recruitment Panel' of sorts. There's nothing stopping the manager making suggestions what so ever, but signings these days at all clubs are joint efforts by the scouting teams and coaching staff. When you think about how quickly managers chop and change jobs, it's probably a more sensible approach - fill a club with a managers signings and you're setting yourself up for a bit of a mess come the inevitable parting.

Yeah, I like Zouma. Would have been a mainstay in Chelsea's team had it not been for the injuries imo. Stoke have a very powerful defence... I notice Everton were done today at Chelsea, had a quick peak on 'grand old team' and they are already starting to turn on Koeman and comparing him to Martinez, which is odd.

He was a big loss based on his first two seasons with us, but he was utter trash in his last season and not on it at all. I don't miss that Wanyama. Lemina and Romeu are evidence that the club have looked to replace his power and physicality.

He's a defender. What is it with the seemingly catching obsession about moving centre backs into midfield if they can pass the ball.

I wish we were Leicester.

No, because then that would mean we'd have had a totally gash summer. We wouldn't want that would we.

It hasn't though has it. Maybe we should spend £30m on Townsend instead.

Leicester trying for Andros Townsend, up to £28/30m.

TBF, he's a bit of a WUM (maybe 'bit' is underestimating it). Just stick him on ignore, everything is much more interesting once you've done that

TBF, what he said is no different to what any other manager says. When players like Sam Clucas go for £17m, you know you're in the twilight zone. Lemina for £15m, or Clucas for 17m. Let me think for a sec.... There are bargains out there to be had and it's much more rewarding to see them develop, rather than see a £30m signing flop.

...

No denying he's a good player, but he's not a huge deal different to what we have with Boufal (if he gets game time). We need more pace and directness to both stretch the opposition and bring our midfield and attack closer (although I still think we're closer as units than we were at times last year)

Didn't run rings around us at all. Their most impressive player, was predictably, Mounie (with his presence) and Mooy in the middle. Kachunga got in behind us on a couple of occasions too.

They'll probably say they're after Alegri or Zindane, and then settle for Dyche.

There's absolutely nothing new in that article at all. More fluff. No revelations. Actually slightly more on the positive side for us, but has a slightly weighted headline. I'd say if he has changed his agent, that's probably a plus in our camp.