Just now, RIP Mourinho said:

3 years older and a year less on his contract. Really not that surprising when you look at the players being mentioned. 

Still thought is Mahrez, top quality.

1 minute ago, axman2526 said:

Still thought is Mahrez, top quality.

So is Fabinho though.

5 hours ago, RIP Mourinho said:

So is Fabinho though.

He was, Mahrez still is imo.

18 hours ago, RIP Mourinho said:

So is Fabinho though.

Fabinho has been pretty poor the last 2 seasons, he had one truly outstanding season when they won the league. 

Mahrez was still as good as ever last season.

2 hours ago, dkw said:

Fabinho has been pretty poor the last 2 seasons, he had one truly outstanding season when they won the league. 

Mahrez was still as good as ever last season.

I think he had more than one outstanding season but things definitely fell away last season in particular. Almost seemed uninterested. 

Can we do something about our dreadful YouTube channel? Whilst the likes of Arsenal, City, United, and Liverpool have daily/weekly preseason training/travel footage, we post every blue moon and it usually involves something daft like unfavorable players playing a game or doing a f**king stupid questionnaire. 

9 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Can we do something about our dreadful YouTube channel? Whilst the likes of Arsenal, City, United, and Liverpool have daily/weekly preseason training/travel footage, we post every blue moon and it usually involves something daft like unfavorable players playing a game or doing a f**king stupid questionnaire. 

Thought our American owners were going to grow our commercial side? 🤦‍♂️ 

Looks like we may need to only finish 5th to qualify for Champions League. 

https://www.football-coefficient.eu/coefficient/#table-country-coefficients

8 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Looks like we may need to only finish 5th to qualify for Champions League. 

https://www.football-coefficient.eu/coefficient/#table-country-coefficients

Uefa sliding a ESL esque new format under the table while fans were too busy being outraged over the ESL will never fail to amuse me.

Also are the Europa and Conference leagues remaining in the same format do you know?

1 hour ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Looks like we may need to only finish 5th to qualify for Champions League. 

https://www.football-coefficient.eu/coefficient/#table-country-coefficients

I'm not even considering it as things stand. I am seeing nothing to suggest things will be much better than last season. Pre-season has started, we're still cursed with injuries, we don't have a shirt sponsor, the midfield is a mess, attack is in unknown territory, we are gambling massively on potential.

18 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

I'm not even considering it as things stand. I am seeing nothing to suggest things will be much better than last season. Pre-season has started, we're still cursed with injuries, we don't have a shirt sponsor, the midfield is a mess, attack is in unknown territory, we are gambling massively on potential.

I had a lot of confidence at the end of the season thinking we can bounce back if we get rid of deadwood and add 2 or 3 quality players to blend with our potential. We still have a while to go until the window ends but my confidence is dropping day by day, we need to stop signing players with potential and get some players in that are for the here and now. We also need to stop thinking players like Santos could be an answer to our problems, he's 18 years old and he needs time.

It's all good saying we can take a season or two to develop these players but everyone around us is getting better and more teams are getting better. Top 4/5 is no where near a guarentee for us anymore. I've read reports that some players don't suit our wage structure and it could be a factor in why we are going for younger players on low wages. That approach is good in theory but I don't think its realistic if you want to be a club that stays at the top, if you want to win in modern football then you have to pay.

 

Edited July 18, 20233 yr by Sheva

We've had...

- being unproven

- Bundesliga tax

- Questions if they can do well outside of a mid table club

...as criticism towards our signings. Why aren't our rivals being criticized for the same? Already I've seen two posts suggesting our rivals have strengthen when their signings haven't escaped either of those criteria.

 

19 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

We've had...

- being unproven

- Bundesliga tax

- Questions if they can do well outside of a mid table club

...as criticism towards our signings. Why aren't our rivals being criticized for the same? Already I've seen two posts suggesting our rivals have strengthen when their signings haven't escaped either of those criteria.

 

Our rivals squads are generally far more established with both experience and quality than ours is. And none of them finished 12th and none of them lost several of their established stars this summer either.

If there every was a summer to make a few statement signings it was this one. Both as a message to the rest of the Premier League and gives us the best possible chance to get back into Champions League. We've now missed out once and are now falling further behind rivals commercially as a consequence, the gap will only grow if we finish mid-table again which looks like a real possibility.

