VG

Big difference in ability between Noni and Estevao.
Personally, I think there might some truth to this. Stevie, arrived with an absolutely massive reputation. And he strikes me as the kind of kid that just loves being on a pitch playing football. He knows he has the talent. He also has the confidence. I don't think he will be the sort that would hang around too long waiting for opportunities. Especially as there would be no shortage of top clubs wanting to get hold of him.

Ah hahahaha

Probably received a phone call from Eghbali

Wow. Cant beleive it.
Enzo said he was leaving months ago. Replacement shouldve been tied up weeks ago.

It’s okay, we’ve derailed their season by giving them Fernandez

We shouldn't even be in a position where we have to panic buy. They've known Enzo situation all summer and they've failed to properly replace him. This is pure incompetence.

I suspect we already have an agreement in place for one of our targets. That may have been part of the hold up on the Enzo transfer.

Give him time. He’s had 1 year out of football. In an ideal world he wouldn’t be starting games until he’s ready but sadly we haven’t got any better defenders.

When asked by a reporter about the booing every time he touched the ball Barco said ths:
“Honest to God? It felt like a Tuesday. I was getting screamed at by grown men in reserve matches back at Boca when I was 16. You think a crowd whistling at Stamford Bridge frightens me? Go play at La Bombonera when you misplace a pass—people are literally hanging off the iron fences, screaming in your face, ready to jump over. That is pressure. This over here? This is easy."

I'm liking this kid so far.

We're going to look like Trump, issuing deadline after deadline!

Yup they go on, and on, and on, yet city don't offer anything. Still seems to me city are messing us around for a second summer.


They had no issue in coughing up exactly what both forest and lyon needed for their players.

While not discounting the possibilities of shenanigans and future expectations with this lot, some of this reflects that the 30 mn pounds we paid was a relegation release clause. Apparently some sell on due to Ipswich too?
I hoped he could be good for us but didn’t work out at all. Way more adept at wrestling than scoring and then fell into a tailspin with us. Best of luck for the future.

One down, some ten to go??

While not discounting the possibilities of shenanigans and future expectations with this lot, some of this reflects that the 30 mn pounds we paid was a relegation release clause. Apparently some sell on due to Ipswich too?
I hoped he could be good for us but didn’t work out at all. Way more adept at wrestling than scoring and then fell into a tailspin with us. Best of luck for the future.

One down, some ten to go??

Honestly, it is your own fans who are the most fickle sometimes. I wasn't necessarily blown over when we bought him, but was willing to give him a go. Now after a few appearances, people have decided he is not good enough? His first game he was a sub against Palace so hard to judge, especially against a solid defensive outfit such as Palace. Next game we played West Ham and he was very good. He did not score but his hold up play was brilliant. Estevao will get the plaudits for Enzo's goal against the Hammers but Delap was the one who held the ball up and laid into Estevao's path to go on his mazy run. He was really good. We then played Fulham and he got injured within a few minutes and has been off for what 2 months? Makes a return late October as a late sub against Wolves where he got 2 stupid bookings and got sent off and got himself a silly suspension. Daft yes but let's not pretend we have not had other players commit stupid fouls and got sent off before.
His next game against Qarabag, he came on beginning of second half. Did not impact the game much but the guy has been off for practically 2 months. Not an easy game to come into. He then gets a start against Wolves where he looked really rusty and was taken off second half. Bare in mind this was his first start in 3 months after the hamstring injury. Forgive him for not being sharp. He is building his match sharpness. Burnley he started again and I thought he was selfish but you could see what he was capable of with the hold up play and binging others into play. I was happy with his performance. Against Barca next he comes on and scores. The final game, we play Arsenal where he was a sub and came on in difficult circumstances for a team a man short and I am not sure why he is getting so much flack. He did have occasions where he bullied that Arsenal defence, won a foul and held it up well.
I am not going to go and say he will be as good as Costa for us for eg, nor will I say he is going to be a bust, but I just find it astounding that based on a few games where he has had a disrupted schedule, people have decided he is not good enough. Your own fans can really be the most harsh and most fickle sometimes. No surprise because after a few games for Caicedo, many fans had decided he was a waste of money and now look how good he is. Cucurella too. You cannot judge a player after 3 months, well in Delap's case he hasn't even had 3 months as he has spent 2 months injured.
Come on get real and give him time.

Rory Delap's son scores against Barcelona. Tika taka is officially dead.

There was a Burnley player in the box when Sanchez passed it to Chalobah. Chalobah saw this and placed the ball to retake the goalkick after the Burnley player had left the box.
Nothing there at all.

"Tinkering" isn't the right word for what he does every game. "Dismantling and total reconstruction" is a better description of what he choses to do. You cannot build an organised, solid, effective back four by constantly changing it for each match. Everybody who follows football knows it. And I'm certain he does too, but he is so stubborn he refuses to accept he is getting it wrong and change his approach.

Yup

The problem with Delap is that we signed off the back of destroying one defence. The problem being we failed to notice that defence was ours.

I'm nervous about Jorrel Hato after realizing this is the rabble he comes from.

I'm nervous about Jorrel Hato after realizing this is the rabble he comes from.

I'm nervous about Jorrel Hato after realizing this is the rabble he comes from.

I will say that every time I have seen him, I do like the way that Buonanotte plays.