Chris Mepham

[FirePower]

5 minutes ago, Shane said:

I don’t agree that our CB options are that weak.

 

We have 2 strong CB’s (Maguire & Evans) and a 7/10 (most weeks) performer in Morgan. Yes 7/10. Maguire made just as many mistakes as Morgan last season, but Morgan was the scapegoat. Morgan has looked solid in pre season bar the one mistake, he is not John O’Shea or Wes Brown in their later years because he can actually defend. 

 

Plus Johnson, who could adapt to the PL just like Rashford, Winks, Alexander-Arnold and the many before them, all did because they were given the chance to do so. 

 

Btw this isn’t a Morgan love in, next summer he needs to be replaced. Just saying our CB options isn’t all doom

and gloom.

 

I don't think Morgan is as bad as everyone makes out he's just easy to blame has he lacks more pace than usual now he's really getting on.

 

I want Johnson to get out on loan top end championship club or bottom end premier league club as a valuable player to get experience he's going to be fantastic I think.

 

A lot of our development squad look good aswel. Couldn't believe how good that Gordon looked aswel. Ndukwu looks ok needs a championship club. 

[Lovejoy]

1 hour ago, Fox 4 Life said:

Why would be still be bidding for Mepham if Benkovic was "basically done"

Could be Brentford driving the price up for Bournemouth, there may not have been any more bids.

[AKCJ]

10 minutes ago, Shane said:

I don’t agree that our CB options are that weak.

 

We have 2 strong CB’s (Maguire & Evans) and a 7/10 (most weeks) performer in Morgan. Yes 7/10. Maguire made just as many mistakes as Morgan last season, but Morgan was the scapegoat. Morgan has looked solid in pre season bar the one mistake, he is not John O’Shea or Wes Brown in their later years because he can actually defend. 

 

Plus Johnson, who could adapt to the PL just like Rashford, Winks, Alexander-Arnold and the many before them, all did because they were given the chance to do so. 

 

Btw this isn’t a Morgan love in, next summer he needs to be replaced. Just saying our CB options isn’t all doom

and gloom.

 

On what planet is Morgan a 7/10 performer in most weeks?

 

He was, once upon a time. But that time has gone.

[rachhere]

5 minutes ago, FirePower said:

I don't think Morgan is as bad as everyone makes out he's just easy to blame has he lacks more pace than usual now he's really getting on.

  

I want Johnson to get out on loan top end championship club or bottom end premier league club as a valuable player to get experience he's going to be fantastic I think.

  

A lot of our development squad look good aswel. Couldn't believe how good that Gordon looked aswel. Ndukwu looks ok needs a championship club. 

I think that's the main thing with Wes, he's just slowed down. I like to think he can compensate a bit though in terms of experience, but personally I would be more confident if we had kept Dragovic. 

 

The development squad looks great. They have really connected as a team and seem to know each other inside out. If we can continue to develop the core group of players it will really pay off in a couple of seasons time. 

[FrankieADZ]

2 minutes ago, rachhere said:

I think that's the main thing with Wes, he's just slowed down. I like to think he can compensate a bit though in terms of experience, but personally I would be more confident if we had kept Dragovic. 

 

The development squad looks great. They have really connected as a team and seem to know each other inside out. If we can continue to develop the core group of players it will really pay off in a couple of seasons time. 

also the fact the style of play we are going for under Puel now too, which involves alot of passing and passing from the back, which sometimes Morgan doesnt always look comfortable in doing,

sadly age has caught up with Morgan and hes not as quick as before, i think he could do a decent job in a back 3 but in a 2 hes not as good as he once was imo

[weller54]

11 minutes ago, psychonaut said:

Young, talented and British, get it done, loan him back if needs be

Better to be young, gifted and Black! 

[foxpleasure]

1 minute ago, FrankieADZ said:

also the fact the style of play we are going for under Puel now too, which involves alot of passing and passing from the back, which sometimes Morgan doesnt always look comfortable in doing,

sadly age has caught up with Morgan and hes not as quick as before, i think he could do a decent job in a back 3 but in a 2 hes not as good as he once was imo

I wonder if we might go with 3 at the back?

[FrankieADZ]

Just now, foxpleasure said:

I wonder if we might go with 3 at the back?

never know we could now with Ricardo and Chilwell in the team, though i guess we are more likely to stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation we have been using for a bit

[ROB-THE-BLUE]

3 minutes ago, foxpleasure said:

I wonder if we might go with 3 at the back?

Pereira and Chilwell are possibly better suited as WB's but we're struggling to field 2 decent CB's atm, let alone 3!

[Long Lost Bee]

52 minutes ago, FirePower said:

Tough ask this season I think the teams going up will be.

 

WBA.

Aston villa.

Middlesbrough

Beaten Villa most times we’ve played them they’ve never beaten us. Boro points shared over two games. WBA having seen them on the box, not worried. But for a bad start last season we would have made the playoffs. We had beaten all the teams in the play offs bar one game  or at least drawn in two. So had we made it ( missed by 6 points) we where quietly confident.