 

3 minutes ago, OriginalS said:

Our rivals squads are generally far more established with both experience and quality than ours is. And none of them finished 12th and none of them lost several of their established stars this summer either.

If there every was a summer to make a few statement signings it was this one. Both as a message to the rest of the Premier League and gives us the best possible chance to get back into Champions League. We've now missed out once and are now falling further behind rivals commercially as a consequence, the gap will only grow if we finish mid-table again which looks like a real possibility.

 

Explain Newcastle.  They didn't have any established or experienced stars at the highest level and finished in a Champions League spot from the bottom half. They had a hungry group of young players and a good manager. 

Liverpool for example botched out of Top 4 and have only bought in your words, a Bundesliga tax CAM and a questions if they can do well outside of a mid table club CM. They are also on the verge of signing an unproven player in Lavia. A completely new midfield. But they're strengthening I suppose because your view is set on negativity and doom and gloom even though it contradicts all of your points. 

 

 

 

10 minutes ago, OriginalS said:

 none of them lost several of their established stars this summer either.

Apart from Liverpool who have lost Milner and Firmino and are more than likely going to lose Henderson and Fabinho possibly Thiago aswell.

You may say now that none of those players are close to their best self which would be true, but neither are the players that have left us.

Edited July 18, 20233 yr by Argo

8 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Liverpool for example botched out of Top 4 and have only bought in your words, a Bundesliga tax CAM and a questions if they can do well outside of a mid table club CM. They are also on the verge of signing an unproven player in Lavia. A completely new midfield. But they're strengthening I suppose because your view is set on negativity and doom and gloom even though it contradicts all of your points. 

As I said, far more experience and a more established squad than ours. They needed a littlebit of rejuvenation and it seems they are doing it.

And that mid table argument isn't mine. As far as i'm concerned they have signed one of the best young midfielders in the league who also shined in a WC for about the same price as we paid for Jackson. That's sensible recruitment for me and something I would have been fully behind.

And just to add @Argo to this I very much doubt they let Henderson or Fabinho go before they have secured adequate replacements. We've let everyone go before they're replaced and thats probably why Pochettino brought up that it would have been better to have the new signings on the training ground today than tomorrow. He's clearly getting impatient.

 

 

4 minutes ago, OriginalS said:

As I said, far more experience and a more established squad than ours. They needed a littlebit of rejuvenation and it seems they are doing it.

And that mid table argument isn't mine. As far as i'm concerned they have signed one of the best young midfielders in the league who also shined in a WC for about the same price as we paid for Jackson. That's sensible recruitment for me and something I would have been fully behind.

And just to add @Argo to this I very much doubt they let Henderson or Fabinho go before they have secured adequate replacements. We've let everyone go before they're replaced and thats probably why Pochettino brought up that it would have been better to have the new signings on the training ground today than tomorrow. He's clearly getting impatient.

Gakpo and Nunez haven't done anything in this league to suggest they are established, let alone Diaz who is a streaky player. MacAllister will likely cost Liverpool up to £60m. This £35m talk is a smokescreen. You also haven't touched on Lavia or Szoboszlai, both combined will be over £100m whilst the former is unproven and the latter has bundesliga tax. But Liverpool are apparently rejuvenating their team. 😂

We are letting everyone go because we had a squad 3x worth than the next club you silly man. 

 

13 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Gakpo and Nunez haven't done anything in this league to suggest they are established, let alone Diaz who is a streaky player. MacAllister will likely cost Liverpool up to £60m. This £35m talk is a smokescreen. You also haven't touched on Lavia or Szoboszlai, both combined will be over £100m whilst the former is unproven and the latter has bundesliga tax. But Liverpool are apparently rejuvenating their team. 😂

We are letting everyone go because we had a squad 3x worth than the next club you silly man. 

 

Liverpools 7th choice midfielder would instantly start for us if we signed him tomorrow. That's all you need to know.

4 minutes ago, OriginalS said:

Liverpools 7th choice midfielder would instantly start for us if we signed him tomorrow. That's all you need to know.

Neither Elliot or Bajcetic start over Nkunku, Enzo, or Santos/Gallagher. 

Keep moving the goal posts though. 

24 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Neither Elliot or Bajcetic start over Nkunku, Enzo, or Santos/Gallagher. 

Keep moving the goal posts though. 

You clearly didn't see Santos for Vasco this year and I assume you skipped Gallaghers appearances in the pivot last season as well.

