LCFCJohn

How is it true? We have been in the Premier League for all but the one season he has played for us. He he was solid for us when asked to fulfil a role that wasn’t natural to him and the game against West Brom when we were on the rock, he saved our asses. I didn’t say he’s great or a top player, just solid/good. Making out he is out of his depth at that level is completely hyperbolic and purely more from a place of people just wanting to consistently take aim at certain players.

I wouldn’t give it to Choudhury because I don’t think he’s the best example with some of the stuff he has done off the field but your reasoning is not true. He is a solid/good Championship player. He was a very strong performer for Sheffield United who were very much a team looking to get promoted.

Because if they had sorted it already, it would allow us to crack on with summer plans. It suits the EFL/PL them to leave it as it stuffs us up with the uncertainty around us. Look at last summer!

Amazing how they have all convinced themselves Palace don’t deserve to be in the Europa League and it being their rightful place despite Palace earning it on the pitch and it being a technicality around ownership that has no bearing on fairness in field (given Texor isn’t the leading person at Palace). And yet they see absolutely nothing wrong with the blatant circumventing of financial regs through this inflating fees trading with Botafogo and Lyon. I don’t know why Texor doesn’t tell them to f*** off after the Palace thing.

It’s not a crazy opinion though. Thing is, we change managers and strategy more often than some on here probably change their underwear. And some players look great under one manager and then awful the next. Granted, Daka has been poor under most, aside from a decent return initially under Rodgers (even if performances weren’t great, his minutes per contributions were fine) and briefly under Maresca. It’s not the craziest thing if he suddenly did show something under Cif who is different yet again. I suspect not though and he will move on whether now or at the end of his contract. But I agree about the confidence thing as you don’t bang them in like he did before to wha the has become now for technical reasons.

I’m not seeing people demand that they all start. We have 9 sub spaces, absolutely no reason we shouldn’t have 3/4 of those with the youngsters. You can still choose not to bring them all into the game but in many cases they will be good for minutes. Let’s say Fatawu and Mavididi start. McAteer is possibly on the bench, is there any point having BDR there as well or Monga/Evans? Just examples in terms of the names.

Yes, they aren’t just after people like Ronaldo. There’s plenty of less high profile players who have European experience. Demarai Gray is a good example. Others like Lodi the left back who was briefly at Forest, Malcom and Milincovic-Savic others that come to mind. With Daka having the Zambian following, you’d think he’d be a prime type of signing for them as they would draw in that market.

I’m not sure what has happened since he joined but finishing is a skill at any level. Yes you have to be quicker, you have better goalkeepers to be and you get less chances so have to convert more at a higher level. That said, he’s had some absolute shockers where he can’t even hit the target where those can’t be used as excuses and yet in Austria and in Europe, he has shown he can finish. I think it’s too late for it to work here. But I also think he won’t leave due to our lack of options. But, it absolutely wouldn’t surprise me if he comes good elsewhere. I also can’t hate the guy as he at least seems to put a shift in, unlike others, it just doesn’t seem to work for him.

I agree with your assessment that the PL has the best and falling short of that doesn’t make a terrible player, just one that needs to find where they fit like VK did in Italy. However, even 99.9% is clearly wrong. He is better than 100% of those on this forum and by a long way! Unless we have any people currently playing professional football on here!

Think it might have been Ric who mentioned Will Wright, 17 year old at Salford. Seems he has gone to Arsenal for £250k so seems a trick missed. Although I suppose regardless of pathway to first team football, if Arsenal are interested we likely wouldn’t have had a look in.

Fab, already more qualified that Rudders so replacement for him

Seems a good pro and knows Marti from QPR. Interesting mentions of it being potential back up player/GK coach. Maybe he has been doing some badges already? Given the lack of GK coach, it could be a way of Marti adding to his team along with Calm and providing emergency cover on the field if needed.

I just don’t get the obsession with playing essentially behind closed doors at the training ground and not playing standard 90 minutes. We used to do pre-season really well under Pearson where we would travel to local sides, building up the difficulty level before having a bigger side at home to finish.

Why is our pre-season in recent years such a damn shambles! It really isn’t hard to arrange some matches against EFL opposition. We’ve had 2 ‘friendlies’ that have been at the training ground, and in one case at least with more than a normal 90 match. I’m now seeing something is getting cancelled? Meanwhile, with it being local, I’m seeing that Sheffield United who I’d expect to be challenging in where we want to be in the table are away at League 1 Rotherham in an actual stadium, in front of a crowd, playing a proper match and proper preparation. Whatever was wrong with playing sides like Northampton, Burton and Peterborough at their grounds, building up the difficulty level. That is what pre-season should be to me but hey, maybe I’m old fashioned and not ‘with’ the current way…..

Seems I’m not the only one who thinks this is a bad call. Absolutely shouldn’t be in front of Nelson. Nelson has a higher ceiling and a much better attitude and will want to play for us. He is the future. Why would you want to play someone who couldn’t give a f*** and wants to leave, even thought nobody else in the football world seemingly wants him!

Sign Josh Brownhill and make him captain! Not sure any of our senior players are worth it. Other than Ricky P who may be off anyway and will presumably be injured for a large portion of the season. He (Ricky P) is great pro and top attitude, and he’d be the best of what we have currently but given his usual availability, I tend to think we need to bring in someone, not purely to be captain of course, but the leadership side is something we need to really look at with anyone we do bring in.

Pretty sure Jovic and Regulion will both have options and see themselves as above the Championship, neither would come cheap on wages either surely. Brownhill I would love us to sign, especially if we can shift a midfielder or two. Captain and leader for Burnley and could replace the goals we had form central midfield from KDH last time in this league. I reckon he re-signs with Burnley or gets another offer in the PL though (I think West Ham were in talks).

Absolutely no self awareness. Absolutely vile.

Not quite sure how suggesting that we could have 2/3 positions covered by the wages taken up by Winks, therefore making us stronger is being a miserable git but ok….. Likewise, if you want the squad littered by players on 80k p/w in the Championship, who that is their level, you can also crack on. But quite clearly having players on high wages who either aren’t good enough for the next level or don’t give a damn is kind of what has got us into the PSR mess we are in, as well as relegated the first time (the not giving a damn bit).

Oh thank you for that, I hadn’t realised! Regardless, Underperforming relative to salary? Yes, he has been paid a premier league salary since he joined so regardless of what he is doing in the Championship, it’s not worthy of the salary. Taking up a squad place/salary that could be used on a more productive, or better value for money is a better way of saying it, replacement? Yes, we could definitely use the wages better. Not fitting into the culture? I meant we have not positive culture around the club anyway but having more like Winks sure isn’t the way to fix that! So he is deadwood and you won’t convince me otherwise.

Here is a definition of deadwood in a sports context. In the context of sports teams, "deadwood" refers to players, coaches, or staff members who are no longer contributing effectively to the team's success. These individuals might be: Underperforming relative to expectations or salary Injured or aging and no longer at peak performance Taking up roster spots or salaries that could be used on more productive members Not fitting into the team’s strategy or culture I 100% class Winks as deadwood based on this.

Goes to show what a shambles we are that what you say is the case (although the likes of Daka, Soumare and Vestergaard have been here longer) and yet we still have so much deadwood, on huge wages and a poor attitude across the squad. We should have learned after Rodgers and yet we had Maresca add more deadwood with Coady and Winks as well as the new contract for Vestergaard, and then Cooper with BDR, Skipp, Ayew etc. And f***ing Faes is only 3 years until the 5 year deal we gave him!!

It feels like there are some workings and calculations involved in the figure 79% 🧐

Thoughts and prayers with @MPHat this very difficult time….. 10 hour ago10h ago21:39 Derby confirm Agyemang signing Derby have confirmed the signing of USMNT international Patrick Agyemang from Charlotte FC. The 24-year-old has signed a four-year deal at the club.

Difference being, they are signing players who will be able to be sold and probably on wages other teams will take them if they get relegated. Compared to our good old method of signing shit nobody else wants on astronomical wages!