EFC-Paul

Lookman first half Keane the second but went with Keane made some excellent challenges and potentially saved our arses near the end

Lookman did very well his work rate was great and kept plugging away Bernard also but gave the ball away to many times for my liking

56 minutes ago, nogs said:

If you're talking about Rashford, he has played nearly 100 times for Man Utd and has 31 senior England caps. Nothing limited about that. 

We are talking club football Nogs not international football 

Rashford has played 28 more senior games than Davies the vast majority of those were from the bench, if your trying to use one player who's been renowned for being miss used at club level as a gauge I'd find someone else to use as an example because it's common knowledge he's been limited to his chances 

You think our youth system is somehow not upto other clubs but you have very little to back it up when considering it's nearly the same across the board in this league 

The topic is Davies and he's not good enough no game time will alter the fact he's naturally a limited footballer 

44 minutes ago, nogs said:

Having the best U18 and U23 sides in the country doesn't mean much if a) we have a mediocre first team and b) we aren't using those assets for maximum effect from a business perspective, i.e. Bringing as many of them through as possible as elite players that carry a high transfer possible. I'd be very disappointed if that wasn't a priority for Brands. 

And as for mentioning United, well Rashford and Lingard look pretty decent to me, Liverpool have brought through Sterling (sold for £50m, we got £15m for Barkley) and now Alexander-Arnold, Spurs Kane, Winks, Walker-Peters has played a bit and another young midfielder has been playing recently... Its not all about City and Chelsea buying their way to glory, and that's not a model we can hope of competing with anyway. 

Two players for a side as renowned as United over the years for bringing youth through is hardly anything to back up a development argument especially since one is 26 and the other has had very limited playing opportunities which is part and parcel of your gripe with us 

I've not mentioned following City or Chelsea's model, the point is not many sides use the "assets to maximum effect" unless a player is capable of making the step up like Trent Arnold Winks etc and that's a very very small percentage of players pushing through 

As Pete said these sides also have much better players complimenting them throughout their sides so it won't have as big an impact bedding them in plus they are simply better than what we've got Arnold/Kenny Winks/Davies

We do have a decent youth set up the FACT is not many from any side make the transition  

39 minutes ago, StevO said:

I agree it should, but I asked you to name a club and players who cane through who would get in our team. I don’t watch any other clubs so I’d like to know what you see that makes us so poor at bringing players through at elite level. 

I've thought the same there's a handful each season who get touted as potential world beaters bar that there's never many, we develop players far better then many sides have and do this fabricated bollocks we don't is nonsense 

We've won the under 23 league and under 18 league in recent years, we'll go top of the under 18 league if we win our game in hand and we are top of what's now known as the Prem 2 league which wouldn't be the case of we had a "poor development system"

It's a huge step up from those leagues and systems and I'm sure Steve has posted stats before that there's never many that make the step up

Many of the top sides buy pre made young naturally gifted players ie City Chelsea farm them out for financial gain bar Odoi who looks decent, United haven't had anyone brake through their ranks that looks anything special of late and so on 

It all simply comes down to natural talent and Tom doesn't have it to the point where he'll become a regular for a side that has any aspirations of becoming a top 6 side given time or not he doesn't have it

Who's central midfield would he get into that's above or around us? None

4 minutes ago, markjazzbassist said:

I’ve always thought he was similar to Coleman in that he offers more in attack than defense.  He’s a decent player and with better players around him he could be good.  I wonder what the price is though?

£15m apparently

1 hour ago, Matt said:

I’m very worried about him. It’s not a question of adaptation for me, his positioning is truly awful and he’s extremely clumsy when people get close. I know he’s trying to be a powerful defender and aggressive but he’s just ungainly! 

There's me trying to be positive and you come in and crush my nerves

No I agree he does look awkward and clumsy reminds me very much of Sakho I just hope as with Keane something switches 

1 hour ago, Matt said:

And Mina at this rate. 

It was just a general comment mate, whenever I see “x was good at x tournament” I just switch off  

Oh I know I didn't take it any other way mate I have the same mindset with tournament football 

Mina is a slight worry for me but I do think he will settle down and adapt fine.... hopefully!

