LeePhilpottsBaldSpot

Edit - Sorry I misread your post. I have a 4 week old baby and am very sleep deprived! Ignore me

Anyone who doesn't get behind a manager who has just been appointed is welcome to go and 'support' somebody else. Steve Cooper is very well liked by the fans and players of his former clubs. Give him a chance FFS.

As I get older, I tend to not get too carried away in a positive or negative way - especially in pre season. I learned my lesson after writing off Jamie Vardy as not good enough both when we signed him and then before the great escape! But it is weird that we seem to really need new options at AMC and CF. But we only seem to be bringing in wingers. Mavididi and Fatawu were two of the players I'd be most confident in stepping up. We need to be be able to rotate and have depth so I get buying BDR and Buonanotte. But we're still seemingly linked with Asprilla, Ayew, Nelson and Zaha. (All good players - but similar in profile to what we:ve got, and you'd have thought the very limited money could be better spent elsewhere). Maybe some of those I've listed are more versatile than I appreciate and could play as a 10 or centre forward, but it seems strange to be basically linked to no players other than wingers.

Feels like we're going to struggle until we offload the dross signed in Rodgers' last 12 months. Daka, Faes, Soumare, Kristiansen, Souttar etc - none are good enough, and they commanded inexplicably high transfer fees and wages. Sadly I can't imagine too many offers coming in for any of them, so we're probably lumbered with them (and this situation) until they leave on Bosmans.

Excellent! Must admit I'd never heard of him, but all reports suggest he'll be a really useful addition

Would be a great signing! Not as convinced as others that he'd want to go back to Palace - he's done everything he can realistically do there.

Ha yes very true - but those days are long gone now!

He'd only come here if he was first choice. We'd only pay that fee for a first choice. Either nonsense or Mads is on his way. I suspect the former.

I didn't say that, and while I can't understand the constant negativity these days I doubt we'd be arguing in real life. The sun's out and we just got promoted as champions. Fatawu and Mavididi are going to electrify the Prem and we're lucky to support the most bonkers football team in the world. Enjoy the rest of your day!

According to Transfermarkt our squad's average age is 25.7. Ranked 7th in the league, and people are losing their minds about links to a 32 year old Re-sale value sounds good on paper but hasn't played out much recently - Tielemans, Soyuncu, Iheanacho, Perez all left for free. And Daka, Soumare, Souttar, Ward, etc worth a lot less now than the prices we paid. All the reports from people who watch Ayew week-in week-out are that he's a very useful grafter who is a dream for other forwards to play with, and can play in a number of positions. Also has an existing relationship with Fatawu. As an Iheanacho replacement we could do a lot worse!

Signed for Sevilla - good move for him! http://sevillafc.es/en/actual/news/kelechi-iheanacho-new-signing

I don't understand why people think we're becoming Dad's Army. We've added plenty of youth to the squad - Fatawu (20), Okoli (22), Golding (18), Kristiansen (21). Linked with loads of other young players, and got rid of some older players too - Praet (30), Albrighton (34), Iheanacho (27). And the KDH sale has been balanced out by Soumare returning (both 25). Spoke to a Palace supporting friend and he really rates Ayew. Fulham fans the same re DeCordova-Reed. I'd like to see Ayew join, and suspect most of our fans would be happy to have him after actually watching him play.

Appreciate the point, but we do also have Mavididi, Fatawu, McAteer, Alves and Cannon - and have been linked with plenty of players with their best years ahead of them (Soule, O'Riley, Nelson). Anyway I'll absent myself from the thread - the negativity on this place is too much for me sometimes!

Yeah fair point, but there are loads of strikers who have had a positive impact while not being prolific. Taking a few Leicester strikers: James Scowcroft: 5, 10, 4, 4 Emile Heskey: 7, 10, 10, 6, 7 Steve Howard: 6, 13, 5, 4 My point isn't that Ayew will be as good as Okazaki, it's that there is a place for a non-prolific striker who suits a new manager's.style of play. A striker who can bring in goals from wingers can be really impactful and really exciting - I'd rather get behind that than just whining.

People writing him off should remind themselves of Shinji Okazaki's goalscoring stats. Cooper is all about split wingers and counter attacks. If Ayew can play that style better than what we've got, I can see the logic.

Agree there are some diamonds in English teams outside the Prem, but tbf to the club we've done that well in the past (eg Maddison, Justin, Schmeichel, Vardy, etc). While you list great players I’d absolutely sign with a time machine, there were plenty linked with similar profiles that I don't regret not signing (eg Josh Bowler, Nicky Maynard, Frazier Campbell). Similarly, we've had bad experiences signing lower league prospects who flopped like DJ Campbell, Demarai Gray, and Matt Mills. Even Harry Souttar (maybe still too soon to judge!). There's no guarantee they'll make the step up, and it's selective to focus only on the few that did.

Any steer on how much he'd cost?

Reiss Nelson would be a really good signing. The negativity on here amazes me sometimes!

In our position, better to sign a tried and tested player than take too many gambles. Always a good sign when a player's current club fans are sad to see him leave. I feel like he's one of those players who you underestimate until you see them play regularly.

Sorry, nothing personal but I think some fans are being way too downbeat. The players are coming off a great season - more points than we got when we dominated League One. We were top the whole campaign (other than one very short period when we had games in hand, which we then won). Work needs to be done (and I'm confident it will be done - and soon), but it's not that bad. I'm excited to see Mavididi and Fatawu in the Prem, and we won't have anyone as crap as Ward, Amartey or Thomas. Also, nobody as unmotivated as Evans ('captain'!), Tielemans, Mendy, Soyuncu, Perez, Bertrand or Maddison. And most importantly, a manager who wants to be here and isn't sabotaging a squad to get sacked...!

More players are needed (and they'll come), but this defeatist attitude is so excessive to a team that just romped the Championship. Winks is a Prem level player and Soumare was a regular in La Liga and the Champions League last season. We'll likely bring in another couple of CMs. Hamza isn't great but useful to do a job as a squad player. Not CMs but I'm also confident players like Mavididi, Hermansen and Fatawu could be really good in the Prem. I genuinely think we'll be much more competitive than some fans think.

It was a shock when we got relegated, and we have more than enough to comfortably stay up this season. (If the point deduction isn't too much )

Quiet or just people being asleep? Suspect this will go through today. I'm not too bothered - he's a decent player but no more than that at the top level.

Ignore the moaners - they were here for O'Neill, Pearson and Ranieri as well. Good luck to the new boss. Glad we've finally got it sorted, now to organise some transfers and kick on for next season!

Asked a Newcastle supporting friend about him today, he said: Sounds promising enough - we need grafters.