KingsX

No

Praet's movement today He wants it!

Another oppo striker terrified off the pitch by Wout

Part luck, part pluck. They never give up.

It's only one point ... ... so far.

I've really enjoyed this match. Good football, or are my standards that compromised by six months of watching the Championship?

If he’s got his next deal done with Torino (or whoever), it’s useless to expect any more out of him. But if he still needs to impress as a free agent, he might show some motivation. He’s a skilled player for this league.

Big English lad for the gerrit forward crowd ?? (big compared to the other two anyway) Or just his solid start. Nobody gets more love than a player that hasn't been through his first down spell yet.

In the States we call it "coming from Cleveland".

The purpose of parachute payments is to make it possible for demoted clubs to move from the League where the 18th place club (us) pulled in ₤133M last year, to one where an upper-midtable club makes ₤20M or ₤25M. This disparity is now so great, relegation is ruinous almost by definition. How does a business deal with overnight loss of ¾ of its revenue? Without the parachute, demoted clubs would have to unload every salable player, at fire-sale prices. Fire even more staff than they already do. Probably slash their women’s clubs and community programs. Some would still face bankruptcy. Promoted yo-yo clubs can trim their cloth, and keep spending near Champ levels. If they and their fans accept just a modest chance of competing … for 17th. But a club like ours, up for a decade, with some years in Europe and none near relegation (until the dwarf saboteur), will not be running a bare bones operation. How can such clubs plan? We were not sure we were down until the last kick at Goodison. We sold our most valuable stars and trimmed (vice slashed) staff. Without the parachute, cost control would have required a bloodbath. No Enzo, few familiar senior pros, and a lot more sudden unemployment in Leics. There is no easy answer, especially with the PL clubs still fighting over funding the rest of the pyramid. But killing parachute payments, increases competition in the Champ only by destroying relegated clubs’ ability to compete. Might sound good if you’re a Cov or Brizzle fan … but why are some of our fans on board?

Another story about the Glazers and the start of Ratcliffe’s shot at house-cleaning at Man U https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/39378413/whats-gone-wrong-manchester-united-glazer-ownership Most of us already know how the Glazers have taken a billion out of the club in repaying their LBO debt and by being the only PL owners to take annual cash dividends. We know they’ve pissed another billion up the wall on crap transfers based only on social media numbers. But the details of just how venal and petty they are blew my mind. Happier to be near the Champions League final than to win and have to pay big player bonuses. A stadium falling down, but the director's box newly refurbished with plush, heated seats and carpet. Making MUTV commentators call the away matches from the press box at an empty OT to save all of £40,000 a year in travel expenses. Staff having to travel in advance to the Glazers’ hotels to ensure the sheets will be laundered with a specific brand of detergent, or buy cupcakes for Glazer kids at 3 am. I’m skeptical how much will change. They still own the club. Even if Ratcliffe makes the football decisions, he doesn’t set the budget. And the Glazers have demonstrated for almost 20 years, they will never spend an extra cent to win.

I come to the same conclusion as you: it really could take 94 points to avoid the playoffs. If just two of the three chasers run at 2 PPG from here on in, which doesn’t seem far-fetched at all, third place will be on about 93.

Sorry to hear that. Surely a much-needed option for people in situations like yours. I wonder what gave many of us the impression that the club had opened one? Maybe part of the stadium redevelopment plan? Not much help at the moment.

Exactly why I judged them "perfectly good, but hardly exceptional" and noted that our CBs won't rack up defensive stats because we dominate possession. He's obviously been excellent for us at this level. I just don't think his numbers are good enough to point to major success at the next.

And let's get another 30 minutes into them!

Here’s his fbref report compared to CBs in other “second tier” leagues. He is what we think he is. A great passer. A perfectly good, but hardly exceptional defender at this level. (Our CBs are never going to rank high for tackles/blocks/interceptions because we have most of the ball.) Can surprise with the ball at his feet. But these numbers aren’t good enough to wipe my memory of how he performed defending one-on-one or in aerial duels against PL competition. If Enzo and the club want to re-sign him as a rotation piece at a reduced wage, I’ll have to accept their judgment. But at a starter’s wage … please no.

Wow ... it's a pleasure watching OHL highlights again Not without some scary moments and ***kups, mind.

Yep. We paid Stoke ₤15M and owe him ₤10M+ total over his contract. That’s ₤20M of remaining FFP hit we have to take if we move him, minus any fee and/or salary relief we get. Surely he’s good enough to play in the Championship or lower Prem, for a club that defends closer to its box. But clubs that fit that description (hell, most clubs at the moment) are more desperate to shift unwanted players, than to pick up ₤40K/week center backs.

Weird how most keepers prefer to find the ball instead of looking for somebody to hurt.

Looking at the players whose contracts expire from 2025 on out … there are many we will not be able to use in the Prem under Enzo. Some fantasize that we’ll shift the deadwood. But two trends will ensure we’re stuck with most of these guys. - FFP is shrinking contracts for all but superstars. Your current deal may well be your biggest deal. - Players with good prospects, increasingly prefer to run their deals down, to maximize their signing-on fees rather than their clubs' selling profit. Few of these players could go into the open market and equal the remainder of their LCFC wages. Winks probably, KDH maybe. The rest of the senior pros have a big financial incentive to ride out their contracts. And of them, Iversen and Kristiansen are the only ones young and good enough, you figure they will accept a financial hit to go elsewhere and start. Ward, Coady, Soumare, Hamza, Souttar etc … the club will have to do some unhappy triage. - which can contribute enough at the next level in Enzo's system to make the 25 - which they can move out on deals which hurt (but don't kill) us for FFP, and - which contracts they can afford to write off next summer.

Yes, once they put you in the chill-out room, he should be able to calmly watch the rest of the match in the company of any trusted, responsible adult. Alternatively, per lcfc.com : For all accessibility and disability enquiries please contact our Disability Liaison Officer at 0116 229 4540 or our Disability Access Officer at 0116 229 4544 or [email protected]

there you have it, folks ... the high point of Million Manhoef's Stoke City career ... just before he's seen his new teammates kick a ball.

While we scrap over playing style and obsess over points needed to clinch, the man observes, adjusts, and cares only about getting better every day. I'm vibing minor godhood here. Clear space on your Big Nige altars, this man don't mess.

I shouldn't admit, I read that and I'm still happy Vardy rubbed it in.

That was what the dominance Enzo has been building us toward looks like. Next step: playing like this against the better Champ teams. Get there and we can really look forward to next season.