57 minutes ago, Matt said:

Never judge a player based on a tournament. 

I don't just the only observation I can give of the lad 

We all remember Kleberson...

33 minutes ago, London Blue said:

He needs game time, and a manager to decide what type of midfielder he is, box to box, attacking midfielder, or central midfielder and then help him develop.

I think a loan is the best option for him. He is still only 20 after all. He has the skills, just needs the time to develop, maybe away from the critical eye of Goodison.  

That's the problem he has very little about him to suggest he's anything but a plodding central midfielder

He certainly isn'tt a box to box mid nor an attacking mid either 

I'm genuinely curious as to what skills some see in him? 

Does he have pace? No 

Good feet and skills? Not a bad touch etc but very little else in the technical department

Range of passing? No 

Vision or able to turn the ball over positively? No 

He seems a good lad with a good work rate but I just don't see what some see in him that would suggest that he or a manaher will suddenly change his natural abilities 

14 minutes ago, Finn balor said:

He was involved in some controversy if I remember, a foul or a free kick 

Headbutted Henderson so he's signing as our new captain on £300k per week 

Looked a good player during the world cup 

Remember him being quick and nimble for a DM 

Echo what Mark says 

He shows nothing that can be built upon for me 

No pace no vision or range of passing, 99% of the time turns the ball over backwards or sideways and slows play right down 

He's a plodder who's not cut out for this level and you can tell he never will be imo 

Nice write up Bailey 

He's a funny one for me DCL I just see him purely as a fast hold up man that rarely uses his pace to his advantage 

I'm not sure he'll ever develop into a player that will add enough goals or assists to justify sticking with him

We need someone who can create their own space and moreso finish and as much as I disliked an awful lot about Lukaku the one thing the lad can do is run onto a ball and tuck it away and we miss that kind of forward massively

Personally I'd pay it, I really rate him and it's hard to judge what's a fair price for a lad who as Dunc says you'll get 10+ years out of and the market being so mental price wise 

I do genuinely think he'll go on to become one of the best RB's in the league he has everything you want in a modern day full back 

Shite players like Solanke going for £17m just proves where we are 

£45m is the asking price apparently....

31 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

I'm looking forward to going to see Glass this month.

Still haven't seen Split yet but I'll get around to it when the kids are back at school and the missus is back at work 

Orrrr I'll tan the hell out of Red Dead 2

40 minutes ago, Matt said:

Didn’t he have an £80m release clause though? Why take 25% of that? 

I really hope it’s true but that figure is too good to be true 

The Spanish sides always have ridiculous buy out clauses they'll know nobody in their right mind would value him at that price even as good as he can be 

On form without being an outcast at Barca he's a £50m player all day though so fingers crossed we nab a bargain

Just now, Matt said:

If that was the case it’d be done already. 

Barca have apparently only just given us a figure so hopefully it's in the works 

Looks like a cross between Besic and Vlasic from the clips I've seen 

37 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

The title of Mary Poppins Returns didn't give it away?  

Get fucked I didn't even notice

Took the kids to see the new Mary Poppins last night 

Thought it was a remake but it's a sequel and had the odd cameo and nod to the original 

Not as good as the first (they never are) but a good film for the kids/family 

30 minutes ago, hafnia said:

£22m? No brainer Based on how good he can be.

Just concerned by his recent games. 

I'm putting it down to a new league new pace and not having played much football prior to coming here, maybe overtraining to get as fit as possible  

The whole side has looked lethargic lately hopefully it's just a minor slump for the lot of them

£22.4m apparently to make it a permanent deal according to Mundo Deportivo

Absolute bargain in today's world 

If we were looking at that type of forward for a season or two it would have to be Dzeko 

One year younger one year left on his current contract and not on a ridiculous wage in today's world (£76k) also a better player than Llorente who's not bad either 

I'd much rather look at the long term but sometimes these kind of deals make sense 

31 minutes ago, Chach said:

We simply have to beat them at Goodison

Would love nothing more (well nearly) then to derail their title shot