markjazzbassist

Please no

I have to hand it to brands, he missed with Lossl, but he’s made it right with this signing.  Probably the best backup keeper we could get and on a free.  Well done

5 minutes ago, Hafnia said:

Yes they are 7 and 5. All bar 3 kids in my eldests class have tested positive.

Term is due to end next week 

The pricks tried to tell us kids could t catch it or pass it on last year.

Criminals

Awful man just as they were about to get out for the summer.  I hope everyone stays healthy.  Hope you can still do a summer holiday.

2 hours ago, Hafnia said:

Covid has hit our house.  My eldest son tested positive and we will all likely have it, pretty much guaranteed.

Pretty much his whole class has it. Well done Boris, letting the delta variant in and removing restrictions.  The whole country will be self isolating soon you absolute prick. 

My advice to anyone is be safe, based on what I know it's really kicked off again and I expect numbers to go sky high unfortunately. Don't wait to be told to moderate your behaviour get ahead of the curve. 

sorry to hear that.  When you say class, are your kids still in school? Do they do year round schooling there?

1 hour ago, Romey 1878 said:

 

 

Ouch, Is it FFP or just moshiri reigning it in?

12 hours ago, Sibdane said:

Bailey is the vision when it comes to recruiting young, technical, and dynamic players. I would be ecstatic if we signed him. 

We’re talking about Leon here not @Bailey right

45 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

Our problem last season wasn’t that we conceded for fun, it was that we were toothless at the other end of the pitch. So I have no idea how anyone can see signing a CB as the number one priority this summer - that is bonkers.

Fabrizio Romano reckons they’ll be wanting a shit load more than we’ve offered - around £70m - so that will be our whole budget you’d think. Fuck. That. 

Hear hear

15 minutes ago, Hafnia said:

You lose games with centre backs though.  Look at what happened to Liverpool when they signed VVD  ..... Koulibaily is that level.  Bigger though.  I didn't read the replies above but I just did so editing ....

Having a centre half like VVD enables your middle players and forward players to commit.  

The Everton side of 84 were not scared to lose the ball because of the defence and goalkeeper.  It really does make that much of a difference ....  Watch a team attack when they worry about their defence - it's a non entity. 

 

Yes let’s use liverpool as an example.  They lose VVD and play bench players and youngsters who are then getting injured and have to play Fabinho out of position and more youngsters.  We’re they relegated?  Lower half of the table?  Fuck they got 3rd!!  Now is VVD the difference between 3rd and 1st you bet.  We are 10th!!!  Let’s worry about the absolute holes in our squad before we nitpick already above average positions.  Let’s get to 3-4 place and then worry about getting the worldie at every position.

6 minutes ago, Goodison Glory said:

What does it make you wonder? Ancelotti is even more clueless than we thought or is this Brands fault also?

Great point, I would love to know too.

Just now, MikeO said:

The move didn't happen for reasons never made public as far as I'm aware, so be interested to hear where you got the "we blocked it" info from.

Carlo said it himself he wanted him to stay.

2 minutes ago, MikeO said:

I'm sorry but that's just plain stupid. Arsenal's invicibles? Built on defence. Liverpool's title? VVD transformed them. ManU? Ferdinand and whoever was next to him. Ratcliffe and Labone going back into our history, you need players in every position to win games, and solidity at the back is the foundation.

Talking about the modern game mike.  Liverpool won because of that gnarly front 3 and their pace, city broke the goal scoring records, it’s about scoring  now.  City plays center mids and fullbacks as CB plenty, they do fine.  They aren’t sitting back and absorbing pressure.  Totally different game now.  

1 minute ago, duncanmckenzieismagic said:

Unless you want to play 3 at the back

Not a formation Rafa uses much.  4 at the back in liverpool, Valencia, napoli, dalian.  Only at Newcastle did he try 3 at the back, but he still preferred the 4.  His most used setup is 4231.  Not likely to ingratiate himself with our fan base playing 5 defenders.  

Sad thing is he could have left in January but we blocked the move and he didn’t play (1-2 apps?).  Makes no sense why he is still here.  Makes you wonder

1 hour ago, Btay said:

Quality player but he is injured a lot and the reported price tag is far above what his value is. If it was £20-30 million it’s about right. Exactly the type of player we need at RW, still think Leon Bailey is the best option however 

Agreed ive wanted Bailey for a long time, quality player there.

1 hour ago, Palfy said:

I wonder if Rafas interview went something like this, Brands  “right Rafa you fat twat I’m buying the players I want, I’m also deciding what style of football we play, and like Silva if it all goes wrong you’re taking the rap for it any problems with that fat boy” Rafa “none at all Mr Brands when do I start”. That’s a lot closer to some peoples take on it than mine.

Brands “don’t fire me farhad”

farhad “you’ll move to the board and keep your mouth shut, I make the decisions around here”

brands “yes sir”

23 minutes ago, Hafnia said:

You've counted 5 solid centre backs?

3 look good on their day - not solid.  1 potentially very good but young, 

We only play with 2 amigo.  You don’t win games with CB.  Pep has won with lesser CB’s year in and out.  We are dying for goals and creativity and pace, so we go for a CB, Everton that.

absolute saint on the pitch

11 minutes ago, dunlopp9987 said:

That was 5 years ago, Mark

I partially agree with your sentiment about Brands. While I too am frustrated by the signing of players who might be starting their decline, to say that he doesn't buy young players on the cusp is wrong. Digne, Richarlison, Godfrey, potentially Branthwaite. Not to mention who knows what might've been had Gbamin not been injured, and he took a chance on Kean, who looked primed to break out.

