Bailey

It would be great if these two could see this session through.

What is the solution though? Limit squad to all contracted players rather than registered? Ultimately though it is the players decision. Anyone picking Chelsea at the moment knows the score.

I thought that about Warrington too. Seemed natural progression for the player and the club.

If thats the case, it feels like we are selling the wrong type of player. £4mil probably with his wages is a drop in the ocean to any of the first team players. Maybe he said he wont sign a contract and we are getting a fee instead of him going for peanuts in a tribunal?

I have watched back a dozen of the highlights of the games he played in for Almeria last season and you barely see him. In one game he scores a header but it comes off his shoulder and goes in the other corner, albeit after some really sharp movement. Another he scores a tap in as the defender heads it past the onrushing keeper but at the other end he is out late from a corner playing everyone onside. His genuine defensive effort in one video looked pretty apathetic. The best of footage about him that I could find comes in their game against Barcelona where he lays off a long ball and spins in behind using his pace before applying a powerful finish high into the goal. He also showed a bit of aptitude for defending in the sense that he showed it isn't an alien concept to him as it is to some attackers. All in all, you would really expect to see a lot more involvement in the game for a guy valued at £40m. He has no involvement in any of the other goals I saw them score which I found really unusual. Slightly in his defence, the team he plays for are absolutely garbage and they did well to not get relegated. I would back them to struggle in the Championship.

That was my thought too.

Maybe that explains his groin injuries!

I also agree with @Romey 1878 that Anderson probably needs to come out of the attack. Im not sure where the next game is or what the conditions will be so unless he is going to be able to swing the ball, some genuine pace is needed. Its a shame Stokes is struggling because we could really do with him being able to bowl a bit more too.

I thought the Aussie tactics in the game were spot on as well. In the first innings we were rattling away with the bat and they went short. In the second innings Stokes was smashing them all over the park and they put every one back, bowled a bit wider and took the momentum away from him and made him force the shots which led to his wicket. It was another fantastic game of cricket and one hell of an innings from Stokes but the Aussies have been that little bit better than us in both games. It has been such a fine margin.

I think the issue is of how promising those players really are. Look at Simms, scores loads of goals in the academy, scores well enough in Scotland and in the Championship but looks lost in the big league. If a Simms or Cannon are the 3rd choice in depth at that position then Im happy with that. If they are the back-up we have problems. As for players, there are lots out there if we look hard enough. The Premier League is a massive pull, we just have to try and be sensible with wages which is the harder bit.

Saying about using the academy is all well and good as long as they are good enough. We cant get ourselves into the situation where we dont have the squad depth to cope with reasonably expected injuries or have to rely on a kid for 3+ games. Also as we have seen countless times, its not like a young lad comes in if there is no natural first team player available in that position. You will see a player in a different position move there (Iwobi, Garner, Godfrey, Holgate etc) and then it just creates even more problems.

I have watched a few PSV highlights and there is definitely still a naivety about his defending which will only get highlighted more in the Premier League. There is a bit of John Stones about him though with that composure on the ball and he can play. Dyche could be the perfect man to get those defensive levels up. I think he is already at least at Holgate's level (Championship) with a far higher ceiling. That Xavi Simons fella is a real player though and Bakayoko can definitely beat a man and could easily play in this league if he can work on his end product.

I'm a bit on the fence with this as he gives me some Maupay vibes. Leeds have been one of the most attacking teams in the league under Bielsa and Marsch and yet he scored 7, 6 and 13 respectively each season with 4 assists in the league. In total they are the same numbers that Maupay managed with Brighton, albeit the latter managed more minutes across the 3 season comparison. On xG he over-performed by over 4 goals last season, so you would expect the lower numbers to be more his level. It should be pointed out that he has played across the forward positions (usually as Bamford is the main striker, which in itself raises an eyebrow). Whilst Maupay should be entering his prime (don't all laugh at once!), Rodrigo is the twilight of his career and in all likelihood his levels are going to be more difficult to maintain and his is more likely to pick up injuries. In terms of the eye test, when I have seen him play, I don't see loads from him and that is for a team that should suit him rather than moving into a team like ours where it will be a bit more of a struggle. He can at least strike a ball cleanly and give either player a chance, I would definitely back Rodrigo. He also has good feet, is certainly quicker than Maupay and is a good player with others around him. I doubt he will offer too much with his back to goal, building attacks in the way we do with Dom leading the line which is why I am slightly on the fence. Overall I think its a case of him being better than the back-up but how much difference it will make remains to be seen.

As long as its ready, get in the stadium. We need the money.

He caught my eye when I saw Rovers play but I didn't think he was anything special. He had a run of games at the end but it wasn't like he was playing all season. Maybe he is one that we buy cheap and see what happens, but I didn't see a gem. If I am completely honest, he had a Tom Davies vibe where he comes in, looks quite good because he is a bit different but then when you actually assess his ability, you realise there isn't loads to work with.

From what I saw of him he is a great player. It is unusual to see an attacking player his age make so many good decisions on the ball. I am not really sure what happened to him at the end with the changes of manager but its not unusual for managers to place more trust in experience in relegation battles.

I agree with this generally, albeit I imagine Southampton probably thought the same last summer when they bought a few young players with potential!

I almost threw up at the thought of that!

I don't know enough about the other funding issues to get into but on this point generally but does Mohsiri still have the cash available to him? I think there have been some suggestions that his ability to use his wealth in this country has been hampered due to the Ukraine/Russia sanctions. I don't know whether The Esk is reliable, but on 23rd June 2023 he said that the latest funding from MSP will "keep the club solvent & keeps BM viable". EDIT: Ill just add I have no idea where I read that first bit or if I have just made it up!

He better not start doing any modelling!

Bastard! I actually agree with that, well the first couple of paragraphs anyway!

I do understand unfortunately. Maybe I just see my experiences differently, and in some ways, what you have said about yours differently. If there wasn't a part of you that didn't want something to change, you wouldn't be here. You didn't have to get treatment, but you did. You could have written it off after one counsellor, but you didn't. You said you have taken things from these professionals, when you didn't have to listen. My original point with Alli is that if he does have an issue (which is all conjecture at this point), then whilst his resources can get him to see the right people sooner, it still needs him to engage with that treatment. I hope that comes across in the right way, I am in no way trying to tell you how you felt etc. Its a hard thing to put into words and discuss properly on here.

I wouldnt trust Kenwright in any capacity and he needs to go too. I am not diluting anything either. My view is that Mohsiri is the biggest issue. He has all the power. If Kenwright goes, Mohsiri is just going to keep running this club into the ground. If Mohsiri goes, Kenwright will too.

Today's announcement is a joke. I hope people can see that Mohsiri is the biggest issue here. Kenwright is clearly a problem, but the biggest issue lays with the owner. It is beyond belief that he has now placed himself on the board.

It just says Ross left, not whether he was sacked or walked. I have no idea as to whether Kenwright has journalists on the payroll, but I doubt it personally, at least to the extend you suggest. It seems like whenever someone says something either positive or not negative about Kenwright it is automatically assumed that Kenright is behind it which is, IMO, a load of rubbish. Mohsiri is massively the problem. Nothing changes if Kenwright goes.