Snedger

That’s David Hopkin!! Thought he was meant to be a fullback. But that makes more sense. Sign a fullback from Brighton via Strasbourg to replace a midfielder.

I predict he will do well at City, and definitely step up from where he is at with us. Not sure why that Bournemouth lad would ditch them for us. They’ve finished well above us and have European football next season. As for who replaces Enzo: who plays that position for Strasbourg?

Whilst I share your lack of optimism. Surely Alonso wouldn’t have taken the job without some discussion with owners, SDs and players whereby some degree of assurance was given that his best half dozen players wouldn’t all up and leave before the season starts? If that were to happen, I’d expect and understand for Alonso to walk out with them.

Whilst I don’t think Alonso himself is a bad appointment, I still have no optimism for next season. There’s no way enough changes can be made to this awful squad to allow any discernible improvement. And I think it’s massively naive and overly optimistic to think the owners/SDs are going to change what they’re up to. Alonso has already been dumped with half of Strasbourg’s inexperienced players for next season before he’s even started the job.

I’m liking this idea of player’s ’running costs’. Given the fitness issues many of our players have and the dire state of our medical department, I think the largest overheads are probably bags of frozen peas, Deep Heat and ibuprofen tablets. Lavia costing the most in said items and maybe extra on tubigrip.

I know this makes me thick by not understanding this but, if you pay £56 million for something, and after three years of spending 70 grand(?) a week to use it, you then sell it for say £30 million, you’ve actually made an £8 million profit?

So I guess we’ll gradually be linked to every player ever to have played for or with or heard of Alonso now. I’ve not heard of this lad, but given Alison’s Bayer team was asset stripped, if he’s still there, then he must be to Bayer what Bakayoko was to that Monaco team.

Especially as Lavia is a complete write-off*, sadly. And Essugo needs to prove he can stay injury free for more than five minutes too. I don't think we can even sell Lavia. It would be like the Monty Python dead parrot sketch.

Noel Gallagher scampering back in? And back out again….

Maybe I’m wrong then…. nah.

I know I’m late with this and I’m sure fifty people have already pointed it out, but Delap is spectacularly hopeless.

Just saw that too. And more like ten actual minutes to go. Twat. (I mean Gallagher, not you dermott).

Super City fan Noel Gallagher leaving with ten minutes to go and 1-0 down.

I wonder if there are any of our players that Maresca would want to take to City (if he does get that job for next season). There were clearly some players that really liked Maresca and seemed very miffed when he went. I know there’s a good few we’d be ecstatic for him to take, but any risk of a Palmer type player being approached?

Hmm. They’ve been discussing it for ten minutes now of Radio 5 (and it seems to have replaced the planned Alonso discussion) and they seem convinced Maresca takes over, and seamlessly in their opinions.

Thought I just caught something in the radio about Pep going. But can’t see any mention of it on mainstream sports news sites.

Do people actually have confidence that Alonso, given the job will be allowed to pick his best/preferred 11 each week as opposed to the tombola approach we’ve seen this last season or so? At only 44 and with the prospect of the Liverpool job hovering, and the dysfunctional sh*t show that is BlueCo Chelsea, I would not be even slightly surprised to see us struggle and him leave or be sacked (or whatever it was that happened with Maresca) before the year ticks over to 2027. And despite typing all this, I think I’m very nearly past caring in all honesty.

Due to some every odd circumstances, I didn’t see all the game. But losing I assumed would be more than acceptable to many as any success under BlueCo would be undesirable. Bit of a Catch 22 situation perhaps..

Sure. We as well as anyone should understand that there is most likely ‘additional payments’ related to the signing.

I don’t actually know, but unless he’s been abducted by aliens, he’ll be injured. And to be honest, if he’s been abducted by aliens he’ll have got injured in the process anyway.

Where have I heard that before…..?

Having said that. It’s not like Alonso would actually make any difference managing us anyway. But he might make Liverpool better though.

Alonso goes to Liverpool and our best performance in ages gets put into context within six days.

So is everything fine and dandy again? Players and supporters having a love-in again, rather than the weird staring contest at Brighton. Pressure off for Blue-Co.

To be honest, watching these two tonight I don’t think our best side under Abramovich would have competed. They’re on an insane level.