SKD

I completly agree. Imo he'll develop to be better than Morgan who is, IMO, a similar player to PEH. Easy to forget he is younger than JWP, who seems to get a lot of grace from some due to his age (however I suspect if he hadn't come from our academy he wouldn't). If you had to choose between PEH or JWP (for potential) it'd be PEH every day of the week.

The same manager who thought Redmond was an out and out striker "the next Henry"... perhaps he's not always right, as he's not in this case

Typical saintsweb style... disagree / have no response to a valid point and get called a troll.

If reports are to believed (which the Liverpool echo is pretty realiable) Everton and Koeman believe they have a chance. I wouldn't imagine that is plucked from thin air, especially given his agent is the same as Koemans... If the money is right, he'd consider a move anywhere... just look at all those heading to china....

When have I said he will go to Everton? All I've pointed out is there is a chance, like there is a chance (a bigger one at that) that he'll stay at us. Everyone on this place said Koeman wouldn't go to Everton... look how that one ended up. I'm not saying they will outbid an elite club.. but if they want the man that desperately, they can and they would need to.

Exactly. Wasn't good enough then, isn't good enough now. I'd have sigurdsson, traore, Pickford (as back up which I doubt he'd come for) and Defo. Lorente a good player, but wouldn't suit our style IMO. Would swap him for Austin given the chance however.

Isn't this whole thread based on speculation? My opinion is based on our/The footballing worlds previous experiences in recent transfer windows Answer me this, do you honestly believe 1) We will turn down an offer of anything from £50m+ 2) Chelsea or city offer him 100k a week, Everton offer him £150k a week* (include release clauses and sell him the dream etc...) 3) VVD would not be interested in a move away if he was offered those sums of money? * using wages as an example. Would expect city / Chelsea to offer more / roughly the same as Everton. If Everton want him enough and are willing to break the bank to get him, they will. After all, if this season is anything to go by, Everton have just as much chance of winning the title as City. Obviously everyone is expecting city to improve next year. FWIW I think he'll end up at Chelsea. Just pointing out that there is a possibility he would go to Everton. A very slim one, but they wouldn't express an intrest if they believed they had no chance.

Have a good feeling about this one. Think we will need to score more than 1 to win however. I'm gonna go for 2-1 Redmond, Aguero, Gabbi

you're correct. 8th will not mean Europe under any circumstances.

If Lukaku goes they will. £60m for the sell + £150k (reported contract he turned down) off the wage bill. As I've said previously, money talks. If they offer him a better deal (much better) than one of the big clubs, he will go there

Even more naive if you honestly believe we would turn down a bid c.£50m+.

I think this every week when I see people getting aggy when he predicts us to lose

Which is exactly what I said

Like many said that Koeman wouldn't? Money talks and they're prepared to part with large sums of theirs and we're not. Do you honestly believe that if his only options (which they won't be, so I too don't believe he will go there) were to sign for Everton on £100k+ (plus signing on fee) or stay at us on £70/80k he will choose us?

1 will end up a Real Madrid, the others peak management achievement will be a failed couple of months at Lyon.

Wasn't specifically referring to 1 shot on target (Although I cannot recall Foster having to make that many saves, perhaps you can inform me on how many shots on target we had?). However, you do realise that playing direct and 'hoofball' are not the same thing? The best bit of play (other than the strike for the goal) against WBA was a 40+ yard pass by PEH to Redmond, which set up a counter attack. Was that 'hoofball'? It's all well and good making 5 yard passes in the middle of the park, but intricate passing doesn't score you goals. In fact it gives teams a chance to get men behind the ball and back into shape. FWIW, IMO, at times we played some excellent stuff under Koeman and some poor boring stuff under Poch as well, however as a whole we were a more entertaining team to watch. Everyone wants to play the same way as Pep at Barca, but you have to have a set unbelievable players (who perform on a consistent basis) to do so, as he is finding out this season at City. Our best performances this year have been when we have played on the counter, using pace of wing backs / forwards. It's finding the right balance of when to keep possession and when to make a direct pass to set up a counter.

Spot on IMO.

I'd suggest it was probably the manager (He's dramatically improved under Klopp as well) as he got the best out of 90% of our squad and is continuing to do so at Tottenham.... I don't think some on here appreciate how good a coach Poch actually is.

Did anyone watch the u23's game last night? How did he perform?

Completely agree he will rock up at Real soon enough I suspect. I think United had a howler not going for him in the summer when they would have had a chance to get him. MP gets the best out of players (i.e Jay Rod, no other manager has got half of what MP got out of him), plays IMO the best brand of football in the league, not afraid to chuck in a youngster and is generally a nice bloke (the staff around the club loved him and i quote 'it had a family feel' under him). IMO, The squad we had last year or year before was much better than that of Poch's time here (I can only imagine what he'd do with a player like Mane/VVD).... Koeman is also a fantastic manager, plays in a different way (a lot more direct and hit teams with pace on the counter). Koeman is a winner (as a player and manager) and for that reason he'll end up at Barca or one of the top European clubs. Ultimately I don't really blame either for leaving however the way Koeman left is 100% worse than Poch. I think the difference was Poch wanted to leave and never guaranteed he'd be staying, whereas Koeman didn't really have a choice after Les called his bluff RE his contract situation, which made him (RK) look a bit stupid after saying all along he will be staying.

Yep it's sh!t. We've been over this plenty of times, nothing will change, wouldn't waste your time posting on here.

If you want a table, get there early as it gets ridiculously busy. Having been there a few times I'll be avoiding this year as I prefer a quieter boozer. From memory there's not a great deal around the stadium, so I may drink further out towards central Brum

Of course I would never want us to go down, however as a fan who pays £1000's into the club every year, I want to see us challenge rather than accept mid table mediocrity. Each to their own, however I suspect you contribute nowt to the club, so don't expect a service (by service I mean excitement / entertainment and to be challenging the top clubs in the league as we have done for the past 3 season). This is not only aimed at Puel as I have no doubt he is doing the best he can, the board and Les need to take a look at themselves. As I have said previously, I wouldn't sack him and give him until Christmas time, I just have doubts about his ability and our ambition as a club.

Exactly. This is also why finishing 10th every year shouldn't be our target for the season.

Stick my neck on the line, and hope to be wrong, but I bet you they finish ahead of us.