We have recruited well again for this season,  We will probably will lose Woods to Swansea. But as always happens, and people cannot understand. We will replace with better, cheaper and make a few million out of the deal. It’s been a slow build up over the last 5 years and we’ve always been under the radar.  I guarantee that the football pundits  and opposition fans will have a field day when we get promoted, saying the likes of  “What right does a small club like us have in the Premiership”. Just as you did when you won the league.

All the best for the coming season.

[STUHILL]

Think I'd still prefer this to Benkovic, but be happy with either around the £15m mark plus add-ons, which I assume Brentford will want a lot of due to how highly they rate this guy. 

 

I honestly think this and one more decent signing, could make such a huge difference to the season ahead, and also give the fans a real positive buzz going into the season. 

[FirePower]

5 minutes ago, Long Lost Bee said:

Beaten Villa most times we’ve played them they’ve never beaten us. Boro points shared over two games. WBA having seen them on the box, not worried. But for a bad start last season we would have made the playoffs. We had beaten all the teams in the play offs bar one game  or at least drawn in two. So had we made it ( missed by 6 points) we where quietly confident.

We have recruited well again for this season,  We will probably will lose Woods to Swansea. But as always happens, and people cannot understand. We will replace with better, cheaper and make a few million out of the deal. It’s been a slow build up over the last 5 years and we’ve always been under the radar.  I guarantee that the football pundits  and opposition fans will have a field day when we get promoted, saying the likes of  “What right does a small club like us have in the Premiership”. Just as you did when you won the league.

All the best for the coming season.

Don't get me wrong I'm not being disrespectful.

 

A season successful is not built on who you have beaten twice in a season.

I actually like Brentford but I just think the championship is going to be very difficult this season there my 3 for this year I might get one of those wrong my long shot is Boro but it's going to be tough 

[Max Power]

We could sign both Mepham and Benkovic and loan one back for a season ready to come back for 2019/20 when Morgan and Benalouane will no longer be here and Maguire may be in the sights of big clubs again. 

[Long Lost Bee]

4 minutes ago, FirePower said:

Don't get me wrong I'm not being disrespectful.

 

A season successful is not built on who you have beaten twice in a season.

I actually like Brentford but I just think the championship is going to be very difficult this season there my 3 for this year I might get one of those wrong my long shot is Boro but it's going to be tough 

That’s not based on one season. The owner, board and fans are very confident this year. 

[Gerard]

2 minutes ago, Max Power said:

We could sign both Mepham and Benkovic and loan one back for a season ready to come back for 2019/20 when Morgan and Benalouane will no longer be here and Maguire may be in the sights of big clubs again. 

 

We can't afford to be spending big money on a centre half to loan them back. We need someone to supplement Evans and Maguire and integrate them now, A highly talented young centre half would be ideal for us.

 

 

[Max Power]

2 minutes ago, Gerard said:

 

We can't afford to be spending big money on a centre half to loan them back. We need someone to supplement Evans and Maguire and integrate them now, A highly talented young centre half would be ideal for us.

 

 

Im saying buy both and loan one. Could save an extra £10-15m next season if either has a good season. 

[urban.spaceman]

I love seeing new/unfashionable clubs get into the Premier League and especially to see them doing well, so it would be great to see Brentford go up. I'd prefer it to be at the expense of another London club though. We already have far too many. 

[Foxxed]

Can't see us buying both Benkovic and Mepham. I guess we'll be back in next year when they're trying to charge 40 mil.

[FirePower]

41 minutes ago, Long Lost Bee said:

That’s not based on one season. The owner, board and fans are very confident this year. 

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[STUHILL]

14 minutes ago, Foxxed said:

Can't see us buying both Benkovic and Mepham. I guess we'll be back in next year when they're trying to charge 40 mil.

If they are well off the promotion push come January, then I'd be tempted to go back in with a similar offer of £15 plus add-ons. 

 

At the moment, they see great value in keeping him in the team to try and push for the lucrative Prem. That could quickly change after half a season. 

 

More I read about Benkovic, that happier I am we have got him in. Mepham is someone we could go back for in the next 6-12months perhaps. 

[Gerard]

16 minutes ago, Foxxed said:

Can't see us buying both Benkovic and Mepham. I guess we'll be back in next year when they're trying to charge 40 mil.

 

The price we're being quoted though is extreme. This is a player who has been released by Chelsea and turned down by Watford and QPR. It's not like he has excelled as a footballer and stood out amongst his peers until the last couple of years.

 

With 22 professional games to his name there is a risk attached at £20m. The downside is probably more than the upside for that fee considering he hasn't stood out as a footballer for most of his life. 

 

Don't get me wrong he sounds fantastic and I'd like him here but for the price the risk is all ours.

[yorkie1999]

Talksport reckon he should stay at Brentford, probably because one of the presenters is a Brentford fan.

[SheppyFox]

Wonder if this won’t happen now it’s looking like benkovic is done? 

[Bunyip]

14 hours ago, Gerard said:

 

I did with Kante and if you look back on the thread I was the biggest advocate of him when most of the others wanted Cambiasso back. 

Fair enough !

[Long Lost Bee]

16 minutes ago, SheppyFox said:

Wonder if this won’t happen now it’s looking like benkovic is done? 

I’m told you’ve now moved on, thankfully.