Minty

A follow up to my comment about on 21st July, but highlights from yesterday just seem to back up my initial thoughts. Some quick one-twos, full backs and wide players getting in behind the opposition, and all seemingly with a little more urgency than perhaps we had last season where the emphasis was on total control of the ball and choosing your moment. What I haven't seen enough of yet is how we play when the opposition have the ball, which was of course the key feature of Pochettino's tactics.

Lots of people have photos in their office of their family or of past achievements. There's a big difference between having an ego, and simply having a few things around you that give you confidence or pride in what you do, or remind you of what is important to you.

Seems a bit of a strange comment to make then - if the club were going round and bragging about how they'd reinvented the scouting 'wheel' then fair enough... but they haven't done that... so why did he make that comment?

Maybe after the last few weeks we should get that put in the banner. With one minor amendment:

Let's not get our hopes up too much... "It's not the despair, iansums. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand."

That reply wasn't particularly aimed at any individual - but there are clearly some who have directly commented that they're disappointed we haven't spent more on this position, or that it's not permanent etc, and don't seem to accept any other viewpoint.

Here's another way to look at it: Maybe the club got the player they wanted on the terms they wanted and that all parties were happy with. Just because we didn't spend lots of money on this position doesn't mean we've not got something we wanted. Just because it is initially a loan does not mean it is necessarily 'short term' I can also see why people are disappointed, but only because I think those people are too focused on spending money just because we have it, and because they think their opinion about who we need is more important than Koeman's. Have doubts about a player by all means, but there is an arrogance about some peoples expectations where they seem to assume that just because what happened is not what they would've done, they therefore don't consider that the club might actually have got what they wanted and that we've somehow had to settle for something not as good. To put it bluntly - if someone doesn't rate the player, they seem to then look for reasons as to why that player came in and how it somehow proves their negative opinion about the clubs policy.

Whatever people feel about him, the signing of Bertrand showed that some deals we don't have even a sniff of until they're virtually complete. So who knows what else may be going on?

Well there was a certain Antti Niemi who came from Scottish football, and he was ok...

That's the same story from yesterday that was then widely denied by a whole host of people including respected local journos.

Unlikely given Koeman's own words:

Good to see Wanyama back in training in the Fonte interview video. Hopefully get to see him this evening.

People should be separating the two. Recent events may have left people feeling down, but to therefore expect the very first signings to instantly make up for that in some way is unrealistic and unfair, especially on Bertrand. What's best for the club (from this point forward) is not going to be the same as what some people think *they* need so that they can feel better. As long as Koeman is happy that we're making the right signings then we should trust his judgement IMO.

Putting aside feelings for the board, if fans like and respect our new manager, which I believe the vast majority if not all do, then I think we should respect his judgement. If he likes Bertrand then that's all that matters and it's good enough for me.

Thing is that the doom and gloom is not at the club but in players heads. Just as your optimism is not at the club, but in your head. We all interpret these things differently and there is no point trying to convince someone who has a negative view of things that things aren't as bad as they think they are. People have to come to terms with what is happening in their own time. As much as we all go on about 'what it means' or trying to deduce what is happening, NONE of us really know what is happening, even after a statement like Ralph's or a tweet like Morgans. Welcome to modern day football...

Quite a lot of fans of other clubs reacting to this by saying he has no class or respect, doubting his integrity and whether they would want him at their club.

I should hope not, can be a lonely place sometimes!

So what should happen? We're back to that age-old conundrum. Do we force a player to stay, potential causing upset in the squad? Or do we reluctantly let him go? Neither is a particularly good scenario. I do agree that Ralph made a pretty unequivocal statement earlier and I am sympathetic to what you're saying... I just think that Morgan now potentially has control over Ralph's credibility and it shouldn't be that way.

Thing is, there I actually agree with you - they do need to earn our trust and respect... but that doesn't mean I'm not going to believe anything they say. There is a big difference. We should all know by now anyway that football is not a black and white 'industry'. There is so much **** going on in the background, that to take anyones words as gospel is always going to leave you disappointed. And as for Turkish, you should *definitely* know what he is like by now.

Yeah, quite possibly - but we hadn't accepted a bid yet. So my point stands. Look I'm not trying to be difficult here and I would be the first to agree that the club should probably communicate better with the players, but my point above is technically correct. He is under contract and until we accept a bid, the default position is that he is our player.

He's under contract - the default position is that he is staying until we accept a bid for him.

Well it's a shame that he should feel the need to act it out in public like this.

Well intentions are one thing but reality can sometimes be another... we have all had intentions that haven't worked out. So yes, I agree that things have not gone as we hoped they would but the crux of the thread and the OP was that some people thought the club had lied... which I do not believe they have.

As I just said elsewhere, he should show some professionalism and talk to the club first, not the whole wide world.

That puts the cat amongst the pigeons! lol! Actually, let me amend that... I think a little professionalism is needed from Morgan here. We obviously don't know the full story but he should be talking to the club, not the whole wide world.