 | Forum
Reply | Transfer rumours 2024
at 17:40 26 Jul 2024
Rubbish.
He had a difficult start / first 15 months, but after that was a very good player. Your memory is playing tricks on you there, he'd been imperious for some time before the head injury - well over a season. He'd been getting very good reviews well before that. |
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Reply | Football World War
at 10:09 25 Jul 2024
I agree with the sentiment, and even Ange was angry about the Australia match, which was insanity, but I don't really get the argument about how far away they are now. Few extra hours on a plane in first class not going to make any difference to players in pre-season. |
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Reply | As one door closes, a Celar door opens – Signing
at 20:31 19 Jul 2024
Mmmyeah, I'm not overly excited. But the reasons for that are amply explained in Clive's review there: we're so bad at this, I'm assuming it's another Adam Czerkas until I see otherwise.
For those proclaiming Armstrong and Willock's sideways moves as 'only for the money', witness player who would have been playing CL football fairly soon swapping that for a team that was 2 games away from playing in the third tier. Maybe we didn't tell him about the tax differences between here and Switzerland.
My other caveat is, and thanks to Spiresey for his superb analysis as usual, the defending in those clips looks basically non-existent. I remember when we signed Washington I watched his 15 goals he'd scored that season and at the back of my mind a little voice was saying 'y'know, about 12 of these the keeper should have saved and any championship keeper would definitely have saved them', before telling my brain to shut up so I could get back to killing it with beer. Slightly similar vibes on those clips.
HOWEVER, I am, despite all that, still hopeful, and best of luck to him, and hope he gets an early goal to give him some confidence.
PS - I reckon when Clive is 90 he'll still be upset we never signed Mendonca. |
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Reply | Transfer rumours 2024
at 13:30 19 Jul 2024
Agree, if true, this is a phenomenal deal imo.
Until he scores 20 goals in a couple of years and goes for £20m ;) but even then we'd get £4m. Very good. |
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Reply | Third kit...
at 12:23 19 Jul 2024
I like it, and love the crest being incorporated.
But then, honestly, I never understand visceral reactions against kits. I know nothing about fashion. I think my reactions to clothes go from 'I quite like that' to 'It's not quite for me', and very little either side of that! |
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Reply | Jimmy Dunne
at 10:09 19 Jul 2024
Agree, nice idea, but can't see that happening at all. It's one thing being comfortable next to the touchline, where players can only come at you from one side and having the safety net of a nearby touchline, quite the other playing just in front of the back 4 with 360 degree danger. |
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Reply | Transfer rumours 2024
at 13:00 18 Jul 2024
Well we might have been.
But we came 4th and Burnley came... 2nd. Location may have played a part though, I suspect. |
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Reply | Transfer rumours 2024
at 10:30 18 Jul 2024
I see your and Bannister's point of view, but it does make me laugh. You know plenty of players we have signed have only come for the money? You know Steve Cook 'came for the money' in terms of a longer contract, right? You know when we signed Charlie Austin from Burnley, it was because we offered more money, right? It's just a weird stance to have, when our club, like all clubs, is happy to welcome players making the exact same decisions Willock and Armstrong are making.
If you don't want to cheer them when they come back, that's fine, who cares? Personally, as I've got older, I've found the booing of former players a bit embarrassing, and mainly it serves to fire them up more than anything. It's a bit self-defeating. I'd rather just cheer my own team. I think Armstrong always he did his best for us and he certainly really cared: he'll get a polite clap from me, and I think Willock had his ups and downs, but I'll always remember some of the absolute joy he provided, too.
The Armstrong move and your view on it is interesting because we have a pretty direct comparison with Dickie. Because he was so out of form, we didn't mind him going (and it may well be they offered more money, by the way), and so there's little or no bad blood. But because some fans don't think it's the right time for Armstrong to go, or are annoyed he refused a new contract (if another club is offering a better deal, why the fk would he sign a lower one?! Is he an idiot? Out of loyalty? To a group of fans who forced him to close his social media a few months back because of the amount of abuse he was taking? Yeah, why not) he can 'do one'.
Fans are funny beasts, but then, football wouldn't be football without those contradictions! |
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Reply | Bad eggs?
at 10:19 18 Jul 2024
I quite like that our definition of 'bad eggs' has gone from players coming here for £80k per week and barely lifting a finger, to players who have done quite well, actually, on the whole, who then decide to move on elsewhere.
Maybe a sign the club is getting better, and maybe also a sign that our definition of 'bad eggs' has been a bit warped. I think it's unfair to include Willock and Armstrong in that category. |
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Reply | Jimmy Dunne
at 10:18 18 Jul 2024
There's always a lot of worrying before a season starts about where everyone will fit in. The truth is, it's a squad game. Jimmy started last season injured I think, came into the team, fell out of the team, and came back in again arguably stronger than ever. It's up to Jimmy to make himself fit, available and the best option in one of his positions. I've little doubt he will play a great number of games this season and important member of the squad. |
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Reply | Transfer rumours 2024
at 08:13 18 Jul 2024
No, we pay them a wage to do a job.
The idea that a player isn’t allowed to leave when they want: either with a fee or when their contract runs out is a bit absurd. They’re human beings, we don’t own them. |
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Reply | Ilias Chair
at 18:31 17 Jul 2024
Well firstly it seems he has proffered that, and secondly I’m not defending him. It’s a bit boring really that this board has so little room for nuance. Quite clearly I am saying we do not know context, we were not there. If a larger man had his fist pulled back and was about to hit a member of my family, as someone who abhors violence and has never been in a fight, i might just in desperation, grab the nearest object and try to save my family. I am not saying this is what happened, i am not defending chair because like you I DON’T KNOW what happened. But the very fact it was reduced to a misdemeanour suggests there’s a bit more to the story. You condemn others for contortions but you base your own judgements on almost no facts. |
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Reply | Ilias Chair
at 15:45 17 Jul 2024
Is it very plain?
In what way?
Were you there?
There's no contortions here. I, you, we, simply do not know what happened except, yes, he committed an assault. Beyond that, we know almost nothing. There is a huge difference between an unprovoked attack at one end of the scale and in desperation at self defence or in defence of another at the other end of the scale. |
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Reply | Ilias Chair
at 11:45 17 Jul 2024
Or, you know, maybe we don't know the whole story and the other bloke was dangerous and it was self-defence, or in defence of others.
Generally, though, yes, lawyers tend to 'pull of the best deal' - that's their job. |
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Reply | Ilias Chair
at 10:20 17 Jul 2024
maybe he already done it over the summer? |
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Reply | Transfer rumours 2024
at 16:44 16 Jul 2024
Doesn't bode that well that Jan Mlakar was getting in the Slovenian team in front of him (although weirdly playing on the wing) |
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Reply | Next England Manager
at 12:41 15 Jul 2024
Exactly. Most managers would crawl over broken pints of wine for the job.
Fantastic job, well paid, good hours, and a fabulous squad to work with.
Who wouldn't want it is a better question. |
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Reply | gareth southgate....
at 11:26 14 Jul 2024
I don't doubt that intention at all! My doubt is whether Carsley has any interest. His whole coaching history suggests not, but maybe I'm wrong! |
| | Antti_Heinola
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Site Scores| Forum Votes: | 11160 | | Comment Votes: | 73 | | Prediction League: | 66 | | TOTAL: | 11299 |
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