Fabrice29

If it is the Spurs kid then that probably explains why it took a little longer than expected after it was leaked. Also think that kid was pretty much a done deal to City before they snoozed/messed up and we swooped in, so the lad has probably had a stressful summer.

Experience is neither a skill nor a future indicator of success. Ralph Hassenhuttl has just become available and he ticks the majority of those boxes you want though.

Jones fits the philosophy of the new owners. Recruiting talent before it’s emerged. It’s risky, but no riskier than signing Lavia, Tino, Edozie etc. If we want the Thomas Franks etc we have to get them before they emerge. Think these owners have shown themselves to be good at recruitment so far and we should back them here. As for Jones specifically I’d urge you to ignore the toxicity of the internet and actually research him, his interviews etc as he actually comes across really well. His coaches voice segment is good, his record with Luton is incredible and as good if not better than Frank’s with Brentford. There’s not much not to like imho.

Lavia and AMN off at half time.

No. 4-0 Mara hat trick. Not sure who but someone is going off injured also.

Truth is more likely to be a combination of some of the better youngsters had to go down to the U18's to ensure they started picking up some results and with a League Cup tie next week, the staff have seen an opportunity to get some minutes into fringe players who might get a run out. AMN and Diallo to get 45 minutes each I suspect.

FM23 question, cba to create a new thread, why is Ollie Lancashire assistant manager?

Blackmore spot on btw. Fabrizo Romano spending all summer updating everyone on our business finally makes sense and the Ben Jacobs tweets that he want's to be "resource heavy" smack of a man who hasn't enjoyed the challenge of not being able to cherry pick who ever he wants. We'll be fine.

100% this. If you're blaming the club for this you're utterly nuts. The club and people making the decisions have clearly shown themselves to be capable of making good staff recruitment choices so far so let's back them to get this next one right too.

I live about 20 minutes from the ground but thanks for the assumption. I just find it funny people are complaining about the team selection. Not just because it's pretty meaningless (in my not so local, despite actually being local, opinion) but also because it seems like we're playing some of our most talented kids who some want in the first team. But anyway, clearly nights like these big nights bring out all sorts of emotions so it's hard to think straight.

People actually complaining about the team selection for a cup barely anybody knew we'd entered might be a new low point for this message board

Brian Barry-Murphy been mentioned yet?

I agree with most of your points (even if "statistically the best English midfielder" is incredibly vague) but A) Southgate can't just pick a team of on form everytime, so yes there will be occasions player who are out of form are favoured when they've been reliable in the past, that's just common sense and then B) Ward-Prowse has been given chances and whilst never played awfully, he's also never really stood out enough and demanded a place in the team. You only need to speak to fans outside of Southampton fans and not many would have him in the team, or even the 3 (for 2 spots) that we agree he should be in. Also unless you're 6 he's not the worst England manager you've lived through. By the very same "statistically" definition you used, he'll be one of the best you've lived through whatever your age.

Tomori has been a bit meh at Milan this season actually, as has JWP and the others left out of tonights squad. Can see a theme in the ones who have been left out "not in exceptional form and not ones that have been relied on in the past". That said, they've both been better than Maguire and Henderson of course. From Ward-Prowse and our point of view it's a bit of an odd one. He's clearly not better than Rice and Bellingham but probably the next best back up so it's weird he's been left out completely but then again I'm not sure he's done enough when he has played England to grab the role from the ones Southgate trusts from before. Hopefully it fires him up to improve for us and start taking control of games a bit more, because some exceptional performances for us I think would still open up a place for him come November.

He might turn it down but lets not pretend the England job is in anyway appealing to someone like Potter after December.

Oh don't get me wrong, I appreciate the insight but I've noticed he's been wrong on team selection a couple of times now which is the easiest way to judge a source isn't it? Then there's the "never in for Ramos" stuff which by all accounts isn't true either so I'm just pointing out the source could be being used.

Your source is either winding you up, not as close to the team as he thinks or deliberately being told information to find out if they're leaking it.

Don't see why anything changes for Small. Season long loans are long and should always be judged on how they end and not how they start. Young lad settling in a new environment, league and area. Same with Kegs Chauke at Exeter, it'll take time to win trust and get opportunities. He's just got to do his thing and develop. He's ahead of this Spanish lad by all accounts in his development anyway based on the number of appearances he's made in the 23's etc.

Won't happen in January either. World Cup will either go brilliantly and he'll play himself into a much bigger move or he'll be meh and interest will be cooled.

I remember my first transfer deadline day.

Has to be a low point in a journalists career when they're passing off "I don't know" as an update.

Delighted to hear that. Really hope it doesn't turn out the reason they stopped going was actually because of the company they kept...🤞 On a serious note, why do you resent the rainbow saints so much?

Why don't you do something?

Being annoyed that we don’t have fans / try to actively keep and attract the fans who would happily take a swing at someone because of a shirt they are wearing is really weird 😂 Fair enough it’s stupid that they’ve managed to get in/not been spotted when they’re in a shirt but I sat next to a lad who came on his own and who was actively talking about how he was a United fan and it’s much more enjoyable engaging with him about the game than it would have been frothing at the mouth with anger, taking sneaky pictures of him, thinking about how to get him kicked out and swinging at him. If you’re really desperate to have the days of a hostile atmosphere back then actively pursue it and see if it catches on. No point moaning about how the club isn’t catering for your old mates anymore, get them back, create the atmosphere yourselves and make it what you want it to be.

What was made clear at the fans forum was that he wasn’t going to Everton on loan. That’s what was said, so that’s what was made clear. What has been made clear today is that he isn’t being sold this summer, because that’s what was said. In-between those two statements 2 things have changed, firstly our formation and secondly his form. He’s back in the plans now and that’s great for all concerned at this stage but let’s not rewrite history. He didn’t play great in pre season and hardly has a backlog of goals to rely on and therefore whilst he was out of the team he/his agent/the club/Everton all explored the possibility of a deal that could be done that would suit everyone. A loan was ruled out, Everton didn’t commit to a permanent deal and he upped his game and is back in the team. Hence we’ve changed our tune. Lets not act like it’s been clear all along he was staying because that simply isn’t true. There’s no commitment to a long term deal yet, I’m sure that is a fluid situation based on his form and I wouldn’t be surprised if come January he’s out the team again that a deal might be looked at again.