LCFCJohn

Presumably it was supposed to be a season long loan? Any idea why he’s gone back?

Azaz being an attacking midfielder and Cundle a central midfielder, is it too simplistic to say Alves and Braybooke (assuming the latter is back playing which maybe he isn’t yet).

You’re correct about the league factor definitely. I did almost make reference to it but I do think whilst both are a factor, it is a lot more down to management here. I tend to agree re Vestergard. It strange given how good he has been this season but it’ll be interesting to see. With Daka, I honestly still think he has a lot more to give. Maybe it’s his previous record or that he still has age on his side but I really do. I agree about Thomas because of style. He does seem more a natural full back. He’d be better if he could get a move to a Championship club who play in a way that uses traditional full backs. Sheff Utd was a terrible move for him to get his career back on track.

But a lot of those players come in as established players so you would expect to hit the ground running as it were. With the academy players, they are often coming in unestablished and a lot younger so the comments about them seem very harsh. I’d say younger players need to be given more time although that doesn’t just refer to academy graduates and you could include the likes of Cannon and Fatawu in that. Take Fatawu and McAteer. Fatawu has been tearing it up recently and is clearly easy on the eye with his exciting style and it providing a lot of assists albeit the goals aren’t flowing yet. But I remember him starting the season quite slowly but was never judged quickly whereas before his injuries, McAteer was putting up good numbers and playing well but some are desperate to sell him as he ‘won’t make the grade’.

I have always liked Thomas and think he gets unwarranted abuse due to being an academy player. Also, do not underestimate the Rodgers effect. We have seen players such as Ndidi and Vestergard look great this season and Daka has looked much better. There is a theme and that theme is Rodgers. That said, I’m not sure Thomas would be suited to this system. He seems more of an out and out left back but I may be wrong. It makes the Sheff Utd move an odd one as he was being played as a wing back before Wilder has come back and dropped him for Lowe. As well as that, they were always going to be cannon fodder this season. If Maresca feels he could be adapted, I’d welcome him back. If not, he must need to make a sensible move to a club with a decent coach who will play him in his strongest position and get his confidence back. I don’t buy that he will fall down the leagues as someone above said but he may need to take a step back to go forwards again.

I notice you selectively quoted and did not include the bit immediately after so I will…. nb that is in no way me saying Cannon will not be worth that and be a good player for us in time. So it was not writing Cannon off, nor doubting him. I am constantly defending our players against ott abuse and being written off too quickly from posters on this forum. The statement was one of fact, we haven’t (or hadn’t at the time of that post), seen anything from Cannon as he’d been injured for so long then had to wait his time. I was referring to the various things going on. The talk of suing them as well as us having a transfer fee outstanding owed to them and them potentially interested in McAteer, if they tried for him on the cheap (as suggested) and got out of paying us anything via legal action, the only thing stopping us being completely shafted would be whether Cannon not only justifies, but exceeds his fee.

Was going to say the same. Quite a resurgence by them from the time they got the point from us. Doesn’t look as bad of a point in hindsight as they must be one of the form teams.

Excellent from Cannon. Agree with the comments that style wise, he looks more of a Kane than a Vardy. If he can learn the mental side of Vardy’s game to go with it, he could be a hell of a player!

Beat me to it Was really expecting @Dahnsouff’s #benchofkeepers once the AFCON lot had gone! If they were able to be in the squad today (based on them leaving tomorrow), it’s a bit frustrating we have chosen to leave them out but there must be good reason so let’s see how we go on.

I meant more being at home to Huddersfield on New Year’s Day and hammering them….

Any chance of a repeat? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/20840951

Not keen on this to be honest. As others have said, we are in a healthy position. I just don’t think we need to bring big club loans with that entitlement that they will play regardless. We aren’t desperately in need of these types of reinforcements for this season. I would prefer us to have an eye on next season to take some burden off the summer recruitment. Look at Mahrez. A punt in the January window that gave him time to settle in during the rest of the season as we were promoted and ready to go the next season. For me, this is the type of signings to look at this month.