It's fine though, you can be happy with the squad. I think it's naive but it's your opinion.

I think we are doing Pochettino a disservice if we don't bring in 3 or 4 top class players ASAP but again, just my opinion.

4 hours ago, OriginalS said:

You clearly didn't see Santos for Vasco this year and I assume you skipped Gallaghers appearances in the pivot last season as well.

It's fine though, you can be happy with the squad. I think it's naive but it's your opinion.

I think we are doing Pochettino a disservice if we don't bring in 3 or 4 top class players ASAP but again, just my opinion.

Which 3/4 top class players would you bring in? 

On 18/07/2023 at 08:59, dkw said:

Fabinho has been pretty poor the last 2 seasons, he had one truly outstanding season when they won the league. 

Mahrez was still as good as ever last season.

Fabinho had half a bad season last year at the start with the rest of Liverpool, picked up massively towards the end of the season. Age and contract still applies massively to transfer value too.

13 hours ago, OriginalS said:

Liverpools 7th choice midfielder would instantly start for us if we signed him tomorrow. That's all you need to know.

Caicedo is very obviously coming in. Which of Liverpool's 7th choice CM starts over Enzo/Caicedo/Nkunku in the pivot or CAM. Actually, which of any of their midfielders do?

15 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Gakpo and Nunez haven't done anything in this league to suggest they are established, let alone Diaz who is a streaky player. MacAllister will likely cost Liverpool up to £60m. This £35m talk is a smokescreen. You also haven't touched on Lavia or Szoboszlai, both combined will be over £100m whilst the former is unproven and the latter has bundesliga tax. But Liverpool are apparently rejuvenating their team. 😂

We are letting everyone go because we had a squad 3x worth than the next club you silly man. 

 

They still have a team full of winners no? Salah, Alisson, Van Dijk, Robertson, Arnold, Gomez, Matip and co. There's still a core group of players that have been there and done it and they have also have a manager that's the same. It's easier to sign unpredictable signings when you have those foundations and also they have been at the top for years while we have been declining season by season domestically. We don't have that faith and credit in the bank to think we can go and compete again. We only have one player at our club that's actively competed at a top level in this league (Sterling) and we have Silva who's done it in european leagues. That's it, we have two players who know how to win at a domestic level.

Newcastle also have a tight group of players that have played together for a while now, that and adding few good quality players like Tripper and a positive change of ownership they took advantage other so called top 6 teams collapsing. 

All other clubs are bringing in players that fall under your categories but those clubs have senior established players, we don't. We have not replaced Kovavic, Kante, Mount, Mendy and we've lost the influence of Azpi. It's important to get rid of deadwood but I honestly did not expect to sell our core experienced midfield, I would have kept one of Mount or Havertz. There's talk of us entertaining offers for Conor which I find crazy, he has to stay and so does Trev now that Fofana is injured.

Look at our depth, we brought in Nkunku and what if he flops or gets injured. Who do we have? Chukwuemeka? A 19 year old kid to pin our hopes of top 4 on, no young player should have that much pressure. It's the same with Santos and Elliot starts over him by the way because Santos has not kicked a ball in european football yet. We could potentially have a front line and midfield next season that's played 6 months of premier league football together and the way people are talking about Levi Colwill is that he's going to come in and be like prime Van Dijk, he's still a kid.

And by top quality I personally dont mean signing someone that will cost us 80-100m every signing. We should be looking at the likes of Palhinha at Fulham, he's 28 and potentially available at a price. He's a signing for the here and now which will then allow the likes of Santos to have a bit of breathing space in his first season here because once again he's only 19 years old! Instead of Cherki, what about someone like Eze? Very good season last season and he's a good age for the here and now and would be an important player for years to come. There's plenty of good quality players in this league we can get but it seems we are more interested in banking on potential.

Raya, Eze, Palhinha, Toney(January), Mitrovic, Douglas Luiz, Maddison could have been good for us if he didn't sign for Spurs and I could go on. If you don't think those players are good enough for us then what makes you think our current crop is?

Ok that was a long post, too much time on my hands when your industry is on strike 😅

 

 

Edited July 19, 20233 yr by Sheva

1 hour ago, Sheva said:

Ok that was a long post, too much time on my hands when your industry is on strike.

That doesn't narrow it down much Sheva. Doctor? Nurse? Ambulance paramedic? Teacher? Train driver? Manchester bus driver? Gatwick airport worker? Any job in France?