Davey Baby

Why do Rugani and Higuain fit Sarri's system more than say, Christensen and Morata? I don't get it. Koulibaly wasn't meant to fit his system and look what happened, maybe the same can happen with Rudiger for instance. I don't see why you're so keen for us to buy players that aren't much better than what we've got, if they're better at all that is. As for Tammy, he struggled in a struggling side, sure, but he wasn't a flop. What did you expect of a teenager leading the line for a crap side in the PL? Last season was good for his development. 8 goals in under 40 games. He did okay. I wouldn't be surprised to see him loaned out again but I'd be disappointed. I think we could do a lot worse than Morata, Batshuayi and Tammy as our 3 strikers next season. It really isn't too bad at all. They all have the potential to be much-improved, given last season they had zero or little PL experience.

Can't imagine we'll get that much for him but I'd be very happy if he left, if it meant Tammy stayed and started getting game-time with us. We'll need 3 strikers because of the number of games we'll have. I like Giroud and he's been a good signing but I'd rather start thinking forward now.

Vidal looks to be on his way to Inter, and they've already signed Nainggolan.

I just don't share your concern. Rugani and Higuain were not needed, as they don't provide an upgrade on what we've got. If we sell Giroud, I'd also approve, as it would mean we're going to go with Morata, Batshuayi and Tammy. I fancy Morata to do at least as well as Higuain would have done. Also, Barkley is like a new signing, because he didn't feature last term, and he could be a brilliant signing as well. If we sign Vecino and lose Drinkwater and Bakayoko I'm happy. I'd prefer us to sell Willian or Pedro and bring somebody else in, which might happen, but if it doesn't, we still have a more-than-adequate squad. We were never going to have a better squad than City's by the end of this window. It's a process. Sarri will bring the best out of these players hopefully and we will compete. Our squad isn't too bad.

Drinkwater was bought last summer.

If we'd really wanted him, we would have got him. If Juve really rated him, they would have kept him. Simples.

If we want to do well in the league, we're going to have to play a completely changed XI in the EL, which means we're going to need a bigger squad than normal. Don't forget there's a lot of games in the EL, as well as the FAC and LC potentially, so our second string could see a lot of minutes. If we want to play a completely different team on Thursday nights, we're going to need an extra player in every department, to cover for injuries and suspensions, and to allow us to make subs in those games. Therefore 3 keepers, 5 FBs, 5 CBs, 7 CMs, 5 wingers, 3 CFs. Moses will be the extra FB and winger, and Ampadu will be the extra CB and CM, so that's a squad of 26, including CHO. If Vecino arrives I fully expect Drinkwater and Bakayoko to go. If Rugani or Caldara arrives I fully expect Cahill and Zouma to go. If not only one of them will go. We will lose a CF, because we have 4, including Tammy. Musonda and Aina will go on loan.

Matic trained alone but I don't believe he came back late.

Basically if I were Sarri, I'd make a decision pronto on Zappacosta or Moses, and lose one of them. There's a danger in having too many players in your squad. Same with CB. We currently have 6. I'd lose 2. No idea why we're going after another supposedly. I agree with you about winger. I'd love to see an exciting young winger come in but we'd have to lose either Pedro or Willian. I have a sneaky suspicion Willian might go. Basically this is our only chance to get top dollar for him, because of his age and contract status.

If we buy Vecino and sell or loan DD and Bakayoko, I'll be very happy with our midfield options. Think those 6 will get us through the season, no problem. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Vecino is the only player we'll add, other than a keeper.

I think CHO will be in the squad. Rudiger will play CB. Whether Moses is thought of as a winger or a FB or both, he's surplus to requirements, unless we sell Zappacosta. 4 wingers and 4 FBs is plenty.

I'm convinced this one will happen. People need to realise it's a long, hard season, masses of games, especially as we're in the EL. Sarri wants 6 midfielders. Jorginho, Kante and Barkley will be his first choice midfield, Fabregas, Vecino and RLC are the back-ups. Vecino is exactly the same player as Matic, except he's right-footed. Drinkwater and Bakayoko are toast.

That's no excuse mate.

Be interesting to see who Sarri makes his captain. Really hope it's Dave.

As far as I'm aware, Hudson-Odoi signed a 3 year deal in 2017, when he was 16, and we've just offered him a 5 year deal, and he's still only 17.

I never knew that.

Either the club don't rate him and they've let his contract wind down or they do rate him and they've tried to get him to sign but he's stalling. Assuming it's the latter, we're getting into this trouble more and more with our youth players, because they can't see a way through.

Marseille are in for him allegedly.

