c1982

He can only play for Everton or Sunderland this season.

My personal feeling on this… You can't always get what you want,You can't always get what you want,You can't always get what you want,But if you try sometimes, well, you might find…You get what you need.

Just checked - boooo! Missed both! Walsall/Burton possible next season then if Dunc survives.

Fantastic - I’m hoping they haven’t been to Burton or Derby yet as will pop along… may even give up my EFC ticket if either clash.

Quality player but seems to be injured a lot.

We were pretty much best (if not the best) in the league when defending set-pieces with Ancelotti in charge and that came from Davide. Was also in charge of coaching defensive shape supposedly.

This is an appointment that I’d get fully behind - is now the right time? Probably not… but at least it’s a ‘project manager’. The way I see it is Bielsa would start a project and give us an opportunity to build an identity that the fans would get behind but we’d probably be looking to replace him in the next year or 2 with his age - there’s plenty who have adopted his blueprint so they’d be continuity. Coberan (WBA) would probably be someone we keep an eye on because of this. Davide Ancelotti is an excellent coach and it would take time and support but I think he’d be great - he’s got decent links in the game too… he could be our ‘Arteta type’ appointment. He’ll already have relationships with some of the players too. Dyche, as much as I think he’d keep us up, seems very short-term. 1 step forward, 2 steps back again. Marcelino - I don’t know a lot about him but sometimes the unknown is much more exciting and it would seem very much like a Thelwell appointment - if so, you’d think there’s a long term plan. Moyes, Allardyce, Dyche and Hassenhutl just stink of the mistakes we’ve been making since Moshiri’s been here - many would put Bielsa in the same group but I just think the man’s an incredible character who would shake things up (needed) while giving us an identity (needed) which the fans can get behind.

Was one of Bielsa’s assistants and has adopted his philosophy.

30 in March - not known for his pace - £25m - class player but if this is who we’re targeting then we deserve all the misery coming our way. This is probably just paper talk but will we ever learn?!?!

100% behind this

Rumours that Coady gave him a slap in the changing room the other day - RUMOURS… anyone heard anything?

Aren’t PSG’s owners looking for an English Premier League project? They can’t own 2 teams in the same competition (Champions League) - I’d happily be their English feeder club and no I don’t have any morals!

Fuck me, is Lady Gaga part of his support staff to do a little half-time show?!

I wouldn’t put it past them…

Spot on Marcelo - us fans can see it - it’s so so obvious but hasn’t been addressed window after window. Pace and energy in this squad would transform it - I’m not talking a whole squad overhaul, just 3-4 players in key positions for now as something to build on - Danjuma will be a good start.

I take it back - anyone but Bielsa now!!!

Marcelino is being reported in the Spanish press - can’t say I know a lot about him but it would certainly be very different to what we’ve done previously e.g looking very much under our noses with PL experience. This alone is a positive to me as it suggests maybe Thelwell is having more influence?! Anyway, the football hipsters on Twitter seem to like Marcelino and by all accounts what he walked into at Valencia would make our current mess look quite tranquil!

I think Bielsa is exactly what we need… Has an identity Worked with big egos Will work players and get them fit or fuck them off Worked under pressure at massive clubs with massive pressure Mad bastard

Wow - how innovative - surely we’re the first team to ever adopt this model… makes sense really!!!

Exactly, which makes the hesitancy with moving on from Lampard absolutely ridiculous (but hardly surprising). Do it now and the ‘new manager bounce’ would be Arsenal (h) and Liverpool (a) - the time to do it was pre-world cup or after Wolves or after Brighton - we may have 6 more points on the board and thinking very differently - look at Forest - 6 points ahead of us now. We’re sleepwalking into the Championship- better late than never but the longer we leave it, the more teams will creep away.

Unless of course they need money (which it’s being reported they do) but surely the best way to ensure that is promotion so still can’t see this being any more than a rumour.

Same could be said about some of the very winnable games before the summer window closed too. Forest and Villa stand-out.

They’ve just been put under a transfer embargo so can’t see them selling anyone. Decent player though.

Like many, I really wanted Frank to succeed - I obviously want that from every EFC manager but can’t actually show too much bitterness towards Lampard. He’s completely out of his depth and this team is probably the softest of the lot but I still don’t feel any malice towards him. I just hope, whoever it is, is a Thelwell choice and we actually start connecting our thinking with a clear identity - Brighton are the model to follow - they’ve lost Ashworth and got better, they’ve lost Potter and got better - continuity and clear strategy.