shurlock

I understand the pine trees and sea air do wonders for the infirm.

And to think in 2014 we were being told on here that loans were the way of the future, a brilliant risk-free way for a club our size to access and trial talent.

Did you actually watch the last game and the positions that Austin was taking up? If you had, you would have noticed that the front three (Redmond, Tadic, Austin) were not spread equally across the pitch. Redmond was taking up a far wider position on the left (when he wasn't rotating) than either Austin or Tadic was on the right. By contrast, Austin when he wasn't occupying Tadic's position was much more tucked in. I assume this was by design in order to play to his strengths. There are weaknesses with the diamond; but equally there is a lot of horse**** that is fasting becoming the stuff of caricature.

Agree CB is a concern - what's the latest on Gardos?

Batman hiJacked the thread and sent AR-10 packing.

Utterly clueless is anyone who compares Mané to Titus Bramble trying to skill it past Messi.

Is it? If WBA get him for that amount, it would be decent business by them.

Not quite - if you go back from Beersheba (Beersheva North/University) to Tel Aviv on the Friday, the last train is at 15.35. Going back by train to Tel Aviv on the Thursday night seems a good option. The 23.06 train gives you plenty of time.

Where's the dastardly and muttley medal pic? Used to be a fan favourite, seems to have dropped off the radar.

Garbage article by another strongarm clone.

A club record fee - Jesus wept. Have we not learned anything from the blue few? #financialarmageddon

Where have you heard this pal? NB: girlfriend of an under-23 player is already taken.

Who said this pal after last season's result at watford (same team)?

So much for long-term planning and a clear strategy about needs and priorities.

Guess who....

Basically you don't remember any of the games as you're referring to stats and hindsight. Watford and Everton were poor performances - I was at both games and they very much set the tone for the performance in Denmark. Who said this regards the Watford performance? Take your time pal.

What the **** are you on about, bodge? I said he had an excellent first season - that's why concerns about the start to last season were put in perspective. The poster claimed we played excellent stuff in the first three games of last season. We did not pal.

I'm jacked up for this signing. Are you?

Welcome and thanks for the info, Itay. One quick question: are there still trains running after the game to Tel Aviv?

Which games were those? Newcastle Everton Watford We were OK up at (relegated) Newcastle, though a draw was a fair result. Everton and Watford were very poor performances, followed by the debacle in Demark. The only difference is that Koeman had built up goodwill from the previous season when he had been given substantial resources to strengthen the squad. The fact remains that even if Koeman had stayed, this season was likely to be an anticlimax. He knew it - one reason he probably jumped ship. Like it or not, finishing top half -whether under Puel or Koeman- would be a successful season.

We're watching different games then. I can't really remember us being overrun -no more than is the norm in every topsy-turvy prem game. I certainly can't remember Forster making any saves of note. Today's goal came from an unforced mistake. I'm willing to wager we would be even more vulnerable if we went with the old formation and with Romeu Hojbjerg/Clasie as the two holding players which suggests the issue is one of personnel, not formation. The diamond arguably compensates for those weaknesses. That's not to say there are not disadvantages - it makes teams narrow both defensively and offensively which requires athleticism to pull off (and we don't have too many athletes). But to say it sacrifices stability in the middle of the park betrays a basic lack of understanding.

You mean like Sunderland at home, pal.

Jesus wept. Let's see how things look once Bertrand returns (given the importance of the fullbacks to the system) and Puel brings a few players in.

Your understanding is a bit off. You realise the rationale for a diamond is that it makes teams stronger in the middle of the park. It gives us 3 CMs rather than 2 CMs - it's no coincidence that we've controlled possession and looked pretty compact.