 

holgate was excellent until he got injured, then others stepped up and he's been playing catch up ever since.  his attitude is an issue no doubt, but he has the skillset and the physical attributes.  Rio is working with him and Godfrey and there is a possibility some of that is the mental side, which would be wonderful.

branthwaite wasn't signed by brands, he was signed by Unsworth for the U23, just like DCL.  as far as signing 5 young players on the cusp, i want a whole side of them.  i want long term.   not a couple here and there.  yes i see the value in a vet, and on a free someone like that could be helpful and i'm for it.  but spending big on aging players (just my opinion here) is not smart.  but it ain't my money.  

1 hour ago, dunlopp9987 said:

"5 solid CB" is grossly overstating their ability. We have 2 solid CB, 2 who are passable, and 1 who is unproven.

I'm with @duncanmckenzieismagic, if we can get the right hand sorted out and ship out either/both of Mina and Holgate, bring him in.

i disagree, holgate was a beast under koeman, mina albeit unorthodox has been our best CB at times.  branthwaite is unproven but he did well in the time he played.  it doesn't make sense to sign an old CB for massive money.  the whole "brands buys young players on the cusp" has been proved wrong time and again.  we are another west ham just buying the best 27-31 year old on the market now and hoping for a miracle.  there is a reason other clubs are surpassing us, it's called long term vision.

this proves to me that we still haven't learned how to correctly build a team and are making every season "this is it" which is stupid for a club of our size.  we have 5 solid CB, that's the last thing we need.

2 hours ago, StevO said:

I’m not trying to be funny Mark, but your expectations of how quickly things change in football as ridiculous. Changing the whole of a football club from top to bottom does take time. It took Moyes four years to stabilise the club, this has all been ripped out by various employees since and is being put back together. 
 

Your examples of Leicester and Brighton are against your argument. It took these clubs years of building and improving their clubs to get to that point. You’ve seen them get to a level and then maintain it. They started way before the people you mentioned. 

you are confusing the backroom stuff with the pitch.  sure 4 years for backroom stuff no argument there, but on the pitch the tactics doesn't take 4 years, my brenda and potter examples are proof of that.  leicester played sit and counter with ranieri, pearson, and puel for what 3-4 years?  brenda comes in and they possess and attack.  why?  because that is his philosophy.  that's what you hire him for.  my point is we aren't hiring those guys, which is what Brands is supposed to be about.

2 hours ago, StevO said:

Do you not think Brands will have a style in mind? But we’ve gone through that many managers looking for a short term solution that long term planning hasnt made its way to the first team yet? 

There is a plan in place, if there wasn’t there is no way Brands signs that contract and joins the board of all of the companies. He may be on a good wedge but the man clearly wants to influence footballing decisions. He could do that somewhere else and still get very well paid. 
 

Changing a football club from top to bottom takes time. I’d say it took Moyes at least four full seasons for the team to become consistent. 

It doesn’t take 4 years.  Brenda took over for Claude puel (Pearson and ranieri before) and instantly they were on the front foot and attacked and have kept at it.  Same with Potter taking over from Hughton at Brighton. 100% manager and tactics. We just need to hire that, and we don’t which pisses me off

2 hours ago, Gwlad all over said:

I understood that DoF is not only concerned with recruitment of players but development of the junior teams upward plus being in the loop with club finances. Undoubtedly Rafa has players he'd like but from his press conference seems to be assessing how existing players fit into future plans (and hopefully those who don't).

That’s how monchi does it they have a style and the youth play it and the senior team plays it.  They recruit for their style.  Under brands there is no cohesive style, no brand (pun intended) on the side.  We have godfrey and delph, we have digne and Bernard.  There is no signifying thing, which is what worries me.  It’s like we change style and tactics every time we get  new manager, which is exactly what shouldn’t happen with a DOF.  Which is why I question brands worth. If he’s not good enough get some one better.  If he is good enough let him have free reign.

2 minutes ago, Zoo 2.0 said:

I watched about 10 minutes of the press conference, it's not a dig at Rafa directly but it was filled with politician speak; we're going to give 110%, this is a massive club, the players will work hard etc.

Will judge him on the results we get, after being stung by Ancelotti (and to a lesser extent Koeman) I can't be arsed getting too attached to our management.

 

Spot on, I feel the same and add Martinez to those I was fooled by.

18 minutes ago, Bailey said:

Every manager since Moyes has talked about installing a winning mentality. It must page 1 of the managers handbook.

if i could give you 100 upvotes i would.  these interviews are dumb, every manager says the same thing for every club.

I’m in agreement that the DOF model is the way to go.  Sadly our DOF isn’t choosing the managers.  A rich guy who knows little about football is.  @Cornish Steve had a great example in Sevilla.  They have had a lot of different managers.  But monchi does great recruiting and only hires attacking football type managers.  If brands did that I’d be signing his praises.  InsteD we get defense first guys and awful results on the pitch.  So either let brands do his job or if moshiri doesn’t trust him then hire someone better that he will trust