Bulka is in the final year of his contract.

I just can't do another year of him falling over all the time and whining to the ref and basically playing like a big girl's blouse. We need a man up front.

Excuse me for the late reply yorkley. I've been in hospital getting my sides sewn up!!!!!!!

It better not be Pepe Reina. Rant over.

I'd take Pickford but that's not the point. He's not as good as Courtois but that's not the point either. What's the point I hear you ask? I'll tell you what the point is. The point is the club have been caught on the hop. That's the point. Courtois was never likely to sign. That's the point. He's always wanted to get out. That's the point, and the club didn't see it coming. Now, with two weeks of the window left, we're wondering who we should buy. Now. It's embarrassing. We should have worked all this out months ago, a year even. Instead, we're scrambling around in the dark, like a drunk sailor at closing time. It's embarrassing. I've felt for a long time our club is run by a bunch of buffoons and this only proves the point even more. Someone will pipe up and ask how I know all this for a fact. I don't. This isn't a court of law. This is a football chat site. I can say what I think. I don't have to back it up with proof. I look at all the evidence and make up my own mind, and I express my thoughts, because that's what this site is for. We don't want to keep Courtois, because we'll forsake a fee and he'll be a very corrosive influence around the club. We don't want to keep him and he don't want to stay. He wants to be at Real Madrid. We'll sell him to Real Madrid but first we need to find a replacement. That's what's happening folks. He'll be gone and we'll have Jordan Pickford. No we won't. Everton won't sell him. We'll buy someone else. Maybe that person will be good and we'll all be happy. Then again, maybe it will be Pepe Reina. Edit: There's nothing like a bit of planning.

Willian is a player Jose really wants. Remember our final season under Jose when everything went horribly wrong and the players seemingly turned against him? Willian performed for him, week-in week-out, running tirelessly and diligently, which is what Jose really likes. Jose always give Willian a cuddle whenever we play them. He whispers sweet nothings into his ear. Believe me folks, Jose really wants him. Martial is a player Jose really hates. He doesn't run tirelessly and diligently for him, in fact he doesn't appear to respect him, much as our players didn't. He can't be trusted to do what Jose wants on the field, which is basically to operate as a full-back. The trouble is Jose can't afford to have Martial in his squad. The art of management, as our former manager Tommy Docherty once observed, is to keep the players that hate you away from the ones that like you. Jose needs to sell but to who? Who's going to pay the money? Who really needs him? I'm convinced we can get this done if we really want to. In fact, I have no doubt about it. It just depends if we want to. We don't need a left-winger. That's the last thing we need, but maybe we want a centre-forward, which is Martial's preferred position by all accounts. We could potentially buy Bailey and Martial for the same sort of money as we sell Willian and Morata, if the will is there. Sarri turned Higuain into a phenomenon and he converted Dries Mertins from a winger into a prolific striker. He could do something with Martial, hopefully. Willian is 30 in a week or two. He has two years left on his contract. You get the feeling he wants away. He just hasn't been able to cement a first-team place these last few years. Maybe he wants another challenge, more money, who knows? He's a good player but not a great one, although he can be a great one on his day but not often enough. When his head's screwed on he is a committed player you can rely on for workrate and attitude. He's nowhere near the level of Hazard. We can afford to lose him, but we'll need to replace him. 30, two years left, if we're going to sell now is the time to do it. This is the best time we'll ever get. I'd be willing to give Morata another year but I'd be very happy to see him go if we got a replacement. Martial and Bailey for Morata and Willian? Who wouldn't say no to that? That would constitute a very good window in my view, and an exciting one. Pace, skill, youth. Yes please. Jose appears to be at loggerheads with the Utd board. You get the feeling all is not well with him. He's not happy with his squad. He wants a player he knows and trusts and that's our trump card. He doesn't want Martial about the place and there won't be too many takers at the price they're asking and it will have to be somewhere Martial wants to go. Meanwhile AC Milan want Morata .. I think we should wait for the phone to ring, as it inevitably will. Utd want Willian. They will grow more and more desperate unless they want Jose to go into full retard mode before the season's even begun. We wait. They call. They enquire about Willian. We say he might be available. We ask them how Martial's doing. We say we might be interested in a swap. They so no dice. We say fine. We hang up and we wait, until they call again. A swap? A swap. But Martial's worth more than Willian. We hang up again. You got to love Marina. We wait and they call again. Did you say a swap? That's right Woodward, we said a swap. Believe me folks, if we want this to happen we can make it happen. In fact it's not going to be very difficult. This one is playing right into our hands.

If we only buy one more player this summer I hope it's Bailey.