Lighthouse

No

Let's hope not, we've lost every game he has scored in since the EFL Cup final. All 2 of them.

I’d also be happy with FF as a back up keeper. He’s a weakness but not appalling. Makes no sense having such depth in one position when we’re so weak elsewhere.

It’s going to be very long tomorrow.

You said if they were here and had played a lot more, they'd be worth more. Now you're saying you'd have them as back up, so which is it? Neither Sims nor Reed is Premier League quality IMO and the more frequently they play, the more detrimental it is to our results.

Don’t disagree but if we’re going with 3 at the back, that usually only leaves room for 2 of Rom, Hoj and Lemina. There will be games, like Leicester, where only one is available but for the sake of Reed’s career, I wouldn’t be sticking around for them. With our wage bill being so precarious, I’d make do with JWP rather than have a 4th DM on the books.

Better than Elyounoussi, I’ll grant you but that’s not hard. The rest of the players you mention are all square pegs in round holes. The only players I’d be comparing Sims to are Redmond and Moi. The same with Reed, who I wouldn’t compare to JWP, although I’d have said the latter was better anyway. I couldn’t see Reed forcing Hoj or Romeu out of the team.

Do go on...

Probably because we sign strikers with a history of injury problems.

And probably been relegated.

Alli’s gesture was supposedly aimed at a team mate (or at least they couldn’t prove otherwise) whereas Austin’s was aimed at the Man City fans. Probably why he got longer, that and the fact that one wa FIFA and the other the FA. Anyway, why is all the focus on this and not the fact that Austin acted like a complete tit again? Is not as if this rule comes as a surprise to anyone, a bit like kicking goalkeepers in the head.

Have to agree. I don't see any of the players you have mentioned making it at this level. Obafemi is the only one who looks like he might be Premier League level. If they go elsewhere and turn out to be amazing, like Phillips or Wise, then so be it.

All Puel's fault IMO.

Turkmen CDAJFU.

Going again now.

His replacement wasn't even born on 9/11, I'm starting to feel old.

You mean you haven't unfollowed him?

He just sent me a bunch more nudes.

Pickford, Walker and Maguire were only half a season and started pretty much every game. Not indifferent at all, quite impressive in fact. None of those loan spells were indifferent but that's besides the point anyway. All they represent is half a dosen players who have made it at this level since about 2010. Sure there are more but there are ten times as many who haven't. I want him to be good enough, I honestly do but I just don't see it. He had one 70 yard run against a tiring Liverpool defence, 3 years ago but watch that video again; how many players actually tried to tackle him? Zero, Wijnaldum sort of runs near him at one point but that's it. It was good but hardly Owen/Argentina good.

Or, look at Stephen O'Halloran, who wasn't getting into our first 11 when we were struggling in the Championship, then returned to Villa and ended up being an absolute nobody. "Yeah but Kane..." seems to be the defence offered for every young player in the Premier League at the moment, when in reality 90% of them just aren't up to it.

It was but I'd say it's just more a case of Reading not wanting him. Doesn't seem to make the match day squad half the time and his last app. was an 89th min. sub appearance.

Given how we're already tight on wages, I can't see us spunking a fair bit on a DM we don't need. In fact it's literally the only position we don't need to strengthen (GK aside).

We’ve got numerous Puel threads if people want to go over that again, let’s keep this to pre-match chat.

I'd have preferred McQ to Targett anyway, personally. If he would have strengthened them, it still wouldn't have been enough to be Premier League quality. Were it not for our own incompetence at boardroom, management and squad level, we'd be nowhere near Fulham in the League anyway.

I can't imagine we're paying 100% of his wages and anything saved has got to help. We don't get a fee because nobody is willing to pay it; it's either this or have him sit around here until June.