They’ve hardly added to their potential value over the past few games - maybe only Cantwell has endeared himself to potential suitors. We do need some physical presence in all areas of the pitch - we are knocked off the ball too easily, bullied in the air at set pieces and hardly ever win the second ball. Even Glenn Hoddle today said we were lightweight. Next season will be tough and we need to get rid of our “soft touch” image by hiring three or four players who can give it as well as take it.
They did alright last season in what is deemed a physical league. Maybe they haven't developed as we would have wished, or maybe they haven't been coached well. How quickly we forget where they got us.
Norwich City: who's on their way out and where might they end up? https://www.thefocus.news/football/norwich-city-whos-on-their-way-out-and-where-might-they-end-up/
Those are probably the likeliest to leave, but in each case they would be leaving a first team place for for a place on the bench at best. Each could end up like Byram at West Ham. Big decisions for every one of them.
Very true. But as long as they're more 'Maddison' than 'Wright-Phillips', I'll not blame them for fledging the nest. Having tested themselves against the best (and pocketed the wages that go with it) why would they want to return to the long, hard slog that is the championship. I wouldn't.
That's the question, certainly, but they are getting valuable experience playing every week and developing their game. Would they do so only playing in occasional cup games? They might well listen to Byram's sad tale at West Ham.
Okay, we became champions, but our defensive record was very poor, which has not been addessed in this much tougher league. Failure to improve our defence this summer will mean we struggle to have a meaningful impact on this division next season. We cannot rely on a very good attack to outweigh defensive frailties very often. Lambert got away with it, and so did DF last season, but opponents will recognise our weakness and set out to capitalise on it.
Since Lambert we have attacked our way out of the championship only to find in much harder in the premiership. For years I have been worried about how lightweight we are. We also need to sort out set piece defence, surly if we can't afford players we want then coaches aren't half as expensive, we need a better defence coach or two! Saying all that, it's all rather exciting and it's better than being someone like Everton!
Rumours Buendia to West Ham for £1.5m. Which planet is this rumour mill on? I believe that he is placed in the top 3 PL for assists. Let’s treat this rumour with the distain it’s worth.
Link? Maybe it's just a typo and the decimal place is in the wrong place. Leeds are keen for around £10m, apparently.
Massive cock-up. The price I quoted is what we paid for him in 2018. £10m seems low but thinking of what we sold the Murphy twins for perhaps this is about right? Still miss Bradley Johnson and his strikes £6m to ? was a steal. Is he still playing?
Whilst I miss having someone with his personality,aggression and desire in our midfield, I think the Bradders we want back is the 14/15 vintage, which I don't think we'd be getting. In terms of goals he scored more that season than he has in every season since, combined. And when he had a bad game, he really had a bad game and his passing was atrocious. I don't think that would work with Farke. At 33, unfortunately he's the past.
You piqued my interest... Coventry, Kilmarnock, Doncaster, then Linfield and Glenavon in the Northern Irish Premier League. At 36, he's had quite the revival at Glenavon, scoring 17 goals in 46 appearances, not bad for a defensive midfielder!