Great, an article to say they basically can’t afford him Any future business with Everton should be massively in our favour with fees inflated if they want someone from us. We are still yet to see what we have paid them £7mill (?) for with Cannon. Nb that is in no way me saying Cannon will not be worth that and be a good player for us in time.

Good spot . And I knew that! The post I was replying to had some many issues in it, it even messed up my reply! The rest of it stands! I’m not sure what that point was all about given one of the players is neither club nor country, and one is club only and country only!

I don’t think this reflects poorly (from a National team point of view) at all. He is looking at all factors and making an informed decision. At 19, he would be in the squad but not a key player for them and if that is true about games/minutes to move to us, knows he needs to secure his future here which is his main job. If he was a couple of years older, more likely to contribute to Ghana’s efforts and was on a permanent deal for us, I’m sure he’d go. It’s not turning his back on his country at all.

Erm, given that Fatawu neither plays for the same club nor national team as Kudus or Osimhen, I’m not sure it matters if they would start ahead of him…. He also doesn’t play the same position as Iheanacho and Osimhen… And in terms of club, he does start more than Iheanacho… Other than this, the bolded bit makes total sense

I think your last line here sums up just why many (myself included) will never remember Rodgers fondly and always consider him a rat. He made it the other way round. For me, it isn’t all about winning a trophy or even being in charge of the club being relegated (I know technically Rodgers wasn’t for the latter but the course was set) that make or break a manager. It is everything in between. I don’t remember for example, Micky Adams or Ian Holloway negatively despite them managing us when relegated as they were decent guys and at least tried their hardest with what they had and came up short.

I think this is the politest way I have ever seen someone say ‘what a load of b*llocks’ on this forum ever

As of a week or so back, the table from last year at least, showed that after the equivalent games, the top 4 last season were on about the same points as 3rd-6th this season, due to Ipswich and ourselves running away with it. Obviously Ipswich have dropped off and Leeds have last back to back so that has changed but that is what I was referring to. Basically, as I said in reply above, I would prefer to see it as us and Ipswich having set such an unprecedented start each, that teams like Leeds and Southampton’s positions look worse than normal. Also, this forum has a tendency to make everything either amazing or awful and no balance in between. I’m not saying they or the job he’s done has been amazing, good or even average. I said it’s been underwhelming and underperforming but just not to the point of being ‘completely hopeless’. And I stand by that.

As I say, I’d prefer to see it as Leeds are so far off the pace due to ours (and Ipswich’s) achievements rather than because Leeds have been awful. No doubt they haven’t been great, but until this last week were not far off the ‘normal pace’.

I don’t think Farke is ‘completely failing’ there. Up until last weekend, they had points to games that would normally be top (and Southampton also). It was us and Ipswich setting the 2 best ever starts that meant they were both outside the top 2. So you could argue he was doing a job that would normally be enough to be top 2. That said, should the squad he has have been better than that sort of points total regardless? Maybe. And the last week has shown why they won’t do it. Quite literally one step forward, two back. On balance, probably now underperforming. Good for us that they have fallen away though. At 17 points plus superior goal difference, you really can’t see them catching us in any scenario now.

Solid, job done. Away win, clean sheet over the busy period. As others have said, the way we play may be less ‘flashy’ than say Leeds when they are all guns blazing but it is meaning we can consistently churn out wins and keep going.

Italian sides won’t even stump up the fee we paid for him let alone the fact we are unlikely to let him go for that anyway. Non story.

Yes yes, we all get it. You don’t like Daka and won’t no matter what. I’m sure you will feel very smug and pleased with yourself if at 8.30 tonight we are losing and Daka hasn’t had a good game

People who do this shit must just be damaged in the head. No other answer for it. The best thing to come out of cases like this (and the Sheff Weds fans about Bradley Lowery), would be for unpaid work/community sentences working in places where people are receiving treatments for these illnesses. It might teach them some humanity and decency.