Dan

God ****ing hell yeah. Even still though I've just no idea why we keep putting a square peg in round hole on this position. Coulibaly was out on loan but I highly doubt he'd have done worse than Ricardo.

We've not really had a left footed left back in ages bar Thomas, which seems mental. Think Coulibaly probably got underused last season (if you look at what our first choice actually served up) but I didn't really want him on the left either. Am I forgetting someone here? Surely there has been another one since Fuchs?

Got 5 goals in 15 last season for Man City's U21s. Obviously that's a weak level but it's a good sign. Thomas isn't getting that for example, just isn't his game.

This is a round peg in a round hole type of signing. If they keep making those I might even lay off criticising everything for a little while. Key word is might.

There has never been a plan whatsoever. They fully thought they had cracked it and that the fans would en masse kiss their arse for eternity with no questions asked. Some of the losers do still have this mentality. I think Aiyawatt still thinks he owns a top 5/6 club going through a blip.

Best signing so far. Biggest upgrade anyway.

This sounds very Bob Reid. Meh.

Bob Reid as a false 9 is exactly the sort of one way ticket to ensuring we don't get promoted.

That Macfarlane one makes sense. You cannot risk having to play the dreadful Thomas all season.

Chelsea with a classic overcorrection. Reminds me of when we signed Coady.

Absolute disgrace they are

Chansiri is awful and none of this is a defence of him, but he never took over a top half Premier League club. The level of decline under one single owner - I don't think in my lifetime there has been anything worse in England. Excluding of course the clubs who actually did go under. But we have fallen far quicker than Wednesday, even if theirs was indefensible.

Nope. Doesn't wash anymore. This is worse, and I long suspected it was. Even some of their fans are saying it now.

Exactly the sorts of signing I was referring to in another thread. We would be better off buying 3/4 of these (including probably Wareham) than spending it all on Ballard.

I don't mind a few loans, it's a pretty cost effective way for us to bulk the squad out - albeit make sure they are actually going to contribute. For example no more Dujuan Richards type signings. In an ideal world I'd be looking at players in this league, aged 22-24 who have consistently played 7/10, 40+ games a season types, who've got the possibility of stepping up with us. In truth though it looks like a pipedream. The latest revealing is even more bleak and I just can't see how we're going to afford any of this. This Ballard link just cannot be legit. How on earth can they afford that, and if they can, surely you're better off putting that money into 3/4 solid first team players rather than all of it at just one.

Even Coulibaly they managed to rip themselves off. Out of contract six months later, brought him in and just barely played him at all to then loan him out, while he'd have likely been no worse than what we actually had at full back last season.

It's sportswashing. They've successfully brainwashed people for years and they've given their full trust to KP.

Put this in as my only real criticism of him. I think he's taken a huge gamble here and I'd be interested to know what we're paying him. For somebody who said he had a job abroad lined up I think he's played a very risky game taking this job, and he should've known what he was likely to be working with - there is a track record of them lying to managers. For somebody who really cannot afford another bad job I think he's really took a risk taking on the biggest club in the division who have expectations of winning a league, who look increasingly underequipped to do this.

Count me in as a doubter as well. I've no criticism of anything he has done so far. I will also stand by a view that as sceptical as I am of Martin, he still holds hardly any chance of being the main issue at the club this season. I'm not going to completely cave in on this based on some friendlies though. I'm not going this early.

reassuring to hear.

You just cannot even emphasise how wrong they've got it. It's generational.

Looks pretty clear to me it brings us zero benefit. I'd imagine they're doing work but absolutely none of it is used. Probably a bit of a saving to be made if we're just going entirely up the agents route.

Out of interest, do LCFC have any scouts? And do we pay them?

I don't want signings with caveats all the time. It's always "its OK if we do X" and then lo and behold, it doesn't